Monday, April 28, 2008

Ancient Southwestern Canines, Colorado and New Mexico Archaeology Festivities

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

- The Role of Canines In the Ancient Southwest: Hundreds of prehistoric dogs found buried throughout the southwestern United States show that canines played a key role in the spiritual beliefs of ancient Americans, new research suggests. Throughout the region, dogs have been found buried with jewelry, alongside adults and children, carefully stacked in groups, or in positions that relate to important structures, said Dody Fugate, an assistant curator at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080423-dog-burials.html

- May is Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month: What's past is prelude for May's debut of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, designated on Leap Day this year by Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. Throughout the state, communities will offer exhibits, lectures, activities and tours interpreting Colorado history from rock art to learning about earning tax credits for historic preservation efforts. Here's a sampling of some upcoming events; for more, go to coloradohistory-oahp.org, and click on "What's New."
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9067482?source=rss
http://coloradohistory-oahp.org

- Planning Begins for 2008 New Mexico Archaeology Fair: “Habia Una Vez/Once Upon A Time in Los Lunas.” the 15th annual New Mexico archaeology fair. Call for Exhibitors, Demonstrators, and Educators! Come join HPD archaeologists, staff, professional colleagues, and members of the community at the 2008 New Mexico Archaeology Fair in Los Lunas, New Mexico on Friday, 26 September, from noon to 5 PM, and on Saturday, 27 September, from 9 AM to 5 PM. We will be outdoors in another grand celebration of the region’s human history and culture.
ttp://www.cdarc.org/sat/2008-ary-fair.doc

- Tohono O'odham Restore Farmland near San Xavier Mission: The Tohono O'odham are celebrating a part of their culture that was lost for decades. The San Xavier Coop Farm is now growing crops. It's beautiful, it's really beautiful." Julie Ramon Pierson is standing on the edge of land her grandfather farmed decades ago. Even before the Tohono O'odham, centuries ago their ancestors, The Hohokam, were the first to farm here.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=8232298&nav=menu86_2

- Increase in Visitation, Combined with Less Funding, Threatens National Parks: The analysis shows that visitation to parks is up nationally, creating more pressure on them. But the number of "full-time equivalent" employees is down, providing fewer services and less care despite the visitor growth. And increases in operations budgets at most parks are not keeping pace with inflation.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695273983,00.html

- 12th Annual Sheep Is Life Celebration Planned for June 19-21: Mark your calendar now! Attend the 12th Annual Sheep Is Life Celebration Thursday - Saturday, June 19-21, 2008 at the Grey Hills Academy, Tuba City (To'Nanees' Dizi) Arizona, Navajo Nation. Fun for the entire family! Let us know if you are interested being a vendor, giving a workshop. or making a presentation.
http://www.navajolifeway.org/

- Lecture Opportunity: Monday, April 28, 2008 "Natural Resources and the Law in Hispanic Arizona and New Mexico", a lecture by ASM ethnohistorian Michael M. Brescia.
6 p.m. at the Arizona Historical Society, 949 E. 2nd Street in Tucson. Free and open to the public. This lecture series is made possible in part by a grant from the Arizona Humanities Council and is designated a "We the People" project by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

- 4 Corners Indian Art Fair this Weekend at the Edge of the Cedars Musuem: Blanding, Utah: The Edge of the Cedars Museum is pleased to present the third annual Four Corners Indian Art Festival, May 3rd and 4th from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM each day. This year’s Festival promises an amazing celebration of Native talent, including original artwork by at least fifty artists representing fifteen tribes, demonstrations, music, traditional dances, and juried art competition. There is something for everyone at the Festival: taste-tempting foods, the silent auction, children’s activities, and art to please just about everybody. KRTZ, 98.7 radio from Cortez will be broadcasting throughout the day, Saturday. The best part is that it’s all free and family-friendly!
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ecm-4-corners-art.doc - MS Word Document

- Employment Opportunity: EcoPlan Associates, Inc., is accepting applications for a principal investigator/project director and temporary field technicians. The successful candidate will have a graduate degree in anthropology or archaeology, previous research, management and field experience, technical writing ability, and a familiarity with current archaeological methods. Preference will be given to applicants with previous PI/PD experience that are currently based in the Tucson or Phoenix metropolitan areas. This is a full-time permanent position and includes vacation, medical, and retirement benefits. EcoPlan is also seeking multiple temporary archaeological field technicians to participate in an excavation at a large prehistoric village site in central Arizona beginning in July 2008. The project will last approximately 12 weeks, and will include transportation to and from the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, local lodging, and meals/incidentals up to $34 per day. Applicants must be able to work in extreme heat and lift a 50-pound load. Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in anthropology or archaeology. Qualified Native Americans affiliated with the Akimel O’odham, Yavapai, Apache, Hopi or other southwest nations are encouraged to apply. If interested in either of these positions, please send resume, cover letter, and list of references by e-mail to: CulturalJobs@EcoPlanAZ.com, by mail to Cultural Resources Group, EcoPlan Associates, Inc., 701 West Southern Avenue, Suite 203, Mesa, Arizona, 85210, or by fax to 480 733 6661. No telephone calls, please.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Archaeology @ Crow Canyon, Grand Canyon Uranium Mining Halted, ASNM Meetings

