Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites facts for kids
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Pueblo Grande Ruin & Irrigation Sites
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Ruins of a building at Pueblo Grande archaeological site.
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4619 E. Washington Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000185 (ruin) 66000184 (irrigation sites) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 (ruin) October 15, 1966 (irrigation sites) |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites are ancient places in Phoenix, Arizona. They show us how people lived long ago, before Christopher Columbus came to America. These sites include old buildings, a large dirt mound, and amazing water canals. Today, the City of Phoenix takes care of these sites as the Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park. It's a great place to learn about the past!
Contents
History of Pueblo Grande
Long before modern cities grew in Arizona, a clever civilization lived here. These people are called the Hohokam by scientists. The O’odham people, who are related to them, call them Huhugam. These ancient Native Americans built the structures you can see at Pueblo Grande.
What Was Pueblo Grande Like?
Pueblo Grande had a huge platform mound. This mound was made of over 20,000 cubic meters of dirt and rocks. It had strong walls to hold it up. Many homes were built around the site. There were also at least three special areas called ball courts.
The Hohokam people were amazing engineers. They built some of the biggest and best canal systems in ancient North America. They were the first to use irrigation to grow crops in this dry region. The remains of their old irrigation canals are still part of the Pueblo Grande site.
Pueblo Grande was a busy place for about 1,000 years. People lived there from around A.D. 450 to 1450. Then, like many other villages in the Phoenix area, it was left empty. Scientists are still trying to figure out why these ancient people left. Some ideas include big floods, long droughts, wars, or even sickness.
Cool Features of Pueblo Grande
How Did the Canal System Work?
The Hohokam built and used canals for nearly a thousand years. Pueblo Grande was perfectly placed at the start of several large canals. These canals were on the north side of the Salt River. A bend in the river and some bedrock pushed water to the surface. This made it easy to send water into the canals.
Some canals carried water for over 16 miles! This long canal reached the area where Glendale is today. Because of its location, Pueblo Grande was likely very important. It probably helped control water for many Hohokam villages. You can still see parts of these old canals at Pueblo Grande. This area is called the Park of Four Waters.
Villages with platform mounds, like Pueblo Grande, were built in key spots along the Salt River. They might have helped manage the water flow to other villages. Keeping all these canals working needed a very organized community.
What Were the Ballcourts For?
Pueblo Grande might have had two ball courts. These were open areas where everyone could gather. They were probably used for special events and ceremonies. People might have played ritual ball games there. These games could have brought large crowds. This would have been a good time for trading goods.
The Hohokam ballcourts might be connected to similar ones in Mesoamerica (like in Mexico). However, their designs were quite different. After about A.D. 1100, the Hohokam stopped using their ballcourts. Many courts were filled in with trash. The platform mounds, like the one at Pueblo Grande, became more important.
What Was the Platform Mound?
The large platform mound at Pueblo Grande started small. Around A.D. 800, it was two low, round mounds. Over time, they added stone walls and filled them with dirt and trash. They topped it with a hard plaster called caliche. This created a flat platform where buildings were constructed.
A tall wall, about 6 to 7 feet high, surrounded the mound. This wall likely limited who could go onto the mound. Some scientists think these mounds were used for special ceremonies. The platform mound at Pueblo Grande is one of the biggest ones built by the Hohokam.
There might have been an ancient observatory on top of the mound. One room had doorways that may have lined up with a natural hole in the Papago Buttes. This alignment could have marked the winter and summer solstices. Old records also say there was a "big house" at Pueblo Grande. It was similar to the famous one at Casa Grande National Monument.
Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park
In 1924, a man named Thomas Armstrong gave the platform mound and about 5 acres of land to the City of Phoenix. Soon after, Phoenix bought another 10 acres. This area was called the “Park of Four Waters.” Both areas became part of the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park. In 1929, Odd S. Halseth became the director of Pueblo Grande. He was also Phoenix's first City Archaeologist!
The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park grew over the years. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The park has two main parts, which are next to each other. Both are important for understanding the history of the area. They were officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Besides having cool exhibits, the museum also stores ancient artifacts found in Phoenix.
Gallery
- Historic Pueblo Grande Ruins in Phoenix, Arizona
(NRHP = National Register of Historic Places)
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Pueblo Grande Ruin Historic Landmark Marker. Marker and contents are the work of the US Dept. of the Interior, therefore PD.
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The Pueblo Grande Ruin Museum is located at 4619 E. Washington St. in Phoenix, Arizona. The ruins are listed in the National Register of Historic Places reference #66000184.
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Artifacts displayed inside the Pueblo Grande Ruin-Museum
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Display inside the Pueblo Grande Ruin Museum.
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People of power and influence are believed to have lived in houses surrounded by mounds
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On the sunrise in the summer solstice and in the winter solstice an alignment occurs. A shaft of light stretches from one doorway to another, signaling the mid points of the solar annual cycle.
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Tools and weapons were stored in these rooms.
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These rooms were large and had eight foot walls. Artifacts were kept in them.
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Miller's Room was named after Dr. Joshua Miller, President of Arizona Antiquarian Association, who 1901 conducted the first excavation of the Pueblo Grande Ruins.
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This is the largest mound in the Pueblo Grande Ruin.
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The Old Crosscut Canal was built in 1888.
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This is a representation of what a Hohokam house looked like 700 years ago.
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Inside view of the Adobe Compound Replica.
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Artifacts inside of the Adobe Compound Replica.
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These replicas represent what the Hohokam pit-houses looked like 1000 years ago.
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This was a Hohokam ballpark where they played ceremonial ball games. The villagers stood on top of the surrounding mound to observe the game.
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Made from mesquite, these kitchens were used by the O'odham people, believed to be descendants of the Hohokam, in the 1600s.
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The ovens were shared by the Hohokam community.
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Partial view of the Hohokam Village.
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Different view of the Hohokam Village.
Images for kids
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Hohokam Sacaton red-on-buff plate, c. 950–1150 AD. A signature display in the Museum. The design motif is likely an unfolding Sacred Datura bud.
