The Sonoran DesertThe Sonoran Desert

Home of the Hohokam

um.org

www.nps.gov

www.desertm

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Sonoran DesertSonoran Desert

• Wetter than Chihuahuan Desert to eastWetter than Chihuahuan Desert to east

• Wetter than Mojave Desert to west

S di i i i• Supports distinctive vegetation– Saguaro

– Cholla

– Mesquite, ironwood, paloverde trees

Chihuahuan DesertChihuahuan Desert

modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov

www.desertusa.com

Mojave DesertMojave Desert

farm4.static.flickr.co

pubs.usgs.gov

Regional Vegetation ZonesRegional Vegetation Zones

• Tundra (San Francisco Peaks)

• Coniferous forest (Sierra system)

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• Deciduous forest (Mogollon Rim)

• Desert Grassland (Eastern Sonora)

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• Chaparral (Mogollon Rim)

• Sonoran Desert Scrubland (Phoenix Basin southward)

Diverse physical geography

www.arizona-map.org

Riparian zonesRiparian zones

• Isolated ribbons of deciduous forests– In river valleys and canyon bottoms

P i l t i ( Gil )• Perennial streams = rivers (e.g, Gila)

• Arroyos = dry canyons– May fill with water once or twice per yearMay fill with water once or twice per year

• Rivers = critical to prehistoric cultures

www.desertmuseum.org

Important RiversImportant RiversSalt River

Upper

Lower

en.wikipedia.org

www.bluechameleon.org

Important RiversImportant Rivers

Gila River

UpperMiddle Fork

en.wikipedia.org

upload.wikimedia.org

Lower Gila & SaltLower Gila & Salt

• Basically desert floodplainsBasically desert floodplains

• Fertile land

• Low precipitationLow precipitation

• Irrigation key to farming

www.foodmuseum.com

Jumping Cholla CactusJumping Cholla Cactus

www.carto.net

www.delange.org

en.wikipedia.org

Sahuaro Cactus

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Prickly Pear CactusPrickly Pear Cactusde

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upload.wikimedia.org

Traditional uses of cactus fruitsTraditional uses of cactus fruits

• FoodFood– Fruit must be carefully peeled (today used in jelly)

Or it can be roasted– Or it can be roasted

– Paddles can be used as nopalitos

• Medicinal uses– Full of alkaloids

– Helps with diarrhea, diabetes, stomach aches

blogs.houstonpress.com

AgaveAgave

• Large succulentLarge succulent

• Many parts edible

i l f il• Raw material for textiles– Brushes, weaving

en.wikipedia.org

www.howka.com

Small seed plantsSmall seed plants

• SaltbushSaltbush

• Pigweed

G f• Goosefooten.wikipedia.org

www.biology.ed.ac.uk

Mesquite treesMesquite trees

www.texasbeyondhistory.net

betterhardwoods.com

Uses of mesquiteUses of mesquite

• Wood is hard, rot resistant,

• Foodwww.ivgstores.com

www.outoftheboxgifts.com

– Beans ground and used in breads

– High in protein (lysine)www.ehow.com

– High calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron & zinc

Ironwood TreesIronwood Trees

www.pima.gov

www.uapress.arizona.edu

Game animalsGame animals

• Small game – nearbySmall game  nearby– Jackrabbits, desert cottontails

biomesfirst.wikispaces.com

• Large game – distant– Mule deer, desert bighorn sheep

www.cwsd.org

CropsCrops

• MaizeMaize

• Cotton

• Beans

• Squash

en.wikipedia.org

en.wikipedia.org

SummarySummary

• A fertile canvas for Hohokam cultureA fertile canvas for Hohokam culture

• Just add water

h ’ h h did• That’s what they did…

• Hohokam culture was centered in the Gila and Salt River basins

Hohokam cultureHohokam culture

• Probably not one cultureProbably not one culture

• There was a cultural cline across the region– All areas have something in common, but differ a bit acrossAll areas have something in common, but differ a bit across space too

• Culture is diverse today in the region– Stems from Hohokam?

soap.sdsu.edu

OutlineOutline

• Trace Hohokam through timeTrace Hohokam through time

• Discuss Hohokam adaptations to Sonaran Desert

• Highlight potential reasons for Hohokam declineHighlight potential reasons for Hohokam decline