Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites

Pueblo Grande is an archaeological site featuring a large platform mound with retaining walls, multiple residential buildings, and an extensive network of irrigation canals. The layout reveals how a society organized its settlement around water management systems and agricultural production in a desert environment.

The Hohokam civilization built and lived at this settlement from around 450 to 1450 CE, developing advanced irrigation methods to farm the desert. This long occupation demonstrates how the society adapted to harsh environmental conditions and created a stable way of life.

The site contains three ball courts where the Hohokam people held ceremonial games and exchanged goods with neighboring groups. These playing fields served as gathering places that strengthened connections between different communities in the desert region.

The City of Phoenix now manages the location as part of the S'edav Va'aki Museum with guided walks and exhibits about ancient societies. Visitors can explore the site and view the actual structures and canals, gaining a direct understanding of how the Hohokam lived and worked.

One main canal connected to the site stretched over 16 miles (26 kilometers) to present-day Glendale, showing the Hohokam's remarkable engineering skills. This single waterway reveals how far the society extended its infrastructure to support farming across the desert landscape.

Location: Arizona

GPS coordinates: 33.44639,-111.98417

Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:04