For more than a thousand years, the Hohokam flourished in the deserts of central and southern Arizona, their agricultural way of life made possible by vast irrigation networks that rivaled those of ancient Peru, China, and the Near East.

During this archaeological and cultural tour, you will explore the complex and dynamic history of the Hohokam as pieced together through archaeological research and tribal ethnohistories. The itinerary includes tours of ancient Hohokam villages, complete with ball courts, platform mounds, and irrigation canals; the opportunity to examine world-class museum collections not available to the general public; and visits with Tohono O'odham Indians who are among various indigenous peoples living in the Hohokam heartland today.

Tour ancient Hohokam archaeological sites, including Casa Grande, Pueblo Grande, Mesa Grande, and Adamsville Platform Mound

Learn how the Hohokam adapted to the arid environment of the Sonoran Desert by developing large-scale irrigation and taking advantage of the desert's natural bounty

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour at the Arizona State Museum, which houses beautiful pottery and exquisite shell jewelry from one of the largest collections of Hohokam artifacts in the world

Meet Tohono O'odham tribal members, who share their oral histories and cultural perspectives; discuss the effects of European expansion on the indigenous cultures of the Southwest

Scholars

Dr. Suzanne K. Fish and Dr. Paul R. Fish are curators at the Arizona State Museum in Tucson and professors of anthropology at the University of Arizona. Suzy's research focuses on ethnobotany, traditional agricultural practices, and settlement patterns in the Arizona-Sonora borderlands. Paul's research examines agricultural systems, settlement patterns, and the emergence of social complexity. Paul and Suzy are coeditors of The Hohokam Millennium, a new popular book published by the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.

In addition, a host of exceptional guest scholars, including archaeologists and museum specialists, will join us throughout the week.

Summary Itinerary

A detailed itinerary is available in the program brochure (PDF). Itinerary subject to change.

Sunday, November 6
Arrival in Tucson, Arizona; introduction; lodging in Tucson (D)

Monday, November 7
Arizona State Museum (curation facility and laboratory), Tumamoc Hill, ethnobotany walk at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Picture Rocks petroglyphs; lodging in Tucson (B, L, D)

Tuesday, November 8
Marana, Tacca, Casa Grande National Monument, Adamsville Platform Mound; lodging in Tucson (B, L, D)

Wednesday, November 9
Cerro Prieto, Pueblo Grande, Mesa Grande; lodging in Phoenix (B, L, D)

Thursday, November 10
San Pedro valley archaeological sites; lodging in Tucson (B, L, D)

Friday, November 11
Tohono O'odham Cultural Center, San Xavier del Bac Mission; farewell dinner and roundtable discussion with scholars and guest scholars; lodging in Tucson (B, L, D)

Saturday, November 12
Departure from Tucson (B)

B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner