A Deeper Map is a mobile app that invites you to discover where ancient irrigation canals and agricultural fields once existed in what is now the Phoenix metro area.
In our app, moving the contemporary map to the right reveals a deeper ancient map of the Valley on the left. Moving the contemporary map back and fourth allows you to see where, hundreds of years ago, canals and agricultural fields once existed where you now live, work or go to school.
A window into the past
A Deeper Map is a public art project that takes the form of a map-based mobile app. Current residents of the Phoenix metro area are often surprised to learn about the scope and sophistication of large scale ancient irrigation of the lower Salt River Valley. When we think of ancient cultures in the American Southwest, we tend to think of Chaco Canyon or Mesa Verde. While those sites and the cultures that produced them were amazing, what happened here in the Salt River Valley between AD 400 to about AD 1450 was arguably far more influential. Nor have the people who created this legacy disappeared. In fact, descendant communities are still irrigating and growing food on some of the same fields today. New construction has now obscured almost all evidence of ancient irrigation, making the deep human history of the Valley quite abstract to the general public. Our goal is to foster a greater awareness of this legacy by inviting current residents of the area to contemplate a deeper map.
Our mobile app has been carefully designed to facilitate this map-based exploration. We have included the ability to change the way the contemporary map works, allowing viewers to choose which map mode best suits their needs. In addition, we have consulted with experts in the field regarding content, which takes the form of videos or text, appearing alongside the maps to provide context as well as some remarkable stories.
Watch a three minute video tour of the app in use:
