“Arts and Culture of Ancient Southern Arizona Hohokam Indians”

An Ancient Family? Photograph by Arthur W. Vokes of Hohokam figurines carved from seashell.

This free presentation by archaeologist Allen Dart will be held at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 1100 W. Ruins Drive, Coolidge, Arizona from 12 noon to 1 PM; cosponsored by Arizona Humanities.* The Hohokam Native American culture flourished in southern Arizona from the sixth through fifteenth centuries. Hohokam artifacts, architecture, and other material culture provide archaeologists with clues for identifying where the Hohokam lived, interpreting how they adapted to the Sonoran Desert for centuries, and explaining why their culture mysteriously disappeared. In this presentation archaeologist Allen Dart illustrates the material culture of the Hohokam and presents possible interpretations about their relationships to the natural world, time reckoning, religious practices, beliefs, and deities, and possible reasons for the eventual demise of their way of life, using rich illustrations of Hohokam arti­facts, rock art, and other cultural features. The program is made possible by Arizona Humanities. * This is not an Old Pueblo Archaeology Center-sponsored event. For event details contact Dave Carney in Coolidge at 520-723-3172 or dave_carney@nps.gov; for information about the activity subject matter contact Allen Dart at Tucson telephone 520-798-1201 or adart@oldpueblo.org.