The Economic Implications of Hohokam Buff Ware Exchange During the Early Sedentary Period

Hohokam buff ware ceramics are ubiquitous at prehistoric settlements across the Phoenix Basin. Determining where those pots were made and how they were distributed are primary topics for investigating the Hohokam economy. We review the available evidence on buff ware provenance, which indicates that most of the decorated wares were made by specialists in the middle Gila River Valley for exchange across a large territory. We then compare the sizes and shapes of vessels at five early Sedentary period villages scattered across the Phoenix Basin and find a consistency in the mix of vessel forms despite functional and locational differences among the sites. Our results lead us to hypothesize that everyone in that region received a standard buff ware assemblage, implying efficient and sophisticated mechanisms for commodity distribution that may have included centralized marketplaces at ballcourt villages.