2019
05
Mar
What’s West of Phoenix: Patayan Archaeology of the Lower Gila River
Knowledge-seekers of every kind are welcome at Archaeology Café at Changing Hands for a season of programs exploring the deep and diverse history of Phoenix and the greater Southwest in a jargon-free zone. Join us as Dr. Aaron Wright explores “What’s West of Phoenix: Patayan Archaeology of the ...
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2018
04
Apr
The Stones of Taliesin West: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Petroglyphs of Paradise Valley
Banner image: By Marine 69-71, courtesy of Wikipedia
In early 1939, in the course of constructing Taliesin West atop the rim of Paradise Valley, Frank Lloyd Wright and his apprentices discovered nearly 100 petroglyphs at the base of the adjacent McDowell Mountains. The ancient carvings were on bo...
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2018
16
Mar
Michael Harner’s Early Years as an Archaeologist (In Memoriam)
Aaron Wright, Preservation Archaeologist
(March 16, 2018)—Just a few weeks ago we lost one of the pioneers of Patayan archaeology. Michael Harner, who passed away on February 3 at the age of 88, is renowned as one of the world’s preeminent anthropologists of shamanism. After a successful ca...
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2017
08
Oct
Migrations Old and New
Migrations Old and New
Major human migrations are a fact of history. Perhaps none has stirred the imagination more than the sudden, seemingly mysterious “disappearance” of the people of the Four Corners area. Centuries ago, an estimated 25,000 people farmed, hunted and raised turkeys around Col...
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2017
06
Aug
The Archaeological Backhoe Master and the Early Agricultural Period Footprints - 8/6/2017
The Archaeological Backhoe Master and the Early Agricultural Period Footprints
Not long after Dan Arnit made the biggest archaeological find of his career, he had to go build a parking lot. The news of his discovery—3,000-year-old footprints made by a family walking through ancient fields—had ...
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2017
02
Aug
Archaeology and Oral History Project Receives Prestigious NEH Grant
Four American Indian Tribes will collaborate with scholars on three-year study
Tucson, Ariz. (August 2, 2017)—Archaeology Southwest is pleased to announce that a team of affiliated researchers has earned a prestigious Collaborative Research Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH...
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2017
30
Jul
Visual Culture
Andrew Tegarden, Preservation Archaeology Intern
(July 30, 2017)—I’ve managed to ride my bike in on the days that I come to the Archaeology Southwest offices for the internship that I’m working. It’s a somewhat long—and yes hot—ride to the office. They’re located downtown at the nor...
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2017
09
Jun
The Meaning of Monument
Aaron Wright, Preservation Archaeologist
(June 11, 2017)—Monuments come in different shapes and sizes. For many, monuments bring to mind plaques or statues that commemorate some historical figure or event. It is important to recognize that places may also be monuments—from a dot on a map, as w...
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2017
30
May
New Site Protection Acquisition: The Fleming Parcel
Aaron Wright, Preservation Archaeologist
(May 30, 2017)—Another site protection success! On May 22, 2017, we closed on the Fleming parcel, 120 acres in the lower Gila River valley. We purchased 40 acres, and Gail Fleming, Trustee for the Lawrence J. and Gail Fleming Trust, donated an addition...
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2017
03
Mar
Protecting Native Rock Art: Be a Good Guest!
Kirk Astroth, Archaeology Southwest Member and Volunteer
(March 3, 2017)—For the past 7 weeks, a team of us (Jaye Smith, Carl Evertsbusch, Fran Maiuri, Lance Trask, and I) have been working under the guidance of Aaron Wright to document the 594 boulders at the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site. I have...
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2017
28
Feb
600 Boulders?
Doug Gann, Preservation Archaeologist and Digital Media Specialist
(February 28, 2017)—"Don't bite off more than you can chew," the old saying goes. In this case, to paraphrase another idiom, my eyes were definitely bigger than my computer's hard drive.
Painted Rocks Site by Doug Gann ...
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2017
17
Feb
Shade, Cultures, and Foxes
Carl Evertsbusch, Archaeology Southwest member and volunteer
(February 17, 2017)—Gripping a pole lashed to one end of an 8x10 piece of dark plastic, I drift off into scenes of kneeling in dirt making earthshaking archaeological discoveries. With no warning a breeze hits our homemade contraption...
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