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North American Archaeology News and Events, 30 Ramey Dr, Collinsville, IL (2026)

06/19/2026

Monday, June 22 • 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Zoom
“Cholula: Mesoamerica’s Eternal City”
with John M.D. Pohl, PhD, California State – Los Angeles

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88910688073

From 1300-1600, the city of Cholula served as a coordinating center for Eastern Nahua kingdoms across the Plain of Puebla by maintaining a rotational political system in which nobles were confirmed in their positions first through Prehispanic rituals dedicated to the patron god Quetzalcoatl and subsequently through the cults of the Virgen de los Remedios together with San Gabriel and San Miguel. In so doing, this pilgrimage and religious center coordinated but did not dominate its constituents by centering an organizational ideology through religious cult and promoting the replication of its ritual practices through a world system across Mesoamerica in ways that colonial historians compared to both Mecca and the Vatican during the Early Modern period of the Mediterranean world.

John M.D. Pohl is an archaeologist who specializes in the ancient art and writing of the Zapotec, Mixtec, and Nahua civilizations of southern Mexico. He is noted for bringing the ancient past to life using a wide variety of innovative skills while teaching with the departments of Anthropology, Art History, and Chicana(o) Studies at Cal State LA. His background in archaeology, art history, and media production have taken him from feature film and television production to museum exhibition development with the Getty Villa Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Princeton University Museum of Art, and the Museum of the Cherokee People among other institutions. He has published numerous books and articles including Exploring Mesoamerica and The Legend of Lord Eight Deer, both with Oxford University Press. Together with Michael Mathiowetz, he is co-editor of the acclaimed volume: Reassessing the Aztatlán World for the University of Utah Press.

06/16/2026

Mounds North of Cahokia: Sixty Years of Archaeology at the Mitchell Site, edited by Erin M. Benson with contributions by Michael J. Aiuvalasit, Erin M. Benson, Don L. Booth, Madeleine G. Evans, Kristin M. Hedman, Isabelle Holland-Lulewicz, Nicholas Kessler, Robert G. McCullough, Caitlin G. Rankin, Kimberly Schaefer, and B. Jacob Skousen, and a foreword by Timothy R. Pauketat.

In 1960, the first bulldozers plowed through the core of the Mitchell site (11MS30), a large and significant Mississippian mound center still sacred to modern descendant Tribes, as highway workers began to clear the way for Interstate 270. The 11 mounds were largely destroyed and used as fill, except for one that had already been leveled in the late nineteenth century and two others that were just outside the I-270 project area. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 made it possible for Illinois archaeologists to... salvage the features, mounds, and materials of Mitchell over three summers between 1960 and 1962. These investigations were led by James W. Porter, whose research and dissertation on Mitchell have served as foundational sources on the site since their publication. In total, 292 features were excavated by Porter and his crew in the 1960s and 1975, and an additional 81 were investigated in 2015. After reanalysis of the data, the authors argue that Mitchell was an important Cahokian mound center engaged in specialized activities and oriented to celestial bodies and events, similar to other major Mississippian sites in the region. This report illuminates [that] Mitchell was a vibrant and dynamic place, particularly during the Stirling phase (1100-1200 CE). Most importantly, geophysics and coring have demonstrated that parts of Mitchell remain intact but are buried beneath modern construction fills, and we advocate for the preservation of what remains.

Use our new ISAS Publications Order Form to order Research Report 55 Mounds North of Cahokia or any of our other available publications. If you have any questions, you can contact us at [email protected].

06/07/2026

June 8, 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Virtual Event:

"Painting the Effigy Censers of Palenque: A Diachronic Study of Color and Materials”

with Ángela Ejarque Gallardo, PhD, SECIHTI Postdoctoral Researcher at Coordinación Nacional de Conservación del
Patrimonio Cultural, CNCPC-INAH, México

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83649128298

The artists of Palenque developed a distinctive chromatic universe that shaped the city’s cultural identity for more than six centuries. From the beginning of the Early Classic period (200 CE), Palenque artistic production was closely tied to political and religious spheres, as evidenced by the effigy censers of the Cross Group. These objects constitute a chronological sequence that allows us to trace cultural and stylistic evolution within a deeply symbolic visual tradition.

Within this framework, color functioned as a medium for materializing ritual and political discourse. Changes in the use and materiality of color reveal two key moments of pictorial transformation: around the mid-fourth century (350 CE) and the early eighth century (700 CE).

