Recent News
In summer 2007, Sunday Eiselt inaugurated the department's first
community-based archeology field school at the Ranchos de Taos plaza in northern
New Mexico. This multi-year project, supported in part through an SMU
Presidential Partners Grant, investigates the genesis and evolution of Hispanic
Penitente Society during the Spanish Colonial and U.S. Territorial periods, and
it introduces SMU students to the complexities of working with living
communities to meet their heritage goals. Students were immersed in northern Rio
Grande society while conducting Hispanic rock art research and excavations in
the homes of local residents on the Plaza.
Students at the 2007 SMU-in-Taos Archaeological Field School
From left to right: Cameron Turley (SMU), Angela Cesander (SMU), Lauren
O’Brien ( Tulane University), Hannah Kolni (SMU), Renaldo Pellerin
(SMU), Rachel Hearn (SMU), Albert Gonzalez (Graduate Student Instructor
SMU), Leslie Reeder (Graduate Student Instructor SMU), Amy Broihier
(SMU), Michael Sandoval (Taos Pueblo), Amber Allgeier (SMU), Barbara
DaSheiff (UT Arlington), Preeyanuch Jumprom (Silpakorn University,
Bangkok), Pipad Krajaejun (Silpakorn University, Bangkok), Allison
McCabe (Taos Pueblo), Mario Lujan (Taos)
