New Mexico Archaeological Council Annual Meeting & Conference

The New Mexico Archaeological Council Annual Meeting & Conference will take place at The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, United States. This conference focuses on the theme of the Archaeology of the Middle Rio Grande, a region that has often been overlooked in Southwest archaeology. Despite its significance, the Middle Rio Grande has only experienced a limited amount of early research excavations at notable sites such as Paako, Pottery Mound, and Kuaua, particularly after the destruction of many other pueblos and archaeological sites in the early twentieth century. In the last sixty years, the region's archaeological exploration has primarily been conducted by cultural resource management (CRM) professionals. These efforts have yielded key technical reports that provide a more nuanced and comprehensive perspective of the area's extensive multicultural history, though these findings are often less integrated compared to the foundational work of Cordell in 1979. The conference aims to shed light on recent archaeological and historical discoveries, emphasizing how CRM projects have enhanced our understanding of the Middle Rio Grande's rich cultural tapestry.