Between about A.D. 1075 and 1450, the Hohokam of southern Arizona built lots of platform mounds, mainly along the Gila and Salt Rivers where they practiced extensive irrigation agriculture. Much of Hohokam territory is now covered by modern-day Phoenix, Tucson, and smaller communities. The platform mounds were earthen structures built up to form a flat, elevated surface. They were monuments that were associated with large public rooms where people gathered for ritual and civic purposes. They varied greatly from place to place and some had household rooms, plazas, towers, pillars, shrines, astronomical alignments, cooking facilities, and/or granaries. Many were enclosed by a large earthen wall that formed a compound that appears to have been a sacred space. Archaeologists have identified 94 platform mounds in Arizona, although many have been damaged or destroyed by looters, development, and modern agriculture. Their large number and their full purpose remain an enigma.
This volume brings together 26 scholars writing 15 essays on various aspects of these mounds seeking new insights into their origins, functions, importance to the community, and their cessation of use after some 400 years. Over the past 30 years, archaeologists have intensified their study of these platform mounds, and they have also gained new insights from modern O’Odham people, the descendants of the Hohokam. Oral histories tell of a civil war that destroyed the purpose of the mounds around A.D. 1450. Clearly the monumental platform mounds were of great significance to the entire region as they evolved over time. Their sudden demise only adds to the problem.
The authors of these essays have a wide range of perspectives and often come to significantly different conclusions. This variety is a strength of this volume as it gives the reader a range of views to consider. Vapaki (the modern O’Odham word for platform mound) is an important addition to the study of Hohokam culture. It is well-organized and amply illustrated. The authors develop the most recent information to push their interpretations of the purpose of platform mounds and the role they played in Hohokam culture.
