Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Santa Cruz National Heritage Area Moves Forward, New Text on Section 106 Preservation

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

Legislation Declaring the Santa Cruz Basin a National Heritage Area has Passed in the US House of Representatives: Legislation introduced earlier this year by Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, to establish the Santa Cruz Valley as a National Heritage Area, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives on October 24th. The legislation passed by a vote of 291-122. Part of a package of amendments to the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Act,the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act will help preserve and promote the cultural and natural resources in the Santa Cruz Valley.
http://grijalva.house.gov/?sectionid=13&sectiontree=5,13&itemid=143

- New Publication on Section 106 Preservation: Saving Places that Matter: A Citizen's Guide to the National Historic Preservation Act. Tom King, renowned expert on the heritage preservation process in the United States, explains the ins and outs of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and how it can be used to protect special places in your community. King will show you the scope of the law, how it is often misinterpreted or ignored by government agencies and developers, and how to use its provisions to force others to pay attention to your concerns.
http://www.lcoastpress.com/book.php?id=99

- Lecture at University of Colorado - Boulder Promises that Colorado University has solved "the Mystery of the Anasazi." The University of Colorado at Boulder Friends of the Libraries will host a lecture titled "CU Solves the 'Mystery of the Anasazi' " by Professor Steve Lekson on Saturday, Nov. 10. he event will be held at 10 a.m. in Paleontology Hall of the CU Museum of Natural History, located in the Henderson Building. The talk is free and open to the public and a light lunch will follow the presentation.

- Employment Opportunity (Utah): The Utah State Historic Preservation Office has a unique opportunity for a qualified individual to serve as the SHPO representative in the Vernal BLM field office. Please see the following link to apply:
https://statejobs.utah.gov/jobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=14970

- Shovel Bums Back on the Archaeology Channel: Field archaeologists spend lots of their down time swapping stories and sharing laughs about events and circumstances on field projects. We're happy to share some of these laughs with you in Shovel Bum Joins the Army, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel http://www.archaeologychannel.org/

Monday, October 29, 2007

Picture Canyon Preservation, NPS Online Texts, Native Eyes Film Festival

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Flagstaff Preservationists Trying to Protect Picture Canyon: Those attempting to keep east Flagstaff archeology site Picture Canyon off-limits to developers say they made gains on Friday when a state committee dubbed the canyon a state historic site. It will now be up to the feds to decide whether to dub the petroglyph-filled canyon a National Historic Site. It could also be named a national landmark. "It was really good news," Coconino County Supervisor Deb Hill said of Friday's decision by the state's Arizona Historic Sites Review Committee in Phoenix.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8apf - Arizona Daily Sun

- National Park Service History Texts Placed Online: Today, roughly 60% of the 391 park areas administered by the National Park Service have been set aside as symbols and evidence of our history and prehistory. Many of our natural parks contain historic places that represent important aspects of that history. Collectively, these places present an American history textbook, a textbook that educates us about the people, events, buildings, objects, landscapes, and artifacts of the American past and about the aspirations and actions that produced those tangible survivors. The National Park Service's history web site represents varying aspects of this history.
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/index.htm

- Arizona State Museum Hosts Native Eyes Film Showcase: Arizona State Museum and the Hanson Film Institute, in collaboration with the Film and Video Center of the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, bring to Tucson the fourth installment of the collaborative project Native Eyes Film Showcase. Native Eyes celebrates the creative work of Native American directors, producers, writers, and actors by presenting their high quality work. The Native Eyes Film Showcase begins on November 7th at 7 p.m. All screenings are free at the Grand Cinemas Crossroads at 4811 East Grant Road (Grant and Swan) in Tucson. http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/public/native_eyes/index.shtml

- Employment Opportunity - Great Basin National Heritage Route Executive Director: The newly designated Great Basin National Heritage Route seeks an executive director to assist the management board in developing and implementing a management plan which would market, interpret and preserve cultural resources in the central Great Basin area of White Pine County, Nevada, and Millard County, Utah. The position of executive director will require experience in non-profit management and finances, fundraising, grant writing and grant administration and working with boards, committees and budgets. The executive director must possess significant organizational and communication skills to work productively under the direction of a board of directors which is widespread geographically and represents a variety of heritage and history interests in a two county rural/frontier area of the Great Basin.
http://www.greatbasinheritage.org/

Thanks to Brian Kenny for contributions to today's newsletter.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Southwest Symposium Reminder, Tucson Origins Park Planning, New Genetic Research on Peopling of New World

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Southwest Symposium Scheduled for January 17-19: 20th Anniversary Southwest Symposium,Movement, Connectivity, and Landscape Change, January 17-19, 2008. The Southwest Symposium was launched twenty years ago by Charles Redman and Paul Minnis to provide an opportunity for archaeologists to discuss current ideas and develop new networks for research in the American Southwest. From the beginning, this biennial symposium has been organized to explore a limited number of topics in substantial depth and to provide considerable time for discussion among all participants. The 2008 symposium will begin with a session that honors our 20th anniversary. In this opening session, the topics from the first Southwest Symposium (foraging, mobility and migration, social power and interaction, the protohistoric, and the history of Southwest archaeology) will be revisited by leading scholars in the field. They will look back over the last two decades of our accomplishments and forward toward new directions.
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ndwilso1

- The Impact of Genetic Diversity in the Peopling of the New World: Questions about human migration from Asia to the Americas have perplexed anthropologists for decades, but as scenarios about the peopling of the New World come and go, the big questions have remained. Do the ancestors of Native Americans derive from only a small number of “founders” who trekked to the Americas via the Bering land bridge? How did their migration to the New World proceed? What, if anything, did the climate have to do with their migration? And what took them so long?
http://www.cdarc.org/page/9utv - Science Daily

- Lecture on Four Corners Archaeology in Denver: Mark Varien will present "Four Corners, Then and Now", at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Tuesday, October 30, 7:00 p.m. in the Ricketson Auditorium.

- Final Plans for Tucson Origins Park Presented at Open House: More than 100 people packed two meeting rooms Wednesday evening at the Tucson Convention Center for the fourth open house for Tucson Origins, where construction on a replica Mission San Agustín is set to start in January. "It's not just a master plan," Rio Nuevo director Greg Shelko said. "This is the pieces of the puzzle really coming together."
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/66855.php

- Tohono O'odham Nation to Assist Exhibit Development at Tucson Origins Heritage Park: The Tohono O’odham Nation has awarded more than $65,000 to the Arizona State Museum to support an internship and Native American consultations for the design of an exhibit in the Tucson Origins Heritage Park. The park, known as TOHP, is a significant part of the planned 30-acre cultural campus in downtown Tucson, and will be adjacent to several museums, including the Arizona State Museum, the University of Arizona Science Center, the Arizona History Museum and the Tucson Children’s Museum.
http://uanews.org/node/16588

- Visiting Besh-Be-Gowah: In its heyday, from about 1225 to 1400, the village of Besh-Ba-Gowah was home to 350 people - hunters, gatherers and remarkably sophisticated farmers who grew corn, squash, beans and cotton and other crops, irrigating when possible and dry farming when not. They understood flood-plain farming techniques.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/9umn - Arizona Republic

- Snowbowl Sewage case to get Second Review: Without comment, the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to review the findings of three of its judges rejecting a claim by Snowbowl that it would shut down if it does not get permission to use sewage to create artificial snow. The panel had concluded there is "no compelling governmental interest" in having artificial snow on the San Francisco Peaks - and specifically on the federal land where the operation is located.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/3n4w - The Arizona Republic

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Bill to Enlarge Mesa Verde, Big Demolition Gaffe in Tucson

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Bill to Expand Mesa Verde National Park Passes House or Representatives Vote: A bill sponsored by Rep. John Salazar authorizing the expansion of Mesa Verde National Park unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday. The Mesa Verde National Park Boundary Expansion Act of 2007, sponsored by Salazar, will next go to the U.S. Senate for a vote.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/bhyr - The Cortez Journal

- Contractor for City of Tucson Mistakenly Demolishes Historic Structure: A historically significant U.S. Magnetic Observatory building that was supposed to be left standing in Udall Park while others around it were demolished was mistakenly taken down.
The gaffe by a city contractor leaves only four of the original 15 buildings standing.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/207683.php
http://www.azstarnet.com/opinion/207811.php

- Lecture Tonight on Mesa Verde Migrations at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science: William Lipe will present "Four Corners, Then and Now." Late in the 13th century, the cliff dwellings and pueblos of the Mesa Verde region fell silent as a population of thousands melted away within a generation. Where did all these people go? Ricketson Auditorium, $12 member, $15 nonmember.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/jy9r - Denver Museum of Nature and Science

- Tucson to Dedicate Cultural Walk at the Julian Wash Site: According to a news release, the cultural walk project is located on an archaeologically-significant Hohokam village that used to be the St. Josephs Children’s Home location. The Julian Wash Cultural Walk now contains landscaping that avoids any sensitive archeological areas. It will also offer visitors a multi-use path, an interpretive path with educational signs and displays, ramadas and benches.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/1i95 - Fox11.com

- Arizona State Museum Library Celebrates its 50th Year: ASM is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its renowned library with a year’s worth of special events. Join us for the kick-off event and enjoy guest speakers, tours of the building’s architectural features, an unveiling of a newly designed on-line catalog, and a “retiring” of the old card catalog. The event is free and open to the public. Donations requested at event will help fund the library's future upgrades.
Saturday, October 27th, from 1 to 4 PM.

-Employment Opportunity, (Washington DC): The ACHP is seeking qualified applicants to fill the position of Native American Program Assistant in the Native American Program. The program is responsible for advising and assisting federal agencies, Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations and others regarding tribal and Native Hawaiian consultation in the Section 106 process. Applications are being accepted through Thursday, November 15, 2007.
http://www.achp.gov/nap-vacancy.html

Monday, October 22, 2007

SRI Cemetery Excavation Gets Expensive, More on the Road to Chaco, Parking Lot Excavation in Phoenix

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Costs Mount on Tucson's Joint-Courts Cemetery Excavation: he dead buried under downtown are long gone, but they left behind quite a bill. Pima County has sunk almost $15 million into the project to unearth and rebury the deceased, most of whom have lain for over a century in what was then the official cemetery of a territorial town but are now beneath city streets and downtown buildings.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/66047.php

- Parking Lot Excavation Reveals Phoenix History: The prehistoric pit houses, a century-old cosmetic-cream jar and antique bricks tell the story of the first merchants in downtown Phoenix. Archaeologists earlier this month found those artifacts deep beneath the downtown parking lot where on Monday crews will begin building a $900 million hub of shops, offices and restaurants.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1020dig1020.html

- Lecture on Native American Painting, This Friday at the Arizona State Museum: The inaugural lecture of the Arnold and Doris Roland Distinguished Speaker Series features scholar and author J. J. Brody, professor emeritus of art history, University of New Mexico. Dr. Brody will speak on early 20th century Native American painting. The talk will be held at the Marriott University Park (880 E. Second St.). 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. lecture. Free and open to the public. Sponsored and produced by the Friends of the ASM Collections.
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/public/index.shtml

- Plans to Encapsulate Historic Tempe Homestead Rejected by Arizona SHPO: The developer that wants to build a high-rise building that would partially hang over Monti's La Casa Vieja steakhouse faced the Tempe Historic Preservation Commission Thursday evening and was sent "back to the drawing board." La Casa Vieja, once home to the Hayden family that founded Tempe, was built in 1873 and is considered one of the most historic buildings in the Valley. But the development team wishing to put a high rise above Monti's - while preserving the old building - was told by the commission that plans to have the new structure overhang the Monti's site didn't sit well.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1019tr-historic.html

- Debate over Paving the Road to Chaco Continues: Several concerned New Mexicans gathered Thursday night at the San Juan County Commission chambers and voiced concerns regarding potential improvements to County Road 7950, which provides primary vehicle access to Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_7231398

- Tohono O'odham open Village Trading Post: The gallery will present American Indian works by pre-eminent artists who have created a name for themselves throughout the world, artists like Navajo stone sculptor Lance Yazzie and his father, famed stone and bronze sculptor Larry Yazzie. Celebrated O'odham basket weaver Terrol Dew Johnson has several pieces on display, and New Mexico jewelry designer Elloise Padilla will showcase her serpentine and turquoise necklaces, each piece of which was handcrafted, said Travis P. Nabahe, CEO of the development authority.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/accent/205855.php

- Graduate Student Focuses Research on Western Puebloan Sandals: His focus is on Yucca sandals he said, most likely from the Pueblo 1 period. The Pueblo 1 period is from approximately 700 to 900 AD, according to an article by Dr. Linda Cordell, archaeologist and former director of the Colorado University Museum. Yoder said not much is known about the sandals, how they were made or where they were found in the Anasazi region. This is the information he is trying discover. Additionally, he is studying them to see if there are different types of these sandals that might allow him to associate different groups of people.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/j06t - Hurricane Valley Journal

