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Landscape Change and the Cultural Evolution of the Hohokam along the Middle Gila River and Other River Valleys in South-Central Arizona

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael R. Waters  and
John C. Ravesloot
Michael R. Waters
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843—4352
John C. Ravesloot
Affiliation:
Cultural Resource Management Program, Department of Land and Water Resources, RO. Box 2140, Gila River Indian Community, Sacaton, AZ 85247
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Abstract

Changes in river floodplain morphology can have devastating consequences for irrigation agriculturalists. Channel erosion occurred in the late nineteenth century, on the flood plain of the middle Gila River, Arizona and severely impacted the native Akimel O' odham (Pima) farmers. Prior to the Akimel O' odham, the prehistoric Hohokam also pursued irrigation agriculture along this river. Geoarchaeological investigations of the Gila River flood plain document a major period of channel cutting and widening sometime between A.D. 1020 to 1160. This channel erosion is coincident with the partial abandonment of large Hohokam villages and significant population rearrangements. It also marks the beginning of a major social reorganization when ball-courts were replaced by platform mounds as the social integrative structure and the Hohokam sphere of influence contracted. Other rivers utilized by the Hohokam—the Santa Cruz River, San Pedro River, and Tonto Creek-also experienced channel cutting between A.D. 1050 and 1150. Thus, a regional episode of channel erosion appears to have been a major factor that contributed to the reorganization seen in the Hohokam archaeological record. These synchronous landscape changes would have severely impacted Hohokam irrigation systems and food production capabilities. This undoubtedly created stresses within Hohokam society which in turn may have accelerated social, political, economic, ideological, and demographic changes that were already underway.

Résumé

Résumé

Cambios morfológicos en el cauce de un ríopueden tener consequencias devastadoraspara la agricultura de irrigatión. La erosión del Río Gila Medio, que ocurrió al final del sigh IXX impactó severamente a los agricultures natives Akimel O'odam (Pima). Antes de éstos, la población prehistórica Hohokam practice agricultura de irrigatión en este río. lnvestigaciones geoarqueológicas en el cauce del Río Gila documentan un péríode de gran entrenchamiento y ensanchamiento entre 1020 y 1160 d.C. Esta erosión coincidió con el abandono partial de extensos asentamientos Hohokam en esta area del río y con un movimiento demográfico significative. Este proceso también marca elprincipio de una reorganization social, cuando se reemplazaron las canchas de pelota por los montícules de plataforma como formas arquitecténicas integrativas y se contrajo la esfera de influencia Hohokam. Otros ríos utilizados intensamente por la población Hohokam, incluyendo el Río Santa Cruz, Río San Pedro, Quebrada Tonto, y Río Sait, también experimentaron entrenchamiento entre 1050 y 1150 d.C. Por lo tanto, un episodio regional de erosión del cauce parece haber sido un factor principal que contribuyó a la reorganization observada en el registre arqueológico Hohokam. Estos cambios sincrónicos en el paisaje habrian impactado severamente los sistemas de irrigatión y capacidad de production de alimentos. Esta sin duda creó presiones dentro de la sociedad Hohokam, la que enfonces habrla acelerado los incipientes cambios sociales, políticos, económicos, ideológicos, y demográficos de ese tiempo.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 66 , Issue 2 , April 2001 , pp. 285 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2001

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