State Historic Preservation Office Home

Arizona's 2012 Archaeology & Heritage Awareness Month Celebration: “Connecting Past & Present: Celebrating Arizona’s Centennial”

Celebrate AZ Archaeology & Heritage Awareness Month with events all month long, all throughout Arizona! Plus, check out the Arizona Archaeology & Heritage Expo on March 3, on the Arizona State Capitol Grounds with educational attractions, displays and more! The Expo is an official Arizona Centennial Event. See Complete Calendar of Events listed by city

New! Links to Download NPS Arizona Thematic Studies

Get additional guidance and background on selected topics on Arizona history and prehistory. Learn more

Watch New Site Steward Video Message From Harrison Ford

AZ Site Stewards program

What is Historic Preservation?

Historic preservation is the identification, management, and protection of tangible elements from the past for future generations. It is the history that we can see and experience. As we move into the future with the explosion of new technologies, historic preservation provides an anchor to our past. Historic preservation encourages the protection of historic and archaeological resources that are associated with important past events, themes, and people; that are representative of periods and types of architecture, possess high artistic value; or that are likely to yield valuable information about the past. Historic preservation helps us to know who we are by teaching us about where we came from.

How Does Historic Preservation Benefit Arizona?

• Arizona's historic and archaeological properties are tangible reminders of the people and events that molded our state.
  
• Arizona's archaeological sites hold the clues to 12,000 years of culture, land use, settlement, and exploration.
  
• Historic buildings provide character and a sense of continuity for our communities.
  
• Arizona's unique historic and archeological resources attract tourists from all over the world.
  
• Reuse of existing historic residences and commercial properties conserves energy and materials and is less expensive than building new structures.
  
• Historic preservation helps to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods and business districts.

How Can You Become Involved in Historic Preservation?

• Learn more about the history of your community and Arizona.
  
• Join a local preservation, historical, or archaeological organization.
  
• Become a Arizona Site Steward Volunteer.
  
• Encourage heritage education programs in your schools.
  
• Support businesses in your historic downtown districts.
  
• Visit local and state historic and archaeological parks and sites.
  
• Become involved in local and state decisions, ordinances, and legislation that affect historic and archaeological resources.
• Explore more on our Related Links page

Arizona's 2012 Archaeology & Heritage Awareness Month Celebration: “Connecting Past & Present: Celebrating Arizona’s Centennial”

For the entire month of March 2012, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)/Arizona State Parks (ASP) is coordinating activities throughout the state for the 29th annual celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM). These events will focus on current efforts to preserve our past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. AAHAM combines education with entertainment to reach both adults and children in an effort to teach responsible stewardship of our cultural resources. Museums, historical societies, tribes, agencies, parks, and archaeology organizations will be hosting events across the state; events are also planned in Arizona State Parks as part of their interpretive programs.

Proclaimed by the Governor each year, this celebration will feature prehistoric and historic site tours, exhibits, hikes, open houses, lectures, demonstrations and other activities throughout Arizona.

The featured event for the month is the Arizona Archaeology And Heritage Expo. This year’s Expo will offer many educational attractions for archaeology and history buffs and will be located on the Arizona State Capitol Grounds in Phoenix on Saturday, March 3, 2012, from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. The Expo is open to the public and is FREE.