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

- Field Research Continues At Crow Canyon: Coffey and his fellow archaeologists at Crow Canyon are embarking on the second phase of a six-year research project this year. They recently finished the first three years of an excavation at Goodman Point Pueblo, and are now moving to examine peripheral sites in the areas that predate the village. The goal of the second part of this research is to understand why a group of people who lived in smaller, scattered sites might have coalesced into a large village centered on a natural spring, Coffey said.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/91ih - Cortez Journal

- Rock art subject of lecture, symposium (Pueblo, CO): The archaeologist who's overseeing a project to record rock art in the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site will speak in Pueblo as part of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month activities. Lawrence Loendorf will speak on "Pigments of the Imagination: Rock Paintings in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona" at 7 p.m. May 1 at Robert H. Rawlings Public Library. The public is welcome to attend his lecture at the meeting of Pueblo Archaeological and Historical Society.
http://www.chieftain.com/life/1208865602/2

- Native and Environmental Groups Join Forces to Stop Uranium Mining Close to Grand Canyon: A federal judge in early April blocked the British company Vane Minerals from continuing exploratory uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. The judgment was a victory for environmental groups and for the 13 tribes that are affected by uranium mining in the western United States. But the renewed interest in an old mineral has tribal leaders on edge. At a congressional field hearing in Flagstaff March 28, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said Navajos ''do not want to sit by, ignorant of the effects of uranium mining, only to watch another generation of mothers and fathers die.'' Representatives from the Kaibab Paiute, Havasupai, Hualapai and Hopi tribes also testified at the hearing, along with representatives from the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, local counties, mining companies and the scientific community.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096417110

- 2008 Archaeological Society of New Mexico (ASNM) Annual Meeting: The 2008 Archaeological Society of New Mexico (ASNM) Annual Meeting will be held at the Best Western Inn & Suites, Farmington, NM on Saturday, April 26. Registration is $30 at the door. Center for Desert Archaeology Preservation Archaeologist Paul Reed will be giving the Bandelier Lecture (Sat. night, 8pm): Salmon, Aztec, and Their Roles in the Chacoan and Post-Chacoan Worlds of the Middle San Juan Region. Contact mathiefj@unm.edu or visit the conference website for more information.
http://www.newmexico-archaeology.org/

- The Arizona Archaeological Council Presents an Arizona Bioarchaeology Roundtable: Friday, April 25th, 10 am - 4 pm at the Pueblo Grande Museum. The event features informal presentations and discussions of current research/issues facing the bioarchaeological community in Arizona and across the Southwest. For members and students the event is free of charge, for non-members admission is $10. Please Note: The Pueblo Grande Museum would appreciate participants reserving those parking spaces closest to the museum for museum visitors.

- "Archaeology's Nightmare" - Indiana Jones: "Forget any ideas you've got about lost cities, exotic travel and digging up the world," the professor tells his adoring students. "We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and X never, ever marks the spot." True enough, at least in that professor's day job. Teaching at a swanky college, Indiana Jones wears tweed and a bow tie. During his "field work," however, it's leather jackets, a pistol, a fedora, and of course, , the bullwhip.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ghvy - National Public Radio

Monday, April 21, 2008

Threats to Nine Mile Canyon, More Utah Looting, Lectures

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

- Salt Lake Tribune Pleads for Preservation of Nine Mile Canyon Rock Art: The history of the sudden abandonment of dwellings and the vanishing of populations was shared by the Anasazi and the so-called Fremont Indians of the Nine Mile Canyon area in the 1300s. Ecologists and archaeologists from several universities joined forces in 2003 to study that area in a project called Legacies on the Landscape. Nine Mile Canyon, northeast of Price, with its vast wealth of dwellings and more than 10,000 glyphic writings, deserves a gargantuan research effort to discern who these Fremont Indians really were - before the written evidence is destroyed by Bill Barrett Corp. as it drills for oil and gas and sends thousands of trucks kicking up harmful dust along the canyon road.
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_8949882

- Looting Steals from All: Last Monday, I went out into the red rock country west of Gunlock to research and write about day hiking in the area. I visited an old cave I knew about and have pretty much kept the location to myself. Inside the cave are a number of ancient pictographs drawn in what looks like red ochre. It would not surprise me if they predate the Anasazi. Thus my dismay when I realized that someone has been digging around in the back. It does not have a professional look to it. Instead, it appears that there is an artifact looter on the loose. Thankfully, no one has defaced the cave drawings. I haven't a clue how old they are, but they could easily have been there for a couple of thousand years. Still, the amateur excavation is very disturbing to me. Aside from illegal, it violates a sacred trust, the sanctity of the pristine.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/6eh4 - The St. George Spectrum

- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): Clovis, Climate, and Comets in the San Pedro Valley,
13,000 Years Ago. Archaeologist Jesse Ballenger will speak this Thursday, April 17th at 7:30 p.m. The lecture will be held at the Old Pueblo Archaeology auditorium, 5100 W. Ina Road Bldg. 8, in NW Tucson metro area.

- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson) At the Still Point of the Turning World: Chaco and Its Outliers. Archaeologist Ruth Van Dyke will speak tonight,7:30 pm April 21, at the monthly meeting of the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society, in the Duval Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N Campbell.

- Opposition Builds to Desert Rock Power Plant: It was tempting to think it was the most people ever gathered on this barren stretch of gray desert near Burnham, N.M. But maybe not - after all, we weren't far from the ancient trade and cultural center of Chaco Canyon, where thousands of people routinely gathered a thousand years ago. To Elouise Brown, founder of the local group protesting the planned construction of a 1,500-megawatt coal-fired power plant near this site, it is not barren gray desert. It is the land that has sustained her family for generations, and it's full of hidden springs and sacred sites.
http://navajotimes.com/news/041008longestwalkers.php

- New Research at Tonto National Monument: But few casual visitors realize that after dozing in the scientific shade for a century, the monument researchers now find themselves perched with a view of vital questions about human cultures stretching back 10,000 years. After spending most of its long history curating artifacts and keeping visitors from destroying the ruins, the park now has two archeologists on staff and deep questions to explore. But few casual visitors realize that after dozing in the scientific shade for a century, the monument researchers now find themselves perched with a view of vital questions about human cultures stretching back 10,000 years. After spending most of its long history curating artifacts and keeping visitors from destroying the ruins, the park now has two archeologists on staff and deep questions to explore.
http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/localnews/story/33783

- Field School Positions Still Open for Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Field School: There are still a few spaces available in the Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Field School, a new and innovative course that uses cutting edge scientific tools in a collaborative research project with Tongva/Gabrielino tribal members, the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy and the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. Beginning June 22, 2008 and ending July 25, 2008, the field school provides students with practical working knowledge of survey, excavation, lab and cataloging methods while immersing them in the 9,000 years of prehistoric martime history of the Tongva/Gabrielino nation. Students will also learn about how to apply cultural resource
laws to public sector archaeological work. Situated just off the coast of Los Angeles, Catalina Island was historically an important trading supply outpost for Southern California and beyond. The field school is part of the on-going Pimu Catalina Island Archaeological Project (PCIAP), which is working to assess and protect archaeological sites on Catalina. Although the website states that registration deadlines have passed, contact Wendy Teeter at wteeter@arts.ucla.edu or at (310) 825- 1864 if you would like to participate. Please see the website for more information:
http://www.archaeology.ucla.edu/Catalina/overview.htm.


- Colorado Rock Art Association Symposium to be Held May 1-4 in La Junta CO: The CRAA Symposium 2008 will convene in La Junta, CO in the Kiva at the Koshare Indian Museum May 2-4, 2008. The museum, to which symposium participants will have
free access, houses “a world-class collection of Native American art and artifacts,” focusing on “Plains and Pueblo tribes who inhabited the Great Plains and Southwestern United States.” The weekend will be filled with a diversity of activities. On Thursday May 1st the Pueblo Archaeological and Historical Society will host Dr. Larry Loendorfs’ lecture titled “Pigments of the Imagination: Rock Paintings in Canyon de Chelly, AZ” at the Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library. Friday May 2nd join us for a performance by the Koshare Indian Dancers and dessert in the Kiva. The CRAA Education Committee will sponsor “The Key to Preserving and Protecting Rock Art is the Education of Today’s Youth,” at the La Junta Intermediate School on Friday afternoon. Contact Eileen Gose to volunteer (719) 676-3249 or via email: gose@ghvalley.net.
http://www.coloradorockart.org

- A Pilot's View of Intaglios and Geoglyphs: A few years after Charles Lindbergh flew his Spirit of St. Louis from New York to France, another pilot flying along the Colorado River first noticed giant drawings on the desert floor north of Blythe, California. One of the earth figures measured 176 feet in length. Since then, more than two-hundred images have been discovered along the river from Nevada to the Gulf of California. All told, six-hundred-plus geoglyphs have been recorded in the Southwest and nearby areas of Mexico.
http://ronkilber.tripod.com/geoglyphs/SWAviator.htm

- Dibé Nitsaa Sheep & Wool Days Weaving Workshop Schedule Now Available: May 16, 2008 Teec Nos Pos Chapter House, AZ. For more information please contact Roy Kady at roykady@dinewoven.com or call (928) 656-3498. Also visit us online at
http://www.navajolifeway.org
http://www.dinewoven.com

- CT Scanner used to Study Juvenile Wooly Mammoth: The frozen body of a baby woolly mammoth discovered last year in Arctic Russia has provided the first detailed internal look at a prehistoric mammal, scientists report. The remarkably preserved mammoth calf is named Lyuba after the wife of the hunter who found the 37,000-year-old carcass in the remote Yamalo-Nenetsk region in May 2007.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/2s9g - National Geographic

