Prof. Darryl Wilkinson Brings Dartmouth Students on Archeology Field-Trip

This summer, Prof. Darryl Wilkinson from the Religion Department led an archaeological survey of rock art sites in northern New Mexico, with the assistance of three Dartmouth undergraduates: Gabrielle Cooper, Emily Andrews and Emma Garland. Over a hundred new rock art sites were recorded during the 3-week trip, from a wide variety of time periods. The oldest rock art found by the Dartmouth team was from the Archaic Period, and likely represents the ritual activities of hunting and gathering peoples over 2,000 years ago. Some of the more recent religious iconography included Christian crosses from the colonial era, probably made by people of mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry. The team recorded the rock art using a range of methods, including drawing, photography and GPS mapping.

In addition to their survey work, the crew visited several major historical and archaeological sites throughout New Mexico. These included the important Ancestral Puebloan sites of Chaco Canyon, Aztec Ruins and Bandelier National Monument. There were also field trips to Chimayó, the most visited Roman Catholic sanctuary in the United States, and El Morro National Monument, which includes the oldest known inscriptions left by Spanish colonists in New Mexico, dating from 1605 onwards. Prof. Wilkinson regularly carries out fieldwork in New Mexico during the summer term, and will continue to provide opportunities for Dartmouth students to participate in future years.