Grant County Archaeological Society

Next Meeting

Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 6:00 PM*: the GCAS will meet at the Roundup Lodge at 91 Acklin Hill Road in the Mimbres Valley for a potluck meal and socializing, followed by a short business meeting. Thereafter, archaeologist Dave Greenwald will discuss the complexity of settlement and land-use patterns in Tularosa Canyon between Mescalero and Tularosa during the Mesilla Phase (A.D. 250-1030), examine the presence of irrigation systems and their spatial associations with adjacent settlements, and discuss the function of the great kivas.

David Greenwald has been an archaeologist for over 50 years, beginning his career at the Museum at Texas Tech University. Joining the Archaeology Department at Arizona State University in 1976, he worked on various Hohokam sites in the Phoenix Basin. From that time to the present, he has spent most of his career conducting cultural resource management projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and west Texas. For several years in the ‘80s, he worked on Anasazi, Mogollon and Hohokam excavation projects while at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff and continued his graduate work at Northern Arizona University. In 2001 he and his wife, Dawn, started DMG Four Corners Research, a consulting firm headquartered in Tularosa. Over the next 18 years, Dave conducted investigations of Jornada Mogollon sites on Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range, and on various highway projects.  Living along the Rio Tularosa, Dave began to recognize the varied archaeological resources in Tularosa Canyon. His interest in the area has led to the founding of the Jornada Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to continued research of our cultural and natural resources while engaging the public. Dave serves as the President of Jornada Research Institute and Director of the Rio Tularosa Research Program and excavations at the Cornelius Locus in Ruidoso.

Directions to Roundup Lodge from N Hudson St & US-180 in Silver City: Drive east 7.5 miles on US-180, turn left onto NM-152 and go 14.3 miles, turn left onto NM-35 and go 0.5 mile, make a sharp left onto Acklin Hill Rd and go 0.1 mile to find the Lodge on the right. Bring your best potluck dish and enjoy the evening!

*The GCAS Board of Directors will meet at the Roundup starting at 5:00 PM to discuss current issues. All GCAS members are welcome to come early to observe the BOD in action and ask questions (although only the BOD members will be voting). We hope to see you there!

Next Field Trip

Sunday, August 9, 2026: the August GCAS field trip will be to the TJ Ruin near the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Meet at 8:30 at Mimbres Cultural Heritage Site (12 Sage Dr, Mimbres) to carpool and/or meet at 10:00 at the Gila Cliff Dwellings Visitor Center parking lot. (44 miles north of Silver City toward the end of Hwy. 15). Dana Dick, lead park ranger, will be our guide to this un-excavated 220 room ancestral Mimbres pueblo site dated from 900-1150 that sits atop a 100 ft bluff overlooking the middle fork of the Gila river. This site is not open to the public and is only available for guided tours.  It will be hot and there is little shade at the site! Wear a hat, use sunscreen and bring plenty of water. Bring a lunch if you want to stay afterwards and picnic with GCAS members.  See you there!