Workshops and Lectures
Upcoming Lectures
Old McDonald Had a Farm: Recent Discoveries at S’edav Va’aki and Park of Four Waters
March 20th, 2026 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Lecture by Dr. Matthew Kroot, Babalola James Jacobs, and Dr. Matt Peeples
In 2025, Arizona State University held and archaeological field school at the Ancestral O'Odham sites of S'edav Va;aki and Park of Four Waters in Phoenix, Arizona. Students documented ancient canals in Park of Four Waters dating to the Hohokam Period and materials from the historical farm of John and Nancy McDonald. Additionally, doctoral student Babalola James Jacobs led a project comparing the stone tools used in Park of Four Waters to those from S'edav Va;aki. In this presentation, Dr. Matthew Kroot, Babalola James Jacobs, and Dr. Matt Peeples will share the results of their work that sheds light on the forgotten histories of Phoenix and the Lower Salt River Valley.
Then and Now: Inventories of the Hedgpeth Hills Petroglyphs in 1980 and 2025
April 10, 2026 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Lecture by Aaron Wright
In the 1970s, the Army Corps of Engineers initiated a series of flood control measures along the northern perimeter of the expanding Phoenix metropolitan area. Archaeological surveys and mitigation associated with the planned Adobe Dam resulted in the documentation of more than 1,500 petroglyphs in the Hedgpeth Hills, which are now featured at the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve. That effort pioneered innovative techniques in petroglyph documentation for its time. In 2025, the Bureau of Indian Affairs sponsored a re-inventory of the petroglyphs using modern methods and technologies. This presentation highlights selected results of that effort and compares the methods and techniques used then (in 1980) with those used today (in 2025).
Aaron M. Wright is an archaeologist at Archaeology Southwest whose work focuses on the cultural landscapes, rock art, and settlements of the Hohokam and Patayan traditions in southwestern Arizona. He earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Washington State University and is the author of the award-winning book Religion on the Rocks. Wright leads research on the lower Gila River and collaborates on efforts to document the region’s heritage and support the proposed Great Bend of the Gila National Monument.
Upcoming Workshops
Pottery Workshop with August Wood
April 4th, 2026 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
DVPP Member Admission: $50
General Admission: $60
Paddle and anvil is the unique technique utilized by Phoenix's original indigenous inhabitants to create functional pottery from natural clays that are collected locally. Join August Wood for a workshop teaching you how to use this technique! Afterward, you can paint your very own designs onto a clay pot!
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community member August Wood is a local traditional artist who creates baskets and clay pots. Learn from August the traditional techniques used in making clay pottery by utilizing natural materials commonly used by the Akimel O'odham.
Workshop Policies
Spots are limited. If you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible so someone else may have the chance to participate.
- Cancellations must be submitted in writing to [email protected] at least 7 days before the workshop to qualify for a refund.
- Cancellations within 7 days of the workshop, or failure to attend, are not eligible for a refund.
Refunds (when eligible) will be issued to the original payment card.
Registrations may be transferred to another person with prior notice to the Preserve by emailing [email protected].