Early Agriculture in the Tucson Basin

Banner background image by Robert B. Ciaccio

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, October 3, 2017, archaeologist James Vint will open the 2017-2018 season with an exploration of 4,000 Years Ago: Early Agriculture in the Tucson Basin.

As far back as 4,000 years ago, families were living in the Tucson area, irrigating and growing corn along the rivers, hunting game in the foothills, and gathering wild plant resources throughout the desert. Major archaeological excavations along the Santa Cruz River in recent decades have greatly expanded our understanding of life during this time period. Dr. Vint led several of these projects, and will give us an intimate look into the lives of these earliest settlers of the Tucson basin.

James M. Vint, Ph.D., is a Senior Project Director with Desert Archaeology, Inc. Over the past 30 years, he has worked throughout Arizona and in northern New Mexico. His research interests include modern and ancient borderlands, the development of early agricultural communities, and the effects of Spanish colonialism in the greater Southwest.

Presented by Archaeology Southwest, a nonprofit organization working across the Southwest to explore and protect the places of our past, Archaeology Café is an informal forum where adults can learn more about the Southwest’s deep history and speak directly to experts. At Archaeology Café, we break down the static, jargon-laden dynamic of traditional lectures, and have an expert share some ideas with the group in ways that get discussion going. (Food and drink make things a little livelier, too.)

We gather at The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) around 5:30 p.m. to visit and enjoy food and beverages. Programs begin at 6 p.m. in Theatre 3. Seating is open and unreserved, with plenty of space for 98 guests. The Loft has plenty of free parking!

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.archaeologysouthwest.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.