Stephen H. Lekson (Ph.D. University of New Mexico, 1988) is Curator of Archaeology emeritus for the Museum of Natural History at the University of Colorado Boulder. Steve is a former President of Crow Canyon, and he remains active as a scholar at the Center helping to design and deliver educational travel programs and interacting with the Center’s research staff.
Steve has held research, curatorial, or administrative positions with the University of Tennessee, Eastern New Mexico University, the National Park Service, the Arizona State Museum, the Museum of New Mexico, and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. He directed more than 20 archaeological projects throughout the Southwest. Recent projects include excavations at Pinnacle Ruin in central New Mexico (2000–2008), analysis of the Yellow Jacket site near Mesa Verde, excavations at Chimney Rock in southern Colorado (2009), and excavations at Black Mountain and Woodrow ruins in southwestern New Mexico (2010–13). He was Editor of the journal Kiva (2006–2011), and he is currently Contributing Editor for Archaeology magazine. Lekson’s publications include a dozen books, many chapters in edited volumes, and articles in journals and magazines. Most recently: A Study of Southwest Archaeology (2018), Chaco Meridian (second edition, 2015), A History of the Ancient Southwest (2009), Architecture of Chaco Canyon (2007), Archaeology of Chaco Canyon (2006); and Archaeology of the Mimbres Region (2006).