Anytime is a terrific time to join the GCAS! Membership runs from January through December of the current year. Our individual membership is $20 and our family membership is $30. Click through to this page to join online via our PayPal link; or if you're Old Skool you can download, print, fill out our Membership form, and send it with a check by mail to: Grant County Archaeological Society, PO Box 1713, Silver City, NM 88062. Thank you for joining us!
Fill your calendar by scrolling down through all these upcoming events. Plan ahead but be mindful that any of the following events may be postponed or cancelled on very short notice for any number of weather-related or other reasons.
Watch this Events Page for details on our GCAS general meetings, held in-person or alternatively online via Zoom.
Please join our supporters in the GCAS's ongoing priority project, the Mimbres Archaeological Research and Education Center (MAREC) located in the historic Wood House at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site. The GCAS is working in our library and lab/workroom in the Wood House's ground floor. We welcome donations and volunteers so that we may continue expanding and improving our resource materials and educational programs. Learn about the beginnings of our GCAS project here, make your donations either online or by standard mail here; and if you'd like to volunteer email us for ideas of the projects and events where we need you the most. [Photo: Mattocks Site/Mimbres Culture Heritage Site. Wood House, center. © Mitchell Clinton, Mitchell Clinton Photography. All Rights Reserved.]
Now and continuing on weekends through the winter months: the Jornada Research Institute returns to the Creekside Village site near Tularosa NM to continue excavations in the great kiva and pithouse areas. This is a great opportunity to join an excavation crew to better understand this incredibly informative Mesilla phase site. Meet at the wye in Tularosa (junction of US 54 & US 70) at 8:45 AM and then carpool to the site. If you are not trained in archaeological methods, JRI will provide instructions and pair you with an experienced partner. Dress for cooler temperatures, bring a hat, gloves, water and a lunch. Otherwise JRI will provide appropriate digging equipment. Contact Dave Greenwald to check excavation status and for details on how you (yes, you!) can participate in an official archaeological excavation.
Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 6:00PM (New Mexico time) online via Zoom: The GCAS kicks off 2025 with our first general meeting of the year. A brief business meeting will be immediately followed by our Featured Speaker, Rhianna Cooke, senior anthropology undergraduate at Indiana University/Bloomington. Rhianna will discuss Clay in the Kiva: Possible Uses for Natural Clay Beneath Twin Pines Village. Twin Pines Village is a site located in the upper Mimbres Valley area in the Gila National Forest. It has been the subject of years of study under the direction of Dr. Fumi Arakawa, and Rhianna performed fieldwork there during the summer of 2024. She will describe that during their 2024 excavation, Dr. Arakawa’s crew discovered a large natural deposit of clay beneath the site. Later, it became clear that the clay had been manipulated/used in some fashion in the great kiva at the site, although Dr. Arakawa, Rhianna, and other researchers are still questioning the exact purpose that this "clay pit" may have served.
Join us on Zoom starting at about 5:45 to get situated and socialize before the official meeting begins at 6:00 PM sharp. A Q&A session will follow Rhianna’s talk. Members, check your email inbox for your Zoom invitation about one week before the presentation (roughly 1/8/2025) Nonmembers, email the GCAS for the Zoom link about a week prior (1/8/2025).
Thursday, January 16, 2025: FREE online via Zoom, 7:00-8:30PM (ARIZONA/Mountain Standard Time): Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's “Third Thursday Food for Thought” program presents If the Shoe Fits: Subarctic-style Moccasins and the Apachean Journey from the Northern Dene Homeland to the Precontact Southwest by HDR Archaeologist Kevin P. Gilmore, PhD. 
BSM Type 2(Bb) moccasin from Montezuma Castle, Arizona,
photo adapted from “If the Shoe Fits” article
by Kevin P. Gilmore, Edward A. Jolie, and John W. Ives
(2024, Journal of Arizona Archaeology 10(2):145-162)
The timing and routes taken by the ancestors of the modern Ndee (Apache) and Diné (Navajo) on their journey south from northern Canada to their current territory in the south has been a matter of speculation since the linguistic relationship between the northern Dene (Athapaskan speakers) and Southwest Apachean speakers was identified more than 100 years ago. Within the last decade, a three-piece Subarctic style BSM type 2(Bb) moccasin associated with proto-Apache Promontory phase migrants has been identified in museum collections from an increasing number of archaeological sites throughout the eastern Great Basin, Southwest, and Western Plains margin. Several recent publications documenting the direct dating, archaeological context, and materials analysis of these artifacts have provided more nuanced understanding of the story of the Dene arrival in the traditional territory of the Ndee and Diné. In this presentation, Kevin Gilmore will discuss factors that may have influenced the initial move to the south by Apachean ancestors, as well as when and how a relatively small group of people with a Subarctic adaptation became differentiated into the Ndee and Diné. Dr. Gilmore, the Archaeology Program Manager at HDR in Englewood, Colorado, has published on the archaeology of eastern Colorado, proto-Apache migration, precontact population, geoarchaeology, gender in precontact Plains society, landscape archaeology, and the paleoenvironmental records found in “pocket fens” in eastern Colorado.Register here for the Zoom webinar and/or contact Old Pueblo by email or telephone 520-798-1201for more info including how to order a color flyer of the talk.
