Preservation Archaeology Today

Preservation Archaeology Today (PAT) is a free, weekly e-mail news digest. In addition to sharing regional archaeology news, events, opportunities, and publications, PAT connects readers with news and commentary on U.S. public lands policy, global heritage protection and preservation, and the peopling of the North and South American continents. Review our submission guidelines here.

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Banner image: Paul Vanderveen

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Experiencing the Lunar Standstill on Fajada Butte

Dear Friends, Over the past two weeks I have flown from Tucson to Florida, then to Denver, and back to Tucson. With 10 hours total flying time plus many hours sitting in airports, I’ve enjoyed lots of time contemplating the great work Archaeology Southwest does. One thing this organization h...

14th Annual Conservation in the West Poll Finds Continued Concern over Environment, Public Lands

Dear Friends, On Saturday, February 10, more than 100 friends of Archaeology Southwest gathered to celebrate and honor the long and distinguished career of recently retired founding President and CEO Bill Doelle. It was an incredible event. Board of Directors chair Dan Kimball, who has known B...

Tribal Co-Management: What Works Where and How?

Dear Friends, As usual, Archaeologist Southwest staff are busy working on an astonishing range of preservation, outreach, research, and advocacy projects, many of which are garnering media attention. On January 24, Skylar Begay, our Director of Tribal Collaboration in Outreach and Advocacy, pa...

Continuing Coverage: US Museums Respond to New NAGPRA Regulations

Dear Friends, Museums are back in the news again. This week, the American Museum of Natural History in New York announced the closure of two major exhibitions focused on Native American material culture from the Eastern Woodlands and Great Plains. Earlier this month, Chicago’s Field Museum, ...

Tribes and Conservation Organizations Sue USBLM over SunZia Route

Dear Friends, On Friday, January 19, my fifth day with this wonderful organization, I had the privilege of attending the Four Southern Tribes Cultural Resources Working Group in Ak Chin, Arizona, near Maricopa, southwest of Phoenix. (The Four Southern Tribes include the Ak-Chin Indian Community, ...

A Message from Steve Nash

Dear Friends, The moment is finally here—Monday, January 15, was my first day as President and CEO of Archaeology Southwest! So far, it has been every bit as exciting as I’d hoped. From the exceptionally capable and welcoming ASW staff to the unique office setting provided by the Bates Mansio...

An Experiment in Conservation and Co-Ownership in Bears Ears

Dear Friends, Expanding Archaeology Southwest’s Preservation Archaeology mission. That’s what Steve Nash and the organization’s amazing staff will continue when he arrives next Monday. I, too, will begin my own new ways to do the same. I believe nonprofits are essential 21st-century inst...

Year in Review: 2023 Indigenous Conservation Highlights

Dear Friends, Archaeology Southwest has had three homes since our founding in 1989. Between 1989 and 2001, we were incubated within the North Tucson Boulevard offices of Desert Archaeology, Inc. We rented space in the Historic YWCA on West University Boulevard from late 2000 to 2010. We’ve been...

NM Extends Moratorium on Leasing of State Land in Greater Chaco

Dear Friends, Weather permitting, I’m in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, as you open this note. Of course, you never know what you’ll encounter on cross-country flights this time of year. It’s time to visit my daughter, grandson (11), and granddaughter (9). I’ll miss a few weeks of ...

Changes to NAGPRA to Expedite Returns

Dear Friends, Anticipation. Expectation. Last Tuesday I had a full tank of both as I left the office early and drove to Tucson’s Loft Cinema. We were returning to live, in-person Archaeology Cafés. Our last one was—hmmmm—February 2020! So many people have told me that they were excited ...

Societies May Become Less Resilient as They Age

Dear Friends, As I look at retirement, and think about how I’ll spend my time, I don’t see a lot of “free time”—and certainly no boredom. I do the majority of my “reading” by listening to audiobooks, and I just discovered that I can get a report on my minutes of reading. So far, ...

Rep. Grijalva Hosts Cultural Preservation Roundtable Today

Dear Friends, On Monday afternoon I shared the history of my research interests at our monthly Research Team meeting at Archaeology Southwest. Of course, it was a PowerPoint and it was over Zoom. I began with some background on my pre-professional years. Family, geographic place, some major li...

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