Archaeology Southwest

Our award-winning, full-color magazine explores topical issues in the archaeology of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The magazine is published quarterly. Back issues prior to 2004 are available in PDF format for free from the menu on the right. For a one-year subscription and unlimited access to more recent issues, join the Center today! Current members, please note: until further notice, please contact Membership Coordinator Kate Sarther Gann for PDFs of recent back issues of Archaeology Southwest.

Ceramics from historic Tucson

Tucson Underground: The Archaeology of a Desert Community

Volume 24, Numbers 1–2, edited by William H. Doelle, Center for Desert Archaeology more...

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - Photo by Henry Wallace.

Hohokam Heritage: The Casa Grande Community

Volume 23, Number 4. This issue of Archaeology Southwest reviews the historical background of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and provides a broader archaeological context for thinking about the monument’s expansion. more...

The Fin del Mundo site in Sonora, Mexico

Paleoindians in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico

Volume 23, Number 3. This issue of Archaeology Southwest reviews some of the big picture questions in Paleoindian research today: who were the first peoples to reach the Americas? When did they arrive? What was the relationship between the makers of Clovis spear points and the extinction of megafauna? Contributors focus on data recovered from sites in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Sonora. more...

The mission complex at Caborca, Sonora, is a focal point of the community, but its stark white enclosure of columns and arches also sets it apart. Beyond it lies a natural domain of river, desert, and mountains. The adjacent river nearly destroyed the church in a major flood event, but community members organized to restore it and to celebrate their unique history (see pages 12-13). Image credit: Henry D. Wallace.

Preserving Missions in the Pimería Alta

Volume 23, Number 2. This issue discusses the preservation history of missions in the Pimería Alta, an area of modern-day northern Sonora and southern Arizona that stretches from the Río Magdalena northward to the Gila River, and from the Río San Miguel and San Pedro River westward to the Gulf of California and the Colorado River. more...

An archaeologist with Desert Archaeology, Inc., examines a re-created field area within the roughly 3,000-year-old expanse of irrigation canals and bordered fields currently under excavation at Las Capas in the Tucson Basin. More than fifteen acres of fields were once present.

The Latest Research on the Earliest Farmers

Volume 23, Number 1. This issue discusses our rapidly changing knowledge about the first farmers in the Southwest, and builds upon the first-ever issue of Archaeology Southwest, which was also devoted to early agriculture more...

Contrasts in architecture: The Casa Grande, a four-story adobe structure in use from 1350 to 1450, was part of a large settlement with many adobe compounds (courtesy Library of Congress). In the late 1600s, the Sobaipuri Indians, who spoke the O'odham (Piman) language, lived in small oval structures that left faint traces in the archaeological record. The rocks were used to anchor the bent-pole frames of these houses.

Immigrants and Population Collapse in the Southern Southwest

Volume 22, Number 4. What happened to the Hohokam? This issue of Archaeology Southwest explores initial results of the Center's long-term research on the dramatic population decline that occurred in the southern Southwest almost a century before the arrival of the Spaniards. more...

This photograph, titled Benjamin and His Brood of Little Dogs, was taken by David Burckhalter in Rancho San Pedro, Sonora, Mexico, on a cold morning in 1995. It illustrates many of this issue's themes. The dogs (and one cat) are clearly social animals, and they are part of a human household. Their relationship with their human companion structures their interaction among themselves, as well as with human society.

Dogs in the Southwest

Volume 22, Number 3. This special theme issue explores some of the roles that dogs have played in the Southwest, from prehistory to the present. Contributors discuss archaeological evidence of dogs; the changing roles and uses of dogs among various groups. more...

Multi-storied, densely clustered architecture at Zuni Pueblo in the 1880s.

Exploring Zuni Origins

Volume 22, Number 2. Contributors to this issue examine archaeological, environmental, linguistic, historical, and geographical data on a macro-regional scale in their attempts to understand the complex issues of Mogollon-Zuni relationships and Zuni origins. more...

Research teams from Acoma, Hopi, Laguna, and Zuni met in 2007.

Collaborative Research in a Living Landscape: Pueblo Land, Culture, and History in West-Central New Mexico

Volume 22, Number 1. This issue looks at research focusing what archaeologists call the western Pueblos. Articles include perspectives from Zuni, Hopi, Acoma and Laguna Pueblos. more...

