Long-term protection of archaeological sites is an essential component of Preservation Archaeology.
Here in the American Southwest, a great number of important archaeological sites occur on private land. Nineteenth-century homesteaders settled in areas with readily available water and arable land, just as Native peoples had for millennia.
Today, scores of new residents are attracted to the Southwest’s wide open spaces and spectacular scenery—and to that special sense of place its natural and cultural resources inspire. Growth comes at a cost, though: many archaeological sites have been lost to residential and commercial development, and many more are at risk.
Using tools ranging from regular communication with landowners to outright purchase, Archaeology Southwest takes direct action to protect the places of our past. We work with landowners to develop case-specific strategies that protect a site over the long term and meet their needs as property owners.
As of September 1, 2021, we own 12 properties and hold easements on 10 others. Learn more about some of these holdings below.
Texas Hill
On May 22, 2017, we closed on 120 acres of the Texas Hill site in the lower Gila River valley. The parcel is a complement to our Quail Point acquisition and our Great Bend work.
MoreLos Gigantes
In 2015, Archaeology Southwest purchased the Los Gigantes archaeological site from the ranching family in the El Morro Valley of west-central New Mexico who has protected it for generations.
MoreCave Creek Midden Site
In 2015, Archaeology Southwest received the gift of a conservation easement over an important site along Cave Creek, outside of Portal, Arizona, on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains.
MoreQuail Point
In June 2014, Archaeology Southwest acquired a 360-acre parcel that includes a large portion of Quail Point, an impressive rock art site within the proposed Great Bend of the Gila National Monument.
MoreMimbres Valley
In 2011, Archaeology Southwest significantly expanded its Site Protection portfolio with the addition of three sites in the legendary Mimbres Valley of New Mexico: Mattocks, Janss, and Wheaton-Smith.
MoreRedington Ballcourt
On December 30, 2011, Archaeology Southwest acquired a portion of one of the San Pedro Valley’s most remarkable Hohokam sites, the Redington Ballcourt.
MoreJosé Solas Ruin
On July 2, 2012, Archaeology Southwest accepted the donation of an eight-acre conservation easement that will help to protect a significant portion of the José Solas Ruin, a site in southeastern Arizona’s San Pedro River valley.
MoreElliott Site Complex
In 2002, Harold and Dorothy Elliott donated an archaeological conservation easement over 55 acres of their deeded lands in Cochise County, Arizona, along the San Pedro River.
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