32nd Annual Archaeology Expo at Catalina State Park, AZ on March 29; Events Scheduled throughout Arizona for the Month of March

Arizona State Parks

For the entire month of March 2014, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)/Arizona State Parks (ASP) is coordinating events throughout the state for the 32nd annual celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM). See schedule below.

These events will focus on current efforts to preserve our past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. AAHAM combines education with entertainment to reach both adults and children in an effort to teach responsible stewardship of our cultural resources. Museums, historical societies, tribes, agencies, parks, and archaeology organizations will be hosting events across the state; events are also planned in Arizona State Parks as part of their interpretive programs.

The featured event for the month is the Arizona Archaeology Expo (Expo). This year's Expo will offer many educational attractions for archaeology and history buffs, and will be located at Catalina State Park on Saturday, March 29, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Expo is free and open to the public

The Expo will provide a special opportunity for visitors to learn more about why it is important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places, what archaeologists, historians, and tribal members do in their jobs, and about the prehistory and history of Arizona. The Expo will feature archaeology-related hands-on activities, craft demonstrations, and other fun and educational events. In addition, Boy Scout and Girl Scout merit badge requirements can be fulfilled at the Expo! Special displays and booths by archaeological and historical organizations, museums, Native American tribes, state and federal agencies, and others will allow you to participate as an archaeologist might in their research today, or make crafts and tools that teach how prehistoric Native Americans and other early inhabitants survived in the Southwest. Cultural and historical demonstrators, talks by archaeologists, and interactive activities will help make the past come alive!  In addition, tours of local archaeological sites (rock art and pueblos) will be offered.

The Expo will give visitors new insights into Arizona's many prehistoric, historic, and contemporary cultures, and will help instill a sense of stewardship for our state's fragile and nonrenewable heritage resources.

CENTRAL ARIZONA

COOLIDGE

March 9, 23, 29  - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - Ancient Technology Day

  • 10 am - 2 pm. Sponsored by the National Park Service (NPS). Hands-on presentations will give participants the opportunity to try some of the techniques and tools used by the ancient Hohokam. No reservations required. Regular park entrance fees apply.
  • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 1100 W. Ruins Dr.
  • Contact Diane Garcia, (520) 723-3172, ext. 112.

March 8, 16, 22, 30 - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - Site Tour: Backcountry Sites at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

  • 9 am. Some areas that are normally closed to the public will be available during these tours. Tours will last approximately 1 ½ to two hours. Arrive at the Park Visitor Center by 8:45 am, wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and dress appropriate to the current weather conditions. No one can leave the tour once beyond the picnic area. Reservations are required, as the tours are limited to 10 people.
  • Contact Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 1100 W. Ruins Dr. Regular entrance fees apply. (520) 723-3172 (must talk with ranger to confirm tour, not just leave a message on voicemail). Reservations may not be made via email.

CORDES JUNCTION

March 8 - Agua Fria National Monument - Hike: Tour to La Plata Ruin

  • 9 am. Sponsored by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Friends of the Agua Fria National Monument. Meet at the Kiosk located at Bloody Basin Road exit off of I-17 to drive to the site on the Agua Fria National Monument. It's an easy-to-medium hike through high desert brush. Reservations are required, as the tour is limited to 15 people. Bring water, lunch, hiking shoes, and sunscreen - weather-permitting. High-clearance vehicle recommended. Free.
  • Contact Steven Brown, (928) 899-6184 or steven@aguafriafriends.org.

MARANA

March 20  - Old Pueblo Archeaology Center - Tour: Spring Equinox Tour of Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Archaeological Sites

  • 8 am - Noon. Sponsored by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center (OPAC). Tour led by archaeologist Allen Dart. Wear sturdy walking shoes, hat, and sunscreen; bring drinking water. Car pool in high-clearance vehicles to drive to the rock art vicinity. Hike is approximately 4 to 5 miles on mostly brushy, unimproved trails to petroglyph sites. Departs from Silverbell Road and Linda Vista Blvd. Reservations required by Tuesday March 18. Free.
  • Contact Allen Dart, (520) 798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

MESA

Thursdays through Sundays in March - Mesa Grande, 10th & Date St. - Tours of Mesa Grande Mound and Museum

