Archaeology Research Program
Excavate alongside our archaeologists at the Haynie site
2020 Dates:
August 2 – 8, 2020
September 13 – 19, 2020
September 20 – 26, 2020 (Alum Week)
Registration for 2020 research programs is now open! Hurry, please call our Enrollment Specialists today!
In 2017, Crow Canyon archaeologists launched a new multiyear project, the Northern Chaco Outliers Project. The focus of the project is the Haynie site, a significant ancestral Pueblo village located just northeast of Cortez. The Haynie site contains two Chaco–period (A.D. 1050–1140) great houses and numerous small houses. It's part of one of the densest concentrations of great houses north of Aztec Ruins National Monument. Join us this year at the Haynie site and in our research lab!
Highlights
- Learn excavation techniques—then excavate alongside our archaeologists. What will you discover?
- Work in our archaeology lab, helping to wash, identify, and analyze ancient artifacts.
- Explore the cliff dwellings of nearby Mesa Verde National Park on a day-long guided tour (for participants new to Crow Canyon). Alums spend more time in the field.
- Enjoy evening talks on current topics in Southwestern archaeology.
Complete schedules:
To our valued participants: We appreciate your support and welcome your registration in our programs. Given the ongoing uncertainty around social distancing and travel guidelines, we are no longer requiring deposits upon registration. This will allow a smooth process for both our travelers and our organization if it becomes necessary to cancel additional programs due to the coronavirus pandemic. If you have questions about this policy for our Cultural Exploration programs, please contact Tayler Hasbrouck at 970-564-4366 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. With questions about any of our other on-campus programs please contact Laura Brown at 970-564-4346 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Steve Copeland (B.A., Anthropology, University of Colorado) has worked at Crow Canyon since 2006 as a Field Archaeologist. During the program season, Steve is responsible for teaching students and adults archaeological field methods, so if your program includes site excavation, he’ll show you how to dig, screen, measure, map, and document your finds. Steve’s research interests include architecture and Southwest studies; on his days off, he enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, and spending time with family.
Kellam Throgmorton (Ph.D. Binghamton University) is the Supervisory Archaeologist for the Northern Chaco Outliers Project. He received his Ph.D. from Binghamton University in 2019. His research interests include early villages, sociopolitical organization, landscape archaeology, and architecture. Kellam’s dissertation works considered Chacoan landscapes as a form of political action, and he conducted fieldwork at two Chacoan outlier communities—Morris 40 (near Farmington, NM), and Padilla Wash (in Chaco Culture National Historical Park). He has assisted in research at numerous outliers, including Chimney Rock, Las Ventanas, and Aztec North. Kellam is excited to be working at the Haynie site and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm with students and participants.
Tim Wilcox is a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University with 30 years of experience in Southwest archaeology working for organizations like the Navajo Nation Archaeology Department, Desert Archaeology Inc., and Stanford University Heritage Services. He also served as a ceramic specialist consultant for the Eiteljorg Museum of the West and the Poeh Center in New Mexico. At Stanford, Tim is in the process of completing his dissertation on proto-historic and Pueblo Revolt era pottery with a focus on group social dynamics and technology of style. He is also an accomplished replica potter (Pueblo and Diné pottery), flintknapper, weaver, and hide tanner. Tim, who is Diné and Tewa (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo), also has extensive experience with tribal consultation, community engagement, and agency partnerships.
Program tuition includes shared accommodations in comfortable, rustic Navajo-style log cabins (“hogans”), each housing up to four people in a single room. Shared, modern shower and toilet facilities are located in a separate building adjacent to the hogans. The hogans are set amid juniper and pinyon trees on our campus.