The manipulation of raw materials – minerals with chromatic properties, natural earths, indigo, and clays – allowed artisans to create a broad chromatic palette with diverse hues, tonalities, and saturation levels. Through pigment mixtures, the superimposition of painted layers, and the preparation of different mediums (including ceramics, stucco, and stone) artists expanded the visual and material possibilities of creative practices. Through this interplay between color, technology, and materiality, meaning was constructed and Palenque visual ideology was articulated across time. This presentation explores how these transformations involved not only shifts in chromatic preferences, but also technological innovations in pigment manufacturing and preparation.
Ángela Ejarque Gallardo studied Art History and Archaeology at the Universitat de València, in Spain. She completed an M.A. in Mesoamerican Studies (2015–2017) and a PhD in Art History (2019–2024) at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City. Since 2018, she has collaborated with the LANCIC laboratory at the Institute of Physics, UNAM, and is currently a SECIHTI postdoctoral fellow at the Coordinación Nacional de Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural, of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, where she is developing a project on the documentation and identification of polychromy in the Maya city of Palenque.

Her research focuses on the study of archaeological and artistic materials through Heritage Science, with particular emphasis on color, pictorial technology, and ceramics. She has worked on the relationship between pigments and funerary practices at Teotihuacan and currently focuses on the technological study of color in archaeological collections from the Chiapas region, including Palenque and Tonina.

And

“In Search of Maya Jade: Exploring Historic and Contemporary Artworks”

now on our You Tube page

Access this active hyperlink to view the recording:
https://youtu.be/-RzThzgyQt8

06/03/2026

June 2026 Ancient Americas Zoom Events and Museum Exhibits
https://mikeruggerisevents.tumblr.com/

JUNE 2026 ANCIENT AMERICAS ZOOM EVENTS AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS

June 3, 7:00 PM ET
Penn Museum Zoom

“Archaeology in Action: A Maya Mystery Revisited at Chichen Itza”

Simon Martin
Register here:
https://446.blackbaudhosting.com/446/Archaeology-in-Action-A-Maya-Mystery-Revisited-at-Chichen-Itza

June 5, 7:00 PM
Pre-Columbian Society of Washington DC June Zoom

"New Research on the Chaco South Road”

This lecture will be presented virtually on the Society’s Zoom platform. You must be preregistered to attend.
To register, click here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HuqpKq40QUCqVidIn71_xQ #/registration

June 8, 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Zoom

“Painting the Effigy Censers of Palenque: A Diachronic Study of Color and Materials”

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83649128298

June 11, 7:30 PM PT
Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Zoom

"Voices from Coaybay: The Archaeological Study and Preservation of a Deep-Water Sinkhole in the Dominican Republic”

Email a registration request to [email protected] by noon on the day of the meeting.
You will receive an email shortly with a link to the Zoom meeting.

June 15, 7:00 PM MT
AAHS Zoom

"New Insights from Research at the Mares Rockshelter, Doña Ana County, New Mexico”

Register here;
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vhGanVV6SmS6wKl55z130g #/registration

June 18, 7:00 PM MT
Old Pueblo Archaeological Center Zoom

“The American Upper Paleolithic and Evidence from the Gault Archaeological Site”

To register for the Zoom webinar go to
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HszxiMafRlaEt96O8xD3Gg

June 20, 10;00 AM PT
De Young Museum Zoom
"Silk and Silver Threads: Brilliance and Sheen in Andean Textile Traditions”

Registration is via eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/silk-and-silver-threads-brilliance-and-sheen-in-andean-textile-traditions-tickets-1987143210836?msockid=38e279ebb65d680d2d81685cb7a6694e

June 22, 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Zoom

“Cholula: Mesoamerica’s Eternal City”

with John M.D. Pohl, PhD, California State University – Los Angeles
Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88910688073

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

image.webp[This is a nm-arch-l posting. Do not simply "reply" to sender.]
March 19, 2026-January 3, 2027
University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology Exhibit

"Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision”

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-events?_evDiscoveryPath=/event%2F3503134-the-museum-of-anthropology-at-ubc-presents-tupananchiskama-ancient-andean-cosmovision

Ancient Americas Lectures on You Tube

https://mikeruggerisyoutube.tumblr.com

06/03/2026

JUNE 2026 AZTLANDER; VOICE OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS
https://publuu.com/flip-book/288247/2495163

Greetings Aztlanders !

Welcome to the June issue, a special issue, jam-packed with interesting scholarly articles, some that I am sure will “wow” you!

