Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 21 minutes ago
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest
Episode 4: "Routes and Roots,” written and read by Steve Nash.
In this essay from Archaeology Southwest’s Trails series, President & CEO Steve Nash reflects on the routes—both literal and scholarly—that have shaped his connection to the American Southwest. Drawing on stories from iconic travel songs, his time at the Field Museum in Chicago, and the archaeological journeys of Paul Sidney Martin, Steve traces how paths like Route 66 and the Southwest Chief have linked people, places, and research across generations. He also shares how this legacy influences current work in Reserve, New Mexico, where a new field school is taking shape. This thoughtful piece explores how trails—routes and roots—inform our understanding of landscape, memory, and the enduring human story.
This piece is part of Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest, a new audio series featuring personal reflections and first-hand perspectives on land, memory, stewardship, and the deep histories held in landscapes across the Southwest.
Listen to the full story and read the original blog:
archaeologysouthwest.org/2025/12/11/routes-and-roots
About this series
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest shares short, author-read pieces that explore how people connect with place — through archaeology, lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, science, stewardship, and memory. Each episode offers a glimpse into the many ways we understand and care for the lands of the Southwest.
Support Preservation Work
This audio story accompanies our Year-End Campaign, which focuses on the many ways trails connect people, histories, and landscapes.
If this story resonates with you, consider supporting our work:
archaeologysouthwest.org/year-end-2025
Thank you for listening!
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest
Episode 4: "Routes and Roots,” written and read by Steve Nash.
In this essay from Archaeology Southwest’s Trails series, President & CEO Steve Nash reflects on the routes—both literal and scholarly—that have shaped his connection to the American Southwest. Drawing on stories from iconic travel songs, his time at the Field Museum in Chicago, and the archaeological journeys of Paul Sidney Martin, Steve traces how paths like Route 66 and the Southwest Chief have linked people, places, and research across generations. He also shares how this legacy influences current work in Reserve, New Mexico, where a new field school is taking shape. This thoughtful piece explores how trails—routes and roots—inform our understanding of landscape, memory, and the enduring human story.
This piece is part of Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest, a new audio series featuring personal reflections and first-hand perspectives on land, memory, stewardship, and the deep histories held in landscapes across the Southwest.
Listen to the full story and read the original blog:
archaeologysouthwest.org/2025/12/11/routes-and-roots
About this series
Preservation Stories with Archaeology Southwest shares short, author-read pieces that explore how people connect with place — through archaeology, lived experience, Indigenous knowledge, science, stewardship, and memory. Each episode offers a glimpse into the many ways we understand and care for the lands of the Southwest.
Support Preservation Work
This audio story accompanies our Year-End Campaign, which focuses on the many ways trails connect people, histories, and landscapes.
If this story resonates with you, consider supporting our work:
archaeologysouthwest.org/year-end-2025
Thank you for listening!
