06: Ballcourts

By 800 CE, the Hohokam organized a regional economy tied together by a network of ceremonial ballcourts.  People from central and southern Arizona gathered around these earthen ballcourts to watch opposing teams volley a rubber ball.  The ballcourts provided a gathering place for feasting, trading food surpluses, and exchanging ideas and practices.  Farmers in the irrigated valleys brought surpluses of corn, beans, squash, and cotton.  Residents outside the valley supplied large-bodied game, wild fruits and vegetables, and natural resources for craft production.  This system of trade was successful and reliable for nearly 300 years.  The great success of the Hohokam irrigation and trade network led to increased vulnerabilities.