Tumamoc Hill: More than a Place for a Good Hike

Banner background image by Henry Wallace

Archaeology Café – Tucson Underground. Knowledge seekers of every kind are welcome at Archaeology Café, where experts share their latest research on Tucson’s deep and diverse history in a jargon-free zone. On Tuesday, February 6, 2018, Paul and Suzy Fish will join Bernard Siquieros to discuss Tumamoc Hill: More than a Place for a Good Hike.

A landmark of downtown Tucson, Tumamoc Hill rises 700 feet above the western edge of the Santa Cruz River. Today the location of a desert research center, numerous transmission antennae, and a popular place for modern Tucsonans’ daily hikes, it has been an important place in the lives of Tucson inhabitants for at least 2,000 years. Massive walls and terraces of volcanic rock encircle the summit and its sides. Long-term use of the hill has left behind extensive rock art, mortars, trails, and quarries. At the Café, we’ll explore some of these features in detail and learn more about the important role Tumamoc Hill continues to play for today’s Tohono O’odham community.

Paul R. Fish, Ph.D. and Suzanne K. Fish, Ph.D., are both Professors of Anthropology at the University of Arizona and Curators at the Arizona State Museum. The husband-and-wife team’s research interest include Hohokam social organization and subsistence, traditional agriculture of the Greater Southwest, and the transition to agriculture. They have investigated numerous sites in the Tucson basin, including those on Tumamoc Hill.

Bernard G. Siquieros is an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Curator of Education at Himdag Ki: Hiking, Hemu, Im B I-Ha’ap, the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Cultural Center and Museum. Mr. Siquieros has served as counselor, researcher, program coordinator, and education administrator in education entities on and off the Tohono O’odham Nation.

This Archaeology Café is held at The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd) in theatre 1, which can accommodate up to 375 guests. You can pick up your free tickets from The Loft Cinema box office anytime the day of the Café. (Limit two tickets per person.)

Archaeology Café is free. Guests are encouraged to purchase their own refreshments from The Loft’s impressive concession bar. Offerings include tamales, pizza, wraps, sandwiches, snacks, and a great selection of local beers and wines.

Videos of each Café will be available at www.archaeologysouthwest.org/video.

Questions? Visit us online at www.archaeologycafe.org or call us at 520-882-6946 ext. 23.

This program is made possible, in part, by The Smith Living Trust and Arizona Humanities.