We are once again accepting book donations for our Used Book Sales
The Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR), located in southwestern Arizona, is the nation’s second largest tactical aviation range and has functioned as one of the premier aviation training facilities for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the air arm of other military branches for more than 75 years. In 1854, the United States acquired the […]
Join us for an in-depth visit at the Tucson MIssion Gardens, where we journey back in time to see what this area along the Santa Cruz looked like over the past 4,000 years, using information from archaeological excavations. We will learn how produce was used differently in the past, particularly the need to preserve much […]
The storms dump monsoon rains on the Sierra Madres, water percolates down into the aquifer, draining along the rivers of Northwestern Mexico. One of the rivers, Río Sonora, has been used to irrigate cropland for millennia. Precise historical details remain unclear, but around the time of the Entrada (circa 1530’s), Cabeza de Vaca reported an […]
Don Antonio de Mendoza and his forebears had been backing the Columbian Project for generations. It is little wonder, then—even if it is a surprise to the twenty-first century—that Mendoza’s goal for the Coronado expedition was to finally reach Asia by traveling westward from Spain. This talk discusses why most Europeans of the day were sure that […]
Depictions of archaeology in popular culture are full of dubious tales of ancient extraterrestrials, lost civilizations, giants, and widespread scientific conspiracy. In this talk, I will explore such fantastic claims focusing in particular on a few popular claims here in our own backyard in Arizona. My goal is not to simply “debunk” these claims (though I will do that too) but to further […]
The AAHS field trip season has ended for this year but our 2019-20 field trip committee (Pamela Pelletier, Katherine Cerino, Chris Sugnet, Paul Minnis and Ric Storrock) is busy planning next year’s adventures. A fall highlight is a planned 4 day trip to Chihuahua led by Casas Grandes scholar Paul Minnis which will include visits […]
The Patayan cultural tradition is one of the least understood archaeological constructs in the Greater Southwest. While recognized nearly 90 years ago as a distinct assemblage of material culture traits centered on the lower Colorado River, research has always been hampered by poor chronological control. Few Patayan archaeological sites have been excavated, and of those […]
The first Pecos Conference was inspired and organized by A.V. Kidder in 1927 at Pecos Pueblo. Many leaders in the field of archaeology were in attendance. At this first meeting, collaborations led to the first widely-accepted cultural classification system for the Southwest. This classification system and the conference have continued until today. Open to all, […]
The Powder River Basin west of Kaycee, Wyoming is rich with history. The lush basin east of the Big Horn Mountains, known now as Hole in the Rock, was home to Indigenous people for centuries who left images on the red sandstone canyon walls and in alcoves. The Basin was also the site of the […]
Twice a year AAHS holds a book sale to support the Arizona State Museum Library. The sale this fall will be held on Friday, October 18th from 11 am until 5 pm and Saturday, October 19th from 10 am to 4 pm. The sale of donated books will be held in the ASM Lobby. While […]