- November Centennial Events at Gila Cliff Dwellings: Everyone is invited up to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument for the official centennial ceremony on Saturday, November 17, 2007. Natural and cultural demonstrations will take place from 11:00 am-1:00 pm. A free lunch will be served at 12:30 pm. The ceremony (which includes assembling a time capsule of modern artifacts to be opened at the 150th Anniversary in 2057) begins at 2:00 pm, followed by cake, ice cream, and special tours through the monument’s archeological sites. The trail through the dwellings will be open from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, and the admission fee is waived for the day. Call 505-536-9461 to RSVP for lunch by November 10.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd-november.doc - MS Word Document

- Travelogue, Betatakin and Navajo National Monument: On a crisp, fall-like Saturday morning, Cassandra Parrish leads five hikers into a deep, salmon-to-red tinted canyon south of the Arizona-Utah border. Their goal is Betatakin, an ancient pueblo nestled precariously inside a stunningly cavernous grotto.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695219267,00.html

- Employment Opportunity, Cultural Resources Programs Manager (Pima County): Assists Cultural Resources Manager or Program Manager in planning, organizing, coordinating, and administering activities of the Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Office within Pima County.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/crhpo-pima.doc - MS Word Document

- Employment Opportunity, Field Technicians and Crew Chief (Phoenix): PaleoWest Solutions in Archaeology is seeking to fill positions in the greater Phoenix area for one crew chief and five field technicians for archaeological survey and excavation projects beginning October 22, and extending at through the fall. A Bachelors degree is required. Crew chiefs must also have experience and provide references related to excavating and effective interpreting of Hohokam habitation sites. Crew members must have excavation or survey expertise. Contact PaleoWest Solutions in Archaeology. 928.776.7253 office | 602.980.6687 cell | 866-706-7253 toll-free
http://www.paleowest.com

Friday, October 12, 2007

Open House at the Center for Desert Archaeology, Mesa Grande Wins Grant, AAC Conference Starts Today

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Open House at the Center for Desert Archaeology: The Center is hosting an open house and bookstore clearance sale, this Saturday, October 13, 2007, 9:00 a.m. to noon. Learn about ongoing projects and what you can do to preserve our shared heritage. Meet Center staff, volunteers, and other members. Tour our historic facility. Experience 3-D virtual reconstructions of archaeological sites. Receive 40-60% off most publications, including Archaeology Southwest magazine. Take advantage of these same discounts online during the event. The Center is located in the Historic Y Building, 300 E. University Blvd., Ste. 230, Tucson, Arizona. Contact Kate Sarther at 520-882-6946 or kate@cdarc.org for more information.

- Mesa Grande Ruins Receives Grant for Interpretive Improvements: One of Mesa's most treasured cultural gems is also one of its least accessible. The Mesa Grande ruins at 10th Street and Brown Road, regarded by many as a sterling example of the Valley's ancient Native American culture, has been fenced off for years because the city has lacked money to develop it. That will begin to change, thanks to Indian casino money.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1009mr-ruins1010.html

- Reminder AAC Conference Starts Today: The Arizona Archaeological Council's 2007 Fall Conference will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13. The conference is entitled "Going with the Flow: Current Research in Prehistoric Irrigation Technology". Organized by Bruce Phillips and Jerry Howard, the conference will be held at the Arizona Museum of Natural History (formerly the Mesa Southwest Museum) in Mesa, Arizona. This conference will provide an update and expansion on ideas presented in the 1988 AAC canal symposium. Please go to www.arizonaarchaeologicalcouncil.org/ to view the conference program.

Lecture on Archaeoastronomy at Eastern Arizona College. What is the “sun dagger?” How were ancient Anasazi peoples able to track the complicated 18.6-year lunar standstill cycle? Where did the Chacoans report on the supernova that resulted in the Crab Nebula? Did the Anasazi record the passing of Halley’s comet in 1066 AD? As part of Eastern Arizona College’s Discover Anthro-pology lecture series, Dean Harry Swanson will present a free slide show and lecture entitled “Rock Art and Southwest Archaeoastron-omy” on Oct. 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Jupiter Room on the college’s Discovery Park Campus.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/2h6g - Eastern Arizona Courier

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Puebloan Textile Moving to Telluride (?) 2008 SCA Meetings in Albuquerque, Lots of Lectures & Classes

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Ancient Puebloan Blanket to Moved Back to Telluride: The Telluride Blanket, approximately 800 years old and the most perfect example of Anasazi weaving in existence, will soon make its permanent home at the Telluride Historical Museum. The blanket, which likely was woven just before the time of the early Pueblos, is invaluable, said Winston Hurst, publisher of Blue Mountain Shadows historical magazine in Blanding, Utah, near where the blanket was found.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/e37y - Grand Junction Sentinel