- Public Archaeology at Elden Pueblo: Elden Pueblo, located on the eastern slope of Mount Elden in Flagstaff is one of very few sites in Arizona where the general public can work alongside professional archaeologists to actually excavate and analyze artifacts of an ancient pueblo civilization. The Elden Pueblo Archaeological Project is a cooperative effort between the Coconino National Forest, Northern Arizona University, Arizona Natural History Association and Arizona Archaeological Society, bringing to life story and culture of the Sinagua People who lived in the Flagstaff area between 700–1300.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/4qqd - The Anthem Daily Sprawl
Note - Article presents inaccurate contact information for this project, see
http://www.cdarc.org/page/bs1u - National Forest Service

- Chino Valley Residents Working Towards a New Musuem: Kay Jones always knew she enjoyed studying and reading about American history, but, for years, full-time jobs in the aviation industry kept her from fully pursuing an ingrained passion. Today the 71-year-old Southern California native, retired since 2000, is thoroughly enjoying her role as president of the most recent version of the Chino Valley Historical Society, which became incorporated in 2004. Although the society presently has no bricks-and-mortar museum for its archives, it's working feverishly toward the goal behind the efforts of Jones, a Chino Valley resident.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8r3f - Chino Valley Review

- Interview on Pre-Clovis Oregon Finds on the Archaeology Channel: Whether Clovis Culture at 13,000 cal. B.P. represents the first human migrants to the Americas has been hotly debated for decades, but a new discovery from Oregon appears to document the human presence firmly a full millennium before Clovis. The archaeologist who recovered the new evidence tells the story directly from the find-site at Paisley Caves in Finding Pre-Clovis Humans in the Oregon High Desert: An Interview with Dennis Jenkins, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org

- Employment Opportunity: Thee Utah State Historic Preservation Office has reopened our Vernal SHPO posting until April 22, 2008.This is a really fantastic opportunity. The position will essentially be an on the ground SHPO in the Vernal BLM field office, an office with a huge and interesting array of archaeological and historical sites and a diverse set of projects. The position includes money beyond the salary to assist with housing in Vernal. The person would not necessarily have to reside in Vernal, but instead could simply commute 3-4 days a week. There would be huge flexibility in how the person could approach the job. We anticipate that basic case review might involve no more than 1-2 days per week (depending on the week of course) with substantial time to work proactively on better ways to find, evaluate, manage, and preserve sites in the Vernal area. Working along with the BLM, the person could have a tremendous positive impact on the management, preservation, and public interpretation of the fantastic archaeological record in the Vernal area. We have now extended the opening to qualified persons with a BA in Anthropology/ Archaeology or a related field.
https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=16830

- Pecos Conference Website Now Online: http://www.swanet.org/2008_pecos_conference/index.html

Thanks to Brian Kenny and Suzanne Jamison for contributions to today's newsletter.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Beating Looters to the Punch, the Fate of National Parks, Ancient Sailing

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

- Federal Archaeologists Pre-empt Looters In Burial Excavations: Working in secret, federal archaeologists have dug up the remains of dozens of soldiers and children near a Civil War-era fort after an informant tipped them off about widespread grave-looting. The exhumations, conducted from August to October, removed 67 skeletons from the parched desert soil around Fort Craig — 39 men, two women and 26 infants and children, according to two federal archaeologists who helped with the dig.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Endangered-history

-"Ghosts of the Hohokam and the Fate of National Parks: pair of Brits, a Vietnam vet, a sullen teen and a dozen or so retirees gathered under the Sonoran Desert sun to try to decipher some of the clues left behind by people who lived here nearly 1,000 years ago. Who were these Hohokam people who thrived in a compact urban village built around a Great House? They knew astronomy and irrigation and how to construct a four-story building with little more than mud. They played sports on their ball courts, fermented wine from cactus fruit and made sure their walls faced the four cardinal points of the compass.
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/the-ghosts-of-casa-grande/

- Cultural Resources for Native Cultural Empowerment: A Lecture by Teresa Lorden and Lisa Woodward, April 13 at the Anasazi Heritage Center.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/empowerment.doc - Ms Word Document

- Ancient Sailing Between Mexico and South America: Western Mexico and countries on the west coast of South American had ancient relationships, involving trade in goods and culture. Now MIT students have analyzed just how this communication and transportation system worked. The research was published in the Journal of Anthropological Research.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/b64a - Scientific American

- Interview with University of Arizona Archaeologist Mark Aldenderfer, places Discovery of Ancient Gold in Context: Anthropology professor Mark Aldenderfer began his career in archaeology as an undergraduate student in 1970. Since then, he has excavated national and international sites, including those in Ethiopia, Guatemala and Peru. On a dig in the late 1990s in the Peruvian Andes, Aldenderfer and his team unearthed the oldest known gold artifact to be found in the Americas.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/9izq - Arizona Daily Wildcat

- Arizona Legislature Funds New Archive Building, but Threatens to Cut Monies for Moving Artifacts: Capitol Museum Curator Brenda McLain is working against the clock — and a state budget deficit — for the big move. Some 8,000 items in storage at the old Capitol are slated for transfer to the new Polly Rosenbaum Archives and History Building, 19th Avenue and Madison. Preparations for the fall move began last summer. Artifacts can't just be tossed onto the back of a truck. They have to measured and carefully packed. Their condition and catalog numbers have to be written down, then keyed into a database that tracks museum items using special software. Money to complete the move is in jeopardy, as Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Legislature scramble to find ways to plug budget deficit for the current fiscal year that stands at $1.2 billion and counting.
http://www.faza.net/nm/nm032808ACT.pdf

