2026 AAC Fall Conference 

Friday, October 2, 2026

8:30 am. to 5 p.m., with registration pick-up starting at 8 a.m. 

There is also an option to pick up registration the evening before.

Nogales, Arizona

Venue: Santa Cruz County Provisional Community College District

2021 N. Grand Avenue, Nogales, Arizona 85621

Theme: “Frontiers and Exchange” / “Fronteras y Intercambio”

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Registration now open!

Register to attend the conference here.

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AAC Fall Conference Tours

Saturday, October 3, 2026

1) Tour of Guevavi Mission

(Note: Tumacácori National Historical Park. In the event of a government shutdown, this tour will be cancelled).

La Misión de San Gabriel de Guevavi was founded by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino in 1691 and archaeological evidence demonstrates that the area was inhabited by the Ancestral O’odham for several centuries prior. Although one of the most important Mission-Era settlements along the Arizona-Sonora border, the mission ruins are typically closed to the public. As a participant in this special tour, you will visit the ruined remains of Guevavi and learn about the lives of the people who lived there.

Visit to the site is free, but spaces are limited.

Please fill out this form if you are interested in visiting the Mission:

https://forms.gle/se6cqfJJPiBxkNsn8

Further details (meeting points, times, etc.) will be shared closer to the conference date.

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2) Taco Tour in Nogales, Sonora

(Note: This tour is provided by Borderlandia, not the Arizona Archaeological Council. A passport is required for reentry into the United States).

Cross the border with curiosity and discover how one of Mexico's most iconic foods tells the story of an entire region. Join Borderlandia on a guided walk through the historic center of Nogales, Sonora, where each taquería offers a window into the region's history, geography, and culture. From the seafood traditions of the Sea of Cortez to the ranching heritage of the Sierra Madre, you'll learn how landscapes, migration, and faith have shaped Mexico's diverse taco traditions.

$90: Special Rate for AAC Conference Attendees (use code AAC2026 when signing up)(includes: food, drinks, and guide services).

For more information (and to sign up) click here:

https://www.borderlandia.org/shop/p/nogales-taco-tour-aac-fall-conference

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Thank you for your support of the AAC!

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AAC Conference Policy: Out of an abundance of respect for the ancient inhabitants of Arizona and their descendants, the Arizona Archaeological Council (AAC) does not allow the inclusion of photographs depicting human remains, human burials, or funerary objects in AAC conference presentations. Illustrations may be used as necessary to convey important visual information. Presenters also shall review the Arizona State Museum guidance on Respectful Terminology Recommended for Discussion of Human Remains prior to any presentation discussing human remains. If a presenter has questions or concerns about illustrations proposed for inclusion in their presentation, they should feel free to contact the AAC for additional guidance. 

Conference Program and Schedule

Preliminary Program

Thursday, October 1^st 

5:00 to 7:00pm Welcome and Registration Pick-Up (@ Conference Venue) 

Friday, October 2^nd 

8:00 to 8:30am Registration Pick-Up 

Time	Presenter	Presentation
8:30am	TBD	Welcome from Pima Community College
8:35am	Hunter M. Claypatch	Welcome from ACC President

Session #1: Binational Collaboration & Institutional Updates 

Moderator: Hunter M. Claypatch 

Time	Presenter	Presentation
8:35am	Elisa Villalpando-Canchola	Sonora y Arizona: Arqueología sin fronteras
9:00am	Patricia A. Gilman & Eric Kaldahl	Archaeology in the Borderlands
9:15am	Allen Dart	About Old Pueblo Archaeology Center
9:30am	Alex B. Lim	Overview of Historic Preservation Research and Education through Partnership and Tumacácori National Historical Park
9:45am	Liliana Toledo Guzmán	El catálogo de la Sociedad Histórica de Pimería Alta:  De los registros históricos a los objectos arqueológicos
10:00am	Questions & Comments

