Friday, December 31, 2010
Southwest Archaeology Today Has Moved!
To continue following "Southwest Archaeology Today" visit us at our new home on the Center for Desert Archaeology Website. Visit http://www.cdarc.org/what-we-do/information-resources/southwest-archeology-today/ to continue following the latest news in Southwestern Archaeology.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Global Conference Explores Preservation Archaeology
Southwest Archaeology Today - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Global Conference Explores Preservation Archaeology
So, how can we manage these sites in a sustainable fashion? How can we create a system of site selection, preservation, and conservation that helps the local economy protect a cultural treasure that ultimately belongs to the world? How can technology be leveraged to assist these efforts? These are just some of the questions being asked today at Stanford University in California, where a group of experts in conservation, development, archaeology, philanthropy, technology, tourism and travel have gathered to attend the first Forum on Cultural Heritage in a Developing World.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-bernstein/why-heritage-matters_b_766566.html
Hollywood is Getting Ready to Tell "The Legend of the Hohokam."
We’re always on the lookout for interesting films currently gearing up for production, and we’ve been contacted by the team behind the movie The Legend of Hohokam with some news on directors circling the project. The Hohokam people disappeared from their Arizona homeland in the 15th century and this new film will tell their story, we’re promised, in the style of Dances with Wolves and Apocalypto.
http://tinyurl.com/2en9lso - HeyUGuys.Co.Uk
'Threads of Memory' Exhibition to Showcase Spanish Influence in American History
The pieces of paper and the maps that hang on the museum walls are like images rotated in a viewfinder toy camera — they become more intricate as the exhibit progresses. The conquered, explored and colonized territory, from the tip of Mexico to 17 U.S. states, is shown in black ink and in colored illustrations, all preserved on hemp paper. Spain's involvement in the American independence is something not everyone realizes, said Josef Díaz, curator of Southwest and Mexican Colonial Art and History Collections. One man in particular, Don Diego de Gardoqui, helped finance the Revolution.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/A-shared-heritage
Arizona Archaeological Council’s Annual Conference Scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 29-30, 2010
AAC’s annual conference is at Arizona State Museum this year! The public is invited to attend scholarly presentations by regional archaeologists 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. on Saturday. Schedule and abstracts posted soon. A reception on Friday from 5-7 p.m. includes a used book sale, offering huge selections in southwestern anthropology. Books start at $1, journals as low as 25¢. Conference registration is $10 per person/free for AAC members. Contact Dr. James Watson to register at 520-621-4794. Not an AAC member? Join now at the link below.
http://arizonaarchaeologicalcouncil.org/aac/
Texas Archeological Society Meetings to be held this Weekend!
Archeologists Convene at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi, Oct. 22, bring your artifacts for identification! You’re invited to Texas Archeological Society (TAS) annual meeting on October 22 at the Omni Bayfront Hotel, 900 North Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, 78401. Friday, October 22 at 3:30 the first Round Table session will be “Archeology without Borders” and will feature speakers from Texas and Mexico with Native Americans as commentators. At 7:00 PM on Friday the topic “Native Peoples of the Texas Coast: Prehistory to Today” will be presented by archeologists Dr. Robert Ricklis, Rich Weinstein and Jose Medina. This Forum is free and open to the public.
Http://www.txarch.org
Call for Papers - "Origin Stories: Narratives of North American Diversity, 1400-1700"
Presenting the 28th Annual Visiting Scholar Conference, Center for Archaeological Investigations, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, April 22-23, 2011. The dynamic nature of Native American, European, European, American, and African American identities and interactions in North America between 1400 and 1700 is often acknowledged, but rarely elaborated. Past descriptions, as well as many current accounts, focus on a combination of “guns, germs, and steel,” as though history was a wave from Europe that swept across America bringing modernity, capitalism, and democracy. Archaeologists have increasingly been able to reveal a much more complex, diverse, and remarkable record of the Early Modern era.Yet these stories still only reach a limited audience.
http://www.cai.siuc.edu/vspages/wilshusen/callforpapers.html
NAGPRA at 20 Symposium Planned
Please join the National NAGPRA Program, The George Washington University's
Department of Museum Studies and Department of Anthropology, and several other partners for a two-day symposium to recognize the 20th anniversary of the passage of NAGPRA. A preliminary agenda and registration information, as well as lodging information (including a list of hotels costing under$100 night), can be found on the National NAGPRA Program website. The symposium is free but will be limited to 250-260 participants due to space limitations. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to register early.
http://www.nps.gov/history/nagpra/TRAINING/NAGPRA_at_20.html
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Offering a Workshop on Exhibition Development
"Telling Our History: Exhibition Development, ” November 8-12, 2010
Hosted by The Navajo Nation Museum. Comprised of four and one-half days of learning through presentations, dialogue, hands-on experience, and on-site visits to museum exhibits in the area. Tribal museum and cultural center directors and staff will learn about and share information that address the basics of exhibit development. Each day will include interactive activities, lessons from case studies and model museums, and opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Application Deadline: November 1, 2010 (participants accepted on a rolling basis; apply as soon as possible). Registration Fee: $125 (covers 3 lunches, 3 dinners and all course materials; any other meals will be on your own). Getty Scholarships: A limited number of travel scholarship are available from NATHPO thanks to the support of The Getty Grant Program. For more information and all applications, follow the link below.
http://www.nathpo.org/NNMTP/2010ExhibitsWorkshop.html
Avocational Archaeologists Found the Verde Valley Archaeological Center
Enough is enough. That is the mantra of some dedicated folks who are now pulling out all the stops in an effort to build a facility to house what treasures is left. Ken Zoll, current president of the Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, along with two past presidents, Dr. Jim Graceffa and Sharon Olsen, and a handful of others have recently formed a new organization, the Verde Valley Archaeology Center. "We want to stop the bleeding," says Zoll, "We have been approached by some folks who have private collections and are also committed to keeping them in the Verde Valley. For that reason and some others, we believe now is the time to get started."
http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=38701
Historic Preservation or Public Art for the Rose Bowl: A Fight over One Percent
Historic preservation won, leaving art proponents miffed at their ongoing losing streak before the Pasadena City Council. Usually, city law requires developers to pay 1% of major construction projects’ cost to a public arts fund, to be spent on commissioning new art works at the development site. But when a project involves renovations to a historic landmark, such as the 88-year-old Rose Bowl, officials have the choice of commissioning new art with the 1% fee, or applying it to restoring worn or damaged historic elements of the site so they look new again.
http://tinyurl.com/2u7j5fb - Los Angeles Times
Mesa Verde Holds Groundbreaking on New Research and Visitor's Center
With the scrape of modern shovels and traditional Native American digging sticks against the rocky soil of Mesa Verde National Park, 80 years of dreams became reality Friday. Park officials, visiting dignitaries and about 150 spectators gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the $12.1 million Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center being built at the park's entrance. Superintendent Cliff Spencer opened the ceremony, commenting on the magnitude of the occasion.
http://tinyurl.com/36x2dyw - Durango Herald
Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society will present archaeologist Jerry Fetterman on November 2, 7:00 p.m., at the Cortez Cultural Center. His talk, "McLean Basin: North of Hovenweep - on the State Line" examines the results of archaeological surveys in the McLean Basin Area of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. These surveys have been conducted over the past several years for the Bureau of Land Management by Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants, Inc. and Smith Environmental and Engineering. Jerry Fetterman, a resident of Yellow Jacket, has been an archaeological researcher in southwest Colorado for 35 years. Since his graduation from University of Colorado in 1977, he has conducted hundreds of projects throughout the Four Corners Region. This presentation is free and open to the public. For more information about the talk or the Hisatsinom Chapter, please contact Marcie Ryan, 882-3391.
Employment Opportunity (Comstock TX)
Grow with SHUMLA, As The New Deputy Executive Director. SHUMLA is an internationally recognized nonprofit education and archeological research center located in the community of Comstock on the Southwest Texas border west of Del Rio. We seek a Deputy Executive Director ready to grow, professionally and personally, with us. The Deputy Director of SHUMLA will oversee education operations: motivating and supervising staff and volunteers; evaluating curriculum; promoting new programs; and writing grant proposals to support the vision. Contact Elton Prewitt
Employment Opportunity (Short Deadline)
The BLM El Centro, CA Field Office is currently advertising for a Term
GS-07/09 Archaeologist. Below is the job announcement number for USAjobs.
The job announcement closes 10/22, so people need to get their applications
in ASAP. Please help spread the word! Thanks! Reference " FS-383168-AK10"
http://www.usajobs.gov/
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributing to today's newsletter.
Publication Note - Southwest Archaeology Today Newsletter Upgrade in Progress
This newsletter will take a break next week as we migrate to a new server that will allow the Center for Desert Archaeology to do a better job of sharing the news about archaeology, anthropology, and historic preservation in the American Southwest. For our readers who have enjoyed the newsletter here at Blogspot, this will be the final full newsletter posted at this location. We hope you will follow us over to the new home for Southwestern Archaeology Today in early November.
Global Conference Explores Preservation Archaeology
So, how can we manage these sites in a sustainable fashion? How can we create a system of site selection, preservation, and conservation that helps the local economy protect a cultural treasure that ultimately belongs to the world? How can technology be leveraged to assist these efforts? These are just some of the questions being asked today at Stanford University in California, where a group of experts in conservation, development, archaeology, philanthropy, technology, tourism and travel have gathered to attend the first Forum on Cultural Heritage in a Developing World.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-bernstein/why-heritage-matters_b_766566.html
Hollywood is Getting Ready to Tell "The Legend of the Hohokam."