Thursday-Saturday, January 16-18, 2025, in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico: join the 19th Biennial Southwest Symposium coordinated by Michael Searcy and José Luis Punzo Díaz at the Hotel Hacienda, Av. Benito Juárez 2603, Centro, 31700 Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico beginning 7:00PM on Thursday through 11:00AM Sunday GMT. $50-75.
A photo of Paquimé, located near the Southwest Symposium Conference location,
with tours planned for Sunday (photo from Wikimedia Commons).
The Biennial Southwest Symposium is excited to invite all interested scholars, students, and aficionados of Southwest archaeology to the 19th Southwest Symposium. Highlights include a Thursday night mixer, two paper sessions and a poster session on Friday, and a third paper session, plenary talk by Dr. Paul E. Minnis, and a Mexican fiesta on Saturday. Sunday will include guided tours of Paquimé and, depending on interest, other local sites potentially including Cerro Juanaqueña, Cueva de la Olla, and Mata Ortiz. For full program information visit https://southwestsymposium.
February 20, 2025, 7:00PM-8:30PM ARIZONA/Mountain Standard Time - FREE online via Zoom: Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's “Third Thursday Food for Thought” program welcomes archaeologist Paul Minnis, PhD, who will present The Closest Neighbors of Paquimé
Paul Minnis perspective on Paquimé from Cueva de la Olla, Chihuahua, Mexico
(Photos courtesy of Dr. Minnis,
Paquimé aerial photo by Adriel Heisey)
Paquimé, also known as Casas Grandes, was one of the major pre-Hispanic centers in the US Southwest and northwestern Mexico. Despite the historical neglect of this site and its surrounding region by archaeologists, researchers from several countries have begun to better illuminate its rise, influence over surrounding areas, and final demise. This talk especially highlights two decades of research that Paul Minnis and colleague Michael Whalen have conducted around this important ancient community. Dr. Minnis is a professor emeritus of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma. For more information contact Old Pueblo at [email protected] or 520-798-1201.
Wednesday thru Sunday, April 23-27, 2025, Denver, CO: it's the SAA's 90th annual meeting with forums and presentations galore, including topics like Avocational Archaeology in the Twenty-First Century: Volunteers as Lifelong Learners and Researchers scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Plaza, FORUM- Governor's Sq. 12; and Continued Work on the Ray Robinson Collection: The Perishable Assemblages from Bonita Creek Cave Cache and Hackberry Ranch Sites in Southeastern Arizona (Session: Modern Methods in the American Southwest) scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Tower, Tower Court B. All registration details, schedules, and updates are here.
Monday, July 7 through Wednesday, July 9, 2025: The Jornada Research Institute is busy organizing the 2025 Tularosa Basin Conference at the Ruidoso Convention Center in Ruidoso, New Mexico. The theme for 2025 is Archaeoastronomy and Celestial Geometry: Understanding Ancient Astronomy, with archaeological tours planned on Thursday, July 10, 2025, following the conference.
The dates of the Tularosa Basin Conference fall on each side of the lunar maximum event that can be witnessed from inside the great kiva at Creekside Village in Tularosa Canyon. This celestial event only occurs once every 18.6 years, and we will gather for it late afternoon and hike in to Creekside Village. The event will conclude prior to sundown allowing observers to easily hike back out while it is still light.
The JRI seeks presenters from the various areas described above and is actively contacting individuals with specific knowledge of such sites and their recent investigations. The conference is open to the public with various activities planned. They expect a large turnout and will have ample space for vendors in the Ruidoso Convention Center. The JRI is also seeking sponsors and supporting organizations so if you or your organization can help, please contact Judith White [email protected] or Dave Greenwald.
August 27 through September 7, 2025: the Jornada Research Institute continues their Overseas Journeys program of small-group guided tours, introducing participants to archaeological sites around the world. Spend 11 days visiting the Emerald Island's Historic Portrait: Experiencing the Wonders of Ireland. Check here for destination details and pricing.
The JRI is also developing an 11-day tour to Egypt's Archaeological Wonders, Museums, and Old Cairo's Historic Area. for late 2026. OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO GCAS MEMBERS, JRI's President, Dave Greenwald, reports that JRI has developed a policy that allows them to donate to other nonprofit organizations whose member participates in one or more of their Overseas Journeys Programs. So, for example, JRI will donate $125.00 to the Grant County Archaeological Society for each tour participant who specifies that the GCAS should receive JRI's donation. Join a JRI tour, and you can support two nonprofits at once! None of JRI's Overseas Journeys is ever repeated, and tend to fill up quickly so if you are considering either the 2025 Ireland trip or the 2026 tour to Egypt, contact JRI's Dave Greenwald ASAP for all info.
There are even more online and in-person events happening all over the place. Make it a regular habit to check out what the following organizations offer the avocational archaeologist:
American Rock Art Research Association (ARARA)
The Archaeological Conservancy posts recorded lectures on YouTube and on their website's event page after the event occurs. Visit them for this and lots more information, and follow them on their Facebook page.
Archaeological Society of New Mexico
Archaeology Southwest: Things To Do, and More Things To Do
The Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society produced a virtual field trip of the Mattocks Site and Mimbres Culture Heritage Site on February 5, 2022, which is now available via the AAHS's YouTube channel. Click here and enjoy as Marilyn Markel and Professor Emerita Pat Gilman, the supervising archaeologist for the 1970s Mattocks Site excavation, lead you through the site while discussing the future opportunities it offers for local educational programs and archaeological research.
Borderlandia offers specialized tours of the Arizona-Mexico borderland including Tubac & Tumacácori; and greater Mexico including locations such as Paquimé & Mexico City
As a member of the Council of Allied Societies, the GCAS and our members receive access to the CoAS monthly newsletter. The most recent CoAS newsletters are available by scrolling down to the bottom-most right-hand sidebar entitled "Council of Allied Societies Newsletter Archives" on this page. For further CoAS doings, visit their Facebook page and check out their directory of links to member organizations' newsletters and publications. GCAS members may also attend one free and one discounted online seminar; contact [email protected] to verify your GCAS membership and for all other details.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center: Programs, Research, and Education
The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument hosts a free series of presentations at their Visitors Center where folks can meet a number of speakers giving short presentations on a variety of archaeological and cultural topics. Follow them on Facebook too!
The Jornada Research Institute - JRI's past newsletters are informative on a wide variety of intriguing archaeological research in our local area and beyond. Look for their latest quarterly newsletters here. Join a JRI international archaeological tour, identify your favorite 501(c)(3) charity in your registration, and JRI will make a cash donation to that charity. Coincidentally, the GCAS is a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project: Events, Mesa Talks Lecture Series, Chats with the Archaeologist, and Tours
Considering a visit to the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site? Check for events; to confirm tours and museum access telephone the MCHS directly at 575.536.3092 or 307.640.3012.
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center: at times throughout the coming year, Old Pueblo is offering multi-session online classes on a variety of topics including - but not necessarily limited to! - Archaeology of the Southwest, The Fiber of our Being: The Origins and Antiquity of Perishable Material Culture, and Recent Discoveries Regarding Point of Pines Pueblo. Click on these links for more information from Old Pueblo on these and other programs and events. Because the GCAS maintains an organizational membership with Old Pueblo, Old Pueblo offers discounts to individual GCAS members on many of their programs and events, so when signing up for an event, make a point of telling them you're a GCAS member. Old Pueblo has also posted recordings of many of their Third Thursday Food for Thought and Indigenous Interests webinar presentations on their Youtube channel. GCAS says check them out: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDgPTetfOL9FHuAW49TrSig/videos.
The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) and their affiliate, the Council of Allied Societies (CoAS) work to build meaningful relationships between professional and avocational archaeologists. They act as clearinghouses for events, programs, and volunteer opportunities to suit all tastes and abilities. Go here to access SAA's digital versions of a variety of their regular publications. Enjoy!
Ron Barber, creator of the Stone Calendar Project, has been studying rock art sites throughout the Southwest and Northern Mexico identifying glyphs that mark specific times of the year using unique light and shadow interactions. He has some survey predictions for glyphs along the Gila Narrows and other southern sites and is looking for volunteers to help in further research. Anyone who is interested in spending time in the field recording/filming calendar sun light interactions in the region, please contact Ron directly at [email protected] . Click here for more of Ron's background.
The Texas Archaeological Society is based in San Marcos, Texas, and offers a wide variety of events and research/educational opportunities for the avocational and professional communities. Visit their website to learn how they provide support for research grants, scholarships, and more.
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