Feature 14
Feature 14 was a pithouse that was located along the southern property line. It was first identified in Trench 12 as an extremely well burned, plastered surface in the eastern wall and a less distinct unplastered surface in the western wall. The floor was visible for 5.0 m in the eastern wall with four possible postholes beginning at the level of the pithouse floor. The feature was 4.0 m long and had two postholes below the floor in the western trench wall. A sharp definition was evident along the southern edge of the house the construction pit had been dug into the sterile fill; cultural fill blended into a diffuse outline with the sterile soil at the northern feature edge. Large pieces of burned roof and wall fall were present up to 0.3 m above the floor in a brownish-red, clayey-silt soil with abundant charcoal. A moderate artifact density was present in the profile that showed cultural fill within the pithouse construction pit. A lower artifact density was recorded above the feature in a compact silty soil that comprised the historic plow zone. The pithouse had been dug into the sterile red silt stratum that capped the caliche stratum.
Feature 14 was a large rectangular pithouse dug 0.42 m below the original prehistoric occupation surface. The sterile soil below the occupation surface was a compact reddish silt. The pit walls were nearly vertical and sloped inward near the bottom of the pit. An estimate of the dirt removed (approximately 13.7 cubic meters) for the construction of the pit was based on the maximum dimensions, but did not include the entrance. Haury's (1976) description of Hohokam houses does not include an identical feature, but this house was similar to the P-2 type.
The hearth of Feature 14 was circular, thinly plastered with some inclusions, but well preserved. It had a basin shape with vertical walls that were moderately oxidized. The diameter of the feature (number 106) was 0.29 m. The fill of the hearth did not contain evidence of charcoal or ash.
The interior postholes formed a symmetrical pattern within the house. Two major supports were located in the middle of the house along the long axis. Major supports were also located near each corner of the house. Major postholes had an average size of 0.266 m in diameter and an average depth of 0.316 m. A double row of postholes was observed encircling the entire plastered floor. The orientation of these suggested that the walls of the house were vertical. These postholes were on average about 0.122 m in diameter and 0.135 m in depth. The addition of an interior posts is suggestive of efforts to reinforce or reconstruct the house. A series of additional interior postholes were relatively shallow and suggested supports had been added by wedging posts into the floor. This is consistent with other evidence that the occupants of Feature 14 attempted to prolong the use-life of the house through a number of reconstruction efforts.
The catastrophic burning of the structure sealed artifacts in situ. Post-abandonment fill above Feature 14 contained less charcoal and a lower artifact density than did the house floor.Features associated with later occupation near Feature 14 included a ramada (Feature 81) and secondary cremations (Features 48 and 59). Activities represented by these cultural features did not intrude the pithouse and materials from the house floor appeared to be in situ.