Session #2: Historic & Contemporary Archaeology  

Moderator: TBD

Time	Presenter	Presentation
10:15am	Deni J. Seymour	Gifts vs. Domestic Debris in Southwestern and  Southeastern Exploration Era Site
10:30am	Annie Immordino	When Dates Become Claims in the Dinétah
10:45am	Zithlaly Vega	Exploring Social Segregation and Social Identity in Historic  Tempe through Double Butte Cemetery
11:00am	Emery F. Manuel	Roadside Memorials of Southern Arizona
11:15am	Juanita Sandoval & Mary Carol Combs	Archaeology of the Contemporary: Memory and Cultural  Objecthood of Migrant Artifacts at the U.S.-Mexico  Border Wall
11:30am	Questions & Comments

11:45am to 12:30pm Catered Lunch at venue from La Castellana 

12:30pm to 1:10pm Poster Viewing & Disussion  

(Note: posters will be up the whole conference, but this will be time to interact w/ presenters) 

Poster Presentations 

Presenter	Presentation
Cinthya Isabel Vidal, et al.	Tracing Ancient Interactions at Northwest Mexico/American  Southwest: Analysis of Archaeological Evidence from the La  Ferrería Site, Durango, Mexico, ca. 550–1350 C.E.
Hunter M. Claypatch	Neighbors Along the Creek: The Archaeology of Patagonia,  Arizona and Its Relationship to the Wider Arizona-Sonora  Borderlands
Christine H Virden-Lange	Shell Ornaments from Early Agricultural Period Sites in the  Tucson Basin
Thatcher Seltzer-Rogers & Hunter M. Claypatch	What IS Santa Cruz Polychrome? Recent Perspectives and  Developments Regarding a Poorly Known Polychrome from the  International Four Corners
Additional posters will be announced shortly!

Session #3: The Arizona-Sonora Borderlands 

Moderator: Zithlaly Vega 

Time	Presenter	Presentation
1:15pm	Guadalupe Sánchez & Matthew Pailes	The Fronteras Valley, Sonora: 3,000 Years of Cultural History
1:30pm	Noah A. Place & James T. Watson	Bioarchaeological Evidence for Treponemal Transmission  across an Ancient Frontier
1:45pm	Héctor Javier Matzumiya Ballesteros	El rol de La Proveedora en el acceso al Golfo de California:  distribución de grupos petrográficos en cerámica Trincheras  de la costa y del interior del Desierto de Sonora
2:00pm	Thomas Edward Jones, et al.	The Implications of Early Urn Cremations at Sites in the  Upper Santa Cruz Area
2:15pm	Cristina García-Moreno, et al.	Investigaciones arqueológicas en La Ciénega, Sonora
2:30pm	J. Homer Thiel	Archaeological Discoveries at Tumacacori, Calabazas, and  Guevavi Mission
2:45pm	Júpiter Martínez Ramírez & Tomás Peres  Reyes	From Documentary Sources to the Archaeological Data: The  Case of the Cocóspera Mission
3:00pm	Questions & Comments

Session #4: Beyond the Borderlands 

Moderator: TBD 

Time	Presenter	Presentation
3:15pm	Joseph A. Bryce & Joseph S. Cary	The Two Dog, Owens Colvin, and Black Sites: Reevaluating  the Prehistoric Chronology for the San Carlos Stafford Area in  Southeast Arizona
3:30pm	Michael P. Silver	Hohokam Stone Palette Use, Evolution, and Social Function
3:45pm	Luna Osterwise, et al.	The Shell Assemblage of AZ U:9:319(ASM)
4:00pm	William Dundas, et al.	A Geochemical Analysis of the Obsidian Assemblage from AZ  U:9:319(ASM), Mesa, Arizona
4:15pm	José R. Vivero-Miranda	Community Transformations at the Northern Aztatlán Frontier: Differential Responses to the Aztatlán Tradition in  Northern Sinaloa
4:30pm	Questions & Comments

4:45pm Closing Remarks 

5:30pm After Party: Patio of Tito's Pizza & Italian Eatery, 1855 N Grand Ave, Nogales, AZ 85621

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Lunch will be catered at the conference venue.

The conference after-party will be held at Tito's Pizza and Italian Eatery at 1855 N. Grand Ave., Nogales, AZ 85621.

Nearby Lodging

*Hotel Americana - call the hotel for a special conference rate with the group name "AAC Fall Conference"

Nearby Dining

Coming soon.