We’ve got two wonderful virtual presentations in store for you this month that I’ll explain in a moment, but first I want to share about the cover.

Nothing I enjoy more than publishing original artwork. On the cover, we have one of four images created by Julia Bolles that depict the encounter with a large Maya trading vessel during Columbus’ fourth voyage to the new world, with the report by his son Fernando. Sure, Julia, daughter of David Bolles who submitted the article, had some help from AI. But, under her guidance and prompts, the images are totally new and most admirable. Thank you, Julia.

The title of David Bolles' article is "Fernando Colon and His Report of a large Maya Trading Vessel." I'm sure you will enjoy it. Nib óolal (thank you), David.

Our first June virtual event on Monday, June 8, features Ángela Ejarque Gallado. The title of her program is “Painting the Effigy Censers of Palenque: A Diachronic Study of Color and Materials.” Should be an interesting program. Ángela is a SECIHTI Postdoctoral Researcher at Coordinación Nacional de Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural, INAH, Mexico. She is our first presenter to represent INAH, which to me is an honor. The presentation will be in English. Please show up to support her work;

the program link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83649128298

Our second virtual presenter on Monday, June 22, is the knowledgeable and always entertaining John M.D. Pohl of California State University – LA. John is an expert in Mesoamerican studies and has presented for us previously. We continue with our third program about the “site you’ve never heard of” Cholula. John program is titled: “Cholula: Mesoamerica’s Eternal City,” and the title of his separate article is “The Cholula Religious cult.” Be there on June 22 to hang with one of the greats!

John’s program link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88910688073

Bruce Love, who will be presenting in October, has a book out that you may be interested in. In fact, I procured by own signed copy of The Paris Codex: Handbook for a Maya Priest. “The Maya civilization left many records carved in the stones of its cities, but only four hand painted books, or codices, are known to have survived from the Precolumbian era. The Paris Codex is one of these, and this groundbreaking study was the first comprehensive treatment of this codex since 1910.” About this 30th edition of his great book, Bruce notes “The Maya that I have worked with are eager to share this knowledge with the outside world. I present this book to you, the reader, with their blessing.” Make sure it is a part of your collection; it’s offered at a great price.

June starts the summer months, and many groups and societies are starting to take their summer break. We’ve got only 3-1/2 pages up upcoming June virtual events for you. One thing of note, our two Aztlander events were the only June events (besides their own) featured in the June issue of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington DC’s Smoking Mirror newsletter. A sign of the times. Their June virtual event will be with Robert Weiner, who has previously presented twice for The Aztlander.

We have featured the beautiful paintings of well-known artist Richard Corwin in the pages of The Aztlander a couple years ago. Now, his images of a jaguar, a black panther, a Lacandon in the jungles of Yaxchilan or the famous Lamanai stucco mask, are offered for sale. We provide Richard’s email address so you can procure one for yourself. Many are award-winning or have been featured in art gallery shows.

Our illustrator friend Steve Radzi has submitted a nice illustration of Structure A7 in the Puuc Hills site of Kiuic. Gracias Don Esteban.

We offer up various Noteworthy Posts in the News with current topics about archaeology and research in South America, El Salvador, and the Maya.

Finally, we provide the links to the recordings of our two previous Cholula programs, “Cholula’s Broken Mountain” with Jonathan Extract, and “Cholula: Crossroads, Melting Pot, Mecca” with Geoffrey McCafferty. If you haven’t seen them, you have something more to look forward to besides our two new June virtual events. Fill your month with goodness (and learning!).

I want to give a shout out to my proofreader Janice Van Cleve. How she manages to look over 43 pages and come up with a list of errors or things to pay attention to, I'm not sure. But, thank you very much Janice ! Great job.

Enjoy your month of June and your June Aztlander. Cheers!

Jim Reed, editor/creator
Michael Ruggeri, Main Man

05/24/2026

Monday, May 25 • 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Zoom

“In Search of Maya Jade: Exploring Historic and Contemporary Artworks”

with Helen Serras-Herman, Sculptor MFA, Gemologist FGA

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85346642940?pwd=Gp942eaPPZBbf6kLM83PWjE8aIFBCc.1

Remember this Passcode: 886345 (although you probably won’t be asked for it)

In this presentation, we’ll first travel back in history to the Maya world and marvel at their jade masterpieces. Then we’ll explore all the current Guatemalan jade varieties – including the green and lavender jadeite, the “Olmec” blue, and the black “galactic gold” omphacite jade – how they are identified and distinguished, and their value – a critical topic for appraisers today as more pieces are reaching consumers and the market.

