Editing Sonora (section)

===Pre-Hispanic period===
Evidence of human existence in the state dates back over 10,000 years, with some of the best-known remains at the [[San Dieguito complex]] in the [[El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve|El Pinacate Desert]]. The first humans were nomadic hunter gatherers who used tools made from stones, seashells, and wood.<ref name="rincones3637">Gonzalez, pp. 36–37</ref><ref name="gorenstein242">Foster, p. 242</ref> During much of the prehistoric period, the environmental conditions were less severe than they are today, with similar but more dense vegetation spread over a wider area.<ref name="gorenstein243">Foster, p. 243</ref>
[[File:Cuvieronius hyodon Mexico.png|thumb|Drawing of ''[[Cuvieronius]],'' the species of [[gomphothere]] found at the [[El Fin del Mundo]] site]]
The oldest [[Clovis culture]] site in North America is believed to be [[El Fin del Mundo]] in northwestern Sonora. It was discovered during a 2007 survey. It features occupation dating around 13,390 calibrated years [[Before Present]]. At the site, remains of the [[gomphothere]] ''[[Cuvieronius]]'' were found associated with [[Clovis point|Clovis spear points]], suggesting that the animals had been hunted.<ref name="Sanchez2014">{{Cite journal | last1 = Sanchez | first1 = G. | last2 = Holliday | first2 = V. T. | last3 = Gaines | first3 = E. P. | last4 = Arroyo-Cabrales | first4 = J. | last5 = Martínez-Tagüeñ | first5 = N. | last6 = Kowler | first6 = A. | last7 = Lange | first7 = T. | last8 = Hodgins | first8 = G. W. L. | last9 = Mentzer | first9 = S. M. | last10 = Sanchez-Morales | first10 = I. | date = 2014-07-14 | title = Human (Clovis)–gomphothere (''Cuvieronius'' sp.) association ~13,390 calibrated yBP in Sonora, Mexico  | journal = [[PNAS]] | volume =  111| issue = 30 | pages =  10972–10977| doi = 10.1073/pnas.1404546111 |bibcode = 2014PNAS..11110972S | pmid=25024193 | pmc=4121807| doi-access = free }}</ref>

Agriculture first appeared around {{nowrap|400 BCE}} and {{nowrap|200 CE}} in the river valleys. Remains of ceramics have been found dating from {{nowrap|750 CE}} with diversification from 800 and {{nowrap|1300 CE}}<ref name="gorenstein242"/> Between 1100 and 1350, the region had socially complex small villages with well-developed trade networks. The lowland central coast, however, seems never truly to have adopted agriculture.<ref name="gorenstein243"/> Because Sonora and much of the northwest does not share many of the cultural traits of that area, it is not considered part of [[Mesoamerica]]. Though evidence exists of trade between the peoples of Sonora and Mesoamerica, [[Guasave, Sinaloa|Guasave]] in [[Sinaloa]] is the most north-westerly point considered Mesoamerican.<ref name="gorenstein150">Foster, p. 150</ref>

Three archaeological cultures developed in the low, flat areas of the state near the coast: the Trincheras tradition, the Huatabampo tradition, and the Central Coast tradition. The Trincheras tradition is dated to between 750 and 1450 CE and mostly known from sites in the Altar, Magdalena, and Concepción valleys, but its range extended from the Gulf of California into northern Sonora. The tradition is named after trenches found in a number of sites, the best known of which is the Cerro de Trincheras. The Huatabampo tradition is centered south of the Trincheras along the coast, with sites along extinct lagoons, estuaries, and river valleys. This tradition has a distinctive ceramic complex. Huatabampo culture shows similarities with the [[Chametla]] to the south and the [[Hohokam]] to the north. This probably ended around 1000&nbsp;CE. Unlike the other two traditions, the Central Coast remained a hunter-gatherer culture, as the area lacks the resources for agriculture.<ref name="gorenstein18">Foster, p. 18</ref>

The higher elevations of the state were dominated by the [[Casas Grandes]] and [[Río Sonora tradition]]. The Río Sonora culture is located in central Sonora from the border area to modern Sinaloa. A beginning date for this culture has not been determined but it probably disappeared by the early 14th century. The Casas Grandes tradition in Sonora was an extension of the Río Sonora tradition based in the modern state of Chihuahua, which exerted its influence down to parts of the Sonoran coast.<ref name="gorenstein19">Foster, p. 19</ref><ref name="gorenstein251">Foster, p. 251</ref>

Climatic changes in the middle of the 15th century resulted in the increased [[desertification]] of northwest Mexico in general. This is the probable cause for the drastic decrease in the number and size of settlements starting around this time. The peoples that remained in the area reverted to a less complex social organization and lifestyle.<ref name="gorenstein252">Foster, p. 252</ref> Whatever socially complex organization existed in Sonora before the Spaniards was long gone by the 16th century.<ref name="gorenstein251"/>