We’re always on the lookout for interesting films currently gearing up for production, and we’ve been contacted by the team behind the movie The Legend of Hohokam with some news on directors circling the project. The Hohokam people disappeared from their Arizona homeland in the 15th century and this new film will tell their story, we’re promised, in the style of Dances with Wolves and Apocalypto.
http://tinyurl.com/2en9lso - HeyUGuys.Co.Uk
'Threads of Memory' Exhibition to Showcase Spanish Influence in American History
The pieces of paper and the maps that hang on the museum walls are like images rotated in a viewfinder toy camera — they become more intricate as the exhibit progresses. The conquered, explored and colonized territory, from the tip of Mexico to 17 U.S. states, is shown in black ink and in colored illustrations, all preserved on hemp paper. Spain's involvement in the American independence is something not everyone realizes, said Josef Díaz, curator of Southwest and Mexican Colonial Art and History Collections. One man in particular, Don Diego de Gardoqui, helped finance the Revolution.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/A-shared-heritage
Arizona Archaeological Council’s Annual Conference Scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 29-30, 2010
AAC’s annual conference is at Arizona State Museum this year! The public is invited to attend scholarly presentations by regional archaeologists 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. on Saturday. Schedule and abstracts posted soon. A reception on Friday from 5-7 p.m. includes a used book sale, offering huge selections in southwestern anthropology. Books start at $1, journals as low as 25¢. Conference registration is $10 per person/free for AAC members. Contact Dr. James Watson to register at 520-621-4794. Not an AAC member? Join now at the link below.
http://arizonaarchaeologicalcouncil.org/aac/
Texas Archeological Society Meetings to be held this Weekend!
Archeologists Convene at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi, Oct. 22, bring your artifacts for identification! You’re invited to Texas Archeological Society (TAS) annual meeting on October 22 at the Omni Bayfront Hotel, 900 North Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, 78401. Friday, October 22 at 3:30 the first Round Table session will be “Archeology without Borders” and will feature speakers from Texas and Mexico with Native Americans as commentators. At 7:00 PM on Friday the topic “Native Peoples of the Texas Coast: Prehistory to Today” will be presented by archeologists Dr. Robert Ricklis, Rich Weinstein and Jose Medina. This Forum is free and open to the public.
Http://www.txarch.org
Call for Papers - "Origin Stories: Narratives of North American Diversity, 1400-1700"
Presenting the 28th Annual Visiting Scholar Conference, Center for Archaeological Investigations, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, April 22-23, 2011. The dynamic nature of Native American, European, European, American, and African American identities and interactions in North America between 1400 and 1700 is often acknowledged, but rarely elaborated. Past descriptions, as well as many current accounts, focus on a combination of “guns, germs, and steel,” as though history was a wave from Europe that swept across America bringing modernity, capitalism, and democracy. Archaeologists have increasingly been able to reveal a much more complex, diverse, and remarkable record of the Early Modern era.Yet these stories still only reach a limited audience.
http://www.cai.siuc.edu/vspages/wilshusen/callforpapers.html
NAGPRA at 20 Symposium Planned
Please join the National NAGPRA Program, The George Washington University's
Department of Museum Studies and Department of Anthropology, and several other partners for a two-day symposium to recognize the 20th anniversary of the passage of NAGPRA. A preliminary agenda and registration information, as well as lodging information (including a list of hotels costing under$100 night), can be found on the National NAGPRA Program website. The symposium is free but will be limited to 250-260 participants due to space limitations. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to register early.
http://www.nps.gov/history/nagpra/TRAINING/NAGPRA_at_20.html
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Offering a Workshop on Exhibition Development
"Telling Our History: Exhibition Development, ” November 8-12, 2010
Hosted by The Navajo Nation Museum. Comprised of four and one-half days of learning through presentations, dialogue, hands-on experience, and on-site visits to museum exhibits in the area. Tribal museum and cultural center directors and staff will learn about and share information that address the basics of exhibit development. Each day will include interactive activities, lessons from case studies and model museums, and opportunities for participants to learn from one another. Application Deadline: November 1, 2010 (participants accepted on a rolling basis; apply as soon as possible). Registration Fee: $125 (covers 3 lunches, 3 dinners and all course materials; any other meals will be on your own). Getty Scholarships: A limited number of travel scholarship are available from NATHPO thanks to the support of The Getty Grant Program. For more information and all applications, follow the link below.
http://www.nathpo.org/NNMTP/2010ExhibitsWorkshop.html
Avocational Archaeologists Found the Verde Valley Archaeological Center
Enough is enough. That is the mantra of some dedicated folks who are now pulling out all the stops in an effort to build a facility to house what treasures is left. Ken Zoll, current president of the Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, along with two past presidents, Dr. Jim Graceffa and Sharon Olsen, and a handful of others have recently formed a new organization, the Verde Valley Archaeology Center. "We want to stop the bleeding," says Zoll, "We have been approached by some folks who have private collections and are also committed to keeping them in the Verde Valley. For that reason and some others, we believe now is the time to get started."
http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=38701
Historic Preservation or Public Art for the Rose Bowl: A Fight over One Percent
Historic preservation won, leaving art proponents miffed at their ongoing losing streak before the Pasadena City Council. Usually, city law requires developers to pay 1% of major construction projects’ cost to a public arts fund, to be spent on commissioning new art works at the development site. But when a project involves renovations to a historic landmark, such as the 88-year-old Rose Bowl, officials have the choice of commissioning new art with the 1% fee, or applying it to restoring worn or damaged historic elements of the site so they look new again.
http://tinyurl.com/2u7j5fb - Los Angeles Times
Mesa Verde Holds Groundbreaking on New Research and Visitor's Center
With the scrape of modern shovels and traditional Native American digging sticks against the rocky soil of Mesa Verde National Park, 80 years of dreams became reality Friday. Park officials, visiting dignitaries and about 150 spectators gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the $12.1 million Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center being built at the park's entrance. Superintendent Cliff Spencer opened the ceremony, commenting on the magnitude of the occasion.
http://tinyurl.com/36x2dyw - Durango Herald
Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society will present archaeologist Jerry Fetterman on November 2, 7:00 p.m., at the Cortez Cultural Center. His talk, "McLean Basin: North of Hovenweep - on the State Line" examines the results of archaeological surveys in the McLean Basin Area of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. These surveys have been conducted over the past several years for the Bureau of Land Management by Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants, Inc. and Smith Environmental and Engineering. Jerry Fetterman, a resident of Yellow Jacket, has been an archaeological researcher in southwest Colorado for 35 years. Since his graduation from University of Colorado in 1977, he has conducted hundreds of projects throughout the Four Corners Region. This presentation is free and open to the public. For more information about the talk or the Hisatsinom Chapter, please contact Marcie Ryan, 882-3391.
Employment Opportunity (Comstock TX)
Grow with SHUMLA, As The New Deputy Executive Director. SHUMLA is an internationally recognized nonprofit education and archeological research center located in the community of Comstock on the Southwest Texas border west of Del Rio. We seek a Deputy Executive Director ready to grow, professionally and personally, with us. The Deputy Director of SHUMLA will oversee education operations: motivating and supervising staff and volunteers; evaluating curriculum; promoting new programs; and writing grant proposals to support the vision. Contact Elton Prewitt
Employment Opportunity (Short Deadline)
The BLM El Centro, CA Field Office is currently advertising for a Term
GS-07/09 Archaeologist. Below is the job announcement number for USAjobs.
The job announcement closes 10/22, so people need to get their applications
in ASAP. Please help spread the word! Thanks! Reference " FS-383168-AK10"
http://www.usajobs.gov/
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributing to today's newsletter.
Publication Note - Southwest Archaeology Today Newsletter Upgrade in Progress
This newsletter will take a break next week as we migrate to a new server that will allow the Center for Desert Archaeology to do a better job of sharing the news about archaeology, anthropology, and historic preservation in the American Southwest. For our readers who have enjoyed the newsletter here at Blogspot, this will be the final full newsletter posted at this location. We hope you will follow us over to the new home for Southwestern Archaeology Today in early November.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Arizona Republic Endorses a Preservation Approach to Ballot Initiatives
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Arizona Republic Endorses a Preservation Approach to Ballot Initiatives
Prop. 301 would divert all of the Land Conservation Fund, which voters approved 12 years ago, into a one-time-only budget patch. It would sacrifice long-term benefits that include educational funding, community open space, and protection for archaeology, habitat and scenic resources on trust land.
http://tinyurl.com/2ae4xe5 - Arizona Republic
Data Recovery Nearly Complete at the Site of the Future Peoria Palo Verde Park
On a hot September afternoon, archaeologist Mark Hackbarth tread carefully across the fenced site that is dotted with short sticks with pink and orange markers. He looked for "hot spots" of Hohokam activity. The archaeologist has been using a device that sends radar pulses to capture subsurface images. "This is as good as it gets as far as archaeological sites go," Hackbarth said, pointing dirt-lined fingers to a dug-up area.
http://tinyurl.com/2ec4fr7 - Arizona Republic
Archaeology under Attack
Somewhere out there, there's a modern Western explorer who decided he had something so important to say that it had to be slathered in silver paint on a remote rock wall full of ancient petroglyphs in the national forest. The mysterious etchings depicting people, animals and a blazing sun are in a box canyon known as Keyhole Sink in the Kaibab National Forest east of Williams, a mountain town off Interstate 40 that has welcomed sojourners since its namesake, fur trapper "Old Bill" Williams, explored the locale in the early to mid-1800s.
http://tinyurl.com/22m263c - Arizona Republic
Poster Contest for Utah Archaeology Week
Archaeology Week isn't until May 7-14 but the Antiquities Section of State History is now inviting Utah residents to participate in the Utah Archaeology Week Poster Contest. Cash prizes will be offered in three categories: grand prize: $250; secondary school winner: $100; elementary school winner: $100.
http://tinyurl.com/2v5dpzj - Deseret News
Contractor Selected for New Mesa Verde Visitor Center
PCL Construction Services of Edwards has been awarded a $12 million contract from the National Park Service to build a visitor and research center at Mesa Verde National Park.
