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Community Activities and Announcements (Ongoing)

  • dencaswebsite
  • Sep 14, 2024
  • 11 min read

Updated: Jun 22

This page is updated bi-weekly. Check back frequently for updates!

Note: We will be taking a break with our updates during the month of July. We return at the start of August. Keep an eye open for a separate announcement on archaeology activities and videos while we're on break.


Upcoming Archaeology Tours, Classes and Lectures:


UTE INDIAN MUSEUM - SHAVANO VALLLEY PETROGLYPHS TOUR (MONTROSE, CO/$):

  • June 24, 2025 through August 8, 2025 (Dates and Times Vary) – Take a tour of this important rock art site with a trained Shavano Valley Petroglyph Docent.  The site was used by both the Archaic and Ute peoples from at least 1000 BCE to 1900 CE. Tours are weather permitting. Tours must be paid at time of reservation.  For more information and the museum's contact number, visit here.


FOUR MILE HOUSE HISTORIC PARK (GLENDALE, CO/IN PERSON):

  • (New Dates) June 27, 2025 and July 25, 2025 (10:00am-4:00pm MT) – The SCFD Free Day requires registration for tickets here. General information and costs for other days can be found here.


CHEROKEE RANCH CASTLE - TOUR (SEDALIA, CO/$):

  • Ongoing - November 15, 2025 (10:00am MT) - Located in nearby Sedalia, visit this historic ranch with its castle, petrified wood forest, and impressive historic collection. Learn about owner Tweet Kimball establishing the Cherokee Ranch and Castle Foundation to protect the ranch's plant life, wildlife and archaeological sites.  A tour of archaeological interest will be held on June 28th (Archaeology Hike). For more information and to make a reservation, visit Cherokee Ranch & Castle Tour 


SHAPPS GRAND TOUR OF SUNRISE, WYOMING (NEAR HARTVILLE, WY/IN PERSON/$):

  • June 28, 2025 (11:00am-3:00pm MT) – Take a three-hour tour of the Powars II Paleoindian Ochre Mine and historic town of Sunrise.  Reservations are not required and only cash or check are accepted.  For more tour and contact information, visit here and scroll down to find details.


DISPLACED AURARIA NEIGHBORHOOD WALKING TOUR (AURARIA CAMPUS - 9TH STREET HISTORIC PARK, DENVER, CO/$):

  • June 30, 2025 (9:00am-11:00am MT) -  Take a walking tour of the former Auraria Neighborhood now part of the Auraria Higher Education Campus.  The Displaced Aurarians Memory Project is a community-based project which has included archaeological investigations carried out by CCD and MSU-Denver faculty and CCD, MSU-Denver and CU-Denver students.  To register for the walking tour, visit here.  To learn more about the archaeological excavations, watch the Digging for Truth documentary here (Click arrow to start video-15 mins).


DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE - EXHIBITION OPENING (DENVER, CO/IN PERSON/$):

  • (New) July 2, 2025 (6:30pm MT) – Premier Opening for two exhibitions at DMNS which features a collection of Diné and Zuni silver squash blossom necklaces and a newly-rejoined Diné biil’é (two-panel dress).  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.


LAMB SPRINGS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRESERVE - 2025 TOURS (LITTLETON, CO/FREE):

  • July 5, 2025 through October 11, 2025 (9:00am MT) – Visit this Paleoindian Mammoth Kill Site and learn about its importance to Colorado archaeology.  Tours are on the first Saturday of the month. For more information and to register for a tour, visit Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve Tour.


ARCHAEOASTRONOMY AND CELESTIAL GEOMETRY: UNDERSTANDING ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS - CONFERENCE (ALAMOGORDO, NM/IN PERSON/$):

  • (New) July 7-10, 2025 (8:00am-5:30pm plus evening events and field trips) -  This international conference features speakers from the EU, UK, North America and Mexico.  Speakers will discuss ancient astronomical observations from various sites in Europe, North America and Mexico.  Student and Retiree rates are available.  For more information and to register, visit here.  Please note, the registration form must be mailed in, but payment can be made online through their donation link as noted on the registration form.  Hotel information is also provided on the registration form.


