Prehistoric Irrigation in Arizona: Symposium 1988

Studies of Hohokam irrigation systems undertaken in the past 5 to 10 years, particularly in the Phoenix Basin, have provided a wealth of new data to be studied and assimilated by archaeologists. Recently completed and ongoing projects have required archaeologists to ask new questions and to apply a variety of investigative techniques to better understand the complexities of Hohokam irrigation systems. It is important that archaeologists studying Hohokam irrigation systems evaluate the increasing database and begin to standardize data collection and investigative techniques. The purpose of this symposium was to examine the current database by reviewing representative projects that have examined Hohokam canals, the methods and techniques currently employed to record and analyze canal features and interpret the large systems they represent, and to discuss the future direction of Hohokam canal studies.