Tim Maxwell is Director Emeritus of the Museum of New Mexico, Office of Archaeological Studies. He has been involved in the archaeology of the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico for over 40 years. He received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, where his research focused on prehistoric farming methods in the semi-arid Southwest. In Mexico, he is working the National Institute of Anthropology and History on the archaeology of the Casas Grandes region, which was responsible for one of the largest trading systems in the prehistoric Southwest. Dr. Maxwell was a Fulbright Scholar and has received several awards for his contributions to archaeology, historic preservation, and education.