Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification—Introduction to Archaeology

GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Museum of Western Colorado, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office, will be hosting a class on February 4-5, 2006 taught by Kevin Black, the assistant Colorado State Archaeologist. This 10-hour class on the Introduction to Archaeology is the foundation class for the Colorado Archaeological Society’s Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC).

“Heritage Adventures is a developing partnership to involve the public in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of cultural heritage with a focus on west-central Colorado,” said John Lindstrom, the Museum’s BLM cultural resources lab archaeologist and director of the Museum’s new Heritage Adventures program.

The course is designed to provide a brief introduction to the field of archaeology. This includes terminology and jargon, legislation and ethics, preservation issues, and an examination of Colorado’s place in North American Prehistory. This is also a great way to kick-off 2006, the Antiquities Act Centennial, by celebrating the signing of the Act in 1906. Cost for the course is $20 per person, and the deadline for registration is Monday, January 23. After the deadline, check with the Museum to see if space is still available. For more information or to register call the Museum at 242-0971, ext. 209.

Through a partnership agreement between the Museum of Western Colorado and the BLM, more classes and events will be brought to the community in the future, providing an opportunity for people to learn and participate in the stewardship of heritage resources.

For more information about BLM’s cultural resources program, contact Aline LaForge at (970) 244-3038 or e-mail at Aline_Laforge@blm.gov. For more information about volunteering for Heritage Adventures, contact John Lindstrom at (970) 242-0971, ext. 202 or e-mail at jlindstrom@westcomuseum.org. For more information on PAAC, call (303) 866-4671, access www.coloradohistory-oahp.org, or email Kevin.black@chs.state.co.us.

###