Desert farmers at the river's edge: The Hohokam and Pueblo Grande

by John P. Andrews, Todd W. Bostwick

The First Americans of the Southwest, The Advent of the Hohokam, The Sonoran Desert, Harvesting the Desert, Of Dirt and Wood, Ritual, Ceremony and the Elite, Craft Production and Artistry, The Disappearance of the Hohokam, etc.

68 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[R.G. Ziemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Desert Farmers..." is a slim illustrated paperback I picked up at the Pueblo Grande Museum store last summer. Although it's simply written for a general audience, I enjoyed the artist's renderings of Hohokam activities, architecture, canals, and other elements of the culture. Included is a good basic description of Hohokam pottery traditions and styles. The depiction of shell jewelry craft also helps the student envision the lifestyle of the people. I also appreciated the maps and general comments about trade networks developed over the 1,000 years of Hohokam occupancy in the Sonoran desert. All the artwork and text give particular emphasis to Pueblo Grande, of course, represented as a likely influential village along the Salt River watershed.

The book is co-written by two archaeologists both with long investment of their work and studies at the Pheonix archaeological park. Although it is twelve or so years old, the content takes into account most of the recent and ongoing research on the site and the Hohokam culture, acknowledging controversies and alternate explanations when generalizing for the casual reader.