Archaeological Crew Chief
steven.needle@dca.nm.gov
Steven Needle is an Archaeological Field Technician for the Office of Archaeological Studies.
Steven started his anthropology career at State University of New York at Oswego as a linguistics major and finished it as an anthropology major at New Mexico State University (NMSU) in 2012. Steven’s archaeological career began in 2012 at the New Mexico State University Field School at Cottonwood Springs Pueblo, New Mexico. He earned his Master’s Degree in Anthropology and a graduate certificate in cultural resource management from NMSU in 2015. Since then, he has presented papers at the 2015 Jornada Mogollon and 2016 Pecos Conferences and has had his master’s work published in The Artifact.
Steven has volunteered on archaeological surveys at White Sands National Monument and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He has also participated in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), which included survey work, report writing, and community outreach for the nomination of Mesilla Park to the National Register of Historic Places, and he completed adobe and lime plastering work during the historic restoration of the Phillips Chapel, a National Register property in Las Cruces.
Since 2013, Steven has held an internship at White Sands Missile Range and was hired for archaeological field work by Human Systems Research in Southwestern New Mexico and by QRI for a 14-week survey on Fort Bliss in New Mexico and Texas. Steven has worked as an archaeological contractor for the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts in both crew and principal investigator positions throughout New Mexico and served as foreman and lead tradesman at Paul Davis Restoration for three years. With more than 20 years of experience in the building trade, he became a New Mexico licensed contractor, holding licenses in framing, drywall installation and texture, plaster, lath and stucco, and window, door and skylight installation. He started his own business, East Mountain Home Renovations, in 2023.
Steven enjoys spending at home with his family, playing a variety of acoustic stringed instruments and drums, and the occasional backpacking/fishing trip. Steven resides in the East Mountains with his wife, Molly, who is also an archaeologist, and their children, Rowan and Emma.