Community Activities and Announcements (Ongoing)

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

(Latest Update - December 20, 2025) Note this will be the last update until January 2026.

Upcoming Archaeology Tours, Events, Classes & Lectures:

SAND CREEK NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE - ONSITE TALK (NEAR EADS, CO/IN PERSON/FREE):

• (New) Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 26, 2025 - December 31, 2026 (10:00am-11:00am MT and 2:00pm-3:00pm MT) – Attend a talk presented by a Park Ranger about the significance of this historic site.  Check in with the Contact Station for the exact location for the talk.  For more information, visit here.

VIRTUAL WORLD TOURS - TOUR (ONLINE/FREE BUT DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED):

• (New) December 21, 2025 (9:30am MT) – Recorded Virtual Tour - Machu Picchu Walk: Archaeoastronomy and the Sacred Sciences of the Incas.  Presenter: Jimmy S, Licensed Professional Peruvian Guide.  This is a recorded walking tour with a live Q&A session.  For more information and to register using the ‘Book Now’ tab, visit here.

• (New) December 28, 2025 (9:30am MT) – Live Virtual Tour - Inca Live Walk: The Living Town of Chinchero. Presenter: Jimmy S. Licensed Professional Peruvian Guide.  For more information and to register using the ‘Book Now’ tab, visit here.

THE WHITTE MUSEUM - ROCK ART TOUR (NEAR COMSTOCK, TX/IN PERON/$):

• Saturdays, ongoing through December 30, 2025 (12:30pm-2:30pm CT) – Visit the White Shaman Mural, located near the Seminole Canyon State Park within the Lower Pecos Canyonlands.  Please note this is a strenuous two-hour hike.  For more information, to select a tour date, and to view the provided video of the tour’s terrain, visit here.

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

• (Rescheduled) Changed from December 21, 2025 to January 10, 2026 (8:30am-12:00pm MT) – Winter Solstice Tour to Los Morteros Hohokam Village and Signal Hill Civilian Conservation Corps & Petroglyph Sites.  For more information about the tour, visit here. To register for the new January 10^th date, please email Old Pueblo directly at info@oldpueblo.org or call (520)798-1201

OLD PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER - ADULT EDUCATION CLASS (TUCSON, AZ/ONLINE/$DONATION REQUESTED):

• (New start date correction) January 21, 2026 to April 22, 2026 (6:30pm-8:30pm MT) – Archaeology of the Southwest. 14-Session online adult education class.  For more information and to register, visit here.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES - SEMINAR CLASS (TUCSON, AZ/HYBRID/$):

• (New) Tuesdays, January 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24 and March 3, 2026 (6:00-8:00pm MT) – Lessons From Our Past. Instructor: Dr. Terry Hunt,  Professor of Archaeology at University of Arizona.  This course will journey deep into human history to uncover the remarkable story of our species from the first sparks of imagination to the rise of complex society.  For more information and to register, visit here. 

OLD PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER - TOUR (TUCSON & MARANA, AZ/IN PERSON/$-DONATION REQUESTED):

• (New) Saturday, January 31, 2026 (8:00am-1:00pm MT) – Tucson and Marana Yoeme (Yaqui Indian ) Communities Car-Caravan Culture Sites Tour.  Tour Leader: Felipe S. Molina, Yoeme traditional culture specialist.  For more information and to register for the tour, visit here.

SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM (SANTA FE, NM/ONLINE/FREE):

• (New) February 3, 2026 – May 5, 2026 (1:00pm-2:30pm MT) – Indigenous Collections Care Guide Speaker Series: Rethinking Collections Stewardship. This series presents four virtual programs on the following dates and themes:

  February 3, 2026 (1:00pm-2:30pm MT) – Intellectual Care of Collections

  March 3, 2026 (1:00pm-2:30pm MT) – Physical Care of Collections

  April 7, 2026 (1:00pm-2:30pm MT) – Relationship Building and Consultation

  May 5, 2026 (1:00pm-2:30pm MT) – Use and Access of Collections

  For more information and to register for the series to receive the Zoom link, visit here.  Links to the remaining classes are available at the end of the page.

OLD PUEBLO ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER - TOUR (MARANA & TUCSON MOUNTAINS, AZ/IN PERSON/$-DONATION REQUESTED):

• (New) February 7, 2026 (3:00pm-5:00pm MT) – Yuma Wash Hohokam Village and Bojórquez-Aguirre Ranch Archaeological Sites Tour.  Tour Leader:  Alan Dart, Archaeologist.  For more information and to register for the tour, visit here.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSERVANCY - TOUR (CA/IN PERSON/$):

• (New) March 9-14, 2026 – California Missions and Archaeology Tour.  For more information and to register for the tour, visit here.  Additional tours for 2026 are offered but are presently sold out, but you may add your name to their wait list here.

