The Rim Country Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society (RCC-AAS) has ongoing interest in two local prehistoric sites: Goat Camp and Risser Ranch Ruins. Goat Camp dates to between 850 and 1150 AD, Risser is contemporaneous but probably was inhabited well into the 1200's. The Northern Gila County Historic Society owns a ¾ acre lot of Risser Ruin, and has an agreement with Rim Country AAS to utilize it for educational purposes. RCC-AAS has cleared brush, removed old back dirt, placed a pathway through the site, and stabilized walls at Risser. At one time Risser Ranch Ruin had over 100 rooms, the ¾ acre lot available to us contains less than 20, most of the rest of this site has been destroyed by modern housing construction. Goat Camp lies on the northern edge of the town of Payson and consisted of at least 25 rooms (probably more). The town of Payson owns all of this ruin (except for the northern edge of the artifact scatter, which thankfully lies on Tonto National Forest land), and efforts are underway to develop the site as an archaeological park, with interpretive signs and pathways through the ruin. The Rim Country AAS is taking the lead in this, offering to guide the development of the park in the same vein as we have done at the Risser Ruin. 

 The prehistoric people who occupied both Goat Camp and Risser Ruin were farmers and hunters. They were closely related to the Mogollon peoples to the east and the Salado of the Tonto Creek arm of the Tonto Basin. The Hopi and other Puebloan peoples of the modern SW are likely also closely related to these prehistoric Payson people.