Gila Cliff Dwellings Closed, New Publication on Safford Basin Archaeology

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

- Bridge Damage Temporarily Closes Gila Cliff Dwellings: For the second time this year, the National Park Service was forced to shut down visits to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. "The river is low," said Park Service Ranger Dave Young. "We got about three quarters of an inch of rain on Sunday and it was the run- off that caused problems." He said the dirt-and-rock temporary patch has some holes in it and that has caused concerns about vehicles crossing over it safely. Officials from the state highway department are expected to once again look at the bridge and its approaches today and decide how to deal with the latest problem. The National Park Service states that Officials of the New Mexico Department of Transportation are to inspect the bridge on Tuesday September 2, 2008 to determine a course of action and repair plans. The Gila West Fork Bridge, one mile from the Cliff Dwellings, will likely not be reopened until the weekend after Labor Day, possibly around September 6 or 7, 2008 at the soonest. The park’s Gila Visitor Center and museum remain open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily. For up to the moment information, call the Gila Visitor Center between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 575-536-9461.
http://www.scsun-news.com/news/ci_10359132

- New Publication on Safford Basin Available From Cambridge Press: "Crossroads of the Southwest: Culture, Identity, and Migration in Arizona’s Safford Basin," edited by David E. Purcell. Arizona is a land of diverse landscapes, often strikingly juxtaposed. In the upper Gila River Valley of southeastern Arizona, the basin surrounding the modern town of Safford encompasses the intersection of different environments and prehistoric cultures. The Hohokam of the Sonoran Desert, Mogollon of the San Simon Valley and mountain highlands, Anasazi of the Colorado Plateau, and Apache of the mountains and plains all lived in this region during the Ceramic period, A.D. 600-1450. Crossroads of the Southwest presents the results of new archaeological research that sets aside long-standing theoretical constraints to examine anew three central themes in Southwestern archaeological study—culture, identity, and migration. Six innovative studies by top regional scholars utilize both new data and classic studies to examine a region long overlooked by archaeologists.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/5uvw - Cambridge Press
http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/9781847184801-sample.pdf

- Archaeology Channel Presents An Experiment in Streaming High Definition Video: We are staying on the cutting edge of technology to give you the best video quality possible through streaming. Partnering with VIRCAS, we invite you to view five video titles using the new VIRCAS player (so far for Windows users only–the Mac version is coming soon). Depending on your bandwidth and the titles you select, you will be able to watch these films at resolutions ranging from DVD to true HD. This is a test to measure traffic and gain experience with this new mode of video delivery. The titles available through this new service are: Bilad Chinqit: The Land of Chinguetti (Mauritania, 59 min) (DVD quality). A Forgotten Place: The History of an Abandoned Farming Community (North Carolina, 52 min.) (DVD quality). The Greatest Good (United States, 124 min.) (High Definition). n Vivid Color: Voices from Shiloh’s Mound (Tennessee, 22 min.) (DVD quality). Signs Out of Time: The Story of Archaeologist Marija Gimbutas (Worldwide, 59 min.) (DVD quality).
htp://www.archaeologychannel.org

- Lecture Opportunity (Santa Fe): The Archaeology Society of Santa Fe will kick off the 2008-2009 season with a presentation on the Galisteo Basin. Signa Larralde, state archaeologist with the Bureau of Land Management, will be discussing one of the pre-eminent archaeological districts in the Greater Southwest. Larralde will give an update on current archaeological evidence found in the basin and will discuss how oil and gas drilling might impact the area. The lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 at the Courtyard by Marriott, 3347 Cerrillos Road. - Santa Fe New Mexican

- Dig In Tonight at the The Center For Desert Archaeology's "Archaeology Café:" Whether you're a native Tucsonan or a recent transplant, you are sure to learn something new about our city's past at the first (of many, hopefully) Archaeology Café. The "café" is sponsored by the Center for Desert Archaeology and Casa Vicente, and is modeled after the "science cafés" that are popular in Europe, said Kate Sarther of the Center for Desert Archaeology.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/CityWeek/Content?oid=oid:114688
http://www.cdarc.org/pages/articles.php?req=read&article_id=676