The Egypt of Colorado

The Cocopah civilization, located near the Gulf of California and the mouth of the Colorado River, would be a good starting place - they're described as "semi-nomadic floodplain farmers" and used, like the Egyptians, the flooding and receding waters of their native river to their fertility advantage. They were also tied into an extensive trading network that linked the Sinaloa valley to the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.
 
It's a good idea, but the long term climate cycles which affect the SW are society killers. Pre-Columbus you have the advantage of not having to deal with horse nomads.
 
Because around Mississipi and Laurent, you can also extend far from the main river without too much problem, like for agriculture and this sort of stuff. Around Colorado, this is much more complicated, so they would rely almost entirely on the river
 
It's a good idea, but the long term climate cycles which affect the SW are society killers. Pre-Columbus you have the advantage of not having to deal with horse nomads.

That, and the fact the Colorado River several times flowed into the Salton Sink recreating Lake Cahuilla means such a society will be severely disrupted. And no horse nomads is good, but the fact that Lake Cahuilla dries up every few centuries before it gets recreated means the Delta inhabitants will also have to deal with an influx of them.

The unique environmental conditions this society would evolve in would no doubt produce some interesting beliefs and philosophy.
 

SwampTiger

Banned
Your best bet is a connection with the Gila/Salt River communities. If one of these three groups develop early water control technology/culture, you could grow a decent population with irrigation based intensive agriculture. The Hopi and Zuni settlements are within the Colorado drainage basin. The western Puebloan settlements are tied to these communities by regular trade routes. The Salton sea region, despite its rather harsh climate and hydrology, is traversible towards San Diego/Tijuana and San Bernadino. Several Gila tributaries run southward into the Sonoran/'Hohokam' cultural region. A few butterflies could develop into a Southwestern analogue to early Egyptian civilization.

The similarities of the Colorado Valley to the ancient Nile Valley are striking. The differences are also substantial. The many feeder streams are within narrow canyons, limiting the arable land areas. If the upriver communities develop terracing, the amount of arable land may be increased substantially. Thus, population would rise with a more secure resource base. The greater area has substantial mineral resources. Chalcolithic and/or Bronze technology is possible.
 
Thus, population would rise with a more secure resource base. The greater area has substantial mineral resources. Chalcolithic and/or Bronze technology is possible.
Were there surface deposits of copper? I thought all of America's western copper deposits were too low density and to deep to be accessible to pre-industrial societies.

That, and the fact the Colorado River several times flowed into the Salton Sink recreating Lake Cahuilla means such a society will be severely disrupted. And no horse nomads is good, but the fact that Lake Cahuilla dries up every few centuries before it gets recreated means the Delta inhabitants will also have to deal with an influx of them.
I haven't read on that subject, is it an issue which could be easily fixed with canals and earthen dams or does it need extensive engineering?
 
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