Hello, HAS members - The August monthly members meeting of the Houston Archeological Society will be held on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:00 p. m. Please note that this will be a virtual meeting only. A Zoom link will be emailed to members prior to the meeting date.

We will welcome HAS member and friend, Heather Para, PhD, Curator of the New Mexico State University Museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico. HAS members will remember Dr. Para from past presentations to us when she held a similar position at the Museum of the Coastal Bend (MCB) in Victoria, Texas.

Dr. Para will present a case study in collector/museum collaboration. Museums that curate and archive archaeological assemblages collaborate with the collectors and avocational archaeologists in their midst, and these invaluable relationships are often underappreciated. Bill Birmingham’s relationship with the Museum of the Coastal Bend in Victoria presents an ideal case study. Collaboration with Birmingham, a Texas Archaeological Steward and avocational archaeologist, has shaped the museum’s collection since its inception. As he reaches age ninety, the community has benefitted from his influence on both the archaeology and archaeologists of the region for seven decades. A respected authority on lithic identification and an ardent advocate for responsible collection, Birmingham’s lasting and far-reaching impact epitomizes such museum/collector collaborations.

Dr. Heather Para not only serves as Curator of the New Mexico State University Museum, but she also manages the Museum Studies Graduate Certificate Program and teaches classes in the Anthropology Department at NMSU. Para holds a PhD from the University of Wales Trinity St. David. With more than thirty years of experience working in cultural and archaeological museums, Para’s research has primarily focused on Britain, Greece, coastal Alaska, and Texas. We hope you will all join us virtually for this interesting lecture. For more information about this program or about the Houston Archeological Society, please contact Bob Sewell at president@txhas.org.

HAS JOURNAL 144 NOW AVAILABLE

HAS Journal No. 144 is now available. The Journal Number 144 The articles will focus on the San Felipe de Austin Dig by John Lohse, Horseshoes in Texas, a Thimble from the 18th or 19th century from France found in Frosttown, and another article about Camp Kirby in Dickenson, TX, a civil war camp by Charly Gordy, ceramics from Cottonfield by Tim Perttula, and information from Mike Woods about a Butted Knife Found in Comal County. Complimentary copies may be obtained by HAS members at the monthly meetings. Non-HAS members may purchase copies through Amazon.com. Go to the HAS Journals Section for a link to the publication on the Amazon.com website. Alternatively, copies may be purchased at the HAS Monthly Meetings.

To learn more about the history behind our archeological society contact president@txhas.org.