DEER VALLEY PETROGLYPH PRESERVE - EXHIBITS AND TOUR (PHOENIX, AZ/IN PERSON/FREE):

• Ongoing until May 2026 – Operated by the Arizona State University, this preserve contains a museum, gallery and a free audio tour of a quarter-mile petroglyph trail.  For more information, visit here.

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

• Ongoing - 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. For more information and to make a reservation, visit Cherokee Ranch & Castle Tour.

CROW CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER – CULTURAL EXPLORATIONS TOURS (VARIOUS LOCATIONS/IN PERSON/$):

• Crow Canyon has announced their 2026 Cultural Exploration Tour Programs (May 17-23, June 14-20, September 13-19, and November 8-14).  For more information and to register for a tour listed at bottom of the web page, visit here.

AMACHE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE - GUIDED AND SELF-GUIDED TOURS (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. To learn more about the archaeology at Amache , watch this TEDx Talk by University of Denver Professor of Archaeology, Dr. Bonnie Clark.

CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT- 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 currently available.  For more information about these private tours, visit here.

SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH - TOUR (SANTE FE, NM/IN PERSON/$-FREE FOR NATIVE AMERICANS AND MEMBERS/SPECIAL DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE):

• Year-Round Tours: Take a tour of the Indian Arts Research Center which houses an outstanding collection of Native American art, including pottery, jewelry, textiles, clothing, painting, basketry and drum.  For more information and to book a tour, visit here.

Upcoming Archaeology Lectures

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

• Exposing Hoaxes, Busting Myths, and Solving Mysteries - Archaeology Lectures presented by Dr. Ken Feder, Professor Emeritus at Central Connecticut State University. There are ten one-hour videos covering a range of topics available on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl68fplNJM8BsG6uJLeHUfMYtNHeza5l_.

NEW - LECTURES NOW LISTED BY DATE

DECEMBER 21, 2025:

• 11:00am MT – World Virtual Tours (Online/Free but donations are appreciated): Ancient Codes: Secret Messaging in Greece and Rome.  Speaker: Martine D., PhD in Classics and Ancient History with broad knowledge of Greek, Roman, Mesopotamian and Egyptian history, archaeology and culture.  For more information and to register using the ‘Book Now’ tab, visit here.

DECEMBER 27, 2025:

• 11:00am-12:00pm MT – Archaeological Institute of America, St. Louis Society (Online/Free): Battlefield Archaeology. Speaker: Douglas Scott, Retired Supervisory Archaeologist with the National Park Service.  Scott will draw on his experiences at the Little Big Horn Battlefield and at various Civil War battlefields to understand this fascinating category of archaeology sites.  To access the Zoom link at the top of the AIA-St. Louis website page, visit here.

JANUARY 7, 2026:

• 4:45pm-6:15pm MT – Smithsonian Associates (Online/$): Teotihuacan. UNESCO World Heritage Sites Series.  Speaker: Justin M. Jacobs, Historian.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

• (New) 5:00pm-8:00pm MT – Penn Museum, Archaeology in Action Series (Online/$): Revealing Hidden History. Speaker: Dr. Jason Herrmann, the Kowalski Family Training Specialist for Digital Archaeology in the Center for Analysis of Archaeological Materials.  Dr. Herrmann will demonstrate how his team uses non-destructive aerial imaging, such as photography, multi-spectral imaging and LiDAR, to map and reconstruct ancient features and landscapes.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 8, 2026:

• (New) 6:00pm MT – North Texas Archaeological Society (Ft. Worth, TX/Hybrid/Free): After the Fire: The Search for Victims of the 1921Tulsa Race Massacre.  Speaker: Dr. Kary Stackelbeck, State Archaeologist for Oklahoma and an affiliate of the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, University of Oklahoma.  For more information and to send an email request for a guest Zoom link, visit here.

• 8:30pm MT – Pacific Coast Archaeological Society (Irvine, CA/Online/Free): Biocultural Heritage and the Deep History of the Llanos de Moxos: Lessons from the Bolivian Amazon.  Speaker:  Dr. Carla Jaimes Betancourt, Department of Anthropology of the Americas, University of Bonn, Germany.  For more information and to send an email request for a guest Zoom link to attend this meeting, visit here.

