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OFFICE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES
Circling Back to the Past
They say if you love something, set it free. If it’s meant to be, it will come around again.
That’s what happened to Susan Stinson, the new deputy director at the Office of Archaeological Studies. More than a decade ago, Stinson left the field of archaeology for the law, rising to the position of deputy district attorney in Santa Fe County. After several years spent prosecuting violent criminals, she left the DA’s office in 2018 for a quieter life.
And, then, she had an epiphany.
“I really realized I wanted to be back in archaeology,” she says.
In January, Stinson came full-circle, settling in to a new role at the Office of Archaeological Studies. Along with her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Arizona, Stinson is a petrographer, someone who deals with the description and classification of rocks.
The work involves using a polarizing microscope to examine mineral content and textural relationships in ceramic and rock. She plans to set up a small petrography lab at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology, home to various other specialized research labs.
“That’s something good that I bring to the lab here,” she explains.
Stinson will also be a major support to Office of Archaeological Studies director Eric Blinman, who praises her singular combination of field expertise and problemsolving capabilities.
“She really is remarkably talented and grounded at the same time,” Blinman says.
Stinson says she’s particularly excited to take a role in broadening public education and outreach.
Susan Stinson is the new deputy director at the Office of Archaeological Studies. Photo courtesy Susan Stinson.
“So many of the public education and outreach programs, we do for free, and that’s excellent,” she says. “But if we’re going to expand it, we need additional funding.”
For now, Stintson adds, “I love being back in this environment of culture and learning about our past.”