Phoenix Basin Hohokam irrigation systems were impressive accomplishments. Two canals are still visible on the ground surface just east of the north runway of Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. These canals appear as subtle linear depressions bounded by linear mounds of soil in the center foreground of this image. Many canals have been documented beneath the airport.

The Hohokam Archaeology of the Phoenix Basin

Volume 21, Number 4. This issue examines the Hohokam archaeology of the Phoenix basin. Articles cover various archaeological sites and topics ranging from households to the nature of the population collapse in the Salt River Valley. more...

Major construction projects in Tucson over the past several decades have led to new insights into Hohokam archaeology. At the Interstate 10/Interstate 19 interchange pictured here, and in other locations as well, sites were also preserved for the future.

The Hohokam Archaeology of the Tucson Basin

Volume 21, Number 3. This issue looks at the archaeology of the Tucson Basin. Articles focus on sites throughout the valley including Tummamoc Hill and Honeybee Village up near the Tortolitas. more...

Architectural evidence for warfare in the Chevelon drainage; recent investigations at this fortified settlement revealed at least 23 rooms and a series of defensive walls across its gentler slopes.

Southwest Archaeology: The Next Generation

Volume 21, Number 2. This issue of Archaeology Southwest focuses on research conducted by 17 doctoral students who were either finishing, or had just finished, their degrees. This issue covers a wide range of time periods and geography from the Northern Southwest to Northern Mexico. more...

Small Sacaton Red-on-buff plate from the Escuela site, near Gila Bend, Arizona, dating to A.D. 950 to 1150. Photo by Jannelle Weakly, Norton Allen Collection, Arizona State Museum.

Birds in the Southwest

Volume 21, Number 1. This issue looks at birds in the Southwest from not only an archaeological perspective, but also from contemporary and ethnograpic angles. Macaws to Ostriches, and pets to uses in ritual, this publication covers a wide range of avian topics. more...

Greenbush Draw runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of Naco, Arizona, and eventually joins the San Pedro River. Naco's history extends over 10,000 years.

Archaeology of the Borderlands: A View from Naco, Arizona

Volume 24, Number 4. This issue of Archaeology Southwest looks at the history and prehistory of the US-Mexico border, focusing on Naco, Arizona. In addition to examining the history of the town of Naco, authors for this issue talk about what it takes to do archaeology on the international border. more...

The ruins of Salmon Pueblo lie on the north bank of the San Juan River, approximately 2 miles west of the town of Bloomfield and 9 miles east of Farmington, New Mexico. Image copyright Adriel Heisey.

Salmon Pueblo: Chacoan Outlier and Thirteenth-Century Middle San Juan Community Center

Volume 20, Number 3. This issue of Archaeology Southwest examines the history and material culture of Salmon Pueblo near Farmington, New Mexico. more...

The Safford Valley displays a striking juxtaposition of the past and the present, as modern and ancient agricultural fields are situated adjacent to each other in the shadow of Mt. Graham and the Pinaleno Mountains. Image copyright Adriel Heisey.

Archaeology on the Periphery: Recent Research in the Safford Basin

Volume 20, Number 2. This issue looks at the archaeology of the Safford Basin, including a number of important sites and how the region fits into the archaeology of the Greater Southwest. more...

Human geoglyph formed by scraping the darkened gravel of the desert pavement to reveal light soils. The site is fenced to protect it, and the footpath walked by visitors has created a modern geoglyph, a reminder of the extreme fragility of this remarkable site. It is one of many along the lower Colorado River in similar settings.

Twenty Years of Archaeology Southwest

Volume 20, Number 1. This issue looks back at the last 20 years of Archaeology Southwest, from our origins in Archaeology in Tucson through our current format. Also covered is contributions we have made to archaeology and to preservation and public education. more...

The Galisteo has a subtle, natural beauty, with wooded hillsides, dramatic volcanic dikes, and wide, open grasslands that are all the more impressive because of its proximity to Santa Fe, only 15 miles to the north.

Archaeology and the Public in the Galisteo Basin

Volume 19, Number 4. This issue looks at the archaeology of the Galisteo Basin in northern New Mexico. The focus of many of the articles is how public involvement has helped to expand our knowledge of the area and assisted in its preservation. more...

Ancient walls of stacked rock cross Tumamoc Hill--today engulfed by Tucson and crowned by communication towers. Image copyright Adriel Heisey.

