Water technology in the ancient American societies

Many ancient civilizations in the Americas developed water technologies during the same times that water technology was advancing in other parts of the world. This chapter will address water technologies of societies of the pre-Columbian empires in the southwestern United States, Mesoamerica, and the Inca in South America. These locations are shown in Fig. 9.1. In the southwestern U.S. we will discuss water technologies of the Hohokam and the Anasazi. In Mesoamerica we will discuss the water technologies of the Teotihuacan, the Chaco Anasazi, the Xochicalco, the Maya and the Aztec. Finally the Inca water systems of Machu Picchu, Tipon, Pisac, Tambo Machay and Puca Pucara are discussed. For further reading on the failure of some of these ancient civilizations, Mays (2007a, b) discusses the water sustainability of ancient civilizations in Mesoamerica and the American Southwest.