Dear Friends,
Late yesterday, the New York Times posted a story entitled Tucson, Ariz: Western Skies and Competitive Home Prices. In it, and in another column last fall, columnist and Tucson native Abbie Kozolchyk shared some of her tips and favorites in and about the Old Pueblo, including restaurants, bars, museums, trails, and so on. It’s a nice introduction to Tucson.
We at Archaeology Southwest spend a lot of time thinking about how people make, form, and keep relationships to place, and Kozolchyk’s column got me thinking about my own relationship to Tucson.
I’ll be the first to admit that my relationship to Tucson is still very much grounded in the 1990s, when I lived here as a graduate student. Those were formative years for me, and they were fun.
I miss the old American Meat Market on south Fourth Avenue, which had the best chorizo on the planet. (It reopened several years ago as Islas Meat Market on west Irvington and still has the best chorizo!) I miss the now defunct 17th Street Farmer’s Market, which really was the retail side of a fruit and veggie wholesaler when it first opened. I miss the Pack’Em Inn Steakhouse at Drachman and Stone, where I bartended for four years AND met my lovely wife, Carmen, who was a waitress. And I miss Blue Jay’s bar at University and Tyndall. It was home to $2.50 PITCHERS of Molson during happy hour. It was therefore home to a lot of us grad students.
Slowly but surely, however, I’m getting to know the Old Pueblo in its current manifestation. The city is so big, and the options so great, that it’s going to take a while. Heck, I’m still exploring downtown, which is nothing like it was three decades ago. In addition to new and modern buildings, the historic preservation movement has done wonderful things. Archaeology Southwest is now headquartered in the Historic Bates Mansion (that’s the website of our tenants, who have transformed parts of the ground floor into an event venue), a space we plan to activate even further as a home for Archaeology Café and other events in the coming years.
Tucson is a wonderful community, with so much to offer. It’s a pleasure to be living here again.
A couple notes before I sign off:
First, thanks to all of you who reached out in the last week with suggestions about how we can challenge the National Endowment for the Humanities cancellation of our cyberSW grant. We look forward to pursuing these ideas and working with some of you on this important effort.
Second, Archaeology Southwest has grown a lot in recent years. Our “fleet” of one car is no longer sufficient for our needs. We could really use a second, and possibly even third, vehicle, though our needs are split. On the one hand we need a fuel-efficient hybrid or electric vehicle for long-distance trips, as our staff are continuously going to Gila Bend, Phoenix, and other places on highways. On the other hand, we could also use a large, four-wheel drive SUV, as our beloved RAV4 has room for only four people and has very limited cargo space. If you or a friend or family member has a well-maintained vehicle you would like to consider donating to the cause, we’d love to hear from you!
Finally, many of our staff will be attending the Society for American Archaeology’s 90th Annual Meeting in Denver next week. In addition to presentations, posters, and panels, we will also be available to chat with attendees at Booth 111. We have some fun things planned, so please stop by!
Until May 1,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Banner image: Bill Lipe working in Glen Canyon, courtesy of Washington State University
In Memoriam: William D. Lipe (1935–2025)
We’re sad to learn of the passing of Dr. Bill Lipe, one of the great students of the deep history of Native peoples in the Southwest, particularly in southeastern Utah and the Four Corners region. … Bill’s generosity to students, colleagues, and the interested public is impossible to overstate. Recently Bill donated a number of publications and books to the Edge of the Cedars’ library. We will miss him, but Dr. Lipe’s keen interest and love of Cedar Mesa, the Mesa Verde region, and the land’s profound human history will resonate with us all in the years to come. Our hearts are with his family and friends. Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum via Facebook | Read more »
There is no way to really quantify the legacy and impact of a man like him. His 1974 publication “A Conservation Model for Archaeology,” in which he called the archaeological record a “non-renewable resource” and pleaded for “slowing down the attrition of the resource base,” would be enough on its own. …
This last lesson is the one he imparted upon me the hardest, informing pretty much all of my subsequent work—from books and magazine articles, to public talks at archaeological societies and schools, to interpretive guided hikes in areas throughout the greater Southwest. Bill was a great believer that nothing gets done without having the public on your side, and you can’t get the public on your side if you talk over their head with jargon, or talk at them with officiousness and regulatory recalcitrance, or leave them out of the talking process entirely. You have to talk to the public. It’s the only hope we’ve got. R. E. Burrillo at the Preservation Archaeology blog (Archaeology Southwest) | Read more »
