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| Desert Archaeology, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Name | Desert Archaeology, Inc. |
| Type | Cultural resources management firm |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Mark H. L. (Mark) Fish |
| Headquarters | Tucson, Arizona |
| Key people | Mark H. L. Fish; Lisa J. Ravesloot; Thomas Bostwick |
| Industry | Archaeology; Cultural Resources Management |
Desert Archaeology, Inc. is a private cultural resources management and archaeological research firm based in Tucson, Arizona. The company provides survey, excavation, laboratory analysis, reporting, and historic preservation services across the American Southwest and northern Mexico, engaging with federal, state, tribal, and municipal clients. Its work intersects with regional studies of prehistoric Puebloan, Hohokam, Patayan, Mogollon, and Archaic cultures as well as historic-period topics such as Spanish colonial, Mexican, and Anglo-American settlement.
Founded in 1988 by Mark H. L. Fish amid compliance needs generated by the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act, the firm grew during the expansion of Department of Transportation projects and Bureau of Land Management undertakings in the late 20th century. Early work drew upon comparative frameworks established by scholars associated with the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society, the University of Arizona, and the Petrified Forest National Park research community. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the company responded to mitigation requirements for projects funded by agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Forest Service, and contributed to cultural resources studies tied to initiatives by the Tucson Department of Transportation and the City of Tucson. Interactions with tribal governments including the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and the Hopitû Project informed protocols aligned with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Field investigations have encompassed survey and excavation at sites related to the Hohokam canal systems, Salado ceramics contexts, and riverine occupations along the Gila River, the Salt River, and the Santa Cruz River. The company has performed monitoring and data recovery for infrastructure projects involving the Interstate 10 corridor, the Sun Corridor Rail, and municipal water projects in association with agencies such as the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. Notable undertakings have included salvage excavations addressing threats from urban development near Tucson International Airport and research excavations of prehistoric habitation sites comparable to those published by scholars linked to the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and the School for Advanced Research. Fieldwork has integrated methods promoted by the Society for American Archaeology and tools from partners like the Arizona State Museum and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research for dendrochronological dating.
The firm offers Phase I survey, Phase II site evaluation, Phase III data recovery, artifact processing, geospatial mapping, and remote sensing, applying technologies such as ground-penetrating radar, LiDAR, and GIS platforms widely used by institutions like the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Institution. Specialist analyses provided include archaeobotany aligned with protocols from the American Society for Archaeology-affiliated researchers, zooarchaeology comparable to work at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, lithic analysis in tradition with studies from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and ceramic seriation following typologies developed by the Arizona State Museum. Cultural resources compliance services are conducted with attention to regulations from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and guidance utilized in Section 106 processes.
Staff have authored cultural resource reports, technical monographs, and peer-reviewed articles addressing topics such as canal irrigation parallels to research at the Hohokam Pima National Monument, settlement pattern analyses resonant with models proposed by the Chacoan research community, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions comparable to studies from the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill. Contributions appear in outlets and compilations alongside work from the Arizona Archaeological Council, the Kiva journal tradition, and regional conference proceedings hosted by the Society for California Archaeology and the New Mexico Archaeological Council. The firm's artifact collections and site documentation have been curated in collaboration with repositories such as the Arizona State Museum and regional historic preservation offices.
Desert Archaeology, Inc. has partnered with tribal governments including the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Akimel O'odham Community, and the Navajo Nation on projects requiring consultation under Executive Order 13175-style protocols, while collaborating with universities such as the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University on research and student training. Cooperative agreements have linked the firm with federal agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Professional engagement extends to memberships and joint activities with organizations such as the Society for Historical Archaeology, the Register of Professional Archaeologists, and the Arizona Archaeological Council.
The company and its staff have received endorsements, project awards, and professional recognition from entities such as the Arizona Preservation Foundation, the Society for American Archaeology committees, and municipal historic preservation commissions including the City of Tucson Historic Preservation Office. Individual staff have been acknowledged through presentations at venues like the Paleoamerican Odyssey conference, the Chacmool Conference, and regional symposia hosted by the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society.
Category:Archaeological organizations Category:Cultural heritage management in Arizona