- Society for Commercial Archaeology's 2008 Conference in Albuquerque: SCA is holding its next conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 11-14, 2008. Prospective speakers are encouraged to submit abstracts on topics relating to automobile culture in the American Southwest including historic roads (the Old Spanish Trail, the Ozark Trail system, and Route 66), tourist facilities (restaurants, gas stations and motels), and tourism sites. However, any abstracts on topics generally related to the 20th century commercial landscape are welcome. The SCA is also co-sponsor of the Preserving the Historic Road conference that will concurrently take place in Albuquerque. The four-day conference includes educational sessions and field tours. For more information, including presentation proposal guidelines, see
http://www.sca-roadside.org

- First Planning Meeting for Arizona Archaeology Expo set for Friday October 19th, in Tucson: Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2008 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 1-2, 2008 at the Arizona State Museum, the University of Arizona in Tucson. We will be touring the Museum grounds and exchanging ideas with the various partners; discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. Parking - There are two parking structures just west of campus and ASM (one to two blocks away). One is just south of University Blvd., off of Euclid Ave.; the other is at Second and Euclid, across from the Marriott Hotel. It is unclear at this time if coupons will be available to waive the parking fee (between $4-$7). Carpool and have fun visiting on the way!

- Talk on Navajo and Apache Ancestral Origins to scheduled for Old Pueblo Archaeology's Third Thursday Lecture Series (Tucson): "The Earliest Ancestors of Navajo and Apache in the Southwest" with archaeologist Dr. Ronald H. Towner. The Navajo and Apache are the only Athapaskan-speaking peoples in the Southwest. They are surrounded by Puebloans and Uto-Aztecan speakers such as the O'odham, Pai, and Yuman peoples, so how and when the Athapaskans entered the Southwest is one of the enduring questions of American anthropology and archaeology. This presentation discusses various theories and presents new archaeological data from early Navajo sites in the northern Southwest relevant to this issue. The results suggest a complex process that led to the development of distinct Athapaskan enclaves in the Southwest. October 18, 2007 - 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Old Pueblo Archaeology Center Auditorium, 5100 W. Ina Road Bldg. 8

- Class on Traditional Stone Tool Making (Tucson): Old Pueblo Archaeology's hands-on arrowhead-making and flintknapping workshop with Sam Greenleaf will be held at the Old Pueblo Archaeology Center workshop, 5100 W. Ina Road Bldg. 8, In this 3-hour, hands-on workshop, flintknapper Sam Greenleaf teaches how to make Arrowheads and spear points out of obsidian and other stones, to provide hands-on experience and knowledge of how prehistoric people made and used stone artifacts. All necessary equipment is provided. Class is designed to help modern people understand how prehistoric Native Americans made and used artifacts, and is not intended to train students how to make artwork for sale. Class limited to 8 registrants age 16 and older. Classes held October 13, 2007, November 17, 2007 and December 15, 2007. Noon to 3 p.m. for each date. $25; $20 for Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and Pueblo Grande Museum Auxiliary members.

- Free Class on the Archaeology of Utah (Salt Lake City): How long have humans lived in Utah? When did people start farming and growing corn? Why did the Anasazi abandon their homes in southern Utah? What is archaeology? What can be learned from the study of ancient skeletons or pottery or broken stone tools? Why are archaeological resources important? These are just some of the questions to be explored in a free one-day class on the archaeology of Utah. Offered on October 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rio Grande Depot, this class will introduce the concept of archaeology and the prehistoric cultures of Utah. We’ll also discuss some ongoing projects in the Salt Lake area and around the state of Utah. The class is free and open to the public. Young people 4th grade and up may attend if accompanied by an adult. However, space is limited. Participants must pre-register by sending an e-mail to rrood@utah.gov with “October Class” in the subject line, or by calling Assistant State Archaeologist Ron Rood at 801/533-3564. The class is sponsored by State History’s Antiquities Section and the Utah Statewide Archaeological Society.

