Snaketown is an archaeological site

Archaeological site

An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...

 30 miles (48.3 km) southeast of Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

 that was inhabited by the Hohokam

Hohokam

Hohokam is one of the four major prehistoric archaeological Oasisamerica traditions of what is now the American Southwest. Many local residents put the accent on the first syllable . Variant spellings in current, official usage include Hobokam, Huhugam and Huhukam...

 people. Definitive dates are not clear, but the site was generally thought to be inhabited between 300 B. C. E. and 1200 C. E. Hohokam is an O’odham word meaning “those who have gone.” Specifically who the Hohokam people were and when the site was inhabited is subject to debate. It was dedicated as Hohokam Pima National Monument

Hohokam Pima National Monument

The Hohokam Pima National Monument, which includes the archaeological site known as Snaketown, is an ancient Hohokam village within the Gila River Indian Community, near present day Sacaton, Arizona. Snaketown was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964...

  in 1972. Snaketown is governed by the Gila River Indian Community

Gila River Indian Community

The Gila River Indian Community is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the city of Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in Pinal and Maricopa Counties. It was established in 1859, and formally established by Congress in 1939...

, which chose to preserve the site by reburying it after early excavations. The Monument is not open to the public.

The Hohokam People and Snaketown

Snaketown in Arizona is dated by some scholars to around 300 B. C. E. Whether or not these were the Hohokam people is subject to debate. Martin and Plog maintain that these were the Ootam people, which was a subdivision of the Cochise Culture. According to these two, the Ootam were conquered and subsumed around 1000 C. E. by the Hohokam people from Mexico. Martin and Plog credit the Mexican Hohokam people with bringing extensive irrigation works, as well as other features attributed to what is thought of as Hohokam culture, from the south. Emil Haury, an established scholar on the subject, makes no mention of this apparently hostile takeover. Furthermore, he views the Hohokam as a harmonious people, particularly in the way they shared water. Archaeologist Brian Fagan

Brian Fagan

Brian Murray Fagan is a prolific author of popular archaeology books and a professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.-Biography:...

 dates Hohokam culture to 500 C. E., and sums up the situation by stating that there are simply two separate schools of thought on the subject. Martin and Plog belong to the first group and Haury belongs to the second. The second group argues that these features the first group believes came from Mexico were developed locally. While there is much dispute on the origin of Snaketown, most scholars are able to agree that Hohokam culture peaked between 700 and 900 C. E. Snaketown derives its name from another O’odham word meaning “place of snakes” and is considered to be one of the larger Hohokam settlements. A type of pottery (called red-on-buff) that is identified as distinctly Hohokam is found over ca. 30000 square miles (77,699.6 km²) of the southwest. This indicates the extent and prominence of the Hohokam people at their height.

Archaeology of Snaketown

The site of Snaketown is positioned on The Gila River and the community is estimated to have been 250 acres in size at its maximum extent, with much more farmland and smaller settlements surrounding it. It has been estimated that in the Hohokam era, canals were built in this area up to seven miles (11 km) long, providing water for 70,000 acres of land. Snaketown at its height contained between 1000 and 3000 people. The household was most likely the fundamental building block of Hohokam society. The water was thought to have been owned by the entire community, but families probably maintained the rights to plots of land. People who aided in the building of the canals may have received first pick of the land. The more affluent would own larger plots of land and were therefore rationed larger portions of water to maintain them. Housing of Hohokam people varies according to status, time and sources. It is generally agreed that simple adobe structures and impermanent housing were used depending upon the time of the year. Small dams were placed systematically to control the intensity of the river flow. Snaketown also included a central plaza and two installations, that were identified as ballcourts

Mesoamerican ballcourt

A Mesoamerican ballcourt is a large masonry structure of a type used in Mesoamerica for over 2,700 years to play the Mesoamerican ballgame, particularly the hip-ball version of the ballgame. Over 1,300 ballcourts have been identified, 60% in the last 20 years alone...