JANUARY 9, 2026:

• (New) 5:00pm-6:15pm MT – Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, DC (Online/Free):  Out of Mexico?: Migration Myths and Archeology from Postclassic Nicaragua.  Speaker: Dr. Geoffrey McCafferty, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary, Canada.  For more information and to register to received the Zoom link (available beginning of January 2026), visit here.

JANUARY 11, 2026:

• (New) 4:00pm-5:00pm MT – Archaeological Institute of America, American Research Center in Egypt, Northern California Society (Online/Free): Forgotten Saint-Simonian Travelers in Egypt: Suzanne Voilquin, Ismayl Urbain and Jehan D’Ivray.  Speaker: Dr. John David Ragan.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 14, 2026:

• (New) 7:00pm MT – Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, CO/In Person/$): Winter for Eight Months and Hell For Four: Risk and Vulnerability on the Spanish Colonial Frontier.  Speaker: Dr. Emmy Dawson, Acting Curator of Archaeology, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

• (New) 7:00pm MT – San Juan Basin Archaeological Society (Durango, CO/Hybrid/Free):  For an update on their January speaker and to access the Zoom link, please check for website updates here.

JANUARY 15, 2026:

• (New) 7:00pm-8:30pm MT – Old Pueblo Archaeology Center (Tucson, AZ/Online/Free): Petroglyphs, Pottery and Painting in the Ancient Southwest.  Speaker: Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin, Archaeologist.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 19, 2026:

• 7:00pm MT – Egyptian Studies Society (Englewood, CO/Hybrid/Free): Amarna and the Exodus. Speaker: Steve Zapiler.  For more information and to access the Zoom link to enter the lecture, visit here.

JANUARY 20, 2026:

• 11:00am MT – School for Advanced Research (Santa Fe, NM/Online/Free but donations appreciated): Making Sound Among the Ancestral Maya. Speaker: Dr. Stephen D. Houston, Dupee Family Professor of Social Science and Professor of Anthropology at Brown University. This webinar focuses upon early Maya concepts and production of sound during the Classic period (ca 250-900 CE) when evidence is most abundant.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

• 4:30pm-5:45pm MT – Smithsonian Associates (Online/$): The Birth of the Sitcom in Ancient Greece.  Speaker: Mitch Brown, Classical Professor.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

• 6:30pm-7:30pm MT – Santa Fe Archaeological Society (Santa Fe, NM/In Person/Free): 10,000 years of Oaxaca Cuisines from Mesquite Pods to Mezcal.  Speaker: Dr. Shanti Morell-Hart, Anthropological Archaeologist and Paleo Ethnobotanist.  For more information, visit here.

• (New) 7:00pm MT – Colorado Archaeological Society, Pikes Peak Chapter (Colorado Springs, CO/Hybrid/Free): Open Mic Night.  A Chapter tradition of members sharing their recent archaeological and historical adventures.  For more information and to access the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 21, 2026:

• (New) 3:00pm-4:30pm MT – Archaeological Institute of America, Pittsburgh Society (Online/Free): Into The Mani: Death, Burial, and Legend On the Southern Greek Mainland.  Speaker: William Parkinson.  For more information and to email to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 27, 2026:

• (New) 4:00pm-5:30pm MT – School for Advanced Research (Santa Fe, NM/Hybrid/$): Edgar Lee Hewett, Virginia McClurg, and the Politics of Preservation in the American Southwest.  Speaker: James E. Snead, Professor of Anthropology and Curator at California State University, Northridge.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 28, 2026:

• (New) 1:00pm MT – Road Scholar (Online/$): Unraveling Peru’s Origins – The Stone Age to Early Civilizations.  Presenter: Oscar Oviedo Velasco, Local Expert and Group Leader specializing in archaeology, history and art of Peru.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link using the ‘Start Enrolling’ tab, visit here.

• (New) 6:00pm MT – Archaeological Institute of America, Archaeology Hour Series (Online/Free): NAGPRA as a Path to Healing and Reciprocity. Speaker: Danyelle Means.  For more information and to register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 29, 2026:

• (New) 5:00pm-6:30pm MT – Archaeological Institute of America, Bozeman Society (Online/Free):  The Impact of Roman Military Presence on the Arid Landscapes of Southern Jordan and Israel 2.  Speaker: Jennifer Ramsey.  For more information and to check for register to receive the Zoom link, visit here.

JANUARY 31, 2026:

• (New) 1:00pm-2:30pm MT – Archaeological Institute of America, St. Louis Society (Online/Free): The Camden Revolutionary War Battlefield.  Speaker: Dr. Stephen Humphreys, CEO of American Veterans Archaeological Recovery Program.  For more information updates and to access the Zoom link at the top of the society’s web page, visit here.

OTHER 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.