Tucson is located on the ancestral lands of the O’odham. O’odham ancestors, whom they refer to as Huhugam, were farming ancient maize along the Santa Cruz River at least 4,000 years ago. Over the last 20 years archaeological studies prior to freeway construction and other urban development have revealed early irrigation canals, agricultural fields, and the villages where people lived. Tucson’s City Hall and Museum of Art are located just inside the walls of Tucson’s former Spanish Presidio. And a thousand-year-old Hohokam ballcourt village was likely an even older layer below downtown Tucson. One of the factors that helped Tucson to become a UNESCO City of Gastronomy was the community’s deep agricultural history.Bill Doelle ~ Biography
Bill Doelle received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1980. He is the founder and current President and CEO of the nonprofit Archaeology Southwest. Archaeology Southwest is based in Tucson and conducts “Preservation Archaeology” in the American Southwest and Mexican Northwest. Preservation of archaeological sites and larger cultural landscapes and sharing research results with the public are his other professional priorities. Archaeology Southwest publishes an award-winning quarterly magazine, conducts archaeology café events on line, and has an extensive website (www.archaeologysouthwest.org).
