Petroglyph Recording Project: Rock art has been produced in the New World for at least 10,000 years. These wonderful images, a part of our global human heritage, occurs in many area of New Mexico and the Taos valley. Because these remnants of past cultural behavior are usually in plain view, they are subject to the destructive forces of nature and rapidly increasing land modification forces of subsequent cultures. One way to preserve the anthropological and archaeological information of rock art sites is to 'completely' record the petroglyphs. A team of Taos Archaeological Society members is recording many different sites in Taos County and welcome anyone who would like to join in the fun.
Petroglyph Recording Project:
Rock art has been produced in the New World for at least 10,000 years. These wonderful images, a part of our global human heritage, occurs in many area of New Mexico and the Taos valley. Because these remnants of past cultural behavior are usually in plain view, they are subject to the destructive forces of nature and rapidly increasing land modification forces of subsequent cultures.
One way to preserve the anthropological and archaeological information of rock art sites is to 'completely' record the petroglyphs. A team of Taos Archaeological Society members is recording many different sites in Taos County and welcome anyone who would like to join in the fun.
SiteWatch Project:
TAS has a team of volunteer Site Stewards to help monitor and protect some of the wonderful cultural resources found here in the Upper Rio Grande area. We're working closely with the BLM and the Carson National. The BLM has identified about 20 sites that are "at risk" to vandalism or natural damage, and BLM archaeologist Paul Williams is taking the entire team out to each of the sites for an overview of what those risks might be. The list is a mix of Pueblo and petroglyph sites and we all feel honored to be able to visit some areas that are not well known, but of great cultural value.
As the list of sites in need of monitoring grows, we also need to grow our list of volunteers. This program is open to anyone who has an interest in the preservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings, and other cultural resources and is willing to abide by the Stewards' Code of Conduct. To become a NM SiteWatch Site Steward, an individual must submit an application and agreement form (subject to background check), and complete the "Introduction/Orientation to Site Stewardship" class.
Why is this program important?
From the New Mexico Site Steward Handbook: Our State is special. Our people, land, and history come together to create a truly unique place that we are proud to call home and which others are excited to visit. Due to a combination of dry climate, low population density, and unique history, New Mexico is blessed with thousands of cultural resources that remain in extraordinary condition. However, New Mexico is not immune to the pressures of development, increased access, and the significant growth in the illegal market for prehistoric antiquities. Single Mimbres pottery vessels are sold for more than many of our citizens might make in a year. The result has been the willful destruction of our state's special heritage.
SiteWatch is a statewide volunteer program coordinated by the State Historic Preservation Division and funded by public and private partnerships. New Mexico's cultural heritage is essential to our state and nation's knowledge and quality of life. SiteWatch seeks to conserve and protect cultural properties by coordinating the efforts of New Mexico's citizens and landowners as they serve as stewards and educational docents of their own cultural resources. By reducing the degradation of cultural treasures due to vandalism, theft, and natural processes through monitoring and education, SiteWatch ensures that irreplaceable heritage resources can be appreciated by current and future generations of New Mexicans.
Taos Archaeological Society
PO Box 143
Taos, NM, 87571