- Fundraising Dinner at the Tucson Presidio: The Tucson Presidio Trust for Historic Preservation held a fundraiser Sunday in the newly reconstructed Presidio San Agustín del Tucson. About 60 people attended "Walk the Wall" Progressive Dinner. A few dressed up in costumes from the Spanish colonial period from 1775 to 1821. The funds raised will go towards educational projects that tell the stories of the people who lived in the Presidio and the history and impact it had on the establishment of Tucson, said Susan Smith of the Tucson Presidio Trust.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/65162.php

- Reminder, Old Pueblo Archaeology's "Art For Archaeology III" Fundraiser will be held Friday October 19, 2007, at The Mountain Oyster Club, 6400 E. El Dorado Circle, Tucson. Advance reservations required by October 12: 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org. For questions about the event please visit Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's http://www.oldpueblo.org/auction.html and http://www.oldpueblo.org/art.html web site pages, or contact Cynthia Cobb at 520-297-7707 or Carolyn O'Bagy Davis at 520-622-8957.

Thanks to Allen Dart and Brian Kenny for Contributions to Today's Newsletter.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Jared Diamond finally gets a crtical review, More on Kennewick and Nagpra, Symposium of Ancient Water Use at SAR

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

-"It Ain't Necessarily So" A Symposium Presentation at Amerind Foundation will Critically Examine Concepts of "Collapse": Patricia McAnany and Norman Yoffee present a critical review of the works of Jared Diamond and other "dubious stories of apocalyptic collapse, environmental abuse and colonial triumphs."
http://www.amerind.org

- Anthropological Divide Over Kennewick Remains and NAGPRA: In the fall of 1996, anthropologist Richard Jantz e-mailed fellow scientists with a plea to help save history. The University of Tennessee professor urged colleagues to challenge the federal decision to give the 9,300-year-old remains that became known as Kennewick Man to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla for burial. In Jantz's view, the Army Corps of Engineers was about to slam shut a critical window into America's past. In Seattle, archaeologist Julie Stein read the e-mail with disdain. She had had enough of the ham-handed handling of the unusual case of the remains found on the shores of the Columbia River in southeastern Washington. Then-curator of the Burke Museum of Natural History, Stein had spent 14 years studying Washington archaeology and building relationships with local tribes.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/fm7h - The Seattle Times

- NAGPRA Coalition Protests at Berkeley Museum: Representatives of eight Native American tribes say UC Berkeley has failed to provide adequately for the return to their tribes of remains and artifacts it holds at UC Berkeley’s Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) coalition will hold a demonstration today (Friday) at noon at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus to call attention to what they see as the university’s refusal to adequately implement the law, which mandates that federally funded museums identify native human remains and cultural items in their collections and return them to the tribes.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/byfz - Berkeley Daily Planet

- Upcoming Symposium Examines the Use of Water in the American Southwest: Liquid Assests: Using Water in the Arid Southwest How have Southwesterners obtained and used water in the past? Can we learn and benefit from the knowledge and practices of our predecessors? These are a few of the questions and issues that will be addressed in a public symposium, "Liquid Assets: Using Water in the Arid Southwest," that will be held at the Armory for the Arts in Santa Fe, NM on November 3rd, from 9am to 4:30pm. Presenters include experts in the fields of anthropology, climatology, geography, and law. The event is sponsored by the School for Advanced Research and Friends of Archaeology. More details are available at
http://www.sarweb.org/home/whatsnew.php?event=35

- Garrison Keillor's Keynote Speech at the National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference (Audio Presentation): St. Paul, Minn. Garrison Keillor, the host of the public adio program A Prairie Home Companion, gave the keynote address at the National Trust for Historic Preservation conference. Keillor said historic preservation is important not only for the beautification of our cities, but also for the health of our communities.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/do32 - Minnesota Public Radio

Friday, October 5, 2007

3rd try to Revise Nagpra, New Exhibits, Honoring Emory Sekaquaptewa

Southwestern Archaeology in the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Another Possible Revision of NAGPRA Moves to Senate Floor: A Senate committee has approved a bill that could clear the way for Native Americans to claim the ancient bones of Kennewick Man. This is the third time the change has been proposed to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. It would ensure federally
recognized tribes could claim ancient remains even if a direct link to a tribe can't be proven.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/7f4q - Tri-City Herald

- Small Pots, Big Questions, a New Exhibit at the Anasazi Heritage Center
The Anasazi Heritage Center has a new “showcase” exhibit featuring the Chappell Collection of Ancestral Puebloan ceramics, thanks to the Anasazi Historical Society and designer Chris Kantner. The exhibit “Small Pots, Big Questions” looks into mysteries posed by the pint-sized and thimble-sized vessels found in local archaeological sites. These are the sort of artifacts sometimes overlooked in our bigger-is-better society. Some of the vessels are too tiny to be of practical use, leading to speculation that they could have had a special meaning for their makers.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/sp_bq_ahc.doc

