Archaeology on Lab Land
People have lived in this area for more than 5,000 years. Lab archaeologists are studying and preserving the ancient human occupation of the Pajarito Plateau.
The thousands of Ancestral Pueblo sites identified on Lab land are among the highest concentration of such sites in the American Southwest.
Contact
- Stacy Leigh Baker
- CPA-CPO
- (505) 664-0244
Petroglyphs on Lab Land
When the Manhattan Project started here on the Pajarito Plateau, scientists moved onto a land that had been occupied for thousands of years. The evidence identified here—stone tools, petroglyphs, multistory pueblos—has helped archaeologists piece together a 5,500-year history of human occupation.
Today’s interaction of the Lab’s science mission and its archaeological studies is essential in both continuing our scientific work and preserving the area’s rich cultural history. Today when the Lab embarks on any project, archaeologists are called in to assess how proposed project and operations could affect archaeological sites.
Nake'muu: Village on the Edge
Lab archaeologists work to ensure the Lab complies with federal laws protecting sites here, preserving the land’s rich history for future generations. Archaeological research and collaborations with local Pueblo and Hispanic families, who have ancestral ties to the sites, continue to strength our knowledge of past cultures.
Archaeology at Los Alamos
With thousands of archaeological sites located on Lab property, the Lab must comply with all federal laws requiring management of prehistoric and historic sites during any land development. Lab archaeologists record, monitor, and study the sites to minimize impacts from Lab operations, thus helping to preserve o
