Tucson Archaeology Cafe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Past
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Location
Archaeology Southwest
281 N Stone Ave
Details
Join us in-person at the Archaeology Southwest Headquarters in downtown Tucson, or online via Zoom Webinar, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, as R. E. Burrillo — researcher, author, conservationist, and cultural preservationist — presents "American Archaeology: The Past, Present, and Future of the Past."
Archaeology has captured the American imagination for generations, but how much of what we think we know comes from myth, movies, and misconceptions? Burrillo takes us behind the scenes to explore archaeology's evolution from collecting and exploration into a science, while confronting its complicated ties to nationalism, colonialism, exploitation, and cultural preservation. Through lively stories of discovery, controversy, and life in the field, he invites us to look at archaeology with fresh eyes — considering not only what the past can teach us, but who gets to tell its stories, who benefits from them, and what archaeology can become in the future.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the talk begins at 6:00 p.m.
This talk is part of Archaeology Café's 2026–2027 season, Among Friends: Conversations with Archaeologists, presented by Archaeology Southwest, a nonprofit dedicated to understanding and conserving places. Archaeology Café is an informal forum bringing lifelong learners together with experts. This season celebrates the community of researchers, students, neighbors, and friends who've grown up around Archaeology Southwest over nearly 40 years, with talks held at the Tucson headquarters, select talks also traveling to the S'edav Va'aki Museum in Phoenix, and all sessions streamed live on Zoom. Can't make it live? Recordings post to the Archaeology Southwest YouTube channel a few days later.