http://www.vaildaily.com/ARTICLE/20101005/BIZ/101009910/-1/RSS
Tour / Hiking Opportunity
Wilderness Hike to the Dittert Site,Saturday October 16, 2010. “Coyote, Doctor Dittert, and the Ancestors” Dr. Dittert said this site was built over a Chacoan outlier-like site. Others say it is closer to Mogollon country and influence. It may be the last mansion locally built before the difficult times of the 1270s. Come find out about two great ancestral cultures of the southwest, and decide for yourself if this is where they met, whether they got along, and why they chose this place. Modern interpretations are in flux. In the late 1200s drought was pervasive as was the likelihood of political upheaval.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/dittert_hike_2010.doc
New Website Documents Efforts to Preserve the Colonial Missions of Chihuahua (from Gloria Eugenia Alvillar)
My cousin who lives in Chihuahua, Chihuahua has sent this website on the mission reconstruction effort there. The video on the bottom half of the page is very well done. There is a Tarahumara governor who speaks toward the end of the film and it is moving. I would love to do a translation so that it can be shown in English. The narrative is respectful of all who participated in the legacy that is ours today. There are two architects from Valencia, Spain who are working on this effort and a small book has been published on how to restore old Spanish missions. Enjoy.
http://www.misionescoloniales.org/
Crow Canyon Announces New Three-Year Field Project
The new project shifts our focus in a number of ways: from the end of the ancestral Pueblo occupation to the beginning, from the final migration out of the region to the initial migration in, and from the best-understood period of ancestral Pueblo history to the least understood. The Basketmaker Communities Project: Early Pueblo Society in the Mesa Verde Region will focus on the earliest substantial period of ancestral Pueblo settlement in the Mesa Verde region, known as the Basketmaker III period (A.D. 500–750), and will investigate where these initial settlers came from, what their society was like, and the ways these early farmers impacted a pristine environment.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001886894.cfm?x=b11,0,w
Hueco Tanks Interpretive Fair Scheduled for October 16 and 17th
The Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site's 2010 Interpretive Fair Weekend will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. October 16, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 17. Attractions of the two-day event will include Native American dancing and drumming, folklorico dancers, pictograph, birding and nature tours and booths. Tours will begin at 8 a.m. both days of the fair, and will include birding tours, nature hikes, rare plant tours, hiking tours and tours to Native American pictograph sites. Visitors can browse informational booths on local history, desert wildlife, area parks and native plants. There will also be food, art and gifts for sale. An evening campfire storytelling program will start at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 16. The fair will be held at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. #1, El Paso, TX 79938. From US Highway 62/180, turn north onto Ranch Road 2775. Continue through the park gate to the headquarters building. The park is 32 miles northeast of El Paso.
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's October 14th meeting will feature Dr. Steven R. James speaking on “Archaeological Field Schools in California and the American Southwest: Historical Perspectives and Personal Reflections.” Meeting information: Thursday, October 14, 2010, 7:30 pm at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, CA. Meeting is free and open to the public.
http://www.pcas.org
Student Employment Opportunity (Delores)
The Curatorial Program at the Bureau of Land Management - Anasazi Heritage Center is recruiting for qualified students who are interested in learning about the museum profession – particularly museum collections management for BLM and the Department of the Interior. The Student Temporary Experience Program (STEP) is temporary employment in the Federal government that provides the student with an opportunity to gain experience in the Federal government.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ahc_step.doc
Arizona Republic Endorses a Preservation Approach to Ballot Initiatives
Prop. 301 would divert all of the Land Conservation Fund, which voters approved 12 years ago, into a one-time-only budget patch. It would sacrifice long-term benefits that include educational funding, community open space, and protection for archaeology, habitat and scenic resources on trust land.
http://tinyurl.com/2ae4xe5 - Arizona Republic
Data Recovery Nearly Complete at the Site of the Future Peoria Palo Verde Park
On a hot September afternoon, archaeologist Mark Hackbarth tread carefully across the fenced site that is dotted with short sticks with pink and orange markers. He looked for "hot spots" of Hohokam activity. The archaeologist has been using a device that sends radar pulses to capture subsurface images. "This is as good as it gets as far as archaeological sites go," Hackbarth said, pointing dirt-lined fingers to a dug-up area.
http://tinyurl.com/2ec4fr7 - Arizona Republic
Archaeology under Attack
Somewhere out there, there's a modern Western explorer who decided he had something so important to say that it had to be slathered in silver paint on a remote rock wall full of ancient petroglyphs in the national forest. The mysterious etchings depicting people, animals and a blazing sun are in a box canyon known as Keyhole Sink in the Kaibab National Forest east of Williams, a mountain town off Interstate 40 that has welcomed sojourners since its namesake, fur trapper "Old Bill" Williams, explored the locale in the early to mid-1800s.
http://tinyurl.com/22m263c - Arizona Republic
Poster Contest for Utah Archaeology Week
Archaeology Week isn't until May 7-14 but the Antiquities Section of State History is now inviting Utah residents to participate in the Utah Archaeology Week Poster Contest. Cash prizes will be offered in three categories: grand prize: $250; secondary school winner: $100; elementary school winner: $100.
http://tinyurl.com/2v5dpzj - Deseret News
Contractor Selected for New Mesa Verde Visitor Center
PCL Construction Services of Edwards has been awarded a $12 million contract from the National Park Service to build a visitor and research center at Mesa Verde National Park.
http://www.vaildaily.com/ARTICLE/20101005/BIZ/101009910/-1/RSS
Tour / Hiking Opportunity
Wilderness Hike to the Dittert Site,Saturday October 16, 2010. “Coyote, Doctor Dittert, and the Ancestors” Dr. Dittert said this site was built over a Chacoan outlier-like site. Others say it is closer to Mogollon country and influence. It may be the last mansion locally built before the difficult times of the 1270s. Come find out about two great ancestral cultures of the southwest, and decide for yourself if this is where they met, whether they got along, and why they chose this place. Modern interpretations are in flux. In the late 1200s drought was pervasive as was the likelihood of political upheaval.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/dittert_hike_2010.doc
New Website Documents Efforts to Preserve the Colonial Missions of Chihuahua (from Gloria Eugenia Alvillar)
My cousin who lives in Chihuahua, Chihuahua has sent this website on the mission reconstruction effort there. The video on the bottom half of the page is very well done. There is a Tarahumara governor who speaks toward the end of the film and it is moving. I would love to do a translation so that it can be shown in English. The narrative is respectful of all who participated in the legacy that is ours today. There are two architects from Valencia, Spain who are working on this effort and a small book has been published on how to restore old Spanish missions. Enjoy.
http://www.misionescoloniales.org/
Crow Canyon Announces New Three-Year Field Project
The new project shifts our focus in a number of ways: from the end of the ancestral Pueblo occupation to the beginning, from the final migration out of the region to the initial migration in, and from the best-understood period of ancestral Pueblo history to the least understood. The Basketmaker Communities Project: Early Pueblo Society in the Mesa Verde Region will focus on the earliest substantial period of ancestral Pueblo settlement in the Mesa Verde region, known as the Basketmaker III period (A.D. 500–750), and will investigate where these initial settlers came from, what their society was like, and the ways these early farmers impacted a pristine environment.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001886894.cfm?x=b11,0,w
Hueco Tanks Interpretive Fair Scheduled for October 16 and 17th
The Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site's 2010 Interpretive Fair Weekend will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. October 16, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 17. Attractions of the two-day event will include Native American dancing and drumming, folklorico dancers, pictograph, birding and nature tours and booths. Tours will begin at 8 a.m. both days of the fair, and will include birding tours, nature hikes, rare plant tours, hiking tours and tours to Native American pictograph sites. Visitors can browse informational booths on local history, desert wildlife, area parks and native plants. There will also be food, art and gifts for sale. An evening campfire storytelling program will start at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 16. The fair will be held at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. #1, El Paso, TX 79938. From US Highway 62/180, turn north onto Ranch Road 2775. Continue through the park gate to the headquarters building. The park is 32 miles northeast of El Paso.
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's October 14th meeting will feature Dr. Steven R. James speaking on “Archaeological Field Schools in California and the American Southwest: Historical Perspectives and Personal Reflections.” Meeting information: Thursday, October 14, 2010, 7:30 pm at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, CA. Meeting is free and open to the public.
http://www.pcas.org
Student Employment Opportunity (Delores)
The Curatorial Program at the Bureau of Land Management - Anasazi Heritage Center is recruiting for qualified students who are interested in learning about the museum profession – particularly museum collections management for BLM and the Department of the Interior. The Student Temporary Experience Program (STEP) is temporary employment in the Federal government that provides the student with an opportunity to gain experience in the Federal government.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ahc_step.doc
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tutuveni Petroglyphs Provided with Extra Protection
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Tutuveni Petroglyphs Provided with Extra Protection
Recognized as a sacred site by the Hopi people, the Hopi "Tutuveni" petroglyph area located near Tuba City and state Highway 89 contains the largest, most significant concentration of Hopi clan symbols found anywhere in the American southwest.
http://tinyurl.com/258rwz5 - Navajo Hopi Observer
Archaeologists Dismiss Clovis Comet Impact Theory
New research challenges the controversial theory that an ancient comet impact devastated the Clovis people, one of the earliest known cultures to inhabit North America. Writing in the October issue of Current Anthropology, archaeologists Vance Holliday (University of Arizona) and David Meltzer (Southern Methodist University) argue that there is nothing in the archaeological record to suggest an abrupt collapse of Clovis populations. "Whether or not the proposed extraterrestrial impact occurred is a matter for empirical testing in the geological record," the researchers write. "Insofar as concerns the archaeological record, an extraterrestrial impact is an unnecessary solution for an archaeological problem that does not exist."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uocp-nef092910.php
Lost City Musuem Celebrates 75 Years of Interpreting Ancient Nevada
"Most people don't know that in Southern Nevada, we had such large-scale, prehistoric populations," says Dr. Karen Harry, an archaeologist and professor in the anthropology department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "It's kind of a big deal."
