Hands-on Experience: NMSU Summer Fieldschool at Twin Pines Village in the Gila National Forest 2015

Summary

To develop a better partnership between academics and United States Forest Service, and disseminate the concept of stewardship to the public, the Gila National Forest and the Department of Anthropology at New Mexico State University collaborated together at a fieldschool at the Twin Pines Village—a northern Mimbres settlement and the largest Mimbres phase site—for six weeks in 2015. The major goal of the project is to add our understanding of the cultural trajectory of the Twin Pines communities and assess the damage of the site by looting activities. Based on the collaboration between the two groups, students learned three major aspects of archaeological research, conservation and stewardship, and public outreach. First, although pothunters destroyed several portions of the site, the excavation at Twin Pines site still allows students to learn about the complexity of site formation processes, including natural and cultural activities. Second, the excavation at Twin Pines helps students assess looting activities and understand the significance of preservation and conservation. Finally, students have engaged in outreach programs, such as teaching K-12 students, using the Twin Pines Village collections, which enhances the concept of being stewards of cultural resources for the public at large.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Celebrating the Contributions of a Community of Preservation: Forest Service Partners and Volunteers

Keywords

Spatial Coverage