2015 Lecture Series

Date: January 9, 2015
Contact: Dave Carney, 520-723-3172

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—January 8,2015

Dave Carney, Chief of Interpretation and Education

Casa Grande Ruins Lecture Series held Weekly at Monument

COOLIDGE, AZ–Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, in partnership with the Friends of Casa Grande Ruins, will kick off a lecture series for the general public at noon on Wednesday January 21^st. The first speaker in the series will be Dr. Douglas Craig, a Principal Investigator with Northland Research, leading expert on Hohokam archaeology, and President of the Friends of Casa Grande Ruins. Dr. Craig will present Debating Hohokam Collapse. The talk will provide an overview of the cultural landscape of southern Arizona in the late prehistory and discuss some of the reasons that have been proposed for the collapse of the Hohokam society.

Future lecture topics include: Rock Writing of the South Mountains, plants of the Sonoran Desert and their many uses, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and its sister park Paquime (Casas Grandes) in Chihuahua Mexico, Southwestern American rock writing, and more! The Casa Grande Ruins lecture series is open to the public and will take place Wednesdays at noon from Jan 21st-March 11 at the Casa Grande Ruins visitor center auditorium, located at 1100 W. Ruins Drive, Coolidge, AZ. Lectures and discussions will last approximately one hour. For more information and a schedule of upcoming speakers, please visit or call [phone]. Like us on Facebook for updates and daily posts!

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument protects the multi-story Great House and the ruins of other ancient structures built by the people of the Sonoran Desert over 800 years ago. Established as the nation's first archeological reserve in 1892, the Ruins sparked the beginning of the archeological preservation movement in America. The Monument is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Directions and additional information are available on the Monument's website.