Within this email from archaeologist William D. Lipe, or Bill, dated February 2019, were the keys to a new direction in my life. I was already at the crossroads, living at the junction of remote southern Utah canyons in winter. It’s not that I needed someone to prod me to retrace thousands of miles of historic expeditions. It’s that living alone, with no one around, Lipe told me that doing so mattered beyond a personal adventure. At the end of his email, Lipe lamented, “Too bad there’s so much snow out. I’d like to follow some of Bernheimer’s routes too.” Morgan Sjogren at Wild Words | Read more »
Commentary: Elevate Indigenous Voices in Land Management
On March 25, representatives of six Southwestern tribes announced the formation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Inter-Tribal Coalition. They are following the model of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, the moral force behind the 2016 establishment of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument. …
With increasing co-stewardship and co-management of their ancestral lands, today’s Native people are breaking the on-again, off-again cycle of attention. “Native American” and “Indigenous people” may be on the list of words scrubbed from government documents and websites, but Trump’s lack of respect for tribal sovereignty and disinterest in Indian Country will be a passing blip in the “rediscovery of America,” as Native historian Ned Blackhawk calls our new regard for Indigenous history. Stephen Trimble for the Los Angeles Times | Read more »
A Coalition against the Antiquities Act
In January and February, county governments in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and North Carolina began passing resolutions containing nearly identical language. The resolutions oppose what they refer to as an “abuse” of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Enacted by Congress as people went west and frequently looted from historic sites, the law gave presidents the authority to protect any area on federal lands by declaring it a national monument. A deep anti-federal current runs through the county resolutions, and they express support for extractive industries and a general objection to “the designation of lands, whether private lands or government lands as national monuments, wilderness, wilderness study areas, wildlife preserves, open space, or other conservation land.” Molly Montgomery in High Country News (via Searchlight New Mexico) | Read more »
Podcast: Contemporary Pueblo Architects Reclaim Ancestral Knowledge
With guests Ted Jojola, Brian Vallo, Charelle Brown, and Lynn Paxson. Early Pueblo residents are known for their complex, multi-level dwellings that date back centuries, but continue to influence architectural design today. A new exhibit at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center examines the enduring elements of ancestral architecture and how contemporary Pueblo architects are reclaiming them. Modern designs fell victim to non-Native interpretations and modern building codes. The exhibit, “Restorying Our HeartPlaces: Contemporary Pueblo Architecture,” tells the story of how Pueblos are asserting their sovereignty over their enduring architectural knowledge. Native America Calling | Listen now »
Podcast Debut: Pueblo in Focus
Join the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for Pueblo In Focus, a new podcast shining a spotlight on Pueblo culture! Hosted by Jeremy Felipe (Pueblo of Acoma), each episode will feature IPCC staff members discussing their areas of expertise. Learn about Pueblo history, art, food, and more directly from the Pueblo community. Our first episode, focusing on American Indian Week, will be uploaded on April 17. New episodes will be uploaded on the last Thursday of each month. All episodes will be available on YouTube. Stay tuned for availability on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Indian Pueblo Cultural Center | Check back at YouTube »
Feature on Piedras Marcadas Pueblo
When the Coronado Expedition came to New Mexico in 1540, there were 12 to 16 inhabited pueblos just in the middle Rio Grande Valley with as many as 10,000 to 20,000 people living here. Matthew Schmader has spent years studying archeological evidence around this incursion into the Southwest and the battles that ensued with Pueblo people. His new book chronicles his work uncovering Piedras Marcadas Pueblo, a village of over 1,000 rooms located in what is now Albuquerque. His book, Uncovering America’s First War: Contact, Conflict, and Coronado’s Expedition to the Rio Grande, was just published by University of New Mexico Press. Schmader is also an adjunct professor in Anthropology and says this war has a large cultural significance beyond the battles. KUNM | Listen now »
Feature on the S’edav Va’aki Museum
Just minutes from downtown, one of the Valley’s oldest stories is still being told. The S’edav Va’aki Museum — formerly known as the Pueblo Grande Museum — sits on a preserved archaeological site more than 1,500 years old. Designated as a National Historic Landmark and a Phoenix Point of Pride, the museum offers a unique view into the lives of the ancient Hohokam people. ABC 15 Arizona | Watch now »
Job Opening: Records Specialist (Sacaton AZ)
Desert Archaeology, Inc., is seeking to hire a Records Specialist on behalf of the Gila River Indian Community’s Cultural Resource Management Program (GRIC CRM) for work in their office, located in Sacaton, Arizona. This position requires work in a professional association with the Project Managers and other employees in performance of administrative tasks. The position will involve assisting with scanning, filing, digital file organization, data entry, and other related tasks as assigned. Desert Archaeology, Inc. | Learn more »
