Our Mission

DARG's mission is to provide an organizational and operational environment that facilitates:

Professional excellence and the application of high standards in archaeological and anthropological research, preservation, and education.

Scientific rigor and the development and application of innovative research methods and advanced technology for data capture and information management in archaeology and anthropology.

Forwarding the goals of inclusivity, diversity and racial justice and actively promoting an environment of inclusivity for people from different backgrounds, color, beliefs, religions, nationalities, and socio-economic status

Support of black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning persons, queer, other (LGBTQQ+), and women. A zero tolerance policy towards racist, homophobic, transphobic, and sexist attitudes and behavior.

Cooperative and collaborative approaches in cultural resources research, preservation, and education that integrate cross-boundary knowledge and expertise from diverse professional, institutional, and public sources (BIPOC, LGBTQQ+, women, and others) while actively engaging the community through outreach and providing a platform for diverse voices to be heard and included in all DARG activities.

Funding Partners
DARG projects are funded through grants from the archaeology and historic preservation programs of History Colorado, Colorado State Historical Fund, offices of the Colorado Bureau of Land Management, the USDA Forest Service, and the National Park Service. Our private contributors include Grand River Institute and private donations from individuals and organizations. Additionally, DARG research associates regularly contribute significant pro bono hours working both on funded projects and organizational development.

Research Associates

Carl E. Conner

Director

Principal Investigator for the Ute Trails Project and Rock Art Project

Michael S. Berry

Principal Investigator

Colorado Radiocarbon Database Project, Database design and administration

Barbara Davenport

Project Manager

Archaeologist and Editor

Nicole Inman

Principal Investigator

Archaeologist and Historian, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist

Holly Shelton

Research Associate

Geoarchaeologist, Archaeologist: Colorado Bison Project

Dakota Kramer

Research Associate

Archaeologist

Courtney Groff

Research Associate

Archaeologist, Geoarchaeologist, Grand River Institute

Brian P. O'Neil

Principal Investigator

Archaeologist, Archaeo-astronomy

Josh Smith

Research Associate

Paleontologist, Western Slope Paleontological Services