Chapter 5. Finding and understanding ancient irrigated agricultural fields in southern Arizona

Bibliographic Data

ID5947174
AuthorsM Kyle Woodson (Gila River Indian Community, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume35
Issue1
Pages53-62
Publication date2024-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArcheological Papers of the American Anthropological Association (BOOK_SERIES)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1551-823X • E-ISSN: 1551-8248
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/apaa.12186
OpenAlexW4402159167
LanguageEN
References cited13

For over a century, archaeologists have investigated the vast network of prehistoric Hohokam canal irrigation systems in the lower Salt River and middle Gila River valleys, as well as in other areas of southern Arizona. However, documentation of the agricultural fields in which prehistoric farmers irrigated their crops generally was lacking until the last 25 years. This is largely a result of the difficulty in identifying ancient fields, since they are not visible on the surface and have been obscured or destroyed by natural landscape processes as well as historic and modern disturbances. More recent archaeological investigations have revealed ancient irrigated fields through innovative methods and excavation techniques. The fields were constructed both by Hohokam irrigators (450-1450 CE) as well as by farmers from preceding cultural traditions during the Early Agricultural period (2100 BCE-50 CE). These discoveries occurred during projects conducted in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act. In this chapter, I highlight these important studies that have expanded the view of ancient agricultural landscapes in southern Arizona

Agriculture · Archaeology · Art · Excavation · Geography · Irrigation · Prehistory · River valley · American Environmental and Regional History · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Natural History · Ecology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access