About Us

What is The Archaeological Conservancy?

The Archaeological Conservancy is the only national, nonprofit organization that identifies, acquires, and preserves the most significant archaeological sites in the United States. Since its beginning in 1980, the Conservancy has now preserved 565 sites across the nation, ranging in age from the earliest habitation sites in North America to a 19th-century frontier army post. Learn about our amazing 500th Site. We are building a national system of archaeological preserves to ensure the survival of our irreplaceable cultural heritage.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:
Conservancy Staff | Conservancy Board Members
Our National Preservation Work | Watch Videos about our Preservation Work

Our main office located at 1717 Girard Blvd NE Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Why save archaeological sites?

When ancestral Native American villages are damaged and destroyed by looters or leveled for shopping centers, it lessens us as Americans. Precious ties that link all of us to these storied places are also destroyed forever.

Over the past few decades, the knowledge and methods of modern archaeologists have advanced tremendously. Today researchers use technologies such as tree-ring dating, radiocarbon dating, archaeomagnetic dating, obsidian hydration dating, pollen analysis, and trace-element analysis to glean information from the archaeological record. Few of these technologies existed 50 years ago. For this reason, it’s important that we keep a significant portion of raw data in the ground, where future archaeologists with even more advanced knowledge and technologies will have access to it.

Aerial View of Arroyo Hondo Preserve near Santa Fe, New Mexico from Episode 1 of our Virtual Tour Video Series on YouTube.

What does The Conservancy own?

Since its beginning in 1980, the Conservancy has now acquired 500 endangered sites in 43 states across America. These preserves range in size from a few acres to more than 1,000 acres. They include the earliest habitation sites in North America, a 19th-century frontier army post, and nearly every major cultural period in between.

Examples of Conservancy preserves include California’s Borax Lake site, which encompasses 11,000 years of human occupation; the first mission of Father Kino, as well as several important Sinagua and Hohokam ruins in Arizona; important Caddo Indian sites in Texas and Oklahoma; and in Georgia, key cultural locales of the region’s first Indians.

Pueblo San Marcos
NEW MEXICO
Preserved since 1981
Borax Lake Preserve
CALIFORNIA
Preserved since 1989
Windover Preserve
FLORIDA
Preserved since 2013
Arbuckle's Fort
WEST VIRGINIA
Preserved since 2020
Twin Mounds
ILLINOIS
Preserved since 2020
Sugarloaf Pueblo
ARIZONA
Preserved since 1991
Leonard Rockshelter
NEVADA
Preserved since 2002
The Sharrow Preserve
MAINE
Preserved since 1999
Haynie Preserve
COLORADO
Preserved since 2019
Prospect Hill Preserve
MISSISSIPPI
Preserved since 2011
Smith Family Preserve
UTAH
Preserved since 2013
Stallings Island
GEORGIA
Preserved since 1997
NEHFES
Synagogue Site
CONNECTICUT
Preserved since 2021

And the list goes on: several ancient Indian villages in Florida; Mississippian sites in Arkansas and Missouri, at least two of which Hernando de Soto visited in 1541; villages of the eastern lakeshore peoples in Michigan; ancestral sites of New Mexico’s Pueblo people; in Colorado, Yellowjacket and Mud Springs Pueblos–the two largest ruins of the Mesa Verde culture; and in the Northeast, two Paleo-Indian sites and a Seneca Iroquois village.

Some Conservancy sites have been incorporated into public parks such as Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, Parkin Archeological State Park in Arkansas, and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ohio.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:  Regional Offices | Acquisitions | Virtual Tours of our Preserves

How does The Conservancy raise funds?

Funds from the Conservancy come from membership dues, individual contributions, corporations and foundations. Membership dues, gifts and bequests of money, land, and securities are fully tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Planned giving provides donors with substantial tax deductions and a variety of beneficiary possibilities. For more information, call Mark Michel at (505) 266-1540. Help Us and DONATE NOW!

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