Route 66 in the Painted Desert

The Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society will host a very special presentation — “Route 66 in the Painted Desert” — on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 4:00 pm at the Mary Fisher Theatre.

The featured speaker will be David Purcell, Supervisory Archaeologist (M.A. 1993 Northern Arizona University) and Historian (B.A. 1988 Trinity University) at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. He has more than 30 years of experience in archaeological projects throughout the Southwest, Great Basin, and Plains, as well as Belize and Mongolia. David has extensive experience as project principal investigator and project manager, artifact illustrator, lithic and ceramic analyst, editor and author. David is also the President and Treasurer of Southwestern Archaeology, Inc., the non-profit that sponsors the Pecos Conference and the Cordell/Powers Prize.

The presentation focuses on Museum of Northern Arizona’s archaeological study from 2020-2025 that was the inspiration for the “Wagon Road to Mother Road” exhibition currently on view at MNA (until January 31, 2027) and the creation of a new National Register of Historic Places district, signed by the Keep of the Register on February 27, 2026.

The development of Petrified Forest from a monument to a park and from a small area of fossilized logs to a vast landscape that includes the Painted Desert has been in synch with developments in transportation in northern Arizona, especially that of roads. The push-pull of this process is the subject of both the NRHP district and this presentation.

“Route 66 in the Painted Desert” will be presented at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 to benefit the VVCAAS. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona.