All Events
- This event has passed.
Chihuahua Adventure: Paquimé, Cueva de la Olla, & more!
April 5 - April 8
Join AAHS and Dr. Paul Minnis, an archaeologist and ethnobotanist with extensive field experience in the Paquimé region for a 4-day tour of sites in Chihuahua, Mexico. Paquimé, previously known as Casas Grandes, was one of the largest and most influential communities in the ancient U.S. Southwest and northwestern Mexico and is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Excavations by the Amerind Foundation and Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) reveal a thriving community with many multi-storied room blocks, ballcourts, ritual mounds, and an enormous amount of exotic goods, like macaw parrots, copper, and marine shell. We will visit Paquimé and its world-class museum.
Paquimé was more than a large community; it was the center of an extensive network of hundreds of outlying towns and hamlets. We will visit several sites, including Cueva de la Olla (Cave Valley), a famous ruin in the mountains just west of the Casas Grandes region. If we have sufficient time, we will also visit other sites that are not open to the public. We will visit Mata Ortiz, a town of 400 potters who started their tradition by imitating ancient pottery. Their artistic talents have now extended far beyond imitation.
The trip is 4 days, Friday April 5th– Monday April 8th. Two days are primarily travel days. We will meet as a group and enter Mexico through the port at Columbus, NM. More travel information including maps, hotel suggestions, and suggested readings for those who are interested will be sent to those who sign up.
NOTE: The tour is limited to 7 vehicles, we can connect people for carpooling, you MUST have your passport to return to the U.S. Drivers and the vehicles will also need a valid U.S. driver’s license and vehicle registration documents. It is foolish to drive in Mexico without buying Mexican auto insurance before beginning the trip. Be prepared. Local water is not potable but bottled water is readily available. Bring some water with you.
This field trip is open to AAHS Members only and is limited to 7 vehicles so register now! To register or inquire about more information, email AAHS.