REU Site: Upper Gila Preservation Archaeology Field School, Southwest New Mexico

Archaeology Southwest, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This project is funded from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate. As such, it has both scientific and societal benefits, and it integrates research and education. The Upper Gila Preservation Archaeology Field School, located in rural southwestern New Mexico, provides hands-on training in ethically responsible and scientifically rigorous archaeological methods in the context of a long-term research project. Training is conducted within a Preservation Archaeology ethos, a philosophy integrating big-picture research, use of existing collections, focused fieldwork, site preservation, and local community outreach. Under the close supervision of a team of experienced instructors, this program offers undergraduate students an immersive environment in which to learn the fundamentals of archaeological field and laboratory work, the tenets and practices of Preservation Archaeology, and how to link their work to broader anthropological issues that have contemporary relevance. Specifically, students are trained in excavation and survey techniques, experimental archaeology, artifact processing and analysis, report-writing, and public presentation. Based on the premise that sites are non-renewable resources, the Preservation Archaeology Field School is training the next generation of academic, private sector, and government agency archaeologists. Student recruiting targets underrepresented groups, including Native American, Hispanic, and community/small college undergraduates with limited STEM opportunities, as well as exemplary students from major academic institutions to increase the diversity of views represented in the discipline. Student efforts contribute directly to Archaeology Southwest's long term research program focused on the Salado Phenomenon in the southern U.S. Southwest during the late pre-contact period (A.D. 1200-1450). This research studies the processes of migration and social integration of culturally diverse groups during this time of upheaval and crisis across much of the Southwest. Students think critically about the values of archaeology and history to different communities and explore different ways to communicate the results of scientific research. Students present their work to various audiences through participation in outreach events for the local community, writing research reports, and presentations at professional meetings. Even for students who do not go on to pursue careers in archaeology, it is excellent training to learn valuable skills in collaboration and collegiality, critical thinking, engaging the public, and the importance of cultural resources, in an active research setting.