NEW MEXICO

Heritage Preservation Month
More than 45 New Mexico communities stage approximately 100 preservation events in May. Lectures, presentations of oral histories, and film screenings are examples of Preservation Month events held across the state. For more information, visit the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division's Web site at: http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/.

In fall months, look for the National Historic Preservation Division’s Archaeology Fair. This event features exhibits from professional archaeologists and demonstrations such as carving arrowheads from stone and spear-throwing. To find more information, go to: http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/calendar.php?eventtype=4.

The Aztec Ruins is a site of ancient stone buildings created in A.D. 1100. Visitors are allowed to walk freely among the buildings and glimpse how such structures were made. Children can earn an Aztec Ruins Junior Ranger badge by exploring the site and answering questions on an Aztec Ruins Junior Ranger Fun Sheet, located at the visitor center. For more information, visit: www.nps.gov/azru/index.htm.

Blackwater Draw Museum
The Blackwater Draw Museum in Portales displays artifacts and exhibits associated with the Blackwater Locality No. 1 Archaeological Site, one of the most important archaeological sites in the New World. More than 13,000 years are described, from mammoth hunting to modern culture. For more information, call 505-562-2202, or visit its Web site at: http://www.enmu.edu/academics/excellence/museums/blackwater-draw/museum/index.shtml.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science offers educational programs for children, including the Young Explorer's Summer Science Camp. They also have several dinosaur related exhibits, including Entrance Dinosaurs, T-Rex attack, The Bisti Beast, and Fossil Works. For more information, visit its Web site at: http://www.nmmnh-abq.mus.nm.us/nmmnh/nmmnh.html.

Maxwell Museum of Anthropology hosts many educational events. They also have exhibits on Neanderthals, our ancient human ancestors, and ice age art. There are hands-on activities for children to participate in while they learn about the south west.For more information, call 505-277-4405, or visit its Web site at: http://www.unm.edu/~maxwell/.

Find out about archeological and cultural trips in the southwest, get information about the Navajo Nation Fair, and see the Aztec Ruins National Monument. To find out about other local events, please visit: http://www.nmarchaeology.org/events.html.

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