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Casa Grande

Hohokam is a Pima word that means those who have gone. The culture of the Hohokam centered around modern day Phoenix where the Gila and Salt rivers meet. The culture was found throughout the Sonoran Desert The Hohokam are known for their: Extensive Irrigation Canals For Agriculture Ballcourts Use of etching on seashells More Acid-Etched Shell Images Arizona State Museum via University of Arizona

Casa Grande - The Big House Casa Grande was constructed around 1300 - 1350 C.E. which makes it one of the more recent pre-Columbian sites in the Ancient Southwest as it is approximately seven hundred years old. However it was vacant just one hundred years later! The Massive structure was one of at least three documented "Big House" buildings constructed by the Hohokam. Casa Grande is the only one still standing. A Big House was made out of adobe and Casa Grande needed 1,440 cubic yards of soil to create the adobe structure. Casa Grande was four stories tall and was built on top of a one-story platform. The building was completed over one "episode" and was not remodeled after the original phase of construction. About six-hundred roof beams, each 13 feet long were brought from over sixty miles away. Most scholars believe that Casa Grande was an elite/leadership residence that also doubled as a solar observatory. Holes have been found that were used to predict the equinoxes and solstices. The ritual and agricultural calendars could have been tracked from this observatory.

Did You Know? The Casa Grande Ruins were extensively excavated and studied by Dr. Jesse Fewkes 100 years ago in 1906. Previously, visitors removed artifacts and took pieces of the walls and roofs as souvenirs. Farmers have grown crops in the Gila River valley for over 2000 years. The Hohokam produced corn, squash, beans, and cotton by creating a flood irrigation system with over 1000 miles of canals. The Hohokam made shell jewelry including bracelets, rings, necklaces and pendants. Some of the jewelry was inlaid with turquoise while others had designs etched into the surface. The shells were acquired from as far away as the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. The metal roof structure above Casa Grande was constructed in 1932 at a cost of almost $28,000. Maintenance of the roof structure includes painting it every 15-20 years. It was last painted in 2003 at a cost of over $100,000. The Casa Grande Ruins are still used today for ceremonies and special events by the O’odham people. The Casa Grande is a place to be visited with respect and reverence. Quoted Directly From: National Park Service's Fun Facts For Casa Grande

Snaketown - Center of the Hohokam Snaketown was the regional capital of the Hohokam. It was/is located in the lower Gila River valley near modern-day Chandler, Arizona. The Snaketown archaeological complex is located within the Gila River Indian Reservation and is not open to the public at this time. Snaketown has seen two major excavations. 1934 - directed by Harold S. Gladwin of the Gila Pueblo Foundation. 1964-1965 - directed by Emil Haury again of the Gila Pueblo Foundation.

The Hohokam's Irrigation Canals Some of the Hohokam canals excavated have been found to measure 30 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

Links Of Note Case Grande Ruins National Monument Image of Red-On-Buff Pottery from Snaketown

Bibliography Internet: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument National Park Service Internet: Overview of Desert Farmers at the River's Edge John P. Andrews and Todd W. Bostwick via Phoenix.gov Plog, Stephen. Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest Thames and Hudson, London: 1997. Image Bibliography Hohokam etched shell was edited in photoshop and created in PNG format by me. I was unable to found if the image is in public domain or not. However, the site that it was taken from does not have any bibliography credits for write-up as well as images. Thus, I am taking this to mean that the image is in public domain. Should I be incorrect, I will glady remove the shell. Found here: Flat Stanley Goes to See Hohokam Archaeology

To comment on the cultures of the Ancient Soutwest, you can go to the Board found at the Ancient Pubelo Hood. Just click on the Southwestern plaque below. Plaque Courtesy of MacMorna Niafer

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