  • Thursdays & Fridays 10 am - 4 pm; Saturdays 11 am - 4 pm; Sundays noon - 4 pm. Tours of Mesa Grande Mound and Museum. Sponsored by Arizona Museum of Natural History. Mesa Grande is one of two, great, ancient Hohokam platform mounds found in the Salt River Valley. Mesa Grande, 10th & Date St., a block west of Country Club Dr. on Brown Rd (turns into Date St.). Guided tours by an archaeologist are available for groups of 10 or more. Regular entrance fees apply. Must be booked at least one week in advance.
  • Contact Alison Stoltman, (480) 644-3553 or alison.stoltman@mesaaz.gov or www.azmnh.org.

PHOENIX

March 5 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeaology Park - Lecture: "Chaco Mystery Solved?"

  • 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. MARCH 5: (7:30 - 9 pm)
  • Sponsored by the Pueblo Grande Museum Auxiliary. Join us at the PGM for a lecture by John A. Ware, Executive Director of the Amerind Foundation. In his talk he will argue that the key to understanding eleventh century Chaco may lie in deciphering differences and similarities among the living descendants of the Chaco culture and the historic Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and Arizona. PGM, 4619 E. Washington St.
  • Contact Laura Andrew, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov or www.PuebloGrande.com.

March 5 & 19 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeology Park - Behind the Scenes Tour of PGM with Curator

  • 2 - 2:30 pm. Sponsored by PGM. Join Curator of Collections, Holly Young, for a "behind the scenes" tour of the museum. This is an opportunity to learn about the artifacts that are not on display and what steps are taken to care for them. This is a first-come, first-served tour. Space is limited. Please sign up at the front desk to reserve your spot. Appropriate for older children. PGM, 4619 East Washington St. Free with paid admission.
  • Contact Laura Andrew, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov or www.PuebloGrande.com.

March 8 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeaology Park - Ancient Technology Day. Sponsored by the PGM

  • 10 am - 3 pm. Join us for a fun day! Try your hand at using an atlatl to throw a spear and watch artists as they demonstrate pottery making, basket weaving, rock art reproductions, and flint knapping. Try the fry bread and agave roast, cooked the traditional way. Wear clothing appropriate to the weather. PGM, 4619 East Washington St. Free.
  • Contact Laura Andrew, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov or www.PuebloGrande.com.

March 13 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeaology Park - Plant Tour of Pueblo Grande

  • 10 am - 3 pm. Sponsored by the PGM. Discover some of the edible and medicinal plants of the southwest on an abbreviated walk along the trail at Pueblo Grande. What desert plant has "gone to the moon?" A knowledgeable guide will identify this plant as well as many other useful desert floras and some of the traditional crops (in season). Space is limited; please sign up at the front desk to reserve your spot. Free with paid museum admission.
  • Contact Laura Andrew, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov or www.PuebloGrande.com.

March 18 - Macayo's Central at 4001 N. Central Ave - Archaeology Café: "Early Agriculture in the Southwest."

  • 5:30 - 7 pm. Sponsored by Archaeology Southwest. The Archaeology Café features an informal lecture by James Vint (Desert Archaeology, Inc.) who will explain what new discoveries from the Santa Cruz River Valley are revealing about early agriculture in the southern Southwest. Held in the Aztec Room of Macayo's Central at 4001 N. Central Ave. Presentation begins at 6 pm; but for those who might want to order off the menu, order by 5:30 pm. Reservations are not required, but space is limited. Share tables and make new friends. Free.
  • Contact Linda Pierce, (520) 882-6946, ext. 23, or lpierce@archaeologysouthwest.org.

March 11 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeaology Park - Lecture: "Introduction to Southwestern Archaeology."

  • 9 am - 4:15 pm. Sponsored by the Arizona Archaeology Society (AAS), Phoenix Chapter and the PGM. This one-day class is on the archaeology of the Southwest and is great for winter visitors and others curious about the indigenous peoples who lived in the Arizona area before the Spanish conquest. Held at the PGM, 4619 E. Washington St. Free.
  • Contact Ellie Large, CONTACT: (480) 461-0563 or elarge@cox.net.

