What Ifs: Santa Fe and Southwestern Archaeology

Steve Lekson, February 23, 2017, James A. Little Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico
For over a century, individuals and institutions of Santa Fe played decisive roles in the development of Southwestern archaeology - certainly for better but, in some ways, perhaps for worse. We trace the remarkable influences of Santa Fe’s archaeologists, museums, and world-views on the practice of Southwestern archaeology and on our perceptions of the ancient past. In this entertaining talk, archaeologist Stephen Lekson asks some “what ifs?” What if: Instead of Santa Fe, Southwestern archaeology centered in Tucson? Or developed out of Ciudad Chihuahua? Or if Southwestern archaeology identified as History, rather than as a laboratory of Anthropology?
Sponsored by La Fonda on the Plaza. Series sponsored by Adobe Catering, Betty & Luke Vortman Endowment Fund, Pajarito Scientific, Flora Crichton Lecture Fund, Thornburg Investment Management, Shiprock Santa Fe.
About the School for Advanced Research (SAR): Founded in 1907, the School for Advanced Research (SAR) is one of North America’s preeminent independent institutes for the study of anthropology, related social sciences and humanities. SAR is home to the Indian Arts Research Center, one of the nation’s most important Southwest Native American art research collections. Through prestigious scholar residency and artist fellowship programs, public programs and SAR Press, SAR advances intellectual inquiry in order to better understand humankind in an increasingly global and interconnected world. Additional information on the work of our resident scholars, seminars, Native American artist fellowships, and other programs is available on the SAR website, sarweb.org/; on Facebook, / schoolforadv. . and on Twitter, @schadvresearch.