Puebloan Rebels of the Southwest, Gallina Archaeology, New Mexico – Institute for Field Research

Location: Gallina, NM, US

Season: June 12, 2023 to July 7, 2023

Session Dates: June 12 – July 7, 2023

Application Deadline: May 1, 2023

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://ifrglobal.org/program/us-nm-gallina/

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
MURR, University of Missouri, Connecticut College, Institute for Field Research

Project Director:
Dr. Lewis Borck

Project Description:

This project investigates differences in political and social organization in the North American Southwest by exploring changing architectural patterns through time. We will focus on the “out-of-phase” nature of Gallina archaeology (~A.D. 1100-1300) which researchers argue is actually evidence for a social movement aimed at contesting regional changes in religious and political power aggregation and centralization in northern New Mexico. Part of the material expression that may have created and supported this social movement was the re-unification of a previously split sacred and secular space. This re-unification could have returned religious and political power to communities at the household level and created more equitable organizational practices.

We will explore whether there is evidence of re-unification in pit house architecture in the field school. This project will focus on sites in the Llaves Valley at approximately 7,000 feet above sea level. Excavation, survey and site assessments, artifact analysis and processing, community outreach and public blogs, and collaborative discussions with local communities about the nature of our fieldwork and its future directions will all be incorporated.

Period(s) of Occupation: Southwest Archaeology, ~A.D. 1100-1300

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Participants must stay entire duration of the field school.

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No prior experience required.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Camp housing will be near Abiquiu, New Mexico at about 7,500 feet above sea level (~2300m) in an extremely arid environment, so a period of acclimation is included in the first week. Students will be living in tents, but will have access to indoor communal rooms. They will be at a site with a lot of outdoor space and will be able to find outdoor areas to relax as well as take advantage of many nearby trails for hiking and running. Conditions at the field house are basic and showers will be outdoors (but private). Camp chores will be shared amongst all of the field participants. Meals are taken communally and will provide plenty of nutritious food. New Mexican cuisine is heavily based on a mix of American, Indigenous, and Mexican (primarily Chihuahuan) cuisine and is thus heavily based around meat, beans, and rice. Chile, both red and green, are an important part of the food experience and will be incorporated, but they will be kept to the side for those whose palettes may find them too spicy. It is possible to adjust based on vegetarian or vegan diets. Other food allergies, depending on the severity, can be adjusted for as well. Please check with the field director if you have severe reactions.

Academic Credit:
8 Semester Credits credits offered by Connecticut College. Tuition is $3,775.