Hohokam Chronology
Archaeologists have documented a number of changes in Hohokam culture through time. These cultural changes, primarily relating to pottery stylesand architecture, have resulted in the Hohokam cultural sequence being separated into four major periods, subsequently divided into phases. The dates and characteristics of those periods and phases still are debated and remains one of the major challenges of Hohokam archaeology. For an overview of the general characteristics of Hohokam culture and major events at the village of Pueblo Grande, see the table on the Hohokam Cultural Sequence on the following page.
| Year | Period | Phase | General Hohokam Characteristics |
Pueblo Grande Village |
|
1540 |
Historic |
Spanish explore southern Arizona. |
||
| 1450 | Protohistoric (1450-1540) |
Hohokam cultural collpase. | Pueblo Grande abondoned. | |
| 1350 | Polvoron | Pit structures built. Population decline. | Architectural styles change. | |
| 1300 | Civano | Salado Polychrome pottery popular. Big houses constructed. | Pueblo Grande big house built. | |
| 1200 | Soho | Rectangular platform mounds with compound walls dominate villages. Ballcourt system abandoned. | Platform mound now one mound and rectangular in shape. NW ballcourt abandoned. | |
| 1150 | Classic (1150-1450) | Above ground residential area with compound walls. Decline in Hohokam interaction outside Gila-Salt river valleys. | Above ground residential areas with compound walls. Decline in Hohokam interaction outside Gila-Salt river valleys. | |
| 1125 | Santan | Snaketown abandoned. Inhumation burials with polished red wares. | Small caliche-capped mound built. | |
| 1000 950 900 |
Sedentary (900-1150) | Sacaton | Mass production of red-on-buff pottery. increased use of ballcourts. | Northwest ballcourt constructed. |
| 875 | Santa Cruz | Artistic florescence. Ceramic motifs carefully executed. elaborate cremation rituals. | Pueblo Grande is a sizable village. Ten irrigation canals in use. | |
| 800 | Colonial (750-900) | Gila Butte | First ballcourts. Increased trade in exotic items. | |
| 700 | Snaketown | First capped low platform mounds. Cremation predominant mortuary practice. Red-on-buff pottery. | Pueblo Grande is a small village. | |
| 600 | Sweetwater | Large irrigation systems on north and south side of Salt River. | Canal System Two developed, with canal heads in the park of four Waters. | |
| 500 450 |
Estrella | First large irrigation canals. Red-on-gray pottery. Bow and arrow used in the Southwest. | First houses at Pueblo Grande. Pueblo Grande is a small hamlet. | |
| 300 | Vahki | Polished red wares. | ||
| 50 | First irrigation canals built. | Small amounts of trash deposited. | ||
| A.D. 1 | Pioneer (1-750) | Red Mountain | Beginning of pottery production. Small permanent villages. Emphasis on farming. | |
| B.C. | Late Archaic (1500 B.C. - A.D. 1) |
Hunters and gathers with limited agriculture. Clay figurines. Small pithouses. Seasonally occupied hamlets. | No occupation. |