- Memorial for Chester Shaw: (From Sharon Urban) On the afternoon of March 27, 2008 Chester Shaw passed away after a two year battle with cancer. He was under hospice care and thought to be stable. His passing was quick and peaceful. He was employed by Harris Environmental Group, Inc. of Tucson, AZ as a Principal Investigator and Senior Project Manager. A memorial service for Chet is being held in Hot Springs Arkansas which is where Chester and his family are from originally. The service is this Saturday, April 12th at 2:00 p.m. Chet's sister Sharon and her youngest son Ryan will be conducting Chet's service. Chet's sister and family will be staying at the Village Inn in Hot Springs, AK from this Friday noon to Sunday a.m. Anyone interested in sending condolences should send them care of the Village Inn listed below which is where the family will be staying this weekend. The address is: The Village Inn, c/o Sharon Shaw, 4429 North Hwy. 7' Hot Springs Village, Arkansas 71910. - We may still yet organize a local memorial service, but I wanted to get this information out in case people are interested in sending condolences direct
to Chet's family.

- Employment Opportunity: URS Corporation is looking for 2-4 temporary Field Archaeologists. Minimum Requirements: BA in Anthropology or related field Archaeological excavation experience Ability to recognize and excavate archaeological features and prepare accurate, thorough, and legible field documentation Ability to conduct field work during summer desert conditions. For a detailed description and to submit your resume, please visit our website at www.urscorp.jobs and apply to requisition URS28153.
http://www.urscorp.jobs

Thanks to Brian Kenny, Michael J. Williams and Sharon Urban for contributions to today's newsletter.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

NY Times Covers Puebloan Diaspora, Employment Opportunity at the Center for Desert Archaeology

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

- Ancient Puebloan Migrations -What Really Happened? Perched on a lonesome bluff above the dusty San Pedro River, about 30 miles east of Tucson, the ancient stone ruin archaeologists call the Davis Ranch Site doesn’t seem to fit in. Staring back from the opposite bank, the tumbled walls of Reeve Ruin are just as surprising. Some 700 years ago, as part of a vast migration, a people called the Anasazi, driven by God knows what, wandered from the north to form settlements like these, stamping the land with their own unique style.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/science/08anasazi.html?8dpc

- Employment Opportunity at the Center for Desert Archaeology: The Center for Desert Archaeology seeks qualified applicants for a Preservation Outreach Coordinator. This position coordinates and implements the Center’s cultural heritage preservation activities. The Preservation Outreach Coordinator is a key member of the Center’s preservation team and will be responsible for expanding the scope of the Center’s preservation field services in the Southwest. We are seeking an applicant who is interested in working to preserve the cultural heritage--archaeological sites, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes--of the Greater Southwest.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/cdarc_preservation_announcement.pdf

- Innovative Project Creates DVD to Interpret Aztec Ruins National Monument: Touring Aztec Ruins can inspire students to capture the heart and soul of the Pueblo people. "Students' writing and artwork brings the hidden stories and the spirits of the Pueblos to life," said Terry Nichols, park ranger at Aztec Ruins National Monument. Nichols said fourth-graders and eighth-graders who visited last spring were filmed for an educational DVD, "Connections: Teaching, Writing and Art at Aztec Ruins," that will be released today. The students listened to the stories of Bennie and Edna Romero, descendants of the Santa Clara and Taos Pueblos. The students then developed their own stories and artwork.
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_8835157?source=most_emailed

- Gesture Of Kinship” Exhibit Opens At Anasazi Heritage Center: The Anasazi Heritage Center will unveil a new exhibit called A Gesture of Kinship on April 15th in museum’s Special Exhibit gallery. It weaves the thoughts and experiences of 20 young Navajos as they grew from children to adults in recent decades. Their maturation is captured in photographs and their own voices. The exhibit continues through October 31.
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ahc.html

- Historic Preservation is as "Green" Strategy: Historic preservation has always been the greenest of the building arts because it necessarily involves the conservation of energy and natural resources. Now it’s time to make sure everyone knows it. It’s all about sustainability. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), transportation accounts for just 27 percent of America’s greenhouse gas emissions, while 48 percent – almost twice as much – is produced by the construction and operation of buildings. Nearly half the greenhouse gases Americans send into the atmosphere is from our buildings. More than 10 percent of the entire world’s greenhouse gas emissions is from American buildings. Historic preservation must be a key component of any effort to promote sustainable development. The challenge is to help people understand that preservation is environmentally, as well as economically, sustainable.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/9d8l - New American Media

- Aztec Arithmetic System Decoded: A study by U.S. and Mexican researchers has found evidence of an ancient method of arithmetic in Aztec property records. Barbara Williams of the University of Wisconsin-Rock County and Maria del Carmen Jorge y Jorge of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico studied more than 2,000 drawings dating back to 1540 that were used to document agricultural properties by the Acolhua people who lived in the city-state of Tepetlaoztoc, the University of Wisconsin said Thursday in a release.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/koci - UPI International

