Dig Into the Collection of Site Records
The handful of sites discussed on the Notable Sites page exemplify the many different people, behaviors, cultures and time-periods represented in southeast New Mexico. However, there are thousands of other archaeological sites on the landscape that also represent past people and their behavior in southeast New Mexico.
Use this page to learn about some of these lesser known sites and what they can tell us about life in the past.
LA 161918
Across the landscape of southeast New Mexico, ancestral sites can be as large as a permanent settlement complete with buildings and crops, or as small as a handful of artifacts…
LA 124525
LA 124525 was a short-term home for nomadic groups hunting and gathering in southwest New Mexico during the archaic and formative periods. The nomadic peoples staying in this area may…
LA 176865
LA 176865 is a residential camp situated atop a ridge overlooking Clayton Basin. Residents likely chose this spot for the ability to oversee the surrounding landscape, as well as its…
LA 120951
Ancestral peoples returned again and again to this seasonal camp throughout the PaleoIndian, Archaic, and Formative periods. Today, flaked stone artifacts appear in the thousands, suggesting that this site was…
LA 132358
Resting along the banks of the Pecos River lies site LA 132358. Ancestral peoples stopped here frequently between the late archaic and late formative years, using it as a hunting…
Biting Ant Site Complex LA 171726
The Biting Ant Complex saw a flurry of activity between the middle and late archaic periods. Ancestral peoples likely used the site repeatedly as a residential camp or as a…
Boyd’s Cave
Groups of late archaic ancestors likely visited Boyd’s cave for different reasons. The nearly hidden cave acted as a shelter and place to process and cook foods, both inside and…
LA 183664
Residential camp sites hosted various day-to-day activities. People lived at these camps the same way that we live today, doing chores, preparing foods, playing games. At site LA 183664, there…
Laguna Plata
When the weather was warm and the water plentiful, residents at this site enjoyed life in the Laguna Plata basin. The La Plata site is perched on a ridge overlooking…
Hermit’s Cave
Nestled in a canyon wall, deep in the heart of the Guadalupe Mountains, sits the Hermit’s Cave site. Today, the Guadalupe Mountains are one of four sacred peaks in Mescalero…
Burro Tanks
Settlement at the Burro Tanks site spanned from the Paleoindian period to the Late Formative period, making this one of the longest occupied sites in southeastern New Mexico. During the…