Events
SOLD OUT
Winter Solstice Practices Amongst Ancient Cultures - Stonehenge to Crane
Presented by Ken Zoll
Friday, December 6, 3:00pm
The next winter solstice will occur on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 4:21 AM EST. The winter solstice is a time of year when the sun appears to stop and then turn north again, and many ancient cultures considered it to be an important event and celebrated it with rituals and ceremonies.
Director Emeritus and Archaeoastronomer, Ken Zoll, documented the solar calendar at the Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site, as well as at other Verde Valley and Southwest locations. Ken will discuss the importance of the winter solstice for ancient cultures including those at Stonehenge in England, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Newgrange in Ireland, Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and others. Join us for this talk with Ken, as our guide, as we step into the shoes of ancient peoples and learn the importance the skies had in their daily lives.
Following Ken’s engaging talk join us for holiday cheer! A reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, wine and beverages, and seasonal tunes performed by a renowned Jazz Trio!
Below and Beyond Perry Mesa: The Archaeology of the Greater West Verde Area, Central Arizona
Presented by R.E. Burrillo
Wednesday, January 8, 3:00pm
Reception to Follow
We surveyed 3,200 acres of a largely unstudied area extending north from Cave Creek
between Perry Mesa and the Verde River basin on behalf of the Tonto National Forest (TNF).
The results have exceeded our wildest expectations, including re-recording and new
discoveries of entire pueblo communities that challenge the existing models of settlement,
agriculture, and regional exchange within the greater Verde River region. Initial Formative
settlement is associated with the Central Arizona Tradition (CAT) and shows strong
similarities to settlement in the Cave Creek area. Settlement increased gradually until
around A.D. 1275 when there was a sharp increase in population, corresponding both
culturally and temporally to the Perry Mesa Tradition (PMT). While both CAT and PMT sites
occur throughout the study area, there is some geographic bias, with fewer CAT sites toward the northern end and few PMT sites in extreme southern end of study area. During both periods, the region maintained multidirectional cultural ties, with both Hohokam buff wares and northern white wares on CAT sites, and both Hopi Yellow wares and Salado polychromes on PMT sites. These and related results have significant implications for the culture history of both Perry Mesa and the greater Verde River cultural landscape.
Ralph "R.E." Burrillo is an archaeologist, researcher, author, and conservation advocate. He holds a Master of Science in Archaeology from the University of Utah and is a Research Associate with Archaeology Southwest. His writing has appeared in Archaeology Southwest Magazine, Colorado Plateau Advocate, The Salt Lake Tribune, along with many regional publications. He is the author of Behind the Bears Ears: Exploring the Cultural and Natural Histories of a Sacred Landscape, which was chosen by ForeWord Book Reviews as their critic's choice in nonfiction for the year 2020. His most recent book, The Backwoods of Everywhere: Words from a Wandering Local, was recently published by Torrey House Press.