- Public Comments Solicited on Preservation of Japenese Interment Camps: Intermountain Region Grant Program for Preservation of Japanese American World War II Confinement Sites -- The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments to help develop the criteria that will guide a multi-million dollar federal program to conserve WWII–era Japanese American confinement sites, located primarily in western and southwestern states. The grant program will provide financial assistance for the preservation and interpretation of confinement sites where the forced relocation of more than 110,000 men, women and children—most of whom were American citizens of Japanese ancestry—occurred in 1942.
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkId=73&projectId=19917

- Heard Museum Honors Dr Emory Sekaquaptewa: Hopi educator, judge and cultural treasure Emory Sekaquaptewa has been selected to receive the Spirit of the Heard Award. The 4th Annual Spirit of the Heard Award will be presented at the Heard Museum on Friday, Oct. 5 at 9 a.m., with a reception to follow. The Spirit of the Heard Award recognizes a person's actions, work experience and how they have exemplified the Heard mission "To educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and art of Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest."
http://www.cdarc.org/page/5ei3 - Navajo Hopi Observer

- Art for Archaeology Benefit in Tucson: The "Art for Archaeology III" fundraising event for the nonprofit Old Pueblo Archaeology Center will be held starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday October 19, 2007, at The Mountain Oyster Club (6400 E. El Dorado Circle, Tucson). Chaired by southern Arizona artist Buck McCain (the Friends of Western Art organization's 2005 Artist of the Year), this event features auctions of original art, quilts, and collectibles generously donated by artists and other members of the community to benefit Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's education programs. Cocktails, light buffet, the event's silent auction, and preview of the evening's live auction items will begin at 5:30 p.m. Auctioneers Excelerate Auction Group will commence the live auction at 7:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $50 per person and advance reservations are required by October 12. For reservations call 520-798-1201 or email Old Pueblo Archaeology Center at info@oldpueblo.org. Persons who cannot attend but are interested in bidding may
submit proxy bids for auction items.
http://www.oldpueblo.org

- New Name and New Exhibit for Mesa Southwest Museum: A brief ceremony will be held Saturday October 6 at noon at the Arizona Museum of Natural History (sic), formerly the Mesa Southwest Museum, at 53 N. MacDonald St. The ceremony has a two-fold purpose: to officially unveil the museum’s new name and a new archaeology exhibition about the Hohokam people.
http://www.evliving.com/cities_news.php?action=fullnews&id=7826

- Multiple Employment Opportunities at Crow Canyon: Lab Analysis Specialist, Lab Programs Coordinator, Educator, and Seasonal Educator. There are currently several openings in the research and education departments at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, CO. Crow Canyon is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to archaeological research, public education, and American Indian collaboration. Please see the following link for details:
http://www.crowcanyon.org/about/employment.asp

Thanks to Teresa Paglione and Brian Kenny for contributions to today's newsletter.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Southwest Symposium, El Camnio Real at ASM, Maxwell's 75, AAC Conference

Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- 20th Southwest Symposium Announced: Movement, Connectivity, and Landscape Change. January 17-19, 2008. The 2008 symposium will begin with a session that honors our 20th anniversary. In this opening session, the topics from the first Southwest Symposium (foraging, mobility and migration, social power and interaction, the protohistoric, and the history of Southwest archaeology) will be revisited by leading scholars in the field. They will look back over the last two decades of our accomplishments and forward toward new directions.
www.public.asu.edu/~ndwilso1

- Multiple Events at the Arizona State Museum to Celebrate Opening of the Camino Real Exhibit: wonderful, free programs at arizona state museum October 5th and 6th: Oct. 5th to Oct. 28 Exhibition of photographs El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, photographs by Eniac Martinez. October 5th, Friday, 6:30pm? Opening reception with panel discussion, reception, booksighing, exhibition viewing. October 6th, Saturday, 1-4 Family Culture Craft Saturday program of music, stories, arts activities, and exhibit tours. Note: Teachers can receive professional development credit for attending these programs. No registration necessary. Sign in when you arrive.
www.statemuseum.arizona.edu
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/martinez_at_asm.pdf

- AAC Fall 2007 Conference Abstracts Available Online. The 2007 AAC Fall Conference - " Going with the Flow - Current Research In Prehistoric Irrigation Technology" will be held October 12 and 13 at Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa. program and abstracts are now available at
http://www.arizonaarchaeologicalcouncil.org/

