About this Event
In this presentation, local archaeologist Michael Kellett, M.A., will present his research on prehistoric obsidian acquisition in the Northern and Southern Sinagua, Prescott, and Cohonina culture areas. Kellett will share the plausible foraging and exchange routes he has mapped through analyzing obsidian artifacts at 608 prehistoric sites in west-central Arizona using a portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. He will explain how he has inferred these routes based on the spatial distribution of obsidian artifacts and least-cost path modeling that integrates slope, proximity to water, and vegetation community type.
Doors open at 6:30pm.
*The event is free, but space is limited, and registration is required to attend. The talk will be live-streamed to our YouTube Channel for those unable to attend in person.
Michael Kellett has a total of 25 years of experience working with the BLM and Forest Service, including three years supervising the heritage program on the Prescott National Forest. After retiring from federal land management, he completed his MA in Anthropology (research) at NAU and has over three years of experience as a professional archaeologist. His archaeological experience has included inventory and recording of cultural and historic resources in Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, New Mexico, and Oregon. His experience also includes pedestrian survey, excavation, and construction monitoring. In addition to these experiences, Kellett holds a red card as a fire archaeologist, fire-line resource advisor, and burned area emergency response specialist. He has served in these capacities on dozens of wildland fire incidents throughout the Western US for 24 years.
is the second installment of NHI's humanities speakers series exploring the relationship between people and place in Arizona and the broader Southwest. Explore how humans have shaped and been shaped by the landscape of our region over time in this series of talks from archaeologists, Indigenous historians, ethnobotanists, activists, and authors.
This program was made possible by and sponsored by .
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Natural History Institute, 126 North Marina Street, Prescott, United States
USD 0.00