How changes in subsistence influenced the health of the Hohokam tribe

Abstract

This paper discusses how the change in subsistence patterns from the Sedentary Period to the Classic Period affected the health of the Hohokam tribes of the North American Southwest. Subsistence analysis along with 163 Hohokam inhumations from the time periods were analyzed and compared to evaluate if there was a correlation between diet and health. Dental pathologies, anemia, enamel hypoplasia, rickets, urolithiasis, and stature were examined to reveal patterns in health during the time. The results found that childhood stress events were that most prevalent health complication but overall the Hohokam maintained a rich and varied diet, despite their heavy reliance on maize agriculture.