Silver City, NM - Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison, Director and Archaeologist of the Western New Mexico University Museum was recently invited to be a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for American Archaeology.

A quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancy, American Archaeology is the only popular magazine devoted to archaeology in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

“It is quite an honor to be invited to be an Editorial Advisory Board member for American Archaeology,” said Bettison. “I am passionate about archaeology and equally passionate about the mission of the The Archaeological Conservancy, which is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring and preserving the best of the United States' remaining archaeological sites.”

Current issues of American Archaeology are available for purchase at the WNMU Museum.

Bettison has encouraged several local landowners to examine property acquisition programs developed by The Archaeological Conservancy, which procures private lands to preserve for posterity.

The Conservancy is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and operates regional offices in Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio and California.

In addition to her editorial advisory board membership, Bettison recently updated two articles for publication. Her articles “Ceramics: Conservation of Ceramics” and “Cultural Resource Management: Collections Management” will be published in the second edition of The Oxford Companion to Archaeology to be released in 2012. The first edition, published in 1996, is available through the Miller Library.

Articles in the Oxford Companion are written by experts working in particular areas or sub-fields of archaeology. Each article provides a research subject's definition, techniques, practices and methods used by archaeologist.

Located in Silver City, New Mexico, Western New Mexico University has served the people of the state of New Mexico and its surrounding areas as a comprehensive, regional, rural, public coeducational university since 1893 and caters to a student body diverse in age, culture, language and ethnic background.