American Archaeology - The Past, Present, and Future of the Past

Please join the Northern Arizona Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society for a presentation by R.E. Burrillo

Archaeology has captured the American imagination for generations but how much of what we think we know about it comes from myth, movies, and misconceptions? Researcher, author, conservationist, and cultural preservationist R. E. 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, Burrillo invites us to look at archaeology with fresh eyes. Together, we’ll consider 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. R.E. Burrillo is a researcher, author, conservationist, and cultural preservationist. He holds a Master of Science in Archaeology from the University of Utah and is a Research Associate with Archaeology Southwest. His writing has appeared in Kiva, American Antiquity, Archaeology Southwest Magazine, Colorado Plateau Advocate, and The Salt Lake Tribune, along with many regional publications. He is also the author of Behind the Bears Ears: Exploring the Cultural and Natural Histories of a Sacred Landscape, which was chosen by ForeWord Book Reviews as their critic’s choice in nonfiction for the year 2020; The Backwoods of Everywhere: Words from a Wandering Local, an essay collection published in 2022; and American Archaeology: Living History, Stolen Pasts, and Defending the Future, published in 2026. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.