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.
Mimbres Archaeological Research and Education Center (MAREC)
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, 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.]
Jornada Research Institute
Now and continuing on most weekends and weather permitting: the Jornada Research Institute has winterized the Cornelius Locus site in Ruidoso NM and work at Creekside Village near Tularosa NM continues, including in what directing archaeologist Dave Greenwald describes as “…the biggest pithouse I have ever excavated….We also completed excavations of the second bell-shaped storage pit in the northern portion of the pithouse. Excavations continue in another pithouse that is positioned about 75 feet to the NNE, overlooking the terrace fields below….We will continue to work each weekend as the weather allows….“ This is an excellent opportunity for GCAS members to join an excavation crew to better understand archaeological excavation and preservation methods. For details on this excavation and many other archaeological events and excursions offered by JRI, contact Dave Greenwald directly at dgreenwald@tularosa.net or visit JRI’s website at https://jornadaresearchinstitute.org/. Greenwald also advises folks to follow the Jornada Research Institute on Facebook and Instagram for other, additional announcements and tour information.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, through Friday, May 1, 2026: join Dave Greenwald and the Jornada Research Institute’s Spring tour, Jewels of the American Southwest: Exploring Centuries of Native American Culture in the Four Corners Region of the American Southwest. This Southwest tour focuses on the Four Corners Region, Middle and Upper Rio Grande, and Jornada and Mimbres Regions of the Southwest. Highlights may include visits to areas such as Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Hovenweep, Canyon de Chelly, and Bears Ears. Tours will be arranged around the best times of the year to access these areas. Points of departure will be El Paso, Albuquerque, or other locations, such as Cortez. Flyers and itineraries will soon be made available and distributed via email or upon request; or for details as they develop contact Dave Greenwald directly at dgreenwald@tularosa.net, or visit JRI’s website at https://jornadaresearchinstitute.org/.
Wednesdays, May 13-August 5, 2026, 6:30-8:30 PM online: Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and archaeologist Allen Dart RPA present the 14-session adult education class, The Mogollon Culture of the US Southwest. $109 donation per person ($90 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, Arizona Archaeological Society, and Arizona Site Stewards members) supports Old Pueblo’s education programs about archaeology and traditional cultures. Donation does not include cost of optional AAS membership or AAS Certification Program enrollment. Registered Professional Archaeologist Allen Dart teaches this class in 14 two-hour sessions on Wednesday evenings May 13-August 5, 2025 to explore the archaeology of the ancient Mogollon culture of the American Southwest. The class covers the history of Mogollon archaeology, Mogollon origins, the complex subregional Mogollon “branches,” chronology of habitation, subsistence and settlement patterns through time, artifacts, rock art, religious and social organization, depopulation and movement, and descendant peoples. Minimum enrollment 10 people. The class meets the requirements of the Arizona Archaeological Society’s Training, Certification and Education program’s “Advanced Southwest Archaeology – Mogollon” course. To qualify for the AAS Certification the student must submit a brief written or video research report. The AAS basic “Archaeology of the Southwest” class is recommended as a prerequisite but this is negotiable with the instructor. For information on the AAS Certification Program, go to Certification Program under Activities on the AAS website, http://www.azarchsoc.org. Reservations and prepayment are due 10 days after reservation request or by 5 pm Monday May 11, whichever is earlier. To register or for more information contact Old Pueblo at info@oldpueblo.org or 520-798-1201.
Thursday, May 14, 2026, 7 to 8:30 pm ARIZONA/Mountain Standard Time (same as Pacific Daylight Time) online, free: Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s “Third Thursday Food for Thought” features Exposing Frauds, Busting Myths, and Solving Mysteries in American Southwest Archaeology by archaeologist Kenneth L. Feder, PhD. Did you know that archaeological evidence of an ancient community of Jewish settlers was discovered in Arizona in 1924? Have you heard the claim that ancient Celts visited Colorado and left a written message proving their presence? How about evidence of a vast cave system in Arizona that housed a community of as many as 50,000 Egyptians dating to the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses? Certainly you’ve heard the story of the fossilized remains of a Martian found in Colorado in 1864? In this encore Third Thursday presentation for Old Pueblo, archaeologist Ken Feder will address all of these claims. Spoiler alert: Ken admits that he sometimes feels like the skeptic who tells people “There ain’t no Santa Claus,” but that real archaeology is so much more interesting and meaningful then the frauds and myths. For more information contact Old Pueblo at info@oldpueblo.org or 520-798-1201.
Next GCAS Field Trip (May):
Sign up NOW for a special weekend GCAS field trip Thursday, May 14 and/or Friday, May 15, 2026, in Velarde NM (near Santa Fe and Española): our field trip co-coordinator, Eduardo Argüello, has reserved May 15 for a guided field trip at the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project. A 2-hour tour costs $55 per person and is well worth the money to see a hefty sampling of some of the MPPP’s 100,000 recorded petroglyphs. Lodging is available on your own in Santa Fe and Española; camping is also available in the area. Eduardo is investigating the locations of additional nearby petroglyph sites for a possible extra excursion on Saturday, April 16 for us to enjoy one another’s company a bit longer before returning to Silver City. Learn about the MPPP by visiting https://www.mesaprietapetroglyphs.org/ Eduardo needs a head count ASAP so please contact the GCAS at gcasnm.org@gmail.com to get on the field trip list!
