San Juan Basin Archaeological Society
Fort Lewis Collage Lyceum
DESCRIPTION
The San Juan Basin Archaeological Society invites the public to our next monthly meeting. It will be held in person and on Zoom on Wednesday, October 14th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lyceum at the Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies. After a brief business meeting, Joseph Birkmann, PhD, will present “Late Middle Archaic and Early Agricultural Period in Southern Arizona: Materials from McEuen Cave.” A reception will start things off at 6:30 p.m. in the CSWS foyer.
McEuen Cave is a key site for understanding the early adoption and spread of maize and squash in the Southwest. Its high-elevation location and well-preserved remains make it one of the most important sources for dating the arrival of these crops in southeast Arizona, offering a window into the diversity of early agricultural strategies in the region.
Dr. Birkmann earned his Ph.D. in 2025 from the University of New Mexico. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UNM and currently works for SWCA Environmental Consultants. His research interests include: The Archaic Southwest, Lithic Analysis and Replication, Early Agriculture in the North American Southwest, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, GIS, Geoarchaeology, Experimental Archaeology.
McEuen Cave is a key site for understanding the early adoption and spread of maize and squash in the Southwest. Its high-elevation location and well-preserved remains make it one of the most important sources for dating the arrival of these crops in southeast Arizona, offering a window into the diversity of early agricultural strategies in the region.
Dr. Birkmann earned his Ph.D. in 2025 from the University of New Mexico. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UNM and currently works for SWCA Environmental Consultants. His research interests include: The Archaic Southwest, Lithic Analysis and Replication, Early Agriculture in the North American Southwest, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, GIS, Geoarchaeology, Experimental Archaeology.