Archaeology Café: Archaeology of a Mexican Family
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kate Sarther Gann
October 19, 2009
kate@cdarc.org
(520) 882-6946
The thriving farmstead of one of Tucson’s oldest families stood northeast of I-10 and Congress.
EVENT: Archaeology of a Mexican Family: The Leóns of Tucson
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 6:00 pm.
LOCATION: Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ.
ADMISSION: Free and open to the community—all are welcome. Guests are encouraged to support our host, Casa Vicente, by buying their own food and drinks.
The Center for Desert Archaeology and Casa Vicente invite all to the next meeting of Archaeology Café, a casual, happy hour-style discussion forum dedicated to promoting community engagement with cultural and scientific research. Visit www.sciencecafes.org for more information on this exciting grassroots movement.
The next Archaeology Café will convene on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. This month, we will be joined by J. Homer Thiel, one of Tucson’s preeminent historical archaeologists and a project director with Desert Archaeology, Inc. Homer will share the story of the Leóns, a family whose roots in Tucson go back more than 200 years. Francisco Solano León and Ramona Elías de León were both born and raised in the Tucson Presidio. The remains of their farmstead, which dated from the mid-1840s to the 1920s, were discovered along the Santa Cruz River in 1998. To interpret the archaeological data they unearthed, Homer and his team drew from an unusually rich array of documentary and photographic evidence, as well as oral history interviews with Francisco and Ramona’s descendants. Indeed, the team could even link certain artifacts with specific family members.
Come settle in with a drink and a plate of delicious tapas at downtown Tucson’s own Casa Vicente. We meet the first Tuesday of each month from September through May at 6:00 p.m.; presentations begin at 6:15 p.m. Seating is open—be ready to make new acquaintances! Our forum opens with a brief, informal presentation on a timely or even controversial topic, followed by a question and answer period and a short break. Moderator Doug Gann then commences spirited but focused discussion.
The Center for Desert Archaeology videotapes these events and plans to stream them on our website, www.archaeologysouthwest.org, for the benefit of the community and our more distant supporters and friends.
ABOUT J. HOMER THIEL
Homer Thiel is one of Tucson’s best-known historical archaeologists, a prolific author, and an experienced lecturer. He has been a project director with Desert Archaeology, Inc., for many years.
ABOUT MODERATOR DOUG GANN
With more than 25 years of experience in archaeological fieldwork, research, and public interpretation, Doug Gann is best known for his pioneering use of digital media to develop interactive exhibits and interpret archaeological information. He has created numerous museum exhibitions and three-dimensional computer models, including Rio Nuevo Rio Viejo: 10,000 Years of Tucson History. Dr. Gann’s three-dimensional reconstructions of the San Agustín mission and the Tucson Presidio form the basis for interpretation of many elements of the Tucson Origins Heritage Park. Doug is a Preservation Archaeologist and Digital Media Specialist at the Center for Desert Archaeology in Tucson, Arizona.
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DESERT ARCHAEOLOGY
The Center for Desert Archaeology envisions a society in which the places of the past are valued as the foundations for a vibrant future. As such, the Center preserves the places of our shared past. The Center achieves this mission by researching questions of broad interest, promoting an ethic of preservation to the public and professionals, acting to ensure long-term preservation of cultural heritage, and enabling people to learn about the past through creative and varied means. The Center is a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
300 E. University Boulevard, Suite 230
Tucson, AZ 85705
(520) 882-6946
ABOUT CASA VICENTE
Family-owned Casa Vicente serves authentic Spanish cuisine in a lively atmosphere. Parking is available on the premises.
375 S. Stone Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701
(520) 884-5253