President's Statement

Welcome to the New Mexico Archeological Council website. The Council, commonly known
as “New MAC,” has a long history of involvement in New Mexico archaeology. New Mexico is
a state with about 160,000 currently recorded archaeological sites within its 121,400
square miles. There may be no state with more archaeological research going on, or more
archaeologists active in research or cultural resource management.

In the 1970s, economic development and population growth prompted the many
professionals working in the federal, state, private and academic sectors to establish an
organization that would be a forum to discuss their common concerns, monitor events that
affect the state’s cultural resources, and ensure the pursuit of high-quality research. That
is still the goal of the organization.

If you are a professional archaeologist, or someone interested in the protection of New
Mexico’s heritage, then NMAC is for you. NMAC offers workshops in diverse archaeological
specialties, organizes conferences, provides overview tours of archaeological regions, alerts
members to potentially harmful changes in archaeological regulations, and gets involved
with the development of federal and state policies and regulations. As an example, NMAC
works with the State Historic Preservation Division in the design of educational
opportunities that will allow members to meet the division’s permit requirements for
continuing education.

NMAC members care about archaeology and are people who get involved. The website
offers more information about our activities and goals. If these are things that you care
about, then join us!