Special Tours of Barrio de Tubac Archaeological Preserve and Tumacácori Mission

Date: September 19, 2012
Contact: Anita Badertscher, 520-398-2341

In celebration of National Archaeology Month, Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Tumacácori National Historical Park will collaborate to provide special tours of two unique archaeological sites on Sunday, October 7, 2012.

From 10:00 to 11:30 AM, join historians Philip Halpenny and Gwen Griffin for a guided tour of the Barrio de Tubac archaeological site that preserves the remains of the original 1752 Spanish colonial Tubac town site. The site is protected by the Archaeological Conservancy and participants are asked to sign an "Acknowledgement of Risk Factors" before entering the site. Following the tour of the Tubac town site, enjoy a bring-your-own picnic lunch in your choice of picnic area at either the state or the national park.

At 12:30 PM, join National Park Service archaeologist and Chief of Resources Management, Jeremy Moss, for a special archaeological tour of the Tumacácori Mission, established by Father Kino in January 1691, making it the oldest mission in Arizona. The tour will conclude at 2:00 PM.

Only 30 reservations will be accepted for this special event. The $15 per person cost includes both tours and admission to both parks. Please bring walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water. Each tour will start from the visitor center at the respective park. For more information, contact the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park at 520-398-2252, or Tumacácori National Historical Park at 398-2141, extension 0. For reservations, contact the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park at 520-398-2252 or [e-mail].

The Barrio de Tubac Archaeological Preserve is a unique historic property comprising the southern community of the original Presidio de San Ignacio de Tubac. The Presidio was founded in 1752 and was the first permanent European settlement in what is now Arizona. Tubac was an important military and economic center. The residents who lived, raised livestock and grew crops here played a significant role in shaping the complex history of what is now Santa Cruz County. The tour will interpret the site including residence foundations, the plaza area, the refuse area and a partial irrigation ditch from the 18th century community. Archaeological resources associated with Native American, Missionary, Spanish, Mexican, and American settlements have been recovered from the site. Some of these artifacts are on display in the Tubac Presidio's museum.

Tumacácori National Historical Park protects the ruins of the historic Tumacácori Mission. Originally a community of the native O'odham people, Tumacácori became a mission with the arrival of Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1691. The community built its first church in the 1750s, around the time that the Presidio was being established at nearby Tubac. The church which stands today, the mission's second church, was begun by the community in approximately 1800.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is located at 1 Burruel Street in Tubac, at Exit 34 on Interstate 19. Learn more about the Tubac Presidio at www.TubacPresidioPark.com. Tumacácori National Historical Park is located at 1891 E. Frontage Road in Tumacácori, at Exit 29 on Interstate 19. Learn more about the Tumácacori Mission at www.nps.gov/tuma.