The Hohokam, a prehistoric culture that inhabited south-central Arizona from 300 to 1450 AD, were accomplished farmers, traders and craftsmen. While not a true civilization as defined by archaeologists - the Hohokam didn't have a form of writing - they were skilled canal builders. The Hohokam engineered and constructed the largest prehistoric canal system in North America. They used canals to transport water to their fields and fill their cisterns. The Hohokam irrigation system extended for hundreds of miles and some canals carried water as much as 20 miles. The Hohokam understood topography, slope of the land, and types of soil. They built weirs and other devices to control the water flow. To build their canals, the Hohokam used stone and wood tools. They used wooden digging sticks to loosen the soil and wedge-shaped pieces of stone, called stone hoes, to pick up the dirt. They hauled away the soil in wicker baskets.