April Live Lectures
April 21, Jakob Sedig, Key Findings from the Last Decade of Ancient DNA Research in the Americas; April 28, Luis Alberto Borrero, Archaeology of the Pampas and Patagonia. 6:00 p.m., Hotel Santa Fe, except 4/7, which will be at the Santa Fe Woman’s Club, 1616 Old Pecos Trail. $20 at the door or $74 for the series of 4 in April. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
April 18 Online and In-Person Event (Phoenix AZ): Indigenous Rock Imagery of the Sonoran Desert
With Aaron Wright. Petroglyphs and pictographs are integral to the cultural traditions of Indigenous communities the world over, and especially so in the Sonoran Desert where they abound on the countless chocolate- and charcoal-colored rocks. It’s natural to ask what they may mean, but perhaps a more appropriate question is what do they do? These images move us in remarkable ways, and therein lies some of their significance. This presentation will review the diversity of rock imagery across the Sonoran Desert with one eye on common threads and the other on unique regional qualities. 11:00 a.m., 3711 W. Deer Valley Rd. Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve | Learn more »
April 21 Online Event: Below and Beyond Perry Mesa: The Archaeology of Greater West Verde
With R. E. Burrillo. We surveyed 3,200 acres in a largely unstudied area extending north from Cave Creek between Perry Mesa and the Verde River basin on behalf of the Tonto National Forest. The results have exceeded some of the wildest expectations, including re-recording and new discoveries of entire pueblo communities that challenge the existing models of settlement, agriculture, and regional exchange within the greater Verde River region. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more and register (free) »
April 23 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): The Food of the Gods: Magical and Medicinal Histories of Chocolate
With Ryan Kashanipour. Dr. Kashanipour will reveal how a substance consumed in rituals by Mesoamerican elites became an object of debate among an array of early modern Spanish priests, physicians, and botanists, guiding us through the evidence in printed recipe books, botanical manuscripts, and Inquisition denunciations and investigations. 5:00 p.m., Haury Building room 215, University of Arizona. Archaeological Institute of America, Tucson & Southern Arizona Chapter | Learn more »
REMINDER: April 26 In-Person Event (Topowa AZ): 3rd Annual Potters Gathering
Himdag Ki:, the Tohono O’odham Nation Cultural Center & Museum, is hosting an event with presentations, demonstrations, tours of the collections, O’odham artist market, food and more from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Himdag Ki: | Learn more and register »
REMINDER: April 26 In-Person Event (Camp Naco AZ): The Original Cactus League: Baseball on the Border
With Mike Anderson. Anderson will discuss the original Camp Naco baseball field, located at the corner of W. Newell St. and S. Willson Rd., and share the history of the original Cactus League. During the first decade and a half of the 20th century the original Cactus League was a loose consortium of teams from Bisbee, Douglas, Clifton, Morenci, Cananea, Fort Huachuca, Tucson, and sometimes Naco. 10:00 a.m., 2118 W. Newell St. Naco Heritage Alliance | Learn more »
May 1 Online Event: Nuwu Astronomy Views
With Autumn Gillard. This presentation will explore the connection to the night sky as a Southern Paiute, including the importance of preserving the night sky. Autumn will discuss southern Paiute astronomy views and the recognition of how the sky can also be subjected to Indigenous cultural appropriation. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Video Channel Roundup
NEW! Loren Davis on Cooper’s Ferry/Nipé: A Pre Clovis Site in North America (1:14:13) Crow Canyon Archaeological Research Center | Watch now »
NEW! Brandi Bethke on Old Dogs, New Tricks: An Overview of Canine Zooarchaeology (46:19) Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Watch now »
NEW! Reylynne Williams on Crossing the Akimel to Snaketown: The Ancestral Connection to Modern-Day O’Odham (1:43:23) Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Watch now »
Catch up on some presentations not highlighted above that we might’ve missed, too! A simple click on any of the links to the YouTube channels of our Partners and Friends should catch you up. (And please do let us know if your channel isn’t in this list but should be.)
Albuquerque Archaeological Society
American Rock Art Research Association
Amerind Foundation
Archaeology Southwest
Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society
Arizona State Museum
Aztlander
Bears Ears Partnership
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Grand Canyon Trust
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
Mesa Prieta Petroglyphs Project
Mission Garden (Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace)
Museum of Indian Arts and Cultures
Museum of Northern Arizona
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center
Pacific Coast Archaeological Society
San Diego Archaeological Center
School for Advanced Research
SHUMLA Archaeological Center
Southwest Seminars
The Archaeological Conservancy
Verde Valley Archaeology Center
Remember to send us notice of upcoming events and webinars, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!