We discovered that Mesa has a ruin called ‘Mesa Grande’ which we found has limited hours so off we went to have a look the day before Carmen had to go back to Saskatoon for a few days.
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Mesa Grande is one of only two Hohokam mounds remaining, the other is in the metro Phoenix area, the Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park. The ruins at Mesa Grande were occupied by the Hohokam between AD 1100 and 1400 (Pueblo II – Pueblo IV Era) They inhabited the Salt River Valley and constructed an extensive system of water canals for irrigating up to 110,000 acres of corn, beans and squash. The platform mound was the public and ceremonial center for a one of the largest Hohokam villages in the Salt River Valley, a residential area that extended for over one mile along the terrace overlooking the river. The buildings surrounding Mesa Grande were built on top of the ruins of the village.
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Hohokam Ball courts similar to those in Mesoamerica have been found with wooden posts at either end, instead of stone rings on either side. The ‘real’ Ball Court at Mesa Grande lies under the buildings to the north of the site.