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/the-artifacts-of-life-103698249.html
23 Historic Preservation Efforts in Nevada Canceled
The 23 historic preservation projects awarded funding from the Nevada Commission on Cultural Affairs earlier this year are the latest casualties of the state's budget crisis.
Historic Preservation Officer Ron James said the grants totaling $3 million were pulled back after the announcement that the state has no capacity to issue new bonds this coming budget cycle.
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20100923/NEWS/100929904/1001
Artifacts Stolen From Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
The National Park Service says burglars stole buffalo hides and historical weapons from two historic sites in southeastern Colorado.
http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/artifacts-stolen-from-colorado-historic-sites/
Symposium on the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip is Scheduled for November
On Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, 2010, the Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance will sponsor an archaeological symposium in Page, Arizona, Discovering the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip Region: Learning from the Past - Planning for the Future. The symposium will bring together agency archaeologists, professionals, students, tribal representatives, and the public to discuss questions that will guide a research design for the coming decades on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. On Friday night, November 12, keynote speakers Don and Catherine Fowler will share their archaeological experiences in the region. The public is invited without charge to the evening sessions. Early registration is $35.00 until October 1, 2010, after October 1 registration is $50.00.For symposium information and to register go to
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ohara/AZstrip.htm
Mesa Verde For Kids
here’s no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone. Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation.
http://tinyurl.com/2bv37qh - Ventura County Star
Celebrating The Twelfth Annual Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival San Xavier Plaza
The Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival for the Golden Eagle Feather Award and Scholarship will be celebrating its TWELFTH ANNUAL, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 6pm to 9 pm at the San Xavier Plaza, Tucson, Arizona. This event is open to everyone.
http://tinyurl.com/2bmxup7 - Tucson Citizen
Montezuma Castle National Monument Celebrates 50th Anniversary
In the shadow of nearly 1,000-year-old ruins, Marie Carone joined a celebration of a small, but significant milestone in the Verde Valley's history. The visitor's center at Montezuma's Castle, the popular national monument, is turning 50-years old.
http://tinyurl.com/26qo8t2 - ABC 15.com
Taking a New Look at Old Digs: Trampling Animals May Alter Stone Age Sites
Archaeologists who interpret Stone Age culture from discoveries of ancient tools and artifacts may need to reanalyze some of their conclusions. That's the finding suggested by a new study that for the first time looked at the impact of water buffalo and goats trampling artifacts into mud.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100923162408.htm
Legend Rock Encodes 10,000 Years of Beliefs
Ice Age paintings and carvings in Europe are revered as sublime achievements of early humans, yet the prehistoric rock art in the American West is far less known. At Legend Rock in central Wyoming, 10,000 years of profound beliefs are inscribed on red sandstone cliffs.
http://tinyurl.com/2eagwtn - The Wall Street Journal
El Paso Museum of Archaeology Offers Free Tours
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is offering free docent-led tours of the museum and its surrounding Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. Tours for families with children will be at 1 p.m. today and on Oct. 9 and Oct. 24. Adult tours will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and again on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Reservations are not necessary. To enjoy the gardens, wear suitable clothing, shoes and sun protection. The museum is at 4301 Trans Mountain. Information: 755-4332. - El Paso Times.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has issued a major new report evaluating how the federal government is meeting its statutory obligations to consider the effects of its activities on America’s historic and cultural resources. The report, entitled Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics, urges federal agencies to take more seriously their obligations to comply with the basic statutory mandate (on the books since 1966) to consider the effects of their activities on the nation’s heritage.
http://tinyurl.com/28mnkmw - National Trust for Historic Preservation
Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society presents "Recent Investigations Along the Chaco North Road: The Artifacts Don't Lie!" by Jim Copeland on Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center. Jim Copeland has been the Senior BLM archaeologist for the Farmington Field Office for the past 19 years. His investigations along previously unstudied sections of the famed Chaco North Road have identified consistent patterns in road artifact distributions and physical characteristics north of Pierre’s Ruin, a large Chaco outlier complex located along the road. Research also shows that the phenomenon of parallel roads extend twice as far north of Pierre’s Ruin than previously known, and may ultimately reach the escarpment of Kutz Canyon, where the North Road via a prehistoric stairway descends into the badlands. Aerial photo and archaeological site and artifact data also indicates that the North Road continued to Aztec Ruins. This talk is free and open to the public. For more information about the talk or joining Hisatsinom, call Diane McBride at 560-1643.
National Register Update
Congratulations to all those involved with listing the following places on the National Register of Historic Properties: Tonto National Monument Visitors Center, Tucson's Erskine P Caldwell House, the Don Martin Apartmentment House, the First Joesler House, Gable House, Haynes Building, Heckler House, and Type A and B Joesler Buildings, as well as Clarkdale's Tuzigoot Musuem,
Reminder - First Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.
This coming Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd in Glendale, AZ. Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Center) in Glendale. We will be touring the Center's grounds, exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. The SHPO values our partnerships with you we hope to see you at this meeting, and at future planning efforts, for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month public programming. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager State Historic Preservation Office 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov
Thanks to Carrie Gregory, Gerald Kelso, Brian Kreimendahl and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Tutuveni Petroglyphs Provided with Extra Protection
Recognized as a sacred site by the Hopi people, the Hopi "Tutuveni" petroglyph area located near Tuba City and state Highway 89 contains the largest, most significant concentration of Hopi clan symbols found anywhere in the American southwest.
http://tinyurl.com/258rwz5 - Navajo Hopi Observer
Archaeologists Dismiss Clovis Comet Impact Theory
New research challenges the controversial theory that an ancient comet impact devastated the Clovis people, one of the earliest known cultures to inhabit North America. Writing in the October issue of Current Anthropology, archaeologists Vance Holliday (University of Arizona) and David Meltzer (Southern Methodist University) argue that there is nothing in the archaeological record to suggest an abrupt collapse of Clovis populations. "Whether or not the proposed extraterrestrial impact occurred is a matter for empirical testing in the geological record," the researchers write. "Insofar as concerns the archaeological record, an extraterrestrial impact is an unnecessary solution for an archaeological problem that does not exist."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uocp-nef092910.php
Lost City Musuem Celebrates 75 Years of Interpreting Ancient Nevada
"Most people don't know that in Southern Nevada, we had such large-scale, prehistoric populations," says Dr. Karen Harry, an archaeologist and professor in the anthropology department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "It's kind of a big deal."
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/the-artifacts-of-life-103698249.html
23 Historic Preservation Efforts in Nevada Canceled
The 23 historic preservation projects awarded funding from the Nevada Commission on Cultural Affairs earlier this year are the latest casualties of the state's budget crisis.
Historic Preservation Officer Ron James said the grants totaling $3 million were pulled back after the announcement that the state has no capacity to issue new bonds this coming budget cycle.
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20100923/NEWS/100929904/1001
Artifacts Stolen From Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
The National Park Service says burglars stole buffalo hides and historical weapons from two historic sites in southeastern Colorado.
http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/artifacts-stolen-from-colorado-historic-sites/
Symposium on the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip is Scheduled for November
On Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, 2010, the Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance will sponsor an archaeological symposium in Page, Arizona, Discovering the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip Region: Learning from the Past - Planning for the Future. The symposium will bring together agency archaeologists, professionals, students, tribal representatives, and the public to discuss questions that will guide a research design for the coming decades on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. On Friday night, November 12, keynote speakers Don and Catherine Fowler will share their archaeological experiences in the region. The public is invited without charge to the evening sessions. Early registration is $35.00 until October 1, 2010, after October 1 registration is $50.00.For symposium information and to register go to
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ohara/AZstrip.htm
Mesa Verde For Kids
here’s no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone. Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation.
http://tinyurl.com/2bv37qh - Ventura County Star
Celebrating The Twelfth Annual Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival San Xavier Plaza
The Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival for the Golden Eagle Feather Award and Scholarship will be celebrating its TWELFTH ANNUAL, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 6pm to 9 pm at the San Xavier Plaza, Tucson, Arizona. This event is open to everyone.
http://tinyurl.com/2bmxup7 - Tucson Citizen
Montezuma Castle National Monument Celebrates 50th Anniversary
In the shadow of nearly 1,000-year-old ruins, Marie Carone joined a celebration of a small, but significant milestone in the Verde Valley's history. The visitor's center at Montezuma's Castle, the popular national monument, is turning 50-years old.
http://tinyurl.com/26qo8t2 - ABC 15.com
Taking a New Look at Old Digs: Trampling Animals May Alter Stone Age Sites
Archaeologists who interpret Stone Age culture from discoveries of ancient tools and artifacts may need to reanalyze some of their conclusions. That's the finding suggested by a new study that for the first time looked at the impact of water buffalo and goats trampling artifacts into mud.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100923162408.htm
Legend Rock Encodes 10,000 Years of Beliefs
Ice Age paintings and carvings in Europe are revered as sublime achievements of early humans, yet the prehistoric rock art in the American West is far less known. At Legend Rock in central Wyoming, 10,000 years of profound beliefs are inscribed on red sandstone cliffs.
http://tinyurl.com/2eagwtn - The Wall Street Journal
El Paso Museum of Archaeology Offers Free Tours
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is offering free docent-led tours of the museum and its surrounding Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. Tours for families with children will be at 1 p.m. today and on Oct. 9 and Oct. 24. Adult tours will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and again on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Reservations are not necessary. To enjoy the gardens, wear suitable clothing, shoes and sun protection. The museum is at 4301 Trans Mountain. Information: 755-4332. - El Paso Times.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has issued a major new report evaluating how the federal government is meeting its statutory obligations to consider the effects of its activities on America’s historic and cultural resources. The report, entitled Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics, urges federal agencies to take more seriously their obligations to comply with the basic statutory mandate (on the books since 1966) to consider the effects of their activities on the nation’s heritage.
http://tinyurl.com/28mnkmw - National Trust for Historic Preservation
Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society presents "Recent Investigations Along the Chaco North Road: The Artifacts Don't Lie!" by Jim Copeland on Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center. Jim Copeland has been the Senior BLM archaeologist for the Farmington Field Office for the past 19 years. His investigations along previously unstudied sections of the famed Chaco North Road have identified consistent patterns in road artifact distributions and physical characteristics north of Pierre’s Ruin, a large Chaco outlier complex located along the road. Research also shows that the phenomenon of parallel roads extend twice as far north of Pierre’s Ruin than previously known, and may ultimately reach the escarpment of Kutz Canyon, where the North Road via a prehistoric stairway descends into the badlands. Aerial photo and archaeological site and artifact data also indicates that the North Road continued to Aztec Ruins. This talk is free and open to the public. For more information about the talk or joining Hisatsinom, call Diane McBride at 560-1643.
