Steve Lekson: Connecting the Dots

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

- NY Times Finds Steve Lekson "Connecting the Dots": “It’s a hell of a long way from here to Chaco,” says Steve Lekson, an archaeologist from the University of Colorado, as he sights along the north-south spoke of the cross. Follow his gaze 400 miles north and you reach Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico, a major cultural center occupied from about A.D. 900 to A.D. 1150 by the pueblo people known as Anasazi. Despite the distance, Dr. Lekson believes the two sites were linked by an ancient pattern of migration and a common set of religious beliefs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/science/30chaco.html?_r=1

- Museum of Northern Arizona Hosts the 76th Hopi Show this Weekend: To the Hopis, summer is the time of ceremonial dances, growing corn and monsoon rain. And for the past 75 summers, the Hopis have come to Flagstaff to share their art and culture. This weekend marks the 76th annual Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture at the Museum of Northern Arizona. More than 75 artists from 12 Hopi villages will be on hand. "This year's Hopi festival will honor the life and career of noted katsina-doll carver Ernest Moore Jr.," Museum Director Robert Breunig said. Moore, an artist at the festival for many years, died last year. "He came to carving late in life, and his exceptionally fine work elevated him to a master artist level in a very short time," Breunig said.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/2g1e - Arizona Republic

- ADOT Historic Bridge Inventory: The ADOT Historic Preservation Team has made "Bridges: Arizona Historic Bridge Inventory" (2009) available for download. The long anticipated study was produced for ADOT by Fraserdesign (Loveland, CO) under subcontract to EcoPlan Associates. The inventory is a sequel to an earlier study completed in 1987. The 2009 inventory examines all 2,504 of Arizona's vehicular bridges built before 1964. The website contains PDF files of the entire multiple property document, full inventory forms for National Register-eligible and listed bridges, and summary inventory forms for all bridges.
http://www.azdot.gov/highways/EPG/EPG_common/az_historic_bridge_inventory.asp.

- American Anthropologist Launches "Public Anthropology Reviews" & Request for Submission of Review Materials: AAA is pleased to announce the launch of "Public Anthropology Reviews," a new review section in American Anthropologist. Public Anthropology Reviews will highlight anthropological work principally aimed at non-academic audiences, including websites, blogs, white papers, journalistic articles, briefing reports, online videos, and multimedia presentations. The editors will also consider other traditional and innovative mechanisms for communicating anthropological research and concepts outside of academic realms and welcome suggestions. Please note that this review section will complement existing review sections and will therefore not review books, films or museum exhibits. We are now accepting submissions for materials to be reviewed in the March 2010 issue of AA. Please send materials for review, ideas for review essays and inquiries to the review editors at the addresses listed below Editors: Melissa Checker (CUNY Queens C), Alaka Wali (Field Museum) and David Vine (American U) Addresses for Inquiries, Ideas and Submissions of Materials for Review:
Via Email publicanthreviews@gmail.com, Via US Post: Melissa Checker. Department of Urban Studies, 250 Powdermaker Hall, Queens College/CUNY, 6530 Kissena Blvd.

- New Issue of Preserve America News Now Online:
http://www.cdarc.org/page/kghn - Preserve America.gov

- Debate over the Autry Center's Takeover of the Southwestern Museum: It could have been a scene right out of a Gene Autry horse opera -- a cowboys-versus-Indians-style faceoff, potshots being fired by both sides, a hero riding to the rescue in the final reel. That seems to be the plot line of the drama that is playing out between backers of the Autry National Center of the American West in Griffith Park and those of the Southwest Museum a few miles away in Mount Washington.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-autry-southwest2-2009jul02,0,2958556.story

- Nautical Archaeology is not Always Researched Underwater: Investigating shipwrecks does not always require scuba gear. Student investigators found ample evidence of a 19th Century vessel on the stony beach in The Treasured Ship, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org

- Employment Opportunity: The BIA is looking for a lead archeologist in Reston at the GS-13/14 grade level. See the link below for a summary of duties. This is a key position for Federal archeology, and the position also serves as the BIA HPO. If you know of any appropriate candidates, please encourage them to apply. There are two job announcements: one open to all qualified candidates and one open to DOI, current or former status federal employees, and Indian preference eligible candidates. The job announcement closes Monday, July27.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/cpg4 - USA Jobs

Thanks to Irene Brace, Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Daniel Garcia, and Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.