Dr. Kathleen K. Gilmore’s Legacy and the Future of Spanish and French Colonial Archaeology in Tejas

Part of: Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

When Kathleen K. Gilmore helped found the SHA in Dallas fifty years ago, she was on the threshold of a pioneering career investigating the archaeology of Spanish and French colonialism in Texas and Louisiana. Through tireless archaeological and archival investigations until her death in 2010, Dr. Gilmore reshaped scholarly and public understanding of the colonial landscape, and through her passion and philanthropy, she reinvigorated the interest of students, colleagues, and the public in this critical historical period. Fifty years later, Dr. Gilmore’s legacy continues to shape the present and future archaeology and history of the region. The papers in this symposium explore her legacy through current research into Spanish, French, and indigenous experiences during the 17th and 19th centuries that draw from the past to advance the frontiers of our knowledge into the future.