Why Live on a Hill?

For many years, the hill location and stone constructions of trincheras sites have caught the attention of borderlands dwellers and visitors to the region. Archaeologists and geographers who studied these sites in the early 1900s emphasized their defensive position and the use of storm runoff from slopes to supply extra water for terrace crops. More recent research has revealed the diversity of residential architecture and even large villages on some hills, as well as changing site patterns over 2500 years of trincheras occupations.

Today, archaeologists investigate a wide range of theories about the special roles trincheras sites may have played among contemporary settlements and populations. Differing combinations of archaeological evidence at different sites lead to varied and multi-dimensional interpretations. Archaeologists continue to debate the significance of the following kinds of evidence and site functions:

Defense - A hill with cobble-strewn slopes is a naturally defensible location. Terraces and walls would further slow uphill attack, while providing cover and stable footing for defenders. Lack of water sources on hills is a drawback for extended siege.

Cross section of Los Morteros pit house excavated by archaeologists. Artifacts left in the house suggest typical Hohokam family life for this period.
Drawing by Ronald J. Beckwith.

Residence - Excavations have uncovered pit-houses, stone-walled rooms, and other sorts of structures at most large trincheras sites. Residential garbage such as broken pottery, stone tools, and food remains add details about domestic life.
Terrace Gardens - Indigenous farmers planted on terraces throughout desert regions of the Americas. Runoff from slopes above a terrace provide extra water. Early spring crops are possible on hills when cold air drainage still threatens frost in the valley below.
Public Events and Ceremonies - Specialized stone structures on the summits and occasionally on the slopes of trincheras hills likely were used for ceremonies or other public events.

Elevated and Prominent Location - Trincheras sites may have served as prominent visual markers in landscapes dominated by ordinary settlements, much like mounds and pyramids in ancient Mexico. Massive terraces at some sites create an eye-catching stepped effect on hill slopes.

Cerro de Trincheras.
Photo by Adriel Heisey.

Visibility for Long-distance Communication - Hilltop structures may have been part of an inter-village signaling system for defensive or ritual purposes.
Multi-purpose Villages - The combination of houses, terrace gardens, and public or ceremonial structures at many large trincheras sites represent the full set activities for a village. The largest trincheras sites were regional centers.

Do any of these reasons account for Tucson houses perched today on the slopes of Los Morteros or television antennas and astronomical observatories on Tumamoc Hill?

Do the current attractions of Tucson's foothill neighborhoods - a great view and a prestigious location -- also apply to trincheras sites?

Los Morteros with new housing development.
Photo by Adriel Heisey

Tumamoc Hill with antennas and observatories.
Photo by Adriel Heisey