The Bajada Canals of the Safford Basin, Southeastern Arizona: Excellence in Prehistoric Engineering

Abstract

ABSTRACTA large network of exceptionally well-engineered prehistoric canals has been discovered near Safford, Arizona. Within an area of roughly 450 km2, 12 distinct canal systems, comprised of 41 canals, have been identified originating in the bajada of the Pinaleño Mountains. Conveying water from runoff and springs, the longest canal is about 13 km, and the total length of all systems exceeds 125 km. While a few canals may date to ca. a.d. 1100, the vast majority date to between ca. a.d. 1250 and 1450 and appear to be constructed by migrants from northeastern Arizona. These features represent the second largest network of canal systems in the American Southwest, and, while smaller in size and total length than the canal systems of the Phoenix Basin, they exhibit engineering sophistication not found in those systems. These canals have expanded the knowledge of prehistoric water management engineering and agricultural intensification in the American Southwest.