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Hohokam {Hohokam}

Hohokam irrigation systems supported the largest population in the Southwest by 1300 CE.[11] Archaeologists working at a major archaeological dig in the 1990s in the Tucson Basin, along the Santa Cruz River, identified a culture and people that may have been the ancestors of the Hohokam.[12] This prehistoric group may have occupied southern Arizona as early as 2000 BCE, and in the Early Agricultural Period grew corn, lived year-round in sedentary villages, and developed sophisticated irrigation canals.[11]

The Hohokam used the waters of the Salt and Gila Rivers to constructed an assortment of simple canals, combined with weirs, in their various agricultural pursuits. From 800 to 1400 CE,[13] they used extensive irrigation networks that rivaled the complexity of those used in the ancient Near East, Egypt, and China. These were constructed using relatively simple excavation tools, without the benefit of advanced engineering technologies, and achieved drops of a few feet per mile, balancing erosion and siltation.[14] Over 70 years of archaeological research has revealed that the Hohokam cultivated varieties of cotton, tobacco, maize, beans, and squash, as well as harvested a vast assortment of wild plants.Native Americans throughout North America are known for growing variations of Three Sisters gardens. The three sisters consist of maize, beans, and squash. During the Classic period of the Hohokam culture they began growing maize in with their beans and squash. Late in the Hohokam Chronological Sequence, they also used extensive dry-farming systems, primarily to grow agave for food and fiber. Their reliance on agricultural strategies was vital in their less than hospitable desert environment, and these would provide the basis for the aggregation of rural populations into complex urban centers.[15]

Anasazi {Ancestral Puebloans} During the period from 700–1130 AD (Pueblo I and II Eras), a rapid increase in population was due to consistent and regular rainfall patterns supporting agriculture. Studies of skeletal remains show that this growth was due to increased fertility rather than decreased mortality. However, this tenfold increase in population over the course of a few generations could not be achieved by increased birthrate alone; likely, it also involved migrations of peoples from surrounding areas. Innovations such as pottery, food storage, and agriculture enabled this rapid growth. Over several decades, the Ancestral Puebloans culture spread across the landscape.[citation needed]

From 700 to 900 A.D., people relied more and more on farming to feed a growing population. In years when they had good harvest, they could dry and store extra food for years when the harvest was poor. Corn and beans were the most important foods during this period. People also continued to grow squash. The Three Sisters (maize, beans, and squash) is what Native American farmers called a classic form of mixed cropping, and archaeological evidence has shown that these three American domesticates have been grown together. Growing maize (a tall grass), beans (a nitrogen-fixing legume) and squash (a low-lying creeper plant) together was a stroke of environmental genius, the benefits of which practice have been studied by crop scientists for decades. According to Native American legend, these 3 crops are inseparable sisters who can only grow and thrive together. Corn, beans and squash also create a balanced, nutritious diet which is why these crops were so important for Native Americans. Corn is a great source of carbohydrates, beans are high in protein and squash has many vitamins and minerals.

Ancestral Puebloan culture has been divided into three main areas or branches, based on geographical location:[citation needed]


 * Chaco Canyon (northwest New Mexico)
 * Kayenta (northeast Arizona), and
 * Northern San Juan (Mesa Verde and Hovenweep National Monument) (southwest Colorado and southeastern Utah)

Modern Pueblo oral traditions hold that the Ancestral Puebloans originated from sipapu, where they emerged from the underworld. For unknown ages, they were led by chiefs and guided by spirits as they completed vast migrations throughout the continent of North America. They settled first in the Ancestral Puebloan areas for a few hundred years before moving to their present locations.[citation needed]