Santa Fe Underground: Archaeology in the City Different
Latest edition of Archaeology Southwest Magazine reviews recent findings
(Tucson, Ariz.) October 12, 2015—Tucson-based nonprofit organization Archaeology Southwest is pleased to announce the publication of “Santa Fe Underground.” Leading Santa Fe archaeologists Cherie Scheick and Stephen Post guest-edited this special issue of Archaeology Southwest Magazine, an ad-free, full-color quarterly that shares archaeological research in the Southwest with the interested public. The edition is part of an ongoing series on what lies beneath major Southwestern cities. It includes articles on the meanings of the city’s Native names, the history and implementation of Santa Fe’s landmark Archaeological Review Districts Overlay Zoning Ordinance, the life-sustaining resources of the region, the ambiguity surrounding the location of the original Spanish colonial plaza, and the preservation concerns stemming from what must be hundreds of unknown gravesites. Authors also review findings from recent archaeological investigations of the Archaic (hunting and gathering peoples), Ancestral Pueblo, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, Territorial, and Statehood eras.
Scheick was the ideal person to serve as guest editor for “Santa Fe Underground.” She has been active in Santa Fe archaeology since the late 1970s, and has directed her cultural resources management firm, Southwest Archaeological Consultants, since 1984. She is also president of the nonprofit Rio Grande Foundation for Communities and Cultural Landscapes, and is active in open space and planning initiatives in the community. “Every city has history, but in Santa Fe, history surrounds us,” Scheick says. “It is a record not of 100 years, but of several thousand years. From the terraces above town to the river floodplain below, reminders of the city’s past inhabitants are woven into the fabric of Santa Fe.”
And, as the city expands and development continues, archaeologists uncover ever more evidence of the older center beneath it. Several authors in the magazine discuss artifacts and structures revealed during archaeological work prior to construction of Santa Fe’s Community Convention Center, for example.
“The community of Santa Fe values and protects two important underground resources: water and archaeology,” says Bill Doelle, Archaeology Southwest’s president & CEO. “Such conscientious stewardship of invaluable resources says a great deal. Santa Fe exemplifies that the past is indeed the foundation of a vibrant future, and it is our pleasure to connect with a community that shares this vision.”
Collected Works bookstore, the City of Santa Fe, and Archaeology Southwest are hosting a celebration of the magazine issue’s release at 6:00 p.m. on November 11, 2015. “Santa Fe Underground” will be available for purchase from Collected Works, and Cherie Scheick and other area archaeologists will give brief presentations. Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., (505) 988-4226, http://www.cwbookstore.com/.
“Santa Fe Underground,” Archaeology Southwest Magazine Volume 29, Nos. 2 & 3. 40 pp. $10.00.
About Archaeology Southwest
Archaeology Southwest is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, that explores and protects the places of our past across the American Southwest and Mexican Northwest. For three decades, Archaeology Southwest has practiced a holistic, conservation-based approach known as Preservation Archaeology. By exploring what makes a place special, sharing this knowledge in innovative ways, and enacting flexible site protection strategies, we foster meaningful connections to the past and respectfully safeguard its irreplaceable resources. Learn more at www.archaeologysouthwest.org.
###