Saving Past and Future Irreplaceable Collections and Facilitating Future Archaeological Research in Central Mexico

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

In 1986/7 the National Science Foundation awarded funds to Drs. George Cowgill and Susan Evans to construct an archaeological research center in Teotihuacan, Mexico. The northern basin of Mexico contains many large archaeological sites - of which Teotihuacan is the most famous - which document the rise of complex Mesoamerican cultures and these have been the focus of decades of NSF supported research. Because the Mexican government lacks adequate resources to store excavated materials and to provide work space for scientists, an NSF grant allowed the construction of a center which includes storage, work and living space. In over a decade of existence the center has provided base for many NSF supported projects. As a result, storage space is now filled to capacity with well over a million objects. The main storage/work unit was solidly built in the expectation that a second story would eventually be added and this award provides funds for this and other related improvements. The enlarged center will provide the infrastructure for archaeological and related research in this strategic region for many decades to come and will provide for the curation of materials that would otherwise be lost. Arizona State University has donated matching funds and Dr. Cowgill will continue to oversee center administration.