Ancestral O’Odham Irrigation Design and Implications for Ancient Water Management

Christopher R. Caseldine
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Christopher R. Caseldine: Arizona State University

No q8yfc_v1, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: The Ancestral O’Odham, commonly referred to as the Hohokam, engineered and maintained one of the largest preindustrial networks of irrigation canals in the Americas, spanning centuries along the lower Salt River, located in the Phoenix Basin, southern Arizona, USA. This article explores construction and water distribution mechanisms through the design, management, and longevity of those irrigation systems. Despite their vast and complex infrastructure, Ancestral O’Odham irrigation was situated in a society lacking powerful hierarchical elites or a centralized state bureaucracy. Disentangling irrigation control from sociopolitical ownership allows this study to identify managerial mechanisms preserved within the lower Salt River archaeological record.

Date: 2026-10-21
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:q8yfc_v1

DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/q8yfc_v1

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