History tells us that the Hohokam tribe migrated north from Mexico and settled
in southern Arizona. The name Hohokam derives from the word Hoohoogum, given to
those living in that region of the southwest desert and means, “Those who have gone”. From the Hohokam
ruins we can see they were a skilled group of farmers who built elaborate
canals that went on for miles. Not much was known about this tribe nor written
about their demise. We are able to study them through the well engineered
canals, ruins, and written stories on rocks known as petroglyphs which were
left behind.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
are located one hour southeast of Phoenix in Coolidge. These well preserved
remains are where the ancient Hohokam once lived. The main building, or Great
house, is four stories high and 60 feet long. The first floor is on a mount and
the walls are a mixture of a concrete-like combination of sand, clay, and
calcium carbonate or limestone. The Great House took 3,000 tons of Caliche mud
which was layered resulting in the walls being four feet thick at the base and
tapered towards the top. Anchored in the walls and used to form the ceilings
were hundreds of juniper, pine, and fir trees they carried or floated 60 miles
down the Gila River.
The
walls of the Great House face the four cardinal points of the compass and a
circular hole in the upper west wall aligns with the setting sun at the summer
solstice. The other holes in the walls each lined up with the sun and moon at
specific times. It is a great mystery to why the Hohokam built this structure
to those exact measurements. They were spiritual people who were often thankful
for all the gifts nature gave them. Each night, the entire community would
gather in the Great House and watch the setting sun through the small hole in
the upper west side of the building.
Surrounding
the Great House were many other structures. These buildings were where the
families of the village once lived. The walls were two to three feet thick and
also formed from the same mixture which was used to construct the Great House.
The open spaces were used for recreation and a market area where they sold
their handmade goods. They also dug pits which were used as ball courts for
playing games and having gatherings. This ancient civilization survived on the
crops they grew, animals they hunted, and the natural plants they found in the
surrounding desert. They had abundant water source from the nearby Gila River.
Around
the 1400’s, the Hohokam people just seem to fade away mysteriously. In 1694,
when the Spanish missionaries discover the Casa Grande ruins, it was just a
vacant structure. For two centuries the ruins were pillaged by relic hunters
and visitors curious about the site. In 1892, after years of trying to preserve
the site, the Casa Grande Ruins were the first in the nation to become an
archeological reserve.
Today,
when you visit the site, there is a feeling of eeriness surrounding the place. You
enter through the Visitor Center, pay a fee, and wander through the museum.
Inside, you see all the artifacts which were unearthed on the site, photos of
the ruins in earlier years, and models of how their community may have appeared
when the Hohokam lived there. Through the doors lies the main site where trails
take you to the remnants of the grandiose ruins and where the populace once
endured. While you are walking around the
grounds, Native American flutes are resonating throughout offering a peaceful
feel to your visit.
You
can help but notice the Great House which is protected by the harsh sun with a
large metal structure which covers the entire building. The walls in some areas
have crumbled down leaving openings for you to see inside. You can also see how
thick these clay walls were and be amazed at the massive size of the four story
complex. The surrounding buildings are just half walls giving you a sense of
the tiny quarters they used to live in. Another path will take you across the
parking lot where a picnic area with shaded tables is located. Next to this
space is an elevated structure for you to observe the site where a primeval
ball court once existed. What used to serve as a recreation area some time ago
is now just a dirt pit. Many mysteries and stories are still hidden amongst the
thick walls of these amazing ruins.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
1100
Ruins Drive
Coolidge,
AZ 85128
Phone:
(520) 723-3172
Website:
www.nps.gov/cagr
Hours:
Open daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Days)
Fees:
Adults (16 and older) $5.00; Children (under 16) FREE
Directions:
The Park is an hour southeast of Phoenix in Coolidge, Arizona. From I-10 take
the Coolidge exit and follow the signs to the park entrance off AZ 87/287.
*For
special passes, see the following website:
www.nps.gov/cagr/planyouvisit/feesandreservation.htm
Snaketown are ruins situated near Sacaton
and smack dab in the middle of the Hohokam Pima National Monument. This site
has unrivaled all other Hohokam settlements in the area. They started digging
the region in 1930’s and continued to break ground in the 1960’s. It appeared
by what they found that an ancient tribe lived in the dwellings about 300 BC to
AD1050. They unearthed two ball courts, a little pile where rituals were
performed, a central plaza, many living spaces (pithouses) for families and
groups of people. They figure that several thousand people many have lived in
that community at one time. In 1964, it was listed as a National Historic
Landmark and a National Monument in 1972. The site is owned by the Gila River
Indian Community and at the present time Snaketown is not open to the public.
Hohokam Pima National Monument
http://www.nps.gov/pima/index.htm
Mesa Grande
is a huge Hohokam establishment found in Mesa. Its findings also revealed that
this settlement probably existed from AD 200 to 1450. They started digging the
site in the 1990’s and are continuing excavation till this day. It appears that
the site once crossed over 100 acres, but is now a small plot of land because of
the growth in construction surrounding it. The sites sits just west of the Mesa
Hospital with mounds and well preserve structures. A fence surrounds the area
and was put on the Arizona Preservation Foundation’s list of Most Endangered
Historic Places.
Mesa Grande
1000
N. Date Street
(Corner of Date and 10th Streets)
Mesa, AZ 85201
Phone:
(480) 644-3075 (Mesa Grande Visitor’s
Center)
Website: http://www.azmnh.org/arch/mesagrande.aspx
Hours: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (Thursday & Friday); 11:00
am - 4:00 pm (Saturday); 12:00 – 4:00 pm (Sunday); closed (Monday thru
Wednesday)
Fees: Adults (12 & older) $5.00; Children (3-12)
$2.00
Mesa Grande Cultural Park
http://azmnh.org/arch/mesagrande.aspx
Fortaleza Indian Ruins are situated
about 45 miles southwest of Phoenix near the town of Gila Bend. The name is
Spanish for “Fort on a Hilltop” and sits alongside the north bank of the Gila
River. This unmistakable fortress was built strong to stand up to what the desert
elements had to offer. The Hohokam people lived in this community around 1200
to 1450 which is located on the southwestern portion of the Hohokam terrain.
They figure that it may have taken the tribe over 75 years to complete the 60
rooms which inhabitant the site. Time was not gentle to the ruins and
throughout the years people pillaging the artifacts and the harsh desert
weather almost wiped it out of existence. In the 1960’s they rebuilt many of
the walls using the same materials the Hohokam used and stuck with the same
floor plan as well. In many other Hohokam sites several artifacts were
uncovered, but not so much in the Fortaleza location.
Today,
the Tohono O’odham Nation maintains that they are descendants of the Hohokam
people and believe Fortaleza is a spiritual site. They used to allow people to
visit the site with a permit, but no longer forbid anyone to enter the area and
have posted “No Trespassing” signs. Perhaps in the future they will change
their minds and let us enjoy the ruins once again.
Gatlin
ruin is only a few miles from Fortaleza and near the Painted Rock Petroglyph
site. This Hohokam village probably housed around 500 residents and was an
important area for farming and trading goods. Gila Bend owns the Gatlin site
and will add a cultural and educational park to the place.
For
more information of the Fortaleza and Gatlin ruins, please contact:
The Town of Gila Bend
644
W. Pima Street
P.O.
Box A
Gila
Bend, AZ 85337
Phone:
(928)683-2255
Website:
http://www.gilabendaz.org