- Field School Announcement: Ft Lewis College Summer 2008 field Season. Explore Southwestern Pueblo Architecture While Earning College Credit. Excavations at the Pigg Site (5MT4802) June 23 through August 1, 2008. Application Deadline May 1, 2008. Contact Charles Riggs, Ph.D, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301-3999. voice: (970) 247-7409, fax: (970) 382-6952. email: riggs_c@fortlewis.edu

- Internship Opportunity with the Hopi Tribe: Two paid, summer internships are being offered through the Hopi Tribe, to assist in the Homolovi Park Project. One of the goals of the partnership between Arizona State Parks and the Hopi Tribe is to provide learning and training opportunities at the park. Two paid, full-time, ten (10) week internships at the park are offered. One funded by a generous grant received from the Institute of Museums and Library Services, Native Americans and Native Hawaiians Museum Services grant and the other by the Hopi Tribe. The internship is designed for undergraduate college students, but applications from graduate students will be considered. The Hopi Tribe, to the greatest extent feasible, will give preference to Hopis, however if unable to find a qualified candidate, this internship will be awarded to a qualified non-Hopi. This internship is not associated with any college or university therefore it does not award college credit, but the program is willing to work with the candidate’s school to process credit through their university or college. The deadline is April 30, 2008. Thanks!! Contact: Susan Secakuku, PO Box 548. Second Mesa, AZ 86043
secakuku@hopitelecom.net 928.737.2510
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/Hopi_Internship.doc

-Worst Archaeological Headline Ever:
http://www.cdarc.org/page/e3pv - Seattle Times

Friday, April 4, 2008

Pre-Clovis Coprolites, Honey Bee Village Park Dedicated, Historic Cemeteries in Waco

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

- DNA from Human Coprolites Dated to 14000 Years B.P. New evidence shows humans lived in North America more than 14,000 years ago, 1,000 years earlier than had previously been known. Discovered in a cave in Oregon, fossil feces yielded DNA indicating these early residents were related to people living in Siberia and East Asia, according to a report in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/04/03/earliest-americans-feces.html

- Cultural Park within Honey Bee Village Dedicated: The overall project has “gone very well,” said Solomon, who began formation of a working group and discussion with stakeholders in January 2005. A number of interested parties “worked together from the beginning to form the comprehensive preservation and development plan that you’re seeing in effect today. We had great cooperation” from governments at all levels. “It’s really a great example of everybody getting together, working and actually accomplishing something in a reasonably short time period.” Solomon lives in Oro Valley. He knew the archaeological site existed before purchasing the ground. “I wanted to preserve what we could of the site, and incorporate it into the development, and have them complement each other,” he said. With considerable assistance, and with frequent changes, Solomon has designed the project around the preserve.
http://www.explorernews.com/article/show/21758

- Tree Rings to be Discussed at U of Arizona Science Café: (On Monday, April 7) Tree rings can tell us a lot, and the University of Arizona's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research has used them to research topics including archaeology, ecology, geology and climate change. The UA Flandrau Science Center science cafe will look at tree ring research Monday. Paul R. Sheppard, associate professor in the UA tree ring lab, will offer a short talk titled "Tree Rings: How do I love the Southwest? Let us count the ways!"
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/81516.php

- Historic Cemeteries and Development in Waco: It’s time to rededicate Waco’s most historical burial grounds as a cemetery. The Waco City Council should not expand Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum facilities into the old cemetery area now that it has become abundantly clear that the land most people thought was cleared of graves still contains many hundreds of bodies. City Manager Larry Groth has already recommended that no more development be done on the Fort Fisher land next to the Ranger museum.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/qmi - Waco Tribune Herald

- Expansion of Petrified Forest National Park Stalled: Government plans to more than double the size of Petrified Forest National Park appear to be in jeopardy because Congress has failed to come up with the cash to buy surrounding properties it approved for expansion in 2004. Without government funding, an irreplaceable treasure of dinosaur bones and Indian ruins may be lost as ranchers sell off their spreads for subdivision and development, according to David Gillette, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/764f - USA Today

- Archaeological Field School Announcement: Northern Arizona University announces an archaeological field school in House Rock Valley, the Paria Plateau, and Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona from June 2 to July 11, 2008. For more information and to download the application, check out the web site or email the Director Michael O'Hara at ohara@asu.edu.
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ohara/2008fs.htm

- Grant Opportunity, Preserve America & Save America's Treasures: Fiscal Year 2008 grant applications for the Save America's Treasures grant program and the Preserve America grant program are now available. Save America's Treasures matching grants are awarded for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites. Eligible applicants include Federal (including NPS), state, local, and tribal government entities, and nonprofit organizations. Applications are due May 20, 2008. Application guidelines are available on our website, at:
http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/treasures/application.htm