Jade was revered in the Maya world, an ancient culture that flourished in the first millennium CE in Mexico and Central America. The sources for Mesoamerican jade were lost for the past five centuries, primarily because the Spanish conquistadores did not value jade. Today we know the exact location of many of the ancient mines, re-discovered in 1974 in the Motagua River Valley of Guatemala. A magnificent variety of jadeite colors is now mined in Guatemala. Helen will share the jade rediscovery story of Mary Lou and Jay Ridinger, who in April 2024 celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of the ancient jade mines, with a grand event in Antigua, a celebration Helen was honored to attend.
We’ll look at fabulous jade carvings from museum collections, including the Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, the Popol Vuh, and the Miraflores Museum in Guatemala City, all recently completely renovated with up-to-date display cases and exhibits. We will also go behind the scenes at the Jades S.A. factory for carving jade in Antigua, Guatemala, look at the carving jade machinery and equipment, and explore their high-end jade artworks, how they can be identified and valued. Lastly, we’ll look at contemporary works by gem artists and Helen’s Maya Jade Collection, her own work that celebrates the gem material revered by the Mayas.

Helen Serras-Herman, a 2003 National Lapidary Hall of Fame inductee, is an acclaimed gem sculptor with over 40 years of experience in unique gem sculpture and jewelry art and a graduate gemologist (FGA). See her work at www.gemartcenter.com and her business page at Gem Art Center/Helen Serras-Herman.

Please plan on attending... you might learn something new about Jade !
____________________________

Aztlander previous presentation now on You Tube;

“Cholula: Crossroads, Melting Pot, Mecca”
with Geoffrey McCafferty, Professor emeritus, University of Calgary

Access this active hyperlink to view the recording:

https://youtu.be/54LfhpdpOEY

05/11/2026

Tuesday, May 12 • 8 PM ET
Aztlander Zoom

“Cholula: Crossroads, Melting Pot, Mecca”

with Geoffrey McCafferty, Professor emeritus, University of Calgary

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83515251885?pwd=bwMJGUuEKGDpndx57fRGGKOOWYbfPE.1

Remember this Passcode: 941428 (in case you are prompted for it)

This event is on Tuesday evening, LIVE FROM NICARAGUA!

Cholula (Puebla, Mexico) is one of the most enigmatic cities of ancient Mesoamerica. Located in the Puebla/Tlaxcala valley of central Mexico, it is strategically located between the Basin of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and the southern highlands of Oaxaca. Archaeological evidence indicates continuous occupation for at least 3000 years, much of it centered around the Great Pyramid, Tlachihualtepetl, a pilgrimage center that 16th-century chroniclers described as the “Rome of Anahuac.” A rich ethnohistorical literature describes Cholula’s role in regional religion as the cult center for the veneration of Quetzalcoatl and his avatars. It also recounts Cholula’s role as a ‘port of trade’ for long distance merchants.
One important aspect that sets Cholula apart from other Mesoamerican centers is its longevity, surviving and even flourishing while other prominent sites such as Monte Alban, Teotihuacan, and Tula floundered. Why? What factors contributed to the resilience with which Cholultecas adapted to the social and political turbulence? This presentation will outline Cholula’s long history, interacting with Olmecs, Zapotecs, Teotihuacanos, Mayas, Toltecs, Aztecs, and more. We will consider the significance of the ceremonial center, the long-distance exchange network, the religious hegemony of the Quetzalcoatl cult, and the development of the Mixteca-Puebla stylistic tradition used in elite interaction. Evidence is drawn from over 100 years of archaeological research, ethnohistorical sources (including Precolumbian pictorial manuscripts), and contemporary ethnography... because Cholula continues as a vibrant cultural center maintaining and transforming ancient traditions as it negotiates 21st century realities.

