Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society

06/12/2026

Memorial Celebration for Mike Jacobs this Saturday.

As many of you know we lost a true treasure when Mike Jacobs passed away on May 29th.

There will be a memorial gathering for Mike Jacobs Saturday June 13, 2026, 3:00 PM in the Northminster Prayer Garden, located at Ft. Lowell and Tucson Blvd, Tucson, AZ. Friends are welcome to join the family. After which all are welcome to come to the Arizona Inn to share memories of Mike.

05/27/2026

Did you miss our May lecture? It is now available on our YouTube channel.

Original archaeological research focused on the Prescott culture area, including a literature review, drone imagery and 3-D modelling from over 60 hilltop si...

04/30/2026

Our latest lecture "Mac Schweitzer: A Mid-Century Tucson Artist and Her Southwestern Archaeology Connections" by Ann Lane Hedlund is know up on our YouTube channel. Enjoy. "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GQHbS4rj24

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03/23/2026

The Gila River Indian Community's Cultural Resources Management Program is urgently seeking a Project Manager. If you are interested in working as a Cultural Resources Project Manager with a Tribal Department, the job description can be found by following the link below.

MUNIS Self Services

03/18/2026

Congratulations to Deil Lundin and her collaborators, Andrew Lack and Will Russell, on receiving the 2026 AAHS Orrell-Martin award for their project "Evidence of Datura at a Hohokam Village in South Phoenix: A Multifaceted Analytical Approach to Exploring Echinate Vessel Function." This competitive $5,000 award supports activity that advances knowledge and understanding of the archaeology of the Southwest United States or Northwest Mexico.

Known in the literature as “datura vessels,” however, no direct connection between the plant and the pot has been established. This 2020 Hohokam vessel from a non-mortuary context is uniquely positioned to test the “datura vessel” hypothesis; it was in situ, sediment-filled, and professionally excavated.

The combination of high-integrity samples and analytical expertise places the researchers in an ideal position to draw defensible conclusions. Recovery of seeds, pods, root material, pollen, phytoliths, or alkaloid residue from within the 2020 vessel would clearly demonstrate Datura use in Hohokam society and, for the first time, confirm or deny a New World relationship between Datura consumption and echinate jars. To this end, a suite of flotation, phytolith, and residue analyses is proposed.

We wish we could have funded all the excellent proposals we received!

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03/17/2026

Another successful book sale in the books. These sales provide critical support to the Arizona State Museum Library.

03/07/2026

AAHS Used Book Sale - THE TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS
Saturday, March 14th, 10 am - 4 pm Sunday, March 15th, 10 am to 3:30 pm.

On the lawn in front of the Arizona State Museum Building

Proceeds from the sale benefit the Arizona State Museum library. Donated volumes include SW archaeology; Native American ethnology, history, and art; general archaeology theory; the archaeology of North and South America; and world archaeology. There is an interesting collection of books on the Rarámuri.

General non-fiction books include history, biology, politics, economics, philosophy, travel, and other disciplines. We have a scattering of fiction as well. AAHS t-shirts will also be available for sale, along with a collection of art items supporting the AAHS Research and Travel grants.

Prices range from $2.00 to $30.00. Come stock up your library and support the ASM library.

02/28/2026

A huge thank you to Janine Hernbrode for leading an outstanding AAHS field trip to Cocoraque Ranch. A great time was had by all.

02/24/2026

On March 7th, the Amerind Foundation is sponsoring a talk by Jonathan Paige entitled “Can Tomorrow’s AI Help Us Protect the Past.” The talk is open and geared to the public. It will be at the Tucson Museum of Art (140 North Main St) between 1-2PM. The talk will present the current results of a Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis working group. Please come and please alert your colleagues, and the general public.

02/23/2026

Congratulations to Melanie Cootsona from UC Berkeley on winning this year's Julian D Hayden Paper Competition with her submittal, "Evidence for Eagle Keeping at Picuris Pueblo: Integrating Zooarchaeology and Oral History."

AAHS and the Arizona Archaeological Council sponsor this annual Julian D. Hayden Paper Competition, named in honor of long-time southwestern scholar Julian Dodge Hayden. The winning entry receives a cash prize of $1,000 and publication of their paper in "Kiva, The Journal of Southwestern Anthropology and History". The competition is open to any bona fide undergraduate and graduate students at any recognized college or university, as well as anyone who graduated within the last year.

The Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society and Arizona Archaeological Council sponsor the annual Julian D. Hayden Paper Competition, named in honor of long-time southwestern scholar Julian Dodge Hayden. The winning entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and publication of the paper in Kiva...