Pueblo Grande Phoenix Canal Mound South
Pueblo Grande South · Phoenix South Mound
Pre-Classic to Classic Hohokam (800–1450 CE)·Hohokam Pre-Classic (Colonial–Sedentary) → Classic (Soho–Civano)·🇺🇸 Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix Basin, Salt River North Bank, United States
About
About Pueblo Grande Phoenix Canal Mound South
Pueblo Grande Phoenix Canal Mound South is the canal headgate mound south of Pueblo Grande platform — headquarters of the Phoenix Hohokam canal system (Canal Grande) that irrigated 1000 ha on the Salt River north bank. South canal mound trenches expose the rock-lined headgate, a Pre-Classic pit-house village (800 CE Colonial Sacaton) and the Classic platform's ballcourt outlier — documenting Pueblo Grande's evolution from pit-house hamlet to platform-mound canal capital before the 1450 CE Phoenix Basin collapse, preserved at Pueblo Grande Museum in Phoenix.
Why it mattersPhoenix Hohokam canal headquarters south mound — Canal Grande headgate at Pueblo Grande Museum
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Headgate rock lining — Hohokam engineering or natural gravel?
- 02Ballcourt at Pueblo Grande south — ceremonial satellite?
Theories
- 01Haury Pueblo Grande canal capital vs. Casa Grande periphery
- 02Salt River Classic collapse headgate abandonment model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.800 CE Pre-Classic hamlet; platform 1150 CE; south canal mound 1250 CE
- Period
- Pre-Classic to Classic Hohokam (800–1450 CE)
- Culture
- Hohokam Pre-Classic (Colonial–Sedentary) → Classic (Soho–Civano)
- Builders
- Salt River Hohokam canal engineers, Pueblo Grande mound builders
- Purpose
- South canal mound and canal headgate of Pueblo Grande — platform mound headquarters of Phoenix Hohokam canal system (Canal Grande) north bank Salt River, now Pueblo Grande Museum
- Abandoned
- c.1450 CE Phoenix abandonment
- Rediscovered
- Excavated 1901 Schmidt; 1929–30 Haury; 2000s Pueblo Grande Museum CRM
- Excavation
- Excavated
1901
Schmidt maps Pueblo Grande headgate canal, platform found
1929
Haury excavates Pre-Classic pit houses beneath south mound
1992
Pueblo Grande Museum preserves headgate ballcourt complex in Phoenix
On the ground
Structures & features
33.4400° N · 111.9900° W · 335 m · 3 mapped features
Canal Grande Headgate (Rock-lined)
hydraulicRock-lined canal headgate feeding 1000 ha Phoenix canal system south of platform
33.4408° N · 111.9894° WPre-Classic Pit-House Village (Colonial)
settlementPit-house village 800–1100 CE beneath platform, Sacaton red-on-buff
33.4393° N · 111.9909° WBallcourt Outlier South
ritualClassic ballcourt 50 m long south mound outlier linked to platform
33.4411° N · 111.9893° W