The first Indians that arrived in the area that we now call Arizona are classified as the Paleo Indians. The Arizona they found was much different than the Arizona we know today. About 12000 years ago, during the first migration wave, and 6000 years after the second great migration wave, the Indians found Arizona to be wet and green. The habitat at that time contained the, “lush green valleys of southern Arizona” The thought was that the Indian hunters would set up traps for the giant creatures that existed at the time at the many watering holes. As far as the animals that existed we can only speculate, however, evidence exists in the form of the bones of elephants, (probably the wooly mammoth) the primitive horse, a bison, and the tapir.  Other creatures to exist at the time were considered giant by are standards and probably included the mastodons, grizzly bear, beaver, camels, and large bison.

Autumn Day © Alison Grippo | Dreamstime Stock Photos

No one knows for sure why, but as some time these giant creatures died off. Speculation is that as the lands started turning into the desert that we know today; the vegetation died and the land could no longer support the creatures that once roamed this land.

As more and more people settled into the area around the Salt River they noticed that the previous inhabitants had left a system of canals that turned out to be quite complex and quite extensive. Some of these canals diverted water from the river up to 16 miles, which enabled the Hohokam to move farther from the river. Scientist speculate that the Hohokam people that built these canals came up from Mexico around 300 BCE and came to number from about 20000 to 60000 before they rapidly declined. Continue reading →