Hohokam culture emerged in about 300 c.e., several centuries after ancestors of the Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham Indians began farming in the Gila and Salt River valleys of southern Arizona. Hohokam peoples built irrigation canals that enabled them to harvest two crops a year. To construct and maintain their canals, the Hohokam organized large, coordinated work forces. They built permanent towns, usually consisting of several hundred people. Although many towns remained independent, others joined ______ in which several towns were linked by canals. The central village in each association coordinated labor, trade, religion, and political life for member communities.
–The Hohokam | Video by Ancient Americas