Office of Archaeological Studies | September 2025

This summer, the Office of Archaeological Studies (OAS) has been active across New Mexico, continuing its mission to make archaeology accessible, engaging, and community-centered. Educational outreach remains a cornerstone of this work, with programs delivered to a wide range of schools, libraries, festivals, and cultural institutions statewide.

Since August 2024, OAS’s Education Coordinator has led programs at over 20 schools across 22 counties—including the Academy for Technology and the Classics, Santa Fe Indian School, Gallup’s JFK Middle School, Taos IB School, and Haaku Academy at Acoma—and at more than 15 public libraries across the state. Highlights also include outreach at the Santa Fe Indian Market, Taylor Mesilla Family Day, El Morro’s Camel Corps Commemoration, Old Lincoln Days, and the Bitter Lake Dragonfly Festival.

These programs have reached over 6,200 people this past fiscal year, including 3,414 school-aged youth and 800 Native American youth, often through repeat engagements with schools and libraries. From flintknapping and pottery-making to rock art and archaeomagnetic science, OAS’s hands-on activities foster deep engagement with the past, spark curiosity, and support the long-term protection of New Mexico’s cultural heritage.

OAS has remained equally active in the field and lab. Staff analyzed over 3,000 artifacts, surveyed more than 1,100 acres, and supported 15 archaeological compliance projects across eight counties and two tribal communities. These efforts continue to balance the demands of cultural resource management with meaningful research and public interpretation.

Looking ahead, OAS is preparing to launch Living with the Land: Ice Age New Mexico, a donor-supported education initiative that will explore Pleistocene megafauna and Ice Age human environments. Featuring fossil replicas and tactile learning tools, the program will bring mammoths, dire wolves, and sabertooth cats to life for students and families statewide. As always, this work is only possible with the generosity of donors. Contributions directly support educational outreach, program development, and cutting-edge research.