| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States(  Arizona) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Yuman,Havasupai,Walapai |
TheCohonina peoples inhabited the north-western area ofArizona, to the west of theGrand Canyon in theUnited States.[1][2] First identified in 1937 by Lyndon Hargrave, surveying pottery for the Museum of Northern Arizona, they are named for theHopi term for theYuman,Havasupai, andWalapai peoples who inhabited the area and are thought to be descended from the Cohonina.[3] They in turn have lent their name toCoconino County, Arizona.[4] They are thought to have lived between 500 and 1200,[1][5] evolving alongside theAnasazi and enjoying a period of fertility, producing "significant" amounts of pottery,[6] before worsening weather conditions – arid soils and rain erosion – forced them from their homelands. Several lines of evidence led to a theory that aclimate change episode caused a severedrought in the region from 1276 to 1299, forcing these agriculture-dependent cultures to move on.[7] Archaeological evidence of the Cohonina disappears beyond this period.[8]
The majority of the archaeological evidence that does exist consists of agricultural remnants and pottery.[6][7]Pueblo I Era period pottery, often decorated, has been found alongside evidence ofmaize cultivation. These pieces are largely constructed using "paddle-and-anvil" methods, with black and grey illustrations, and are found west of theSan Francisco Peaks, east ofAubrey Cliffs, and south of the Grand Canyon.[4]
The area was largely pine forest, and the Cohonina may have utilised wild plants are the mainstay of their agriculture. They also usedobsidian to construct arrowheads and for trade.[4]
According to research by the Anthropology Department at theNorthern Arizona University, the Cohonina underwent three distinct periods of construction. Between 700–900, their homes consisted of "deep timber-lined pit houses with rooftop entry and ventilator shafts."[4] Often these structures differed in material depending on the season. Between 900 and 1100, large walls of stone surrounded Cohonina forts, and masonry has been found in housing dated from this period.[4]
Between 1100 and 1250, residences utilised masonry and San Francisco Mountain Gray Ware stone, though production of this stopped after 1275.[4]