Vanishing River Volume 4: Chapter 09: Environmental Variability and Agricultural Economics along the Lower Verde River, A.D. 750 - 1450

In Chapter 9, Van West and Altshcul examine late prehistoric period agriculture in the Transition Zone of central Arizona, and consider how agricultural production influenced population zone in this area. They begin with a description of the Transition Zone’s environmental context. They then present evidence for prehistoric agriculture in the LVAP project area. These authors use these data to model potential agricultural productivity in Horseshoe Basin. Next, they model the population sizes on the landscape and the overall carrying capacity through time. Van West and Altschul compare their estimated agricultural productivity and carrying capacity for the LVAP area with the productivity and capacity in nearby Tonto Basin. Finally, they conclude with a discussion of the sustainability of agriculture in the Transition Zone of central Arizona.