 at the time of excavation since its earliest times, but did not always include irrigation. In its earliest stage it most likely resembled other agrarian cultures of the time. As irrigation grew, the Hohokam people continued to prosper. They began to grow new crops such as agave and tobacco, and although maize farmers, they most likely subsidized their diet with small amounts of hunting and gathering. As Snaketown grew in size between 975 and 1150 C. E., an additional ball court was built. Some scholars believe the ball courts may have promoted trade or competition between communities or segments of communities. A number of status symbols and trading pieces were found at Snaketown, indicating the Hohokam’s affinity for trading. These pieces included shell, stone, and macaw feathers. Trash heaps played just as crucial of a role as trading pieces in the archaeology of Snaketown. Many of the trash heaps helped archaeologists develop the chronology of the site.

The oval shaped fields at Snaketown were originally identified as ballcourts. Each was about 60 meters long, 33 meters apart, and 2.5 meters high. In 2009 it was suggested that the shape of an oval bowl with curved sides and the uneven embankments on the long sides are unsuited for any kind of ball game. On the other hand, they correspond perfectly with dance floor

Dance floor

Dance floor may refer to:* Sprung floor, a floor to enhance performance and reduce injuries* Performance surface or marley floor, flooring suitable for dance or sport* Dance pad, a flat electronic game controller used for input in dance games...

s of the Papago

Tohono O'odham

The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...

s, used for their Vikita ceremonies until at least the 1930s.

Archaeologists and Snaketown

Winifred and Harold Gladwin began the intensive study of Hohokam culture with the help of Emil Haury. They eventually founded a research organization entitled “The Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation” that focused on the Hohokam tradition at other sites, but eventually led Haury to Snaketown, which he excavated in the early 1930s. Haury eventually returned to Snaketown in 1964 as a result of new data discovered by the works of Charles DiPeso and Albert Schroeder on Hohokam culture at other sites. This caused Haury to refine his view on Hohokam origins while also reaffirming some initial thoughts on Hohokam chronology. This was some of the latest archaeology done in Snaketown, as it was declared a National Monument in 1972 and reburied by the Pima people for preservation purposes.

The Abandonment of Snaketown

It is not particularly clear what caused the abandonment of Snaketown around 1100 C. E. Haury cites over-irrigation leading to soil depletion as a possibility for its fall, but still contends that abandonment also occurred in nearby cultures that were less dependent on irrigation. Fagan notes that this time coincides with the Medieval Warm Period

Medieval Warm Period

The Medieval Warm Period , Medieval Climate Optimum, or Medieval Climatic Anomaly was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region, that may also have been related to other climate events around the world during that time, including in China, New Zealand, and other countries lasting from...

, which might have caused droughts. Fagan also suggests that the people continued farming in a much less organized manner or relocated according to remaining irrigation canals. Haury maintains that Snaketown was deserted around 1100 C. E. while Fagan uses the later dates of 1150-1450. Several texts maintain that its population increased until the dispersal of its population. The dispersal could have occurred quickly and violently, as the archaeological record indicates the burning of many buildings at the same time.

Re-colonization and Snaketown

In 1865, the United States Cavalry created Camp McDowell in the general vicinity of Snaketown. In 1867, a retired soldier began the Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company on the remains of the ancient canals. As the company succeeded, a settlement began to form, which was eventually dubbed “Phoenix” after the mythological creature that is reborn from its own remains. This is the supposed origin of the state’s capital and its name.

Selected Books and Monographs

Emil W. Haury 1976. "The Hohokam Desert Farmers and Craftsmen--Excavations at Snaketown," 1964-65. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Gladwin, Harold S. and Winifred; Haury; and Sayles 1938. “Excavations at Snaketown: Material Culture.” Medallion Papers. Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona. Reprinted 1965 by the University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

External links

• www.nps.gov/pima/index.htm Hohokam Pima National Monument
• www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_hoh.html The Hohokam
• Snaketown Red-on-buff jar (scroll down), excavated by Gila Pueblo.