March 22- Pioneers Cemetery/Park is located along W. Jefferson Ave. at 14th Ave. - Historical Walk: Pioneers' Cemetery."

  • 10:30 am registration, 11 am tour. Pioneers Cemetery/Park is located along W. Jefferson Ave. at 14th Ave. The cemetery tour will feature eight pioneers buried in the cemetery who shaped the City of Phoenix. Cost: $15 for adults; $5 for students 12 years old and under; children under 5 are free. Fees go toward growing the Tombstone Restoration Fund.
  • Contact Debe Branning, (602) 534-1262 or nazanaza@aol.com.

March 22 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeology Park - Petroglyph Discovery Hike

  • 7 - 10 am. Sponsored by the PGM. An experienced PGM guide will lead participants on a three-mile, three-hour interpretive hike through South Mountain. Learn about the petroglyphs (rock art) left by the Hohokam people over 1,000 years ago, and why this mountain was so important to their culture. Space is limited. Hike is rated as difficult. Please wear hiking shoes, carry water and sunscreen, and dress appropriately for the weather. Appropriate for ages 12 and up if the child is used to hiking and outdoor activities. Advance registration is required by March 20. Meet at the PGM, 4619 E. Washington St. $8 Per person.
  • Contact Laura Andrew, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov.

March 22 - Deer Valley Rock Art Center - Rock Art Expo

  • 10 am - 4 pm. Visit the Deer Valley Rock Art Center for its biggest event of the year! Participate in interactive stations on archaeology and desert ecology, hands-on crafts for kids, ancient spear throwing demonstrations, a mock archaeology dig, and agave tasting. Special guided tours of the petroglyph trail and musical performances will also be featured. Appropriate for vision and/or hearing impaired. Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W. Deer Valley Rd. Free.
  • Contact Jillian Viar, (623) 582-8007 or jviar@asu.edu.

March 28 - Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeology Park - Tour of the Park of Four Waters

  • 10 -11 am. Sponsored by the PGM. The Hohokam people lived in the Salt River area from approximately AD 450 to AD 1450. They were an agricultural society, growing corn, beans, squash, and cotton. In order to support their extensive agricultural system, they constructed miles of canals to direct water from the Salt River to their fields. The Park of Four Waters tour will take you through undeveloped, natural desert to the ruins of some of these canal systems. Appropriate for ages 13+ years. This is a first-come, first-served tour. Space is limited. Meet at the PGM, 4619 E. Washington St. Tours are free with paid administration.
  • Contact Laura Andrew, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov or www.PuebloGrande.com.

WICKENBURG

March 4 - Desert Caballeros Western Museum - Desert Adventure Tour: Hassayampa River's Box Canyon & Boyd Ranch

  • 9 am - 3 pm. Sponsored by the Desert Caballeros Western Museum (DCWM). Lunch and transportation provided. Cost: $55 DCWM members; $80 non-members. Meet at the DCWM, 21 N. Frontier St. Space limited. Pre-register early.
  • Contact Becky Rovey, (928) 684-2272, ext. 102, www.westernmuseum.org, for ticket information.

March 21 - 23 - Desert Caballeros Western Museum - 9th Annual Invitational Exhibition and Sale: Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West

  • 10 am - 3 pm. Sponsored by the DCWM. Celebrate the extraordinary talent of women artists from throughout the West. Meet participating artists during the weekend events. DCWM, 21 N. Frontier St.
  • Contact Becky Rovey, (928) 684-2272, ext. 102, www.westernmuseum.org, for ticket information.

March 25 - Desert Caballeros Western Museum - Desert Adventure Tour: Ghost Towns

  • 9 am - 3 pm. Sponsored by the DCWM, 21 N. Frontier St. Cost: $35 for DCWM members; $55 non-members.
  • Contact Becky Rovey, (928) 684-2272, ext. 102, www.westernmuseum.org, for ticket information.

For information about all 27 Arizona State Parks, the Trails and Off-Highway Vehicle Programs and State Historic Preservation Office call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703). Campsite reservations can be made online at AZStateParks.com or by calling the Reservation Call Center at (520) 586-2283. Open 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST.