“San Pedro Valley Paleoindians, Petroglyphs, and Prospectors” Archaeology and History Tour

TOUR FULL – WAITING LIST   On Saturday, January 11, 2025, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (or later), join the “San Pedro Valley Paleoindians, Petroglyphs, and Prospectors” archaeology and history tour with Vance Holliday, Merle Kilpatrick, and Allen Dart. This tour is sponsored by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, Tucson, and Friends of the San Pedro River (FOTSPR), and will be starting in Sierra Vista, Arizona. A suggested donation of $50 per person ($45 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and S’edav Va’aki Museum Foundation members) supports Old Pueblo’s education programs about archaeology and traditional cultures.

Archaeologist Vance T. Holliday, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Arizona, is joined by historian Merle Kilpatrick (Friends of the San Pedro River) and archaeologist Al Dart (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) in guiding this trip to archaeological and historic sites in southern Arizona’s upper San Pedro River valley featuring 13,000 years of history. The tour will start at the Walmart Supercenter, 500 N. Highway 90, Sierra Vista, and proceed in a vehicle caravan to Murray Springs, Millville, and Fairbank. Unlike dentist Doc Holliday of historic Tombstone fame, today’s Dr. Holliday is an expert on the earliest humans in the Americas who will lead our ca. ¼ mile roundtrip hike to the Murray Springs site and discuss other San Pedro Valley the Clovis-culture mammoth-kill sites. After a picnic lunch at Murray Springs, Mr. Kilpatrick and Al Dart will lead participants on a 1.8-mile-roundtrip trail to the Millville historic ore-processing mill ruins and precontact petroglyphs. Finally, Merle will take us through some of the historic buildings at the Historic Fairbank Townsite (ghost town) and its nearby historic cemetery. Participants provide their own transportation and picnic lunches.

Registration and prepayment are due 10 days after reservation request or by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 7, whichever is earlier. To register or for more information contact Old Pueblo at 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

Flyer: 20250111(v1)SanPedroValleyPaleoindiansPetroglyphsAndProspectorsTourFlyer

Caption: Top row: National Historic Landmark plaque at Murray Springs site¹ & San Pedro Valley mammoth excavation²; middle row: precontact petroglyphs³ & historic mill foundation ruin⁴ at Millville; bottom row: Fairbank, Ariz., circa 1890⁵ & recent view of Fairbank Mercantile building (constructed in 1882)⁶; credits: 1 & 4, Al Dart; 2, University of Arizona & Vance Holliday; 3 & 6, Ron Stewart; & 5, unknown photographer, en.wikipedia.org