A Flurry of Field Schools in the Upper Gila and Mimbres Drainages

The Upper Gila, San Francisco, and Upper Mimbres drainages have seen several cycles of intense research and student training since the 1930s. Field projects directed by notable archaeologists and institutions, including Emil Haury, Paul Martin and John Rinaldo, James Fitting, Harry Shafer, and the Mimbres Foundation, have periodically focused professional attention on the area while providing fertile training grounds for students in U.S. Southwest archaeology. Currently the area is in the midst of another archaeological boom, with field schools from multiple institutions introducing new students to the area and changing our understanding of the region through new research programs that span much of the pre-contact period. This session presents research from five current field schools, bringing together established and emerging scholars to present new insights on the archaeology of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.