Next GCAS Meeting (May):
Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 6:00PM at the Roundup Lodge. Doors open at 6 for a potluck meal and some socializing, followed by the usual brief business meeting. Next will be our Featured Speakers, Marilyn Markel and Mitch Clinton, who will present A Drone Survey of the Rock House Petroglyph Site. For those unfamiliar, the Roundup Lodge is located at 91 Acklin Hill Road in the Mimbres Valley about 40 minutes from downtown Silver City: take Hwy-180 eastbound from Silver City and turn onto Hwy-152 eastbound for about 30 miles. Entering the Mimbres Valley turn left onto Hwy-35. Pass the HMS facility on your right, cross the small bridge and then turn immediately left (if you take the wrong turn to the right you’ll pass San Lorenzo Elementary School and will have to turn around). Within about 100 yards you will find the Roundup on your right with its large parking area. Bring your best potluck dish and enjoy the evening!
Next GCAS Field Trip (June):
Sunday, June 7, 2026: the June GCAS field trip is a very special one: Dr. Fumi Arakawa (Indiana University at Bloomington), Dr. Danni Romero (Director, WNMU Museum) and the 2026 field school crew will lead the GCAS to Agape Acres, located on private land in the southern Mimbres Valley. Meet at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site at 10:00 AM sharp to caravan with Drs. Arakawa and Romero to the archaeological site. Carpooling encouraged, and please bring the usual sun protection, water, and (if desired) a brown-bag lunch. (For those unfamiliar with the Heritage Site, it’s about a 45-minute drive from downtown Silver City. Take Hwy-180 eastbound and in Santa Clara turn left onto Hwy-152 eastbound for about 30 miles into the Mimbres Valley. Turn left off of Hwy-152 onto Hwy-35 and follow 35 northbound as it winds around the San Lorenzo Elementary School. Continue on 35 for about 3-1/2 miles. When the speed limit drops to 50 mph and just past the OLUV restaurant on your right, turn right at the brown sign designating the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site and follow the short driveway to the T-intersection and a large parking area in front of the Heritage Site’s historic buildings.)
Next GCAS Meeting (June):
Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 6:00 PM: the GCAS meets 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 we will welcome the Gila National Forest’s District archaeologist, Chris Adams, who will share his, Charles Haecker’s, and Fumi Arakawa’s research of the Seco Creek High-Altitude Shrine Site in Southwest New Mexico. Like all GCAS meetings, this presentation is open to the public. The 2026 field school participants are also invited, so bring your best potluck dish to share with the starving graduate students who are working in our area this summer!
Thursday, October 8 through Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Las Cruces NM: the 23d biennial Mogollon Archaeology Conference happens at NMSU’s Corbett Center Auditorium and University Museum. Pre-register from now through September 26, 2026, for $60/person ($35/student) to be assured of obtaining a ticket (an extra $35/person and $25/student) for the Friday evening banquet as space is limited. Post-September 26 rates are $70/person and $35/student. Registration forms and many other details are on the Conference’s very handy website at https://lonjul.net/MogollonAC2026/
The Mogollon Conference issued a Call for Papers on March 30, 2026, with an abstract to be submitted before August 15, 2026, to the Conference Chair Dr. William Walker (wiwalker@nmsu.edu) and the Editor Dr. Lonnie Ludeman (lcludeman@yahoo.com). The Conference welcomes all papers, presentations, and special sessions that relate to the archaeology of the Mogollon region in the broadest sense including Mimbres and Jornada Mogollon, Northern Chihuahua, Mogollon Rim areas, WSMR and Fort Bliss Archaeology, and protohistoric and historic populations in the region. Contact Drs. Walker and Ludeman for all submission details and consult the Conference website at https://lonjul.net/MogollonAC2026/
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 onlineseminars@saa.org 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 such as their upcoming 11-day tour to Egypt’s Archaeological Wonders, Museums, and Old Cairo’s Historic Area from October 24, 2026, to November 4, 2026 (waitlisted); their 2027 11-day tour to Sicily: Crossroads of the Mediterranean; and their 2028 11-day tour to the Culture and Powers of the Iberian Peninsula..
OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO GCAS MEMBERS:
Identify your favorite 501(c)(3) charity in your JRI tour registration, and JRI will make a $125 cash donation to that charity. Coincidentally, the GCAS is a 501(c)(3) public charity. 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 any of JRI’s tours, contact JRI’s Dave Greenwald ASAP for flyers, itineraries, and all other info. Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project: Events, Mesa Talks Lecture Series, Chats with the Archaeologist, and Tours
Mimbres Culture Heritage Site: 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 year Old Pueblo offers multi-session online classes on a variety of topics. 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 Pueblo Archaeological and Historical Society of Pueblo, Colorado, has regular in-person and online presentations as well as their online-accessible newsletter and YouTube channel. Check them out for these options and much more.
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 barbers6@aol.com . 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.