Geoffrey McCafferty began a tenure-track professorship at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) in 1999, with a focus on Mesoamerican and Central American archaeology. With a small start-up grant, he initiated excavations at Santa Isabel, Nicaragua, to investigate ethnohistorical claims of migration from central Mexico into Pacific Nicaragua. As expected, the polychrome pottery from the Early Postclassic period was quite similar to Mixteca-Puebla style pottery from Cholula, supporting the migration hypothesis, yet other lines of evidence contrasted with Mesoamerican practices.
Since 2000, and with the help of several multi-year grants from Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, he has investigated numerous sites along the shore of Lake Cocibolca in southwestern Nicaragua to further explore the ‘Mexican’ connection. He also co-directed (with his wife Sharisse) the Mi Museo museum of Precolumbian art in Granada, Nicaragua, conducting research on the ceramic iconography. He and Sharisse are currently finishing a book on the animal imagery of Precolumbian Nicaragua and its ties to Indigenous cosmovision.
Thus, the two major research themes of Cholula and Pacific Nicaragua are integrated into an overarching interest in migration and ethnogenesis, especially through the beautiful polychrome ceramics. An additional research topic, also in collaboration with Sharisse, involves Precolumbian gender relations. They have focused on textile production as a stereotypical female activity with strong ideological underpinnings, informed through iconographic analyses of Precolumbian and Colonial pictorial manuscripts.
Dr. McCafferty has published five monographs, two edited volumes, and over 100 academic and popular articles on such topics as ceramics and chronologies, domestic practices, engendered behaviors, mortuary patterns, and more.

05/04/2026

MAY 2026 ANCIENT AMERICAS ZOOM EVENTS AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Americas Events on Tumblr
https://mikeruggerisevents.tumblr.com

May 8, 7:00 PM ET
Pre-Columbian Society of Washington DC May Zoom

"Specialization as Survival: Navigating Economic and Environmental Risk on the Prehispanic Andean Coast”

Register here when they put the URL up shortly;
http://www.pcswdc.org/events

May 9, 1:30 PM ET
The Pre-Columbian Society at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology Zoom

"Recovering a Zapotec Language from Hieroglyphic Texts"

John Justeson, Prof. Emeritus of the State University of New York at Albany

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3804685493?omn=89646841275

Meeting ID: 380 468 5493

May 11, 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Virtual Event:

“Cholula: Crossroads, Melting Pot, Mecca”

with Geoffrey McCafferty, Professor emeritus, University of Calgary

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83515251885?pwd=bwMJGUuEKGDpndx57fRGGKOOWYbfPE.1

Remember to use this Passcode: 941428 (if requested)

May 13, 6:30 PM Arizona Mountain Standard Time, Same as PT
San Tan Chapter, Arizona Archaeological Society

“Eastern Constellations: Obsidian Sourcing and How Stone Tools Were Made and Acquired at the Sabino Canyon Ruin, Eastern Tucson Basin, Arizona”

To register contact Marie Britton at [email protected]

May 14, 7:30 PM PT
Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Zoom

“Rewriting the Legacy of the Rose Spring Site (CA-INY-372)”

Email a registration request to [email protected] by noon on the day of the meeting.
You will receive an email shortly with a link to the Zoom meeting.

May 18, 7:00 PM MT
AAHS Zoom

"Reevaluating Form and Function of Hilltop Architecture with Drone Imagery and 3-D Modeling”

https://aahs1916.org/event/michael-kellet-tba/

May 21, 7:00 PM MT
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s “Third Thursday Food for Thought” Zoom

“Exposing Frauds, Busting Myths, and Solving Mysteries in American Southwest Archaeology”

https://www.oldpueblo.org/event/exposing-frauds-busting-myths-and-solving-mysteries-in-american-southwest-archaeology-online-presentation/

May 25, 8:00 PM ET
Aztlander Virtual Event

“In Search of Maya Jade”

Access this active hyperlink to join the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85346642940?pwd=Gp942eaPPZBbf6kLM83PWjE8aIFBCc.1

Remember this Passcode: 88634

May 28, 12:00 PM MT
Amerind Zoom

“Cíbola in Chacoan & Post-Chacoan Times”

Register here:
https://bit.ly/Amerindonline05282026Kintigh

05/02/2026

MAY 2026 AZTLANDER; VOICE OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS
https://publuu.com/flip-book/288247/2452154

04/30/2026

MARCH/APRIL MAGAZINE OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AZTLANDER; VOICE OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS FEBRUARY-APRIL

RECENT ANCIENT MAYA NEWS

RECENT ANCIENT ANDEAN NEWS

RECENT ANCIENT NORTH AMERICA NEWS

RECENT PRE-CLOVIS NEWS

RECENT ANCIENT AMAZON NEWS

RECENT ANCIENT PANAMA NEWS

https://magazineoftheancientamericas.tumblr.com/

North American Archaeology News and Events

06/19/2026

06/16/2026

06/07/2026

06/03/2026

06/03/2026

05/24/2026

05/11/2026

05/04/2026

05/02/2026

04/30/2026

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