HISTORY COLORADO - EDUCATIONAL CLASS (DENVER/ONLINE/$):

  • Ongoing through November 2025 - The Museum Basics classes are suitable for those working or volunteering in cultural institutions such as museums, archives and libraries as well or those hoping to get into this field.  For more information and to register for a class, visit History Colorado Museum Basics Classes . Classes include:

    • March 12th: Strategic and Effective Approaches for Deaccessioning

    • May 14th: Hazardous Materials in Museum Collections

    • July 9th: Working with Communities as Partners

    • September 10th: Objects as Teaching Tools

    • November 12th: Fundamentals in Collections Rehousing


OLD PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER - TOUR (TUCSON, AZ/IN PERSON/DONATION REQUESTED):

  • (New) July 12, 2025 (7:45am-12:30pm AZ Time) – Tour of the University of Arizona (UA) environmental-science laboratories, Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.  The Desert Laboratory was founded in 1902 and established by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC.  The Tree-Ring Lab was founded in 1937 by UA Professor of Astronomy Andre Ellicott Douglass and has conducted research in archaeology, astronomy, and environmental science.  For more information and to register, visit here.  At time of publishing there are only four spaces left.


SOUTH PARK SITE STEWARDS - ARCHAEOLOGY DAY EVENT (FAIRPLAY, CO/IN PERSON/FREE)

  • (New) July 12, 2025 (10:00am-3:00pm MT) -  Come to the Courthouse on Main Street, Fairplay to learn about atlatl throwing, flintknapping, archaeological survey and other family-friendly activities.  For more information, visit here.


DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE - EXHIBIT (DENVER, CO/$):

  • Ongoing until August 24, 2025 (9:00am-5:00pm MT) – Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia.  Available with a general admission, this new exhibit has over 100 intricate carvings, sacred sculptures and ancient relics, many never before seen outside of Cambodia. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit DMNS - Angkor Exhibit.


CHIMNEY ROCK NATIONAL MONUMENT - TOURS (PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO/$):


MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK - TOURS (SW CO/$):

  • Ongoing through October 19, 2025 (various times) – A number of tours are available in the Mesa Verde National Park.  For more information and to reserve a tour spot, visit Mesa Verde National Park Tours.


LINDENMEIER ARCHAELOGICAL SITE - TOUR (SOAPSTONE PRAIRIE NATURAL AREA, WELLINGTON, CO):

  • Ongoing through November 30, 2025 (Dawn until Dusk) – The Folsom (Paleo-Indian) occupation site is on the National Register of Historic Places and was excavated by the Smithsonian Institute in the 1930s. There are interpretive presentations by specially-trained naturalist and visitors can view bison of the Laramie Foothills Conservation Herd.  For further information, visit Lindenmeier Site in Soapstone Prairie Natural Area .


AMACHE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE - SELF-GUIDED TOUR (NEAR GRANADA, CO):

  • Ongoing: Amache was one of ten internment camps established by the U.S. government

    during WWII to detain Japanese and American citizens of Japanese descent. There is a museum to visit,  a self-guided map/audio tour of the historic site and a virtual visit link.  For more information, visit Amache Visitors Information . To learn more about Amache, watch this PBS Documentary Video.


CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS - TOUR (SW CO/$):

  • Year-Round Tours:  A choice of guided tours led by the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance are available.  For more information, visit Canyon of the Ancients Tours .


SAND CREEK NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE - SELF-GUIDED TOUR (NEAR EADS, CO):

  • Ongoing Sunday, Monday, Thursday through Saturday (9:00am-4:00pm MT): The Contact Station at the Sand Creek National Historic Site outside of Eads, Co (near Chivington) is open (closed federal holidays). Note: Visitor Center in the town of Eads is closed until further notice due to cuts in federal government spending.  For more information, visit Sand Creek Visitors Information . Please also visit the Sand Creek Massacre exhibit at History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway, Denver 80203.


SALMON RUINS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE AND MUSEUM - TOURS (NEAR BLOOMFIELD, NM/IN PERSON/VARIED):

  • Ongoing ($) – Private tours are available.  For more information about these private tours, visit here.


Upcoming Archaeology Lectures


HISTORY COLORADO PAAC PROGRAM ENRICHMENT SERIES (ON-DEMAND/FREE):


EGYPTIAN STUDIES SOCIETY (DENVER, CO/HYBRID/FREE):

  • June 23, 2025 (7:00pm MT) – Childhood in Ancient Egypt. Speaker:  Courtney McRae, MA, American University in Cairo.  For more information and to access the Zoom “Enter Lecture” link to join the meeting, visit their website here.


DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE (DENVER, CO/IN PERSON/$):

  • June 24, 2025 (7:00pm MT) – Mapping Cambodia’s Ancient Cities.  Speaker: Dr. Sarah Klassen, Associate Director, Center for Collaborative Synthesis in Archaeology.  This presentation will include an overview of the site of Angkor, highlight recent efforts to map the ancient site using advanced remote sensing technologies, and present key findings from two LiDAR surveys and the analytical possibilities presented by their datasets.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.


COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY - PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY (HYBRID/FREE):

  • (New) June 25, 2025 (7:00pm MT) – Shields and Shield-Bearing Warrior Pictographs and Petroglyphs.  Speaker: Dr. Larry Loendorf.  For more information and to access the Zoom link, visit here.

 

CROW CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER, DISCOVER ARCHAEOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES (ONLINE/FREE):

  • June 26, 2025 (4:00-5:00pm MT) - Lithophones in Colorado: Were these ground stone artifacts utilized to play some of the earliest music in the western U.S.?  Speaker: Marilyn Martorano, a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) and the owner/archaeologist of Martorano Consultants LLC in Longmont, Colorado.  For lecture information and to register, visit here.

  • (New) July 3, 2025 (4:00-5:00pm MT) – The Importance of Information Professionals in Research: From Project Development to the Repository.  Speaker: Jewel Cummins, Ph.D. Candidate in American Indian Studies with a Minor in Information, University of Arizona.  Cummins is also a Graduate Research Associate with the Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance.  For more information and to register for the Zoom link, visit here.

  • (New) July 17, 2025 (4:00-5:00pm MT) – Glen Canyon Rising: An Original Short Film.  Speakers: Lyle Balenquah, archaeologist, ethnographer, educator, and member of the Greasewood Clan from Paaqavi (Reed Springs Place), Northern Arizona and Craig Childs, river guide, natural history field instructor and author.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here. 


HEALY HOUSE MUSEUM & DEXTER CABIN (LEADVILLE, CO/IN PERSON/FREE):

  • June 30, 2025 (4:00pm-5:30pm MT) – Soiled Doves: The Working Women of Colorado’s Boom Days.  Speaker: Hannah Cary, Director of the Healy House Museum in Leadville.  Learn more about the sex work industry during the Colorado gold and silver rushes. This is a PG-13 presentation.  For more information, visit here.


WORLD VIRTUAL TOURS (ONLINE/FREE BUT TIPPING ENCOURAGED):

  • (New) July 1, 2025 (12:00pm MT) – Rome Underground: The Colosseum. Speaker: Alba S., PhD in Archaeology and licensed tour guide in Italy.  Take a virtual tour of the labyrinth of tunnels under the Roman Colosseum.  For more information and to register using “Book Now”, visit here.

  • (New) July 10, 2025 (11:00am MT) – Hadrian’s Wall and Vindolanda. Speaker: Martine D., a Dutch Classicist and Ancient Historian as well as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Johannesburg. The webinar will explore Hadrian’s Wall and nearby Roman fort, Vindolanda to uncover how military might, local adaptation and frontier life in Romanized northern England.  For more information and to register using “Book Now”, visit here.

  • (New) July 11, 2025 (11:00am MT) – The Fall of an Empire: The Conquest of the Tahuantinsuyo.  Speaker: Vanessa Vasquez, professional Peruvian tour guide and cultural ambassador.  This webinar will explore the encounter of two worlds, Andean and European, and the military, political and spiritual forces that led to the rapid collapse of the Andean empire.  For more information and to register using “Book Now”, visit here.

  • (New) July 13, 2025 (1:00pm MT) – Hatshepsut: Queen, Pharaoh, and Power in Ancient Egypt.  Speaker: Jacob G., Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pennsylvania who studies ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.  This webinar will look at the life of Hatshepsut and how she came to power.  For more information and register with “Book Now”, visit here.

  • (New) July 14, 2025 (11:00am MT – The Rosetta Stone: Cracking the Code.  Speaker: Martine D., Ph.D. in Classics and Ancient History as well as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Johannesburg.  This webinar will highlight how one artifact bridged millennia of lost language and culture.  For more information and to register using “Book Now”, visit here.


SAN JUAN BASIN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY (HYBRID/FREE):

  • (New)  July 9, 2025 (6:30pm MT Pre-Lecture Social/7:00pm MT Lecture) – Geographies of the Sacred. Speaker: Dr. Mathew J. Martinez, Executive Director of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project.  For more information and to access the Zoom link, visit here.


SMITHSONIAN ASSOCIATES (ONLINE/$):

  • (New) July 17, 2025 (10:00am-11:30am MT) – Santorini: Pompeii of the Aegean.  Speaker: Renee M. Gondek, Art Historian.  This lecture discuss the Bronze Age site of Akrotiri.  For more information and to register, visit here.

  • (New) July 22, 2025 (4:30pm-5:45pm MT) – The Stories We Tell: The Role of Storytelling in Evolution.  Speaker: Dr. April Nowell, Archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Canada. Dr. Nowell will present archaeological evidence for storytelling and narrative in the Ice Age.  For more information and to register, visit here.


SHUMLA ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER, LUNCH & LUNCH SERIES (ONLINE/FREE):

  • (New) July 17, 2025 (11:00am-12:00pm MT) – Halfway There: What Shumla Has Accomplished in 2025.  Speaker: David Keim, M.A.  This talk will recap the adventures, research and some of the results Shumla has made so far in 2025.  For more information and to register for the Zoom link, visit here.


OLD PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER, THIRD THURSDAY FOOD FOR THOUGHT SERIES (TUCSON, AZ/ONLINE/FREE):

  • (New) July 17, 2025 (8:00pm-9:30pm MT) – The Great Rock Art of Chaco Canyon.  Speaker: Jane Kolber, Rock Art Specialist. Kolber will show and discuss a nearly 30-year research project, still on-going, that has shown that Ancient Chaco rock-art is unadorned and dominated by the spiral and animal motifs, that there also is significant later Navajo (Diné) rock-art in Chaco Canyon, and that Chaco rock-art continues to be damaged.    For further information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.


ARIZONA ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY (ONLINE/FREE):

  •  (New) July 21, 2025 (7:00pm MT) – Recent Research on the Decline of Mesoamerican Teotihuacan: reconfiguring a city from the margins.  Speaker: Dr. Marion Forest, Senior Archaeologist at Chronicle Heritage and codirector of the Hacienda Metepec Project in Teotihuacan.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.


COUNCIL FOR BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY, THIS IS ARCHAEOLOGY SERIES (ONLINE/FREE):

  • (New) July 24, 2025 (12:00pm-1:00pm MT) - Bronze, Beer and Boats: Bringing Prehistoric Archaeology to Life at Stanwick Lakes. Speakers: James Dilley, Nadia Norman and Aidan Phillips. For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.


Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE FINAL REPORT ON THE SWALLOW SITE (5JF321)


We are pleased to announce the Swallow Site Oversight Committee has completed and released the final report on the Swallow Site located on Ken-Caryl Ranch, Jefferson County, Colorado. The report is titled, Archaeological Investigation at the Swallow Site, Jefferson County, Colorado and is published as Memoir Number 7 of the Colorado Archaeological Society, Denver (Copyright 2024).  The Denver Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society led the decade-long investigation at the Swallow Site with the help of many CAS member volunteers.  


The report is available to download as a “Read Only” pdf document from the Online Resource for Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation (ORCA) website via this link to ORCA’s Distributed Reports web page – https://archaeologycolorado.org/content/distributed-publications . Just click on the report’s title to access, read and/or save the pdf file.


Background:


During the early 1970s through to the late 1990s, the Denver Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society (DC-CAS) carried out archaeological fieldwork on the Ken-Caryl Ranch property in Jefferson County ahead of the construction of the Ken-Caryl residential development by Johns Manville Corporation.  Among the numerous archaeological sites identified, the Swallow Site (5JF321) was one of the most culturally-rich and important sites recorded on the Ken-Caryl Ranch property.


Through the efforts of a multitude of CAS member volunteers, the prehistoric occupation of the Swallow Site was recorded, excavated and analyzed.  However, numerous attempts undertaken to synthesize the high volume of information recovered into a cohesive report were unsuccessful.  In 2018, the Swallow Site Oversight Committee was formed to reexamine and synthesize the Swallow Site data and to produce a comprehensive final report for publication on behalf of DC-CAS.


The Denver Chapter Board is most appreciative and grateful for the Committee’s dedication, hard work and tenacity to bring this report to fruition.  The Board also wishes to express its thanks to the Paleocultural Research Group (PCRG) for the publication layout work undertaken for the final report and to the Online Resources for Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation (ORCA) for hosting the Swallow Site publication on their website. 



 








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