The goal of the Honey Bee Village project was to engage the public in developing a multicultural interpretive plan for the Honey Bee Village archaeological preserve. This Hohokam village site is now in the center of the rapidly-growing town of Oro Valley, Arizona. The land containing most of this archaeological site is slated for commercial and residential development, but 13 acres of the site’s core were acquired by Pima County as a permanent public archaeological preserve through a land donation by the owner and 2004 Historic Preservation bonds approved by voters.
The site of Honey Bee Village in 2004.
From July 2006 to January 2007, Archaeology Southwest provided Oro Valley and Pima County residents a number of opportunities to learn more about the Honey Bee Village archaeological site, including site tours, a lecture series, computer models of the site, and a panel discussion on interpretive ideas and challenges. Our ultimate goal was to create a well-informed and involved public who would stay interested and invested in the archaeological preserve in the long term, after the excavations ceased and the new developments were in place.
Aerial view of excavations at Honey Bee Village and the 13-acre archaeological preserve on the site.
The project was funded by a grant from the Arizona Humanities Council. The grant funds assisted in public interpretation.
