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

Cortez, Colorado
Living in quiet picturesque villages, the Purépecha, descendants of the ancient Tarascans, carry on a way of life based on millennia-old traditions blended with sixteenth-century Spanish Catholicism. Numbering some 400,000, these Native people prefer to be called the Purépecha, which is the name of the language that has been spoken throughout Tarascan history. Spend 10 days with Crow Canyon Archaeological Center this December, visiting the villages, viewing the petroglyphs and ruins, and enjoying the festivals and crafts of this exciting region in our upcoming exploration, The Archaeology, Cultures, and Arts of Michoacan, Mexico. Beginning and ending in Guadalajara, Mexico, the journey begins on Friday, December 2, and ends on Sunday, December 11, 2005.

Led by Dr. Phil Weigand, Dr. Hans Roskamp, Dr. Andrew Roth, and numerous native Purépecha artists and traditional knowledge specialists, this exploration promises to be an adventure into the archaeology and the modern native way of life of this region.

Early Spanish interaction with the Purépecha resulted in many abuses against the natives, but in the early 1500s, Bishop Vasco de Quiroga championed the Purépecha and helped them establish self-sufficient villages. He used the mission churches not only convert the natives to Catholicism but also to teach creative skills focused on arts and crafts. Today, arts and crafts are abundant in the region, and each village is well known for its particular specialities—carved wooden furniture, elaborately carved masks, laquerware, hand-hammered copper, pottery, fine textiles, and guitars.

Begin your adventure by exploring the little-known site of Labor de Peralta with its large pyramids, extensive habitation area, and one of the largest masonry platforms in Mesoamerica. Currently under excavation, Peralta is an extremely massive and complex site.

Move on to Las Plazuelas and Cerro de los Chichimecas with their impressive petroglyphs. Uruapan becomes the base for the following explorations into Paracho, Chean, Zacan, Angahuan, and the volcano Paricutín. A stop at the ruins of Tinganio reveals the Teotihuacán and Toltec influences in this area.

Enjoy the charming villages of Santa Clara del Cobre, well known for its copper crafts, and Pátzcuaro, a jewel of Mexican towns. The area around Lake Pátzcuaro in central Mexico's state of Michoacan is famous for wonderful folkloric festivals and for the monumental ruins of the ancient Tarascan Empire, including its last capital, Tzintzuntzan. Nearby visit its predecessor, Ihuatzio, with its double pyramid, and the magnificent city of Tingambato, which features a pyramid and ball court. Explore both of these before concluding your journey with a visit to Morelia. Named a national and international monument, Morelia is home to one of the oldest colleges in all of the Americas.

The cost of the program is $4,495. The price includes Crow Canyon tuition, most meals, all admissions, gratuities, and transportation after your arrival in Guadalajara.

Crow Canyon is a not-for-profit organization, located in the archaeological heartland of the American Southwest, near Mesa Verde National Park, offering excavation, workshop, and travel programs in the greater Southwest and throughout the world.

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.

The monumental ruins of Tzintzuntzan in Michoacan, Mexico. Photo by Phil C. Weigand. Copyright © 2002 Phil C. Weigand.