Event

2018 Lecture Series: Archeologist Stephen Matt

• 09/21/2018 Location: Aztec Ruins National Monument Visitor Center, | Map Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Fee Information: Free Contact Name: Aztec Ruins National Monument Visitor Center Contact Email: E-Mail Us Contact Phone Number: 505-334-6174
  The idea of the Virgin Islands as a tropical Caribbean paradise of white sand, coral reefs, and lush landscapes is a common image.  The US territory also encompasses historic towns and national monuments and parks.  It was an engaging utopia for residents and visitors until disaster struck in September of 2017 in the form of Hurricane Maria.
  
  In February and March of 2018, our speaker, archeologist Steve Matt, was selected to be part of a Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination team to be sent to the U.S Virgin Islands, St. Croix, for the Hurricane Maria Natural and Cultural Resource Recovery Support Function (NCR RSF) FEMA Mission assignment. His duties entailed providing damage assessments along with recommended mitigation and cost estimates to the prehistoric and historic cultural resources listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) located throughout St. Croix.
  The teams engaged in a full approach to federal project assessments and planning.  Not only were they conducting fieldwork in extreme conditions, they were initiating meetings between nonprofit organizations, museums, and private landowners (the Nature Conservancy for example).  This along with completing the required documentation the State Historic Preservation Office and US Virgin Island’s government requests offered a very different adventure than most have experienced.
  
  On Friday, September 21, at 7:00 pm, Aztec Ruins hosts this lecture in the Visitor Center, with gates opening at 6:45.  Admission is free.  Come join Steve Matt as he shares his insight from a federal and archeological view and the recovery quest from his immersive journey into the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. 
  
  For more information on this and other events, call Aztec Ruins Visitor Center at 505.334.6174, or find us at www.facebook.com/AztecRuinsNM/.