March 17, 2005. Timely through May 1, 2005.
For more information, call 1-800-422-8975, ext. 130. Media photo provided below.

Cortez, Colorado
Are you a lifelong learner? Does the ancient past intrigue and excite you? Do you want to spend your vacation doing something that will make a real and lasting contribution to scientific research? Then join us at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, located near Cortez, Colorado, for the learning adventure of a lifetime in our Adult Research Program.

Offered for selected weeks throughout the summer and early fall, the Adult Research Program is a week-long opportunity to explore the culture of the ancestral Pueblo peoples who inhabited the Mesa Verde region 800 years ago. Participants in the program work side-by-side with professional archaeologists at our new excavation site. This year the Center begins an exciting six-year project in partnership with the National Park Service—Goodman Point Archaeological Project: Community Center and Cultural Landscape Study.

No experience is necessary to participate in this hands-on research program. Crow Canyon's archaeological educators and researchers will guide program participants through the archaeological research process—from excavation and mapping to washing, sorting, and analyzing the recovered artifacts. They'll bring the area's rich prehistoric and historic past to life as participants uncover stone artifacts, pottery, architecture, and wood samples that are vital to dating sites.

Crow Canyon's researchers are knowledgeable and personable teachers who are dedicated to sharing their ideas and experiences with participants. The archaeologists at Crow Canyon have been studying the ancestral Pueblo Indians of the area for more than 20 years. Their enthusiasm is contagious and will provide an unforgettable learning experience.

Crow Canyon is located in the archaeological heartland of the American Southwest, near Mesa Verde National Park. Program participants stay in Navajo-style hogans on the Center's 170-acre campus and enjoy excellent, healthful cuisine. The cost of the program varies from $775 for full-time students to $975 for first-time attendees. The price includes all meals, lodging, and local transportation. An optional tour of Mesa Verde National Park, a World Heritage Site, is also offered with this program.

Crow Canyon is a not-for-profit organization offering excavation, workshop, and travel programs in the greater Southwest and throughout the world. To register for a program or for more information, phone 800-422-8975, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. mountain time.

The photo below may be used by the media to accompany this press release. No other use is authorized. Photographer credit and copyright notice is required.

Photo caption: Making a discovery at the excavation site. Photo by Ginnie Dunlop. Copyright © 2004 Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.