- Archaeological Preservation at an Early Virginia Church: Colonial Virginians and the Church of England established Elk Run Church in the 1740s. After the Revolutionary War, it became part of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. In the following decades the church was abandoned and disappeared, but remained in the memory of local families. The church’s first rector, James Keith, was the grandfather of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall. This video documents the archaeological investigation of the church, beginning with the first survey in 1999, and its development as a historical park. Historical archaeology has a special knack for connecting to present-day communities. Popular support for, and participation in, an archaeological excavation is an important part of Finding Our Foundation: The Preservation of the Elk Run Anglican Church Site, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org

Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

SAA Catch up! Preservation, Call for Papers, Arziona Public Archaeology Awards

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

- New Exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona Focuses upon the Archaeology of the Grand Canyou: A new exhibit by Flagstaff adventure photographer Dawn Kish, Grand Archaeology: New Excavations along the Colorado River, will be featured during Archaeology Awareness Month, at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. The exhibit, which will run through July 13, documents recent archaeological excavation and research in Grand Canyon National Park, conducted by MNA in partnership with GCNP. The exhibit is made possible through the generous support of the Grand Canyon Association.
http://www.gatewaytosedona.com/article/id/1737/page/1

- New Findings in the Study of Ancient use of Maize: Corn has long been known as the primary food crop in prehistoric North and Central America. Now it appears it may have been an important part of the South American diet for much longer than previously thought, according to new research by University of Calgary archaeologists who are cobbling together the ancient history of plant domestication in the New World.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324173538.htm

- Naco Looks to its Past for its Future: Naco may be the only community that can claim mammoth kill sites, historic military buildings and a golf course. Its history is what many are hoping to capitalize on for future development projects. About 30 “stakeholders,” including Naco residents, school board members, local and county government officials, college and university students and faculty, and many others met for a Camp Naco community planning meeting Saturday at Naco Elementary School.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/jkkv - Sierra Vista Daily Herald

- Restoration Plans for Hayden Flour Mill: Generations have come to know the concrete outside of the Hayden Flour Mill without appreciating the arguably more interesting milling equipment inside it or a stone arch hidden beneath it. But a redevelopment will begin in June to restore the iconic mill - and to reveal rarely seen equipment and stonework that's been out of view for most of the last century. Tempe-based Avenue Communities unveiled plans Tuesday, pledging to start work that Tempe and other developers have failed to get under way since talks began in 1990. Avenue expects it will take 14 to 15 months to restore the mill, add a glass-and-steel structure beside it and open about six restaurants, bars and boutiques.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/112190

- Preservation Work at San Xavier Mission Reveals Hidden Artwork: A local historian likes to imagine that angels carried Mission San Xavier del Bac — a beautiful white apparition itself — through the sky and plopped it in the Sonoran Desert. If so, we now know there was one extra angel to help them: a "new" one just discovered in the 211-year-old church. Restorationists Tim Lewis and Matilde Rubio uncovered the painted angel this month on the north wall of the mission's tall, narrow baptistry, which is under the west tower.
http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/231984

- National Register Workshop to be Held before Arizona History Conference: April 24, 8:30AM to 4:00PM, San Marcos Resort & Conference Center, One San Marcos Place, Chandler, AZ 85225. Sponsored by Arizona Historical Research and Ryden Architects, this workshop will focus on how to nominate a property to the National Register of Historic Places. Using a case study, professionals from the public and private sectors will disseminate information on: researching a historic property and creating a context; describing architectural styles and features; selecting criteria for eligibility, identifying significance, and evaluating integrity; the local, regional, and national designation process, working with consultants, and preservation resources. Workshop leaders: Vince Murray, historian, Arizona Historical Research; Don Ryden, architect, Ryden Architects; and Kathryn Leonard, National Register coordinator, Arizona State Historic Preservation Office. Registration fee: $50.00 (meal not included). Registration deadline: April 14. Make checks payable and mail to: Arizona Historical Research, 5025 N. Central Ave., Suite 575, Phoenix, AZ 85012. For information contact: Vince Murray, (480) 829-0267; or vince@azhistory.net.
http://www.arizonahistory.org

- University of Arizona Students Explore Forensic Archaeology at Simulated Crime Scene: Students in the Introduction to Forensic Anthropology course got a "hands on" lesson in crime scene investigation yesterday as they carefully dug up the real bones of a hand and arm outside the Emil W. Haury Anthropology building. Detective Mario Leon of the University of Arizona Police Department presented the scenario as he stood behind the police tape that blocked off the mock crime scene where a bone is found by a student walking his dog on campus. Police determine that the bone is human and call the ANTH 495D/595D class to help put the pieces together, one bone at a time.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/9atj - Arizona Daily Wildcat

- Speaking Volumes, A series of discussions in honor of the ASM Library’s 50th Anniversary: Join us for coffee and conversation 3:30-5:30 pm as UA graduate students present and discuss their current research. Free and open to the public. Arizona State Musuem, Thursday, April 10, 2008

-Research Question on Tribal "Kitchen" Gardens: We are currently doing research on community gardening in Indian Country. We are looking for specific statistics dealing with the cost savings benefit of small scale tribal gardens and agriculture as a food source for tribal members. Also we are looking for numbers supporting the benefits of having gardening projects in tribal communities. Do you know of any research to this effect, or where I might be able to find such numbers? Thank you for any information you might be able to provide. Melissa E. Christy AmeriCorps VISTA Leader for the National Society for American Indian Elderly. 200 E. Fillmore St #151Phoenix, AZ 85004. 602-424-0542 ext. 3. melissa.christy@nsaie.org
http://www.nsaie.org

- 3.1 Million Dollars Awarded for Historic Preservation in Nevada: Las Vegas' old federal building-post office and Virginia City's old Fourth Ward School are among beneficiaries of $3.1 million in grants for historic preservation projects awarded by a state commission. The $350,000 grant for the Las Vegas project was the largest awarded this year by the Nevada Commission for Cultural Affairs, which announced the latest round of grants Friday.
http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=8056537

- Call for Papers, Chacmool 2008: It's Good to be King: The Archaeology of Power and Authority. University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. November 7th to 11th 2008. Power and authority provide the framework for societies the world over, and have done so, arguably from the dawn of social interaction between the human species. This year's topic is an attempt to analyze and provide an examination of power, authority and respect, in regards to the various ways that it is incorporated within the archaeological record. Power is manifested via a multitude of sociocultural structures, and is seen across societies in the form of monumental architecture, religious institutions, rulers, and armies. It is also present on a smaller scale, within familial relationships, guilds, and neighborhoods. Cultural symbols reinforce this ever present and pervasive factor, such as ear spools within Mesoamerica, ranks within a military unit, or styles and manners of dress. Based solely on these few examples alone, a plethora of archaeological research can be conducted, and these few examples are by no means the extent of possible areas for potential research and presentation. Deadline extended until April 7, 2008.
http://www.arky.ucalgary.ca/chacmool2008/

- Nominations for the 2008 Arizona Governor's Awards in Public Archaeology Due April 14, 2008: This is a reminder that your nominations for these awards are due on April 14, 2008. Please submit your nominations soon! Remember, you can always re-submit nominations that you submitted in previous years; just contact Ann Howard at the SHPO office ((602) 542-7138) and let her know that is your wish and we will submit your previous nomination. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ann. The Awards will be presented at a luncheon ceremony on Friday, June 13th, at the annual Historic Preservation Conference to be held in Nogales, Arizona. We hope to see you and your nominee(s) there! Thank you.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/08_gaac_award.doc - MS Word Nomination Form

- April Events at Gila Cliff Dwellings: Here is information about special events at the Gila Cliff Dwellings in April. Quick update: the road to the cliff dwellings remains open at this time with temporary repairs to the West Fork Bridge. Hours for the Gila Visitor Center are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and hours for the cliff dwellings trail are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Daily guided tours of the cliff dwellings will continue to be offered at noon through the end of April. In May we switch to two guided tours each day. TJ Tours Saturdays through April 26 and daily during National Park Week April 19-27 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Space is limited and reservations are required for special tours of an unexcavated surface pueblo. Tours start at the Gila Visitor Center. Call 575-536-9461 or stop in at the visitor center for reservations.

- Obituary, Chester Shaw Passes: On the afternoon of March 27, 2008 Chester Shaw passed away after a two year battle with cancer (first lung, then a brain tumor). He was under Hospice care but they thought they he was stable. His passing was fast and peaceful. He was employed by Harris Environmental Group, Inc of Tucson, AZ as a PI in the archaeology division. Funeral arraignments are pending.

- Employment Opportunity: URS Corporation is looking for a Senior Archaeologist Minimum Requirements: Master's in Archaeology/Anthropology or related field 8 + years experience in positions with responsibility for successfully planning and completing cultural resource studies Principal investigator for Arizona Antiquities Act permit, Word, and Excel For a detailed job description and to submit your resume, please visit our website at www.urscorp.jobs and reference requisition URS27385.

Employment Opportunity: Archaeologist / NEPA document reviewer and editor Transcon Environmental, a growing environmental consulting firm, is looking for one full time archaeologist primarily to act as a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document reviewer / editor for its main office in Mesa, Arizona. Besides NEPA document review and editing other duties may include archaeological field work. Applicants should be physically fit for walking 5-10 miles per day in rugged terrain where temperatures often reach above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, applicants should be able to lift loads weighing up to 30 pounds. Employees may be asked to work more than 40 hours per week and 10 or more hours per day and to work up to 10 consecutive days away from home. If required, travel will be provided for from the Mesa, Arizona office to the project site. Applicant must have their own transportation to the Mesa office location and have a clean driving record in order to drive the company vehicles in the field if needed. Housing is only provided for out of town stay and not provided for between projects or for work near the Phoenix Metro area. Transcon does not pay per diem, but does reimburse receipts for food while traveling. Applicant must posses a B.A. in Anthropology, Archaeology, or a closely related field. An understanding of NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other relevant historic and cultural resource laws is required. This position is open until filled. Please submit a cover letter, resume (with at least three references), and a short writing sample of a NEPA compliance document. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Contacts: Heather Duncan, Archaeologist Transcon Environmental 3740 E. Southern Avenue, Suite 218 Mesa, Arizona 85206 Phone: 480-807-0095 Fax: 480-807-0068.

Thanks to Sharon Urban, Vince Murray, Brian Kenny and Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's Newsletter.