Male bonding around the campfire: Constructing myths of Hohokam militarism

The Hohokam people of central Arizona and their neighbors have long been of interest to archaeologists of the Southwest. The prevailing image of them has varied significantly over time. Lately there has been a shift among some scholars toward viewing the Hohokamas constantly embroiled in warfare. This article analyzes this trend in archaeological writing in terms of the modern American culture of aggressive masculinity. I argue that testosterone-driven fantasies appear to have influenced the theory formation of a significant group of archaeologists. On the basis of scant evidence, they have created a story of war and militarism that harmonizes well with early twenty-first century U.S. political culture. Whether this warlike image has much bearing on the actual lives and pursuits of indigenous Southwest populations of the eleventh through fifteenth centuries is, however, open to doubt.