Preserving Archaeological Landscapes

Volume 19, Number 3. This issue of Archaeology Southwest looks at how archaeological landscapes across the Southwest are being preserved. A wide variety of sites and perspectives are covered in this informative volume. more...

Plan view map of Sunset Fort, drawn by George A. McClellan in 1881 (courtesy of Gerald A. Doyle and Lyle M. Stone).

Mormon History and Archaeology in Northern Arizona

Volume 19, Number 2. This issue looks at the archaeology of the Mormon colonization of Arizona. A must read for anyone interested in this little known chapter of Arizona history. more...

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The Quest for Coronado

Volume 19, Number 1. The route that Coronado took during his exploration of the Southwest has has been a matter of debate for historians and archaeologists for some time. This issue of Archaeology Southwest looks at what we know, and what we don't. more...

The eroding adobe walls of Guevavi Mission are now part of Tumacacori National Historical Park.

The Archaeological Heritage of the Santa Cruz Valley

Volume 18, Number 4. This issue covers the history and prehistory of the Santa Cruz valley. Topics include the Hohokam, Jesuit Missionaries, and the Spanish Colonial Period. more...

Navajo and Apache rock paintings and petroglyphs of horses. Photo courtesy of Evelyn Billo and Robert Mark, Rupestrian CyberServices.

Horses in the Southwest

Volume 18, Number 3. This issue of Archaeology Southwest looks at the history of horses in the Southwest. Topics include ice age horses, Spanish explorers bringing horses into the Southwest and their adoption by indigenous people. more...

An Earthwatch volunteer group touring the Pinnacle Ruin, one of several sites located in Cañada Alamosa.

Preservation and Partnerships along the Black Range of Southern New Mexico

Volume 18, Number 2. This issue examines how partnerships with local people has helped the progress of archaeological research in Southern New Mexico. Both prehistoric and historic topics are covered. more...

Reeve Ruin, on a mesa high above the San Pedro River, was the home of Western Pueblo immigrants in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Today, it is a place of deep meaning to many Native American groups. Photograph © Adriel Heisey.

One Valley, Many Histories: Tohono O'odham, Hopi, Zuni, and Western Apache History in the San Pedro Valley

Volume 18, Number 1. This issue examines the history and meaning that the San Pedro Valley, east of Tucson, has to numerous Native American groups. more...

Two Classic Mimbres Black-on-white bowls and a Chupadero Black-on-white seed jar. All three were recovered from Ronnie Pueblo, a Reorganization phase hamlet.

The Archaeology and Meaning of Mimbres

Volume 17, Number 4. Due to the incredible artistry of their black-on-white pottery the Mimbres are one of the most popular prehistoric cultures in the Southwest. This issue of Archaeology Southwest explores the full range of topics of this fascinating group. more...

The Bajada site, one of the last-occupied settlements in the northern San Pedro Valley, is located on the toe of this gently sloping bajada. The Center's work salvaged key architectural information from this badly vandalized site. The site, now owned by the Nature Conservancy, is patrolled regularly by Arizona site stewards. Photograph © Adriel Heisey.

Preservation Archaeology in the San Pedro Valley

Volume 17, Number 3. This issue of Archaeology Southwest looks at the history of the San Pedro River valley from early prehistory, through the Spanish period. An exciting window into the story of this important corridor through Southern Arizona. more...

The massive site of Casas Grandes, also known as Paquimé, has undergone major excavation and stabilization. This issue of Archaeology Southwest places the Casas Grandes community in the larger context of Chihuahua, Mexico. Photograph © Adriel Heisey.

The Casas Grandes Community

Volume 17, Number 2. Even though an international boundary divides the US and Mexico today, the cultures of the past span across this modern boundary. This issue looks at the archaeology of the Southwest in Northern Mexico. more...

Photograph of Paricutin Volcano, K. Segerstrom, USGS, 1946.

In the Shadow of the Volcano: Recent Research at Sunset Crater

Volume 17, Number 1. Sunset Crater is one of Flagstaff's most visible natural features. This issue explores the history of this volcano and its impact on the people who have lived there. more...

Issues raised during a recent heritage tour to the Cedar Mesa area, in southwestern Utah, are examined in this issue of "Archaeology Southwest." Image © Jeffery Minker.

Journeys to Places of the Past

Volume 16, Number 4. This issue looks at multiple perspectives of tourism, preservation and education with respect to visiting archaeological sites in the American Southwest. more...