A portion of Frank Midvale’s 1968 map.

In this vintage 1968 Kiva article, Frank Midvale mapped 315+ miles of Hohokam canals in the Salt River Valley—expanding our understanding of the scale of prehistoric irrigation. buff.ly/HDjnZ49
#Archaeology #AncestralOOdham #SouthwestHistory #IrrigationHistory #Arizona

Caseldine 2025. Development of Ancestral O’Odham irrigation along the lower Salt River through time. Period key: A – Pioneer Period, B – Colonial Period, C – Sedentary Period, D – early Classic Period, and E – late Classic Period.

Centuries before Phoenix, the Hohokam built vast canals in the Salt River Valley. New research by Christopher Caseldine sheds light on their history and scale. doi.org/10.1080/0023...
#Archaeology #AncestralOOdham #SouthwestHistory #Hohokam #Arizona

Huckleberry 1992. Formation and depositional processes of a prehistoric canal.

What clues about the past can soil reveal? In this vintage 1992 article, Huckleberry, our AAHS speaker in September, looked at Arizona’s Salt River Valley where traces of ancient Hohokam irrigation still remain. doi.org/10.1080/0023...
#Archaeology #AncestralOOdham #SouthwestHistory #Arizona

Ackerly 1988. Map of the Phoenix Basin showing the various canals discussed in the text

Did failing canals cause Hohokam decline? In this vintage 1988 Kiva article, Ackerly looked at evidence which showed salinization and water-logging weren’t likely to blame. doi.org/10.1080/0023...
#Archaeology #AncestralOOdham #SouthwestHistory #IrrigationHistory #Arizona

A portion of Frank Midvale’s 1968 map.

In this vintage 1968 Kiva article, Frank Midvale mapped 315+ miles of Hohokam canals in the Salt River Valley—expanding our understanding of the scale of prehistoric irrigation. doi.org/10.1080/0023...
#Archaeology #AncestralOOdham #SouthwestHistory #IrrigationHistory #Arizona