The Permian Basin

Exploring Stories from the Past in the Southwestern United States
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In 2021, SEARCH and TRC archaeologists excavated 10 archaeological sites in the Permian Basin across modern-day New Mexico and Texas.
This website shares those excavation results as well as the stories from the past that can be interpreted from the findings.

Visit the Archaeological Sites

SEARCH and TRC archaeologists excavated 10 archaeological sites in the Permian Basin. Dig deeper into five of them to see the breadth of data recovered from fieldwork and laboratory analyses as well as the interpretations made based on that information.

The Griddle Site
The Hearth Site
The Early Maize Site
The Shell Site
The Pecan Site

Follow the Process

Archaeology is the systematic investigation of the physical remains from past human activities. Learn about some methods used to discover, record, and excavate archaeological sites.

Browse the Artifact Gallery

More than 15,000 artifacts were recovered from the 10 archaeological sites excavated in the Permian Basin. Take a closer look at how archaeologists analyze the artifacts in the laboratory and what can be learned about the past from their study.

Explore the Stories

Explore stories from the past that can be interpreted from the research results and go behind-the-scenes of an archaeological excavation.