2024
10
Jul
National Monuments: The Heart of the West
Dear Friends,
I’ve spent the past week driving across upstate New York—a land that is very unfamiliar territory for me. My wife and I drove from the Big Apple to Buffalo, across the Adirondacks and the Catskills, through historic towns and tourist traps, along the Hudson River, past the Finge...
more
2024
05
Jul
Archaeological Survey at NAN Ranch
Cassie Merrill, UNC Chapel Hill
(July 3, 2024)—For the past week, I have had the opportunity to explore the Chihuahuan Desert at NAN Ranch in Faywood, New Mexico, as part of the field survey rotation during the 2024 Preservation Archaeology Field School. Our group has learned how to conduct archa...
more
2024
03
Jul
Hands On, Phone Off
Mikayla Vasquez-Salgado, University of New Mexico
(June 28, 2024)—My time with Archaeology Southwest has already been an eye-opening and informative experience. During our first week of field school, my rotation was experimental archaeology. I found out firsthand (literally) just how much work it...
more
2024
03
Jul
Preservation Archaeology Field School 3.0!
Karen Gust Schollmeyer, Preservation Archaeologist and Director, Preservation Archaeology Field School
(June 27, 2024)—Preservation Archaeology Field School is back, and I couldn’t be happier about it! After a one-year hiatus for planning, we’ve just begun a new field school program focused...
more
2024
27
Jun
Great Bend of the Gila Featured in Arizona Highways
Dear Friends,
I write from beautiful Prescott, Arizona, where I’ve spent the last couple of days attending the 2024 Arizona Historic Preservation Conference. Prescott is an amazing city for a number of reasons, not least of which is its long tradition, dating back to the 1970s, of activist hist...
more
2024
20
Jun
Encerrita Fire Started from Lightning Strike at El Malpais National Monument
Dear Friends,
As I mentioned last week, change is afoot here at Archaeology Southwest, but we are being deliberate, tactical, strategic, and careful in the changes we make. I am thrilled to announce a recent and fantastic change around here—the arrival of our new director of philanthropy Ethan ...
more
2024
13
Jun
Crow Canyon Welcomes Theresa Pasqual as EVP of Indigenous Affairs
Dear Friends,
Earlier this week we had a small staff meeting of folks who are responsible for our long-running and beloved Archaeology Café series. We met in the library of the Bates Mansion complex, our wonderfully charismatic headquarters here in Tucson, where it has been brutally hot already....
more
2024
10
Jun
Celebrating the First Anniversary of the Greater Chaco Land Withdrawal
Paul F. Reed, New Mexico State Director
Preservation Archaeologist
(June 10, 2024)—On the one-year anniversary of the administrative withdrawal of Federal lands in the 10-mile zone around Chaco Canyon to protect its cultural resources from oil & gas drilling, I reflect on this hard-won victo...
more
2024
05
Jun
Deadline June 11: Last Chance to Support Alternative E for Bears Ears Management Plan
Dear Friends,
On May 31, Archaeology Southwest’s Board of Directors held its quarterly meeting. These can be mundane affairs in which we review and discuss matters that may affect the organization’s sustainability and growth over time. But they can also be really interesting! Personally, I lo...
more
2024
04
Jun
Hands-On Archaeology: Let’s Straighten Something Out
Meet the mighty shaft straightener!
Allen Denoyer, Ancient Technologies Expert
(June 4, 2024)—People used these ground stone tools to straighten wood or reeds used to make arrow shafts. The shaft straightener was placed in the coals of a hot fire and heated up. The arrow shaft was then pressed i...
more
2024
03
Jun
My First Several Months at Archaeology Southwest
Ben Pelletier, Preservation Archaeologist
(June 3, 2024)—Hello, all! I am a relatively new employee here at Archaeology Southwest. This is my first blog post to introduce myself and talk about what I have been up to during my first several months with the organization. My background is primarily ...
more
2024
30
May
Show Your Support for Historic Bears Ears Management Plan
Dear Friends,
In a busy, often chaotic world, it is good to take time to reflect and think once in a while. Over the last couple of days, I have had the chance to do both in work and personal capacities. On the personal side, my wife and I were lucky enough to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversa...
more
Show More