Location: Kit Carson Electric - 118 Cruz Alta Rd, Taos
Date: October 9th (Tuesday) @ 7:00 PM
Speaker: Bob Estes, Staff Archaeologist, New Mexico Historic Preservation Division
Subject: Acequias Historic Water Delivery Systems and Cultural Heritage of New Mexico.
Acequias have been and still are a part of the history and cultural heritage of New Mexico. The maintenance of the acequias and participation of the "parciantes" require some amount of dedication to continue the tradition of continual use. Hundreds of parciantes may be involved that go back generations in the communities. This lecture will discuss the connection of the community to the acequia system and how archaeology records acequias for the archaeological record.
The topic of Dr. Estes talk will be New Mexico acequias as archaeological sites and historic properties. The talk will also consider theoretical perspective on the importance of irrigation in the evolution of complex societies and current perspectives on the importance of acequias in maintaining traditional culture in New Mexico.
Bob Estes’ professional experience includes 30 years of archaeological work in all phases of cultural resource management throughout the American southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas), and research in the states of Chiahuahua (Archaic and Casas Grandes Cultures) and Vera Cruz ( Early Formative through Post-Classic periods), Mexico. He received his Master’s Degree of Anthropology 1992 at the University of New Mexico ad his Ph.D. in 2003. In 2011, he received a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation and Regionalism from UNM’s School of Architecture and Planning.
Currently, Dr. Estes works as an archaeologist for the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. His responsibilities include Section 106 reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act and archaeological reviews under state laws and regulations. His current interests include the historic irrigation systems in New Mexico, from those developed during the Spanish Colonial Period to the large commercial systems irrigation systems constructed and managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Join other TAS members and our speaker for Dinner at 5 PM
Guadalajara Grill South, 1384 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, across from Ace Hardware.
Arrive between 5:00 and 5:30 PM, place your order at the front, and take your number to the back room. No reservations needed.