National Register Update
Congratulations to all those involved with listing the following places on the National Register of Historic Properties: Tonto National Monument Visitors Center, Tucson's Erskine P Caldwell House, the Don Martin Apartmentment House, the First Joesler House, Gable House, Haynes Building, Heckler House, and Type A and B Joesler Buildings, as well as Clarkdale's Tuzigoot Musuem,
Reminder - First Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.
This coming Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd in Glendale, AZ. Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Center) in Glendale. We will be touring the Center's grounds, exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. The SHPO values our partnerships with you we hope to see you at this meeting, and at future planning efforts, for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month public programming. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager State Historic Preservation Office 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov
Thanks to Carrie Gregory, Gerald Kelso, Brian Kreimendahl and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Politics Push Back Bill to Expand Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Southwestern Archaeology making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Politics Push Back Bill to Expand Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument expansion bill (HR 5110) received a substantial majority of votes on Thursday (Sept. 23), with 244 votes for, and 174 votes against. However, the bill was considered under “suspension,” which requires a two-thirds majority. The bill did not reach that threshold, so it failed.
http://tinyurl.com/38gkv97 - Center for Desert Archaeology
http://tinyurl.com/37byc2q = Arizona Republic
Arizona Republic Advocates Expansion of Casa Grande Ruins
The U.S. House of Representatives is taking a recorded vote today on a proposal to expand the boundaries of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. If any bill should be a slam dunk, this is it. The significance of the site was obvious more than a century ago, when it became America's first archaeological reserve in 1892. It was designated as a national monument in 1918.
http://tinyurl.com/39yfbnw - Arizona Republic
The Site of a Coronado Skirmish Uncovered in New Mexico
A battleground in the first major conflict between Europeans and Native Americans in what would become the U.S. Southwest is a vacant lot on the west side of Albuquerque. For a century, archaeologists and pot hunters have known of the ruins called Piedras Marcadas ("marked boulders") — once one of at least a dozen thriving Tiwa-speaking villages in the central valley of the Rio Grande, known collectively as Tiguex (pronounced tee-wesh).
http://tinyurl.com/3adx4u2 - Santa Fe New Mexican
Archaeologists Claim Evidence for "Genocide" at Small Pit House Village
Crushed leg bones, battered skulls and other mutilated human remains are likely all that's left of a Native American population destroyed by genocide that took place circa 800 A.D., suggests a new study. The paper, accepted for publication in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, describes the single largest deposit to date of mutilated and processed human remains in the American Southwest.
http://www.enn.com/lifestyle/article/41799
Field School Students Excavate Folsom Site Near Albuquerque
Imagine finding evidence of one of the first human groups known to have traveled through the middle Rio Grande Valley in the Southwestern United States. That’s what students in Anthropology 375/575 did this summer as they excavated a Folsom site on a mesa west of Albuquerque. It was named Deann’s site after Deann Muller, the student who found it during a survey of the area in 2001.
http://tinyurl.com/3y9wywg - University of New Mexico
Don Garate Passes
Don Garate, a Rio Rico resident known for his colorful depictions of Juan Bautista de Anza II, died Tuesday of brain cancer at his son Gene’s home in Kansas. He was 59. While depicting Anza II, a Spanish captain who led an expedition in 1775 from Tubac to establish the first overland route to present-day San Francisco, Garate appeared in full costume with a red-trimmed navy blue cape and a black hat, sometimes on horseback.
http://tinyurl.com/2wnqtc2 - The Nogales International
(Related Story) A Tribute to Don Garate's Final Performance as Juan Bautista De Anza Available on Youtube
F or over 25 years Don Garate has played the role of Juan Bautista de Anza for the National Park Service, Tumacacori National Historic Park. He has embodied the legacy of Anza for us all to enjoy today. Presented here is a five minute tribute to Don excerpted from an in-production video on Anza, "Legacy of a Journey" being prepared for the Park Service for distribution in the summer of 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTJF-8ners4
Paul S. Martin Passes
Paul S. Martin developed the idea that early humans had hunted North America's Ice Age big game, including ground sloths, camels, mammoths and mastodons, to extinction. Paul S. Martin, the University of Arizona geoscientist who developed the idea that overhunting drove North America's large Ice Age mammals extinct, died Sept. 13 at his home in Tucson, Ariz. He was 82.
http://www.uanews.org/node/34237
The Ancient City Underneath Phoenix
My hometown is greater Phoenix. Peel back just the top couple of feet there, and you'll find the remnants of a sprawling society of farmers who lived in adobe villages a thousand years ago.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128778236
Native American Cultural Preservation - Without a Casino
Like other native Americans, the Hopi of Arizona have faced adversity, including seeing their homeland, or tutsqua, shrink from more than 18 million acres to 1.5 million acres today. Hopi groups disagree about how to preserve their culture: Build a casino or remain gambling-free? Encourage tourists or restrict them? Their responses have stayed on the conservative side – they have twice voted down building a casino. But now, with the support of their tribal government, the progressive Upper Moenkopi have built the first major Hopi hotel, the Moenkopi Legacy Inn near Tuba City.
http://tinyurl.com/36xk2bk - The Christian Science Monitor
Astronomy Evening At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Saturday, October 2, 2010 - Take advantage of New Mexico’s magnificent dark skies by attending the season’s final astronomy evening at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument on Saturday, October 2nd beginning at 5:00 p.m.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd_astronomy3.doc - Ms Word Document\
The Story of George Hubbard Pepper
George Hubbard Pepper (1873-1924) landed a very big job anthropologically speaking. He directed the excavation of one of the wonders of the American West, Pueblo Bonito, the 800-room Native American brick complex built 1200 years ago in the Arizona (sic) desert.
http://www.silive.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2010/09/native_art.html
Nanodiamonds Discovered in Greenland Ice Sheet, Contribute to Evidence for Cosmic Impact
Nanosize diamonds have been discovered in the Greenland ice sheet, according to a study reported by scientists in a recent online publication of the Journal of Glaciology. The finding adds credence to the controversial hypothesis that fragments of a comet struck across North America and Europe approximately 12,900 years ago.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100914143626.htm
National Park's Entrance Fees Waived this Saturday
This Saturday, Sept 25, the National Park Service is offering free access to 392 national parks to commemorate National Public Lands Day, reports the America's Great Outdoors Campaign, a community-based conservation awareness effort.
http://www.enn.com/lifestyle/article/41808
2011 Pecos Conference to be held on the Arizona Strip
The 2011 Pecos Conference of Southwestern Archaeology will be held in the Kaibab National Forest on the “Arizona Strip,” north and west of the Colorado River, August 11-14. The site is an open park at Mile-and-a-half Lake, 8 miles south of Jacob Lake and 2.5 miles west of SR 67. Jacob Lake is located at the intersection of US 89A and SR67 between Lee’s Ferry and Fredonia. Individuals and organizations interested in assisting in the organization as partners, sponsors, or vendors may contact David Purcell at davidepurcell@gmail.com. Additional information will be released as it is available through this channel and the conference website, which is in development. Please prepare for a celebration of the archaeology and history of the Arizona Strip, southwestern Utah, and southern Nevada in the 99th year of Arizona Statehood!
First Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.
This coming Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd in Glendale, AZ. Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Center) in Glendale. We will be touring the Center’s grounds, exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. The SHPO values our partnerships with you – we hope to see you at this meeting, and at future planning efforts, for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month public programming. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager State Historic Preservation Office 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov
Lecture Opportunity: Tubac
The Hohokam Southern Frontier Revisited: Recent Excavations at the Continental Site in Green Valley. Thursday October 14, 2010, 7 PM at Santa Cruz County’s North County Facility 50 Bridge Road, Tubac, Az. This presentation at the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter, Arizona Archaeological Society monthly meeting will illustrate and discuss all of the archaeological investigations that have been conducted at the Continental prehistoric site. Despite the toll that historic and modern developments have taken on this site, more than 100 intact archaeological features have been found still buried there, and 44 of those features have been excavated.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ southern_hohokam_frontier.pdf
Hiking Opportunity: Chaco Migrants Meet Mountain Mogollon
Saturday, 16 October, 2010. Find out about two great ancestral cultures. Decide if this is where they met, whether they got along, how they differ, and why they chose here. Dittert Site. 4 mile hike. 5 hours. 9 AM El Malpais NCA Ranger Station. Grants, New Mexico. 505.280.2918
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/dittert_hike.doc
Reminder - Only one week left to submit proposals for the Arizona History Conference. Proposals must be submitted by October 1, 2010, to Bruce J. Dinges, c/o Arizona Historical Society, 949 E. 2nd St., Tucson, AZ 85719. Only one proposal per presenter. Include name, address, phone number, and biographical information, along with title of presentation and no more than one page of description.