- Maxwell Museum Celebrates 75 Years of Interpretation in the Southwest: The museum was the brainchild of pre-eminent New Mexico anthropologist Edgar Lee Hewett, who, at the request of UNM President James Zimmerman, had started UNM's anthropology department in 1928. In 1930, Hewett proposed to Zimmerman the creation of a museum for the care and display of artifacts rapidly accumulating as the result of UNM's field work in Southwestern archaeology.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/b1t4 - The Albuquerque Tribune

- Stabilization at Mesa Verde: nside a small room at Square Tower House ruins and Mesa Verde National Park, archaeologist Jim Hampson scooped up a shovel-full of dirt and dumped it behind a wall in the picturesque, 800-year-old alcove ruin. Hampson is part of a four-person team of archaeologists working this fall to repair a wall that was crushed in late 2006 when a large slab of rock sheered off the alcove above and crushed a 12-foot-high wall and pierced another wall of a kiva.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/kpis - Cortez Journal

- Shiprock Navajo Fair now in Progress: Imagine dancing from dusk to dawn. That's what traditional Ye'ii-Bi-Chei dancers will do this Saturday night at the 96th annual Shiprock Navajo Fair. The fair is held to coincide with the ancient Ye'ii-Bi-Chei ceremony, a nine-day sacred healing chant usually held after the season's first frost. The chant began Friday and will continue through Saturday morning with the grand finale beginning at 10 p.m. Friday.
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_7041398?source=most_viewed

- Cave Creek Museum is Worth the Trip: The Cave Creek Museum may be small, but it packs an afternoon. “If people really get into it, they could be here two hours,” says Evenly Johnson, the museum’s executive director. Hidden away on Skyline Drive in view of Black Mountain, the volunteer-run, member-supported museum will open Oct. 3 for the fall and winter season. “This museum almost draws you back in time,” says Johnson.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/98381

- The Archaeology of Blackbeard, a New Feature on the Archaeology Channel: Legendary personages are not always purely mythological or simply the stuff of Hollywood movies: sometimes they are very real. Such is the case with the pirate Blackbeard, the subject of Queen Anne's Revenge Overview, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel
http://www.archaeologychannel.org/

Position Announcement: Executive Director of the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum, Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is accepting applications for the position of executive director. Applicants should apply in writing to: Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Human Resources J-491, P.O. Box 26980, Oklahoma City, OK 73126-0980, or via email: Christina_Hamilton@odoc.state.ok.us. Deadline was Friday, September 28, 2007 -- Open Until Filled. Anyone interested in being considered must submit a resume, cover letter and a list of reference sources to Human Resources. Bachelors degree required and a Masters Degree preferred in an arts/cultural field, arts/museum administration or related area. Requires at least 8 years experience working successfully in a cultural organization and or museum, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership / management position. Required experience working with Native American communities to achieve cultural, community or economic development goals. Experience leading the establishment of a new institution/organization an asset. Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.Reference Job number: J-491

Position Announcement: Tenure-Track Position in Paleolithic Archaeology
Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY. The Department of Anthropology invites applications from outstanding scholars for a tenure-track position in Archaeology at the rank of Assistant Professor, to start September 1, 2008, pending administrative and budgetary approval. The department is looking for scholars with exceptional records in teaching and research in Paleolithic Archaeology, with a geographical focus on Africa or Asia. It is anticipated that the candidate will complement and strengthen departmental interests in Paleolithic and medieval archaeology of Europe, state formation in ancient Near East and South Asia, prehistoric art, technology, zooarchaeology, skeletal morphology, dental anthropology and human paleontology. Application deadline is November 15, 2007. Please send letter, curriculum vitae, and names of three referees to: Professor Terry Harrison, Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003. NYU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Multiple Positions Available: EcoPlan Associates is currently accepting applications for the following positions: Archaeological Project Director, Architectural Historian, Historian/Research Assistant, and Archaeological Field Technicians. If interested in any of these positions, please send resume, cover letter, and list of references by mail, fax, or e-mail to: Cultural Resources Group, EcoPlan Associates, Inc., 701 West Southern Avenue, Suite 203, Mesa, Arizona, 85210, Email: CulturalJobs@EcoPlanAZ.com FAX: 480 733 6661. No telephone calls, please. All applicants for Project Director, Architectural Historian, and Historian/Research Assistant must be available for in-person interviews, must be able to provide their own transportation, possess a valid driver’s license, and live (or be willing to relocate) within driving distance of our Mesa, Arizona office.

Thanks to Dianna Hadley, Gerald Kelso, and Bruce Phillips for submissions to today's newsletter.