Archaeology Southwest, Vol. 16, No. 4

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.

Fall 2002

Journeys to Places of the Past
William H. Doelle, Center for Desert Archaeology

Millions of people visit archaeological sites in the American Southwest each year. To some, these numbers mean tourist dollars and economic benefits; to others, they represent opportunities for educating both young and old about the unique native cultures of this arid region. Still others see hordes of outsiders trampling pristine pieces of the past. Each is only a partial perspective, yet they illustrate how difficult it is to grasp all of the implications of our fascination with the rich past of the Southwest.

Gaining an appreciation of the length of human history in the diverse Southwest does not happen overnight. It is the task of a lifetime. Nor can it be done solely from books, videos, museums, and the Internet. All are important, but first-hand experience is essential to the education process. Therefore, this issue of Archaeology Southwest examines a cross section of the opportunities that are available to make direct contact with this special heritage.

Our primary focus is on the Four Corners area. This is partially because there is so much there to see, and it is readily accessible due to the large numbers of national parks and monuments. However, we venture outside the Four Corners area in some of our articles, because the broader issues we raise are not geographically restricted.

Our centerpiece articles derive from a special week-long tour that focused on the archaeology and natural environment of the remote and extremely beautiful Cedar Mesa area of southeastern Utah. Center Preservation Archaeologist Paul Reed, who is based in Farmington, New Mexico, went on this trip, and he has shouldered the lead editor responsibilities for this issue. Half the photographs included here are by trip participants.

Because the natural setting is so important to an understanding of past ways of life, the Cedar Mesa expedition represents a near-ideal opportunity to become deeply immersed in the past. But one does not just drive to a remote location in the Four Corners area and start hiking. Much of the land is on tribal reservations, and many of the stories of interest to our readers involve the ancestors of today’s tribes. Therefore, we include articles or report on interviews with members of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the Pueblo of Zuni.

Even urban areas like Phoenix offer ways to directly experience places of the past, such as the site of Pueblo Grande. Because many urban museums are a good source for special tour programs, we called on two members of the Museum of New Mexico to share their experiences. Additionally, the Anasazi Heritage Center-which serves as the headquarters of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument-provides access to both developed, stabilized sites and backcountry sites within the monument. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, in southwestern Colorado, also offers both tours and hands-on opportunities.

This issue is not intended as a travel guide. While it can be viewed as a “sampler” of the diverse options available to those with an interest in the past, it also highlights the challenges tourism presents to preserving archaeological sites and landscapes for the future.

Note: Be sure to take a look at this issue of Archaeology Southwest’s Online Supplement “Visiting Places of the Past”

Issue Editor: William H. Doelle

Articles Include:

• Cedar Mesa Odyssey, Heritage Tourism at Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, & Tourism to Archaeological and Historic Sites and Navajo
• Nation Lands – Paul F. Reed
• Out of Mind, Out of Site – Vaughn Hadenfeldt
• Cedar Mesa under Siege – Fred Blackburn
• Reflections on Cedar Mesa – Tom and Janice McFarland
• Hopiland Tourism – Micah Loma’omvaya
• Crow Canyon Archaeological Center – M. Elaine Davis, Mark D. Varien and Dottie Peacock
• Canyon of the Ancients National Tourism and the Anasazi Heritage Center: Heritage Tourism in Southwestern Colorado – LouAnn Jacobson and Victoria Atkins
• Pueblo Grande Museum – Rodger Lidman
• Heritage Tourism through Avocational Eyes – Martha and Roland Mace