http://www.arizonahistory.org/2011conv/2011call.html
Thanks to Brian Kreimendahl and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Politics Push Back Bill to Expand Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument expansion bill (HR 5110) received a substantial majority of votes on Thursday (Sept. 23), with 244 votes for, and 174 votes against. However, the bill was considered under “suspension,” which requires a two-thirds majority. The bill did not reach that threshold, so it failed.
http://tinyurl.com/38gkv97 - Center for Desert Archaeology
http://tinyurl.com/37byc2q = Arizona Republic
Arizona Republic Advocates Expansion of Casa Grande Ruins
The U.S. House of Representatives is taking a recorded vote today on a proposal to expand the boundaries of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. If any bill should be a slam dunk, this is it. The significance of the site was obvious more than a century ago, when it became America's first archaeological reserve in 1892. It was designated as a national monument in 1918.
http://tinyurl.com/39yfbnw - Arizona Republic
The Site of a Coronado Skirmish Uncovered in New Mexico
A battleground in the first major conflict between Europeans and Native Americans in what would become the U.S. Southwest is a vacant lot on the west side of Albuquerque. For a century, archaeologists and pot hunters have known of the ruins called Piedras Marcadas ("marked boulders") — once one of at least a dozen thriving Tiwa-speaking villages in the central valley of the Rio Grande, known collectively as Tiguex (pronounced tee-wesh).
http://tinyurl.com/3adx4u2 - Santa Fe New Mexican
Archaeologists Claim Evidence for "Genocide" at Small Pit House Village
Crushed leg bones, battered skulls and other mutilated human remains are likely all that's left of a Native American population destroyed by genocide that took place circa 800 A.D., suggests a new study. The paper, accepted for publication in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, describes the single largest deposit to date of mutilated and processed human remains in the American Southwest.
http://www.enn.com/lifestyle/article/41799
Field School Students Excavate Folsom Site Near Albuquerque
Imagine finding evidence of one of the first human groups known to have traveled through the middle Rio Grande Valley in the Southwestern United States. That’s what students in Anthropology 375/575 did this summer as they excavated a Folsom site on a mesa west of Albuquerque. It was named Deann’s site after Deann Muller, the student who found it during a survey of the area in 2001.
http://tinyurl.com/3y9wywg - University of New Mexico
Don Garate Passes
Don Garate, a Rio Rico resident known for his colorful depictions of Juan Bautista de Anza II, died Tuesday of brain cancer at his son Gene’s home in Kansas. He was 59. While depicting Anza II, a Spanish captain who led an expedition in 1775 from Tubac to establish the first overland route to present-day San Francisco, Garate appeared in full costume with a red-trimmed navy blue cape and a black hat, sometimes on horseback.
http://tinyurl.com/2wnqtc2 - The Nogales International
(Related Story) A Tribute to Don Garate's Final Performance as Juan Bautista De Anza Available on Youtube
F or over 25 years Don Garate has played the role of Juan Bautista de Anza for the National Park Service, Tumacacori National Historic Park. He has embodied the legacy of Anza for us all to enjoy today. Presented here is a five minute tribute to Don excerpted from an in-production video on Anza, "Legacy of a Journey" being prepared for the Park Service for distribution in the summer of 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTJF-8ners4
Paul S. Martin Passes
Paul S. Martin developed the idea that early humans had hunted North America's Ice Age big game, including ground sloths, camels, mammoths and mastodons, to extinction. Paul S. Martin, the University of Arizona geoscientist who developed the idea that overhunting drove North America's large Ice Age mammals extinct, died Sept. 13 at his home in Tucson, Ariz. He was 82.
http://www.uanews.org/node/34237
The Ancient City Underneath Phoenix
My hometown is greater Phoenix. Peel back just the top couple of feet there, and you'll find the remnants of a sprawling society of farmers who lived in adobe villages a thousand years ago.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128778236
Native American Cultural Preservation - Without a Casino
Like other native Americans, the Hopi of Arizona have faced adversity, including seeing their homeland, or tutsqua, shrink from more than 18 million acres to 1.5 million acres today. Hopi groups disagree about how to preserve their culture: Build a casino or remain gambling-free? Encourage tourists or restrict them? Their responses have stayed on the conservative side – they have twice voted down building a casino. But now, with the support of their tribal government, the progressive Upper Moenkopi have built the first major Hopi hotel, the Moenkopi Legacy Inn near Tuba City.
http://tinyurl.com/36xk2bk - The Christian Science Monitor
Astronomy Evening At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Saturday, October 2, 2010 - Take advantage of New Mexico’s magnificent dark skies by attending the season’s final astronomy evening at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument on Saturday, October 2nd beginning at 5:00 p.m.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd_astronomy3.doc - Ms Word Document\
The Story of George Hubbard Pepper
George Hubbard Pepper (1873-1924) landed a very big job anthropologically speaking. He directed the excavation of one of the wonders of the American West, Pueblo Bonito, the 800-room Native American brick complex built 1200 years ago in the Arizona (sic) desert.
http://www.silive.com/entertainment/arts/index.ssf/2010/09/native_art.html
Nanodiamonds Discovered in Greenland Ice Sheet, Contribute to Evidence for Cosmic Impact
Nanosize diamonds have been discovered in the Greenland ice sheet, according to a study reported by scientists in a recent online publication of the Journal of Glaciology. The finding adds credence to the controversial hypothesis that fragments of a comet struck across North America and Europe approximately 12,900 years ago.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100914143626.htm
National Park's Entrance Fees Waived this Saturday
This Saturday, Sept 25, the National Park Service is offering free access to 392 national parks to commemorate National Public Lands Day, reports the America's Great Outdoors Campaign, a community-based conservation awareness effort.
http://www.enn.com/lifestyle/article/41808
2011 Pecos Conference to be held on the Arizona Strip
The 2011 Pecos Conference of Southwestern Archaeology will be held in the Kaibab National Forest on the “Arizona Strip,” north and west of the Colorado River, August 11-14. The site is an open park at Mile-and-a-half Lake, 8 miles south of Jacob Lake and 2.5 miles west of SR 67. Jacob Lake is located at the intersection of US 89A and SR67 between Lee’s Ferry and Fredonia. Individuals and organizations interested in assisting in the organization as partners, sponsors, or vendors may contact David Purcell at davidepurcell@gmail.com. Additional information will be released as it is available through this channel and the conference website, which is in development. Please prepare for a celebration of the archaeology and history of the Arizona Strip, southwestern Utah, and southern Nevada in the 99th year of Arizona Statehood!
First Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.
This coming Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd in Glendale, AZ. Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Center) in Glendale. We will be touring the Center’s grounds, exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. The SHPO values our partnerships with you – we hope to see you at this meeting, and at future planning efforts, for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month public programming. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager State Historic Preservation Office 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov
Lecture Opportunity: Tubac
The Hohokam Southern Frontier Revisited: Recent Excavations at the Continental Site in Green Valley. Thursday October 14, 2010, 7 PM at Santa Cruz County’s North County Facility 50 Bridge Road, Tubac, Az. This presentation at the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter, Arizona Archaeological Society monthly meeting will illustrate and discuss all of the archaeological investigations that have been conducted at the Continental prehistoric site. Despite the toll that historic and modern developments have taken on this site, more than 100 intact archaeological features have been found still buried there, and 44 of those features have been excavated.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ southern_hohokam_frontier.pdf
Hiking Opportunity: Chaco Migrants Meet Mountain Mogollon
Saturday, 16 October, 2010. Find out about two great ancestral cultures. Decide if this is where they met, whether they got along, how they differ, and why they chose here. Dittert Site. 4 mile hike. 5 hours. 9 AM El Malpais NCA Ranger Station. Grants, New Mexico. 505.280.2918
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/dittert_hike.doc
Reminder - Only one week left to submit proposals for the Arizona History Conference. Proposals must be submitted by October 1, 2010, to Bruce J. Dinges, c/o Arizona Historical Society, 949 E. 2nd St., Tucson, AZ 85719. Only one proposal per presenter. Include name, address, phone number, and biographical information, along with title of presentation and no more than one page of description.
http://www.arizonahistory.org/2011conv/2011call.html
Thanks to Brian Kreimendahl and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Ray Thompson to Speak at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society Meeting
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Ray Thompson to Speak at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society Meeting (Tucson)
Dr. Thompson will be presenting the monthly AAHS lecture on Monday, Sept 20th at 7:30 pm in DuVal Auditorium, UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Dr. Thompson's will share his stories of southwestern archaeology in a talk entitled "The Real Dirt of Southwestern Archaeology: Tall Tales from the Good Old Days." The event is free and open to the public.
San Xavier - "A Gift of Angels"
It’s possible to become so familiar with something that we begin to take it for granted. We begin to overlook the meaning and the beauty that is present in the details. Bernard Fontana is a leading authority on Mission San Xavier del Bac, and the author of A Gift of Angels. “It was a huge undertaking,” he says, “to photograph the building and façade in detail.” Bernard, or "Bunny," to you and I, has been quite curious about this church for many decades, and he’s devoted a large part of his life to the scholarly interpretation of the San Xavier del Bac.
http://tinyurl.com/sanxavier
Huhugam Ki Museum Lecture Series Begins at the Salt River Maricopa Community Building "Onk Akimel–Va Shly’ay" Huhugam Ki Museum presents 3 nights of community talks, starting Thursday Sept. 30, 2010. “Finding Traces of Our Past: What Will Your Grandchildren Tell Their Grandchildren?” will be presented at the SRPMIC Cultural Preservation Program and Archaeology Program, Salt River Community Building, Longmore and McDowell from 6;00pm to 8;00pm. Light supper served at 5:30pm
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/3_nights_poster.pdf
Gary Nabhan to Speak at the Arizona Humanities Council's 2010 Lorraine W. Frank Lecture (Tucson)
The Arizona Humanities Council is proud to announce that this year's featured speaker is Gary Paul Nabhan. Gary Nabhan is an internationally known writer, lecturer, food and farming advocate whose work has long been rooted in the U.S. / Mexico borderlands region. He is a Research Social Scientist at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona. The talk will be held at the Leo Rich Theater in Tucson, Friday, Oct 22, 2010 with the reception starting at 5:30 pm. The lecture will begin at 6:30. This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested at the link below.
http://www.azhumanities.org/lwf_lecture5.php
NATHPO Training Program on Dangerous Chemicals in Artifacts Offered
Many museum collections were treated with pesticides to preserve them. Often there are no records and staff is unaware of what might be on the collection or how it may affect researchers. This class is designed for museum curators and others who work with Native American and ethnographic collections. It details methods to mitigate hazards from chemicals and pesticides and health issues stemming from their use on artifacts. Participants in Dangerous Materials: Chemical Poisons in Native American and Ethnographic Artifacts work through sections on their own. Materials and resources include online literature, slide lectures and dialog between students and the instructor through online forums. The course is limited to 20 participants. The instructor, Dr. Nancy Odegaard is the Conservator and Head of the Preservation Division for Arizona State Museum. She is also a Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Nancy manages and supervises staff and programs in the conservation lab, advises on museum environmental issues, and seeks to promote the preservation of collections through improved exhibition and storage conditions. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept 24th, 2010.
http://www.nathpo.org/NNMTP/DangerousMaterialsApplication.html
Archaeo-Nevada Society Begins this Year's Lecture Series
The Archaeo-Nevada Society started its 2010-2011 season with its first meeting Sept. 9th with a talk given by Mark Boatright BLM Archaeologist for Redrock Canyon National Conservation Area. His talked was about the archaeological happenings a at the conservation area with an emphasis on the rock rings throughout the area. The Society meets monthly September through May on the second Thursday at 7 pm on the College of Southern Nevada West Charleston Campus in building K room 228. All are welcome for our monthly lectures. Octobers meeting will feature Chuck Williams from the Redrock Canyon Interpretive Association discussing the rockart in Redrock Canyon. For information about membership contact Bruce Holloway at bholloway9@cox.net
Rock Art Symposium Announcement
Rock Art 2010, the 35th annual Rock Art Symposium presented by the San Diego Museum of Man, will meet on Saturday, November 6, 2010, at the Otto Center at the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd. in San Diego's Balboa Park. This day-long event offers participants the opportunity to share in the results of rock art research around the globe, presented in slide-illustrated lectures. Registration is $40 for students and Museum members, $50 for general admission, including a commemorative ceramic mug. The Rock Art 2010 Flyer with registration information and directions to the Symposium is now available at the link below.
http://www.museumofman.org/sites/default/files/RA2010Flyer.pdf
Rock Art Symposium Call for Papers
If you have rock art research to report, or a new discovery to announce to the world, we are accepting proposals for Rock Art 2010 papers until available time on the program is filled. To submit a paper, send the title and a brief abstract by e-mail to RockArt2010@cox.net <> no later than October 30, 2010. E-mail is preferred, but abstracts can be mailed if necessary to Ken Hedges at the San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
National Register Report
Congratulations to Pima County's Robles Ranch House, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel
Engaging the public in an archaeological project requires some stimulation of the imagination. As an example, the field school team at Fort St. Joseph in western Michigan take the public back to French colonial times in Making the Past Come Alive: Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel. Fort St. Joseph, begun as a French Jesuit mission in the 1680s, was one of the earliest European settlements in the western Great Lakes and an important link among the remote settlements of New France. For almost 80 years, French priests, enlisted men, and traders lived here closely with the native Potowatomi and Miami. After 1781, the fort eventually eroded away and its location was forgotten until its relocation by the Western Michigan University field School. WMU now carries out a very active public archaeology program at the site. http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.
Ray Thompson to Speak at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society Meeting (Tucson)
Dr. Thompson will be presenting the monthly AAHS lecture on Monday, Sept 20th at 7:30 pm in DuVal Auditorium, UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Dr. Thompson's will share his stories of southwestern archaeology in a talk entitled "The Real Dirt of Southwestern Archaeology: Tall Tales from the Good Old Days." The event is free and open to the public.
San Xavier - "A Gift of Angels"
It’s possible to become so familiar with something that we begin to take it for granted. We begin to overlook the meaning and the beauty that is present in the details. Bernard Fontana is a leading authority on Mission San Xavier del Bac, and the author of A Gift of Angels. “It was a huge undertaking,” he says, “to photograph the building and façade in detail.” Bernard, or "Bunny," to you and I, has been quite curious about this church for many decades, and he’s devoted a large part of his life to the scholarly interpretation of the San Xavier del Bac.
http://tinyurl.com/sanxavier
Huhugam Ki Museum Lecture Series Begins at the Salt River Maricopa Community Building "Onk Akimel–Va Shly’ay" Huhugam Ki Museum presents 3 nights of community talks, starting Thursday Sept. 30, 2010. “Finding Traces of Our Past: What Will Your Grandchildren Tell Their Grandchildren?” will be presented at the SRPMIC Cultural Preservation Program and Archaeology Program, Salt River Community Building, Longmore and McDowell from 6;00pm to 8;00pm. Light supper served at 5:30pm
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/3_nights_poster.pdf
Gary Nabhan to Speak at the Arizona Humanities Council's 2010 Lorraine W. Frank Lecture (Tucson)
The Arizona Humanities Council is proud to announce that this year's featured speaker is Gary Paul Nabhan. Gary Nabhan is an internationally known writer, lecturer, food and farming advocate whose work has long been rooted in the U.S. / Mexico borderlands region. He is a Research Social Scientist at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona. The talk will be held at the Leo Rich Theater in Tucson, Friday, Oct 22, 2010 with the reception starting at 5:30 pm. The lecture will begin at 6:30. This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested at the link below.
http://www.azhumanities.org/lwf_lecture5.php
NATHPO Training Program on Dangerous Chemicals in Artifacts Offered
Many museum collections were treated with pesticides to preserve them. Often there are no records and staff is unaware of what might be on the collection or how it may affect researchers. This class is designed for museum curators and others who work with Native American and ethnographic collections. It details methods to mitigate hazards from chemicals and pesticides and health issues stemming from their use on artifacts. Participants in Dangerous Materials: Chemical Poisons in Native American and Ethnographic Artifacts work through sections on their own. Materials and resources include online literature, slide lectures and dialog between students and the instructor through online forums. The course is limited to 20 participants. The instructor, Dr. Nancy Odegaard is the Conservator and Head of the Preservation Division for Arizona State Museum. She is also a Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Nancy manages and supervises staff and programs in the conservation lab, advises on museum environmental issues, and seeks to promote the preservation of collections through improved exhibition and storage conditions. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept 24th, 2010.
http://www.nathpo.org/NNMTP/DangerousMaterialsApplication.html
Archaeo-Nevada Society Begins this Year's Lecture Series
The Archaeo-Nevada Society started its 2010-2011 season with its first meeting Sept. 9th with a talk given by Mark Boatright BLM Archaeologist for Redrock Canyon National Conservation Area. His talked was about the archaeological happenings a at the conservation area with an emphasis on the rock rings throughout the area. The Society meets monthly September through May on the second Thursday at 7 pm on the College of Southern Nevada West Charleston Campus in building K room 228. All are welcome for our monthly lectures. Octobers meeting will feature Chuck Williams from the Redrock Canyon Interpretive Association discussing the rockart in Redrock Canyon. For information about membership contact Bruce Holloway at bholloway9@cox.net
Rock Art Symposium Announcement
Rock Art 2010, the 35th annual Rock Art Symposium presented by the San Diego Museum of Man, will meet on Saturday, November 6, 2010, at the Otto Center at the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd. in San Diego's Balboa Park. This day-long event offers participants the opportunity to share in the results of rock art research around the globe, presented in slide-illustrated lectures. Registration is $40 for students and Museum members, $50 for general admission, including a commemorative ceramic mug. The Rock Art 2010 Flyer with registration information and directions to the Symposium is now available at the link below.
http://www.museumofman.org/sites/default/files/RA2010Flyer.pdf
Rock Art Symposium Call for Papers
If you have rock art research to report, or a new discovery to announce to the world, we are accepting proposals for Rock Art 2010 papers until available time on the program is filled. To submit a paper, send the title and a brief abstract by e-mail to RockArt2010@cox.net <> no later than October 30, 2010. E-mail is preferred, but abstracts can be mailed if necessary to Ken Hedges at the San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
National Register Report
Congratulations to Pima County's Robles Ranch House, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel
Engaging the public in an archaeological project requires some stimulation of the imagination. As an example, the field school team at Fort St. Joseph in western Michigan take the public back to French colonial times in Making the Past Come Alive: Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel. Fort St. Joseph, begun as a French Jesuit mission in the 1680s, was one of the earliest European settlements in the western Great Lakes and an important link among the remote settlements of New France. For almost 80 years, French priests, enlisted men, and traders lived here closely with the native Potowatomi and Miami. After 1781, the fort eventually eroded away and its location was forgotten until its relocation by the Western Michigan University field School. WMU now carries out a very active public archaeology program at the site. http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Archaeological Institute that Helped Define Santa Fe
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
The Archaeological Institute that Helped Define Santa Fe
Adolph Bandelier was broke. Although he had received a $1,200 grant to explore the indigenous peoples and wondrous ruins of New Mexico, that money went quickly to travel and supplies. Exasperated, curious and probably a little bitter, Bandelier investigated the disbursements of funds dedicated to archaeology by American institutions. The vast majority of gifts and funds, he found, went to classics, the study of ancient civilizations in Europe. Very little money and very little attention went to scholarship of American antiquities. The United States needed a center for its own archaeology.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/400-9SARS
Archaeology Cafe Tonight in Tucson
The next Archaeology Café will convene on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. We will be joined by a panel of archaeologists from William Self Associates, Inc., who will discuss their work at the Marsh Station Road (MSR) site. This 20-acre site is located near the confluence of Cienega Creek and Mescal Wash, southeast of Tucson. MSR was inhabited at several points in time between 1050 B.C. and A.D. 1400. The panel—which will be led by project director Michael Boley—will share what they have learned about life and subsistence at MSR, especially during the Early Agricultural and Hohokam Sedentary (Middle Rincon) periods. Their findings have implications for use of the “hinterlands” concept in Hohokam archaeology in the region.
http://tinyurl.com/343syqd - Center for Desert Archaeology
Tribes Seek Faster Repatriation of their Ancestors' Remains
Amid the broken treaties, confiscated lands and other injustices that Native Americans have endured at the hands of white people, few are as personal as the removal of their buried ancestors. For a culture that assigns special meaning to burial rites, it's been painful, Native Americans say, knowing that the remains of tens of thousands of their ancestors have been unearthed, carted off and kept in various federal agencies, museums and other institutions - and not being able to do much about it.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100830/NEWS/8300314/1001/news
Impact Hypothesis Loses Its Sparkle: Shock-Synthesized Diamonds Not Found
About 12,900 years ago, a sudden cold snap interrupted the gradual warming that had followed the last Ice Age. The cold lasted for the 1,300-year interval known as the Younger Dryas (YD) before the climate began to warm again. In the August 30 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists led by Tyrone Daulton, PhD, a research scientist in the physics department at Washington University in St. Louis, reported that they could find no diamonds in YD boundary layer material.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100830152530.htm
Lima Beans Domesticated Twice
Lima beans were domesticated at least twice, according to a new genetic diversity study by Colombian scientists. Big seeded varieties known as "Big Lima" were domesticated in the Andean Mountains, while small seeded "Sieva" and "Potato" varieties originated in central-western Mexico.The researchers also discovered a "founder effect," which is a severe reduction in genetic diversity due to domestication. This means that today's Lima bean varieties contain only a small fraction of the genetic diversity present in their respective wild ancestors.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100831222310.htm
Sacred Site gets Respite
PALA, Calif. – A site in rural San Diego County deemed culturally and environmentally sensitive by Indians was given a respite Aug. 5 from being turned into a landfill. The Pala Band of Mission Indians, whose community sits two miles away from the site, and an environmental group, objected to the application to operate the proposed 1,770-acre landfill filed from Gregory Canyon Landfill Ltd of San Diego, the tribe said in a press release. A San Diego County public agency rescinded its previous green light on the application after the tribe and the Natural Resources Defense Council pointed out the lack of financial responsibility and other inaccuracies in the application, the tribe said in the press release.
http://tinyurl.com/38fwj5s - Indian Country Today
Supaulovi Village and the City of Winslow Host Suvoyuki Day Celebrations
Sipaulovi Village hosts Suvoyuki Day on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at Hopi Second Mesa in northeastern Arizona. The day begins at 5:00 a.m. MST with registration for the 5-mile traditional foot race and 2-mile fun run and walk. From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST, enjoy the Food and Artists Market, walking tours, and lectures. All events originate at the Sipaulovi Visitor Center on Second Mesa and are open to the public. Follow signs from the Highway 264/87 junction to the village.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/suvoyuki.doc- MS Word Document
2011 - Arizona Archaeology And Heritage Awareness Month Poster Design Competition
The Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is pleased to announce a call for original designs to be used on the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM) poster. The winning poster design will receive $250.00! In addition to being featured on the AAHAM poster, the chosen design will also be utilized on other 2011 AAHAM publicity tools, e.g., the statewide Listing of Events brochure, bookmarks, websites, and other venues/materials to be determined by the SHPO. The poster design should address the theme for the month: “Arizona Through Time: Stories of Stone”
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/poster_competition.doc - MS Word Document
Coffee with the Curators at ASM
Join us Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 3 Pm in the Arizona State Museum Library for a cup of coffee and an informal conversation with one of our curators! Dr. Dale Brenneman, assistant curator of documentary history, talks about the challenges—and the fun—of working with Spanish colonial documents to research the history of Native peoples. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee donated by Tucson Mountain Coffee Roasters and a delicious assortment of cookies donated by Paradise Bakery and Café. Future conversations on Oct 6, Nov 3, and Dec 1.
Publication Announcement - Leaving Mesa Verde - Peril and Change in the Thirteenth-Century Southwest
Crow Canyon is pleased to announce the publication of Leaving Mesa Verde: Peril and Change in the Thirteenth-Century Southwest. The 14-chapter volume, published by the University of Arizona Press, is edited by Dr. Timothy Kohler, regents professor at Washington State University (WSU) and a Crow Canyon research associate; Dr. Mark Varien, Crow Canyon vice president of programs; and Aaron Wright, a Ph.D. student at WSU and a preservation fellow at the Center for Desert Archaeology. As the title suggests, the book examines the depopulation of the northern Southwest, with a focus on the Mesa Verde region.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001851348.cfm?x=b11,0,w
Hiking Opportunity - 1230 to 1930. How Much has Changed
Grants, New Mexico – Saturday, September 11 - Hike from the stunning Lobo Canyon petroglyphs into the heart of BLM El Malpais NCA wilderness. End at a homestead built on a “Mogasazi” site in Mexican Spotted Owl habitat. Look for evidence that technology in the 1230s was more helpful than in the 1930s.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/1230_to_1920.doc
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine CA)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's September 9th meeting will feature Dr. John Collins speaking on “An Introduction to Southwest and Southern California Indian Baskets.” Meeting information: Thursday, September 9, 2010, 7:30 pm at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, CA. Meeting is free and open to the public. For information follow the link below.
http://www.pcas.org
Travelogue - Navajo National Monument
The visitor center at Navajo National Monument traces the history and culture of both the ancient cliff dwellers and the Navajo Nation through displays of centuries-old pottery; sandals, cord, cloth and baskets woven from fibers of native plants; flaked stone tools; wooden utensils; shell, bone and turquoise beads and ornaments; and demonstrations by contemporary Navajo artisans of such traditional crafts as rug-weaving.
http://tinyurl.com/3azpeeq - The Chieftan.Com
Travelogue - Mesa Verde
There's no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone. Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38937842/ns/travel-family_travel/
Thanks to Adrianne Rankin for Contributions to Today's Newsletter.
The Archaeological Institute that Helped Define Santa Fe
Adolph Bandelier was broke. Although he had received a $1,200 grant to explore the indigenous peoples and wondrous ruins of New Mexico, that money went quickly to travel and supplies. Exasperated, curious and probably a little bitter, Bandelier investigated the disbursements of funds dedicated to archaeology by American institutions. The vast majority of gifts and funds, he found, went to classics, the study of ancient civilizations in Europe. Very little money and very little attention went to scholarship of American antiquities. The United States needed a center for its own archaeology.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/400-9SARS
Archaeology Cafe Tonight in Tucson
The next Archaeology Café will convene on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. We will be joined by a panel of archaeologists from William Self Associates, Inc., who will discuss their work at the Marsh Station Road (MSR) site. This 20-acre site is located near the confluence of Cienega Creek and Mescal Wash, southeast of Tucson. MSR was inhabited at several points in time between 1050 B.C. and A.D. 1400. The panel—which will be led by project director Michael Boley—will share what they have learned about life and subsistence at MSR, especially during the Early Agricultural and Hohokam Sedentary (Middle Rincon) periods. Their findings have implications for use of the “hinterlands” concept in Hohokam archaeology in the region.
http://tinyurl.com/343syqd - Center for Desert Archaeology
Tribes Seek Faster Repatriation of their Ancestors' Remains
Amid the broken treaties, confiscated lands and other injustices that Native Americans have endured at the hands of white people, few are as personal as the removal of their buried ancestors. For a culture that assigns special meaning to burial rites, it's been painful, Native Americans say, knowing that the remains of tens of thousands of their ancestors have been unearthed, carted off and kept in various federal agencies, museums and other institutions - and not being able to do much about it.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100830/NEWS/8300314/1001/news
Impact Hypothesis Loses Its Sparkle: Shock-Synthesized Diamonds Not Found
About 12,900 years ago, a sudden cold snap interrupted the gradual warming that had followed the last Ice Age. The cold lasted for the 1,300-year interval known as the Younger Dryas (YD) before the climate began to warm again. In the August 30 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists led by Tyrone Daulton, PhD, a research scientist in the physics department at Washington University in St. Louis, reported that they could find no diamonds in YD boundary layer material.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100830152530.htm
Lima Beans Domesticated Twice
Lima beans were domesticated at least twice, according to a new genetic diversity study by Colombian scientists. Big seeded varieties known as "Big Lima" were domesticated in the Andean Mountains, while small seeded "Sieva" and "Potato" varieties originated in central-western Mexico.The researchers also discovered a "founder effect," which is a severe reduction in genetic diversity due to domestication. This means that today's Lima bean varieties contain only a small fraction of the genetic diversity present in their respective wild ancestors.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100831222310.htm
Sacred Site gets Respite
PALA, Calif. – A site in rural San Diego County deemed culturally and environmentally sensitive by Indians was given a respite Aug. 5 from being turned into a landfill. The Pala Band of Mission Indians, whose community sits two miles away from the site, and an environmental group, objected to the application to operate the proposed 1,770-acre landfill filed from Gregory Canyon Landfill Ltd of San Diego, the tribe said in a press release. A San Diego County public agency rescinded its previous green light on the application after the tribe and the Natural Resources Defense Council pointed out the lack of financial responsibility and other inaccuracies in the application, the tribe said in the press release.
http://tinyurl.com/38fwj5s - Indian Country Today
Supaulovi Village and the City of Winslow Host Suvoyuki Day Celebrations
Sipaulovi Village hosts Suvoyuki Day on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at