Arizona Museum of Natural History: THRIVE – Speaker Series

Flows of Time: Ancestral O’Odham (Hohokam) Irrigation along the Lower Salt River and Broader Understanding of Ancient Irrigation.

SPEAKER – Chris Caseldine is an Assistant Research Professor and Curator of Collections in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Chris’ research focuses on ancient irrigation management and control, and the archaeology of central and southern Arizona. Additionally, he oversees a multi-semester museum training program to contribute to ongoing NAGPRA efforts in SHESC, providing students with career-ready skills.

TOPIC – Irrigation has been the foundation of life in the Phoenix Basin for thousands of years. The Ancestral O’Odham, commonly known as the Hohokam, developed one of the most expansive and sophisticated irrigation systems in the ancient world. Contrary to popular beliefs, the Hohokam did not disappear, but live on through O’Odham communities today. In this talk, I will discuss the history of irrigation along the lower Salt River through the present day. I will highlight ways that an extremely large flood and highly interconnected irrigation canals contributed to the Hohokam Classic period. Further, I will discuss how combining understandings of Ancestral O’Odham irrigation, historic traditional irrigators, and institutions provides insights into the management of irrigation systems in other ancient agrarian societies.