Hands-On Archaeology

Contact

Kate Sarther
Communications Director
Email | (520) 882-6946, ext. 16

 

2019
16
Nov

How Did People Make Stone and Shell Jewelry?

In this class, we will make jewelry using the same kinds of stone tools people used in the past. Participants may choose to work with stone (argillite and steatite) or shell. Students will grind their items on sandstone slabs and drill holes with flaked-stone drills. We will use stone flakes to inci...
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2019
02
Nov

Arturo Ramirez Gourd Rattle-Making Class

Cost: $30 ($20 for Archaeology Southwest members) Space is limited, so please RSVP ahead of time. Payment can be made by cash or check when you arrive for your class. Rattles or shakers may have been among humanity’s earliest possessions. People have long used gourds and other seed pods for...
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2019
31
Oct

Hands-On Archaeology: How to Make a Stone Axe

Allen Denoyer, Preservation Archaeologist and Ancient Technologies Expert (October 31, 2019)—The stone axe is a fairly common artifact. We find them throughout the Southwest at sites dating from early ceramic times until just before Europeans came. We can tell they were used to chop trees becau...
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2019
19
Oct

How Did People Haft A Knife?

In this class, you will learn the process of hafting a stone knife blade into a wood handle. There are very few examples of hafted knives preserved in the Southwest. The style of hafting we will do in this class is based on Basketmaker and Pueblo knives that have been found in rock shelters across t...
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2019
05
Oct

How Did People Make and Use Stone Tools?

Experience the ancient art of flintknapping. Join Allen Denoyer for his Hands-On Archaeology class, "How Did People Make and Use Stone Tools?" In each of these beginner classes, you will use ancient techniques and replica tools to create a stone projectile point. You will also learn more about how p...
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2019
28
Sep

Postponed: Hands-On Archaeology at Mission Garden

UPDATE (3/16/2020): Hands-On Archaeology is canceling its presence at this event for the time being. Learn more.  Join ancient technologies expert Allen Denoyer for our Hands-On Archaeology program at Mission Garden, Tucson's birthplace. Explore our replica pithouse and learn about ancient techn...
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2019
14
Sep

Postponed: Hands-On Archaeology at Steam Pump Ranch

UPDATE (3/16/2020): Hands-On Archaeology is canceling its presence at this event for the time being. Learn more.  Join us for Hands-On Archaeology activities at Second Saturday events at Oro Valley AZ’s historic Steam Pump Ranch. The program takes place outside of our replica Hohokam pithouse ...
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2019
01
Aug

Clues from Experimental Archaeology

Leslie Aragon, Preservation Archaeology Fellow (August 1, 2019)—Now that we’ve wrapped up another field season of the Upper Gila Preservation Archaeology Field School, I thought I’d take a minute to talk about what we learned at the Gila River Farm site this season. I especially want to sha...
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2019
10
Jul

Hide and Squeak

Zaynab Chamalian, University of Southern Florida (July 10, 2019)—Something I appreciate about my field school group and instructors is their willingness to try new things and let things happen. One experience like this was tanning mouse hides with Allen and my fellow student Sarah. Allen has ...
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2019
25
Jun

Obsidian Hunt

This post is one in our annual series of essays by our Preservation Archaeology Field School students. We invite you to continue following along with their experiences over the next few weeks. Alex Burden, University of Colorado Boulder (June 25, 2019)—We rode the RAV4 up along a single-lane c...
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2019
13
Jun

Learning Livelihoods

This post is one in our annual series of essays by our Preservation Archaeology Field School students. We invite you to follow along with their experiences over the next six weeks through their own words. Kristin Bridges, College of New Jersey (June 13, 2019)—My background in the field of arch...
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2019
28
Apr

Hands-On Archaeology: Winter Count 2019

Allen Denoyer, Preservation Archaeologist and Ancient Technologies Expert (April 28, 2019)—From February 10–16, I attended Winter Count, a traditional skills gathering. This year was the 25th time it was held in southern Arizona and the second time it was held at that location, about 30 minut...
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