Hohokam canals: 700+ miles dug by hand, some now carrying Phoenix's water (Salt River Valley, Arizona; about 600–1450 CE)
Record: the document says itPattern: documents line upLens: our readingOpen: not yet proven
Year: 1450 · Places: Europe
SUMMARYHohokam canals: 700+ miles dug by hand, some now carrying Phoenix's water (Salt River Valley, Arizona; about 600–1450 CE) [Connections: Tech of the Americas, Nov 5, 2026]
RECORDThe American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) historic landmark page: "Over 700 miles of major canals were constructed by hand," serving "more than 100,000 acres." "Between AD 600 and AD 700, several major canal systems were constructed." It calls the system "the oldest irrigation system in the United States" and "the largest pre-historic irrigation system in the New World," and says Spanish explorers in the 1600s–1700s found the Pima still using the canals. Wikipedia: "A portion of the ancient canals has been renovated for the Salt River Project and helps to supply the city's water." The name comes from O'odham huhugam, which refers to ancestors, not ruins; Hohokam societies "may be the ancestors of the historic Akimel and Tohono Oʼodham."
PATTERNA US engineering society certifies Native canal engineering, and the modern utility runs on part of it. The O'odham were using the canals when the Spanish arrived, so the "vanished" story does not fit
LENS (WW9)Phoenix drinks through our engineering
OPENWhich modern SRP canals follow which Hohokam alignments, from SRP or Arizona State Museum maps. The ASCE designation year was not on the page