The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center northwest of Cortez has been a hub of archaeological research in the Four Corners area for 30 years. Very few archaeologists know Crow Canyon and the archaeology of the Four Corners like Dr. Bill Lipe. As a former Crow Canyon director of research and a current board of trustees member, he has been involved with the Center since its inception.

On June 13, Dr. Lipe will present “30 Years of Knowing the Southwest through Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.” The presentation, part of the 2013 Four Corners Lecture Series, begins at 7 p.m. at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and is free and open to the public.

In 1982, a year before Crow Canyon formally opened, Lipe was appointed to an advisory committee by Stuart Struever, the center’s founder. Lipe has been involved ever since, as a researcher, leader of many Southwestern education and travel programs, and member of the board.

In a program illustrated with images and stories, Lipe will share some of his experiences at Crow Canyon and will assess its often pioneering contributions to archaeological research, public understanding of archaeology and collaborations with American Indians.

Following the Lipe presentation, Struever will briefly contribute his perspectives on the reasons for establishing the Center, and how these goals continue to apply to the work Crow Canyon does today.

Lipe is a professor emeritus at Washington State University. His archaeological research in the Four Corners has spanned 55 years. His Ph.D. dissertation (Yale, 1966) was based on his research as crew chief on the Glen Canyon Archaeological Project from 1958 to 1961. He was codirector of the Cedar Mesa Project in Utah in the 1970s and a co-principal investigator on the Dolores Archaeological Program in southwestern Colorado from 1978 to 1985. At Crow Canyon, Lipe served as director of research from 1985 to 1992. He is a past president of the Society for American Archaeology, and he received the Alfred Kidder Award from the American Anthropological Association in 2010.

Organized by a consortium of area organizations, the Four Corners Lecture Series features presentations by guest speakers from around the Southwest. This year’s theme is “Knowing the Greater Southwest.” All lectures are free. The location of the lectures rotates among the sponsoring organizations.

This year’s sponsors are the Anasazi Heritage Center; the Bureau of Land Management; the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center; the Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society; KSJD Dryland Community Radio; Mesa Verde National Park; the Mesa Verde Museum Association; and the Fort Lewis College Office of the President, Department of Anthropology and Center of Southwest Studies.

For more information, call 564-4396 or 800-422-8975, ext. 136.