Prescott Culture Migration in Prehistory

Pottery designs that existed in Prescott Culture

Abstract Arizona is home to an elaborate and lengthy prehistory which archaeology can study and analyze. In order to achieve the collective goal of forming and testing different scientific hypothesis, the archaeologist must examine data using an objective methodology. In comparison to the early archaeological interpretations from the 1800s and early 1900s, objective practices are…

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A Good Day For Archaeology

Poster congratulating new Mayor and City Council members

It was an unusually hot day in late May of 2019 as monsoon clouds were teasing our archaeology field crew in Prescott Arizona. That week I kept thinking about a six week excavation project I was about to start the following week near St. Louis. As the crew and I were surveying large transects of…

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HOHOKAM POTTERY (PART 2)

Hohokam pottery vessels are the most amazing works of art

Back in late 2018 I published a blog article introducing readers to Hohokam ceramics. Hohokam pottery vessels are some of the most amazing works of art across the American Southwest. Known for their complex design elements, vivid colors, and unique iconography Hohokam ceramic analysis has answered questions that have been debated for many years. For…

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MAKING POTTERY

Analyzing prehistoric people through their pottery art

Part One: Making pottery When analyzing prehistoric people in the American Southwest, how do we define different cultures? Some in the general public might say through religion or ethnicity. Indeed, a conclusion of such is partly correct. However, in archaeology we go beyond the simplistic methods of identification. Rather we examine oral tradition, migration patterns,…

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MAKING THE SINEW BACKED BOW

Archeologists are making the Sinew Backed Bow

When prehistoric peoples crossed the Bering Strait they discovered lands very rich in resources. Water was plentiful, vegetation was diverse, and wild game moved more slowly and yielded heavy amounts of meat. Some of the first people that crossed the Bering Strait and eventually made their way into present day America were nomadic hunters and…

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HOHOKAM JEWELRY

Prehistoric Jewelry of Hohokam in the Phoenix valley

When archaeologists analyze the prehistoric Hohokam of the Phoenix valley we truly see a high culture society that was highly organized and built monumental structures. In Hohokam archaeology we are finding more evidence of a ranking system with the possibility of elite leadership. Evidence for this claim is displayed through burial analysis and monumental architecture…

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MAKING TRADITIONAL ARROWS

A collection of vintage sticks on a black cloths

Past cultures and their means of making bows and arrows have always been an interest of mine. As a young boy, I remember visiting museums throughout the West with my Grandmother. I had a deep fascination towards the Native American way of life. I always asked my Grandmother where the arrowheads and archery equipment was…

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HOHOKAM SNAKETOWN POINTS

Small pieces of pointed tips on the arrow

All archaeologists agree, the prehistoric Hohokam of the Phoenix Valley were an amazing people whom forced us to reexamine the way we view agriculture in the early Americas. Ancestral to O’odham people, the Hohokam were an early culture living in Southern Arizona from AD.1-1450. Indeed, one of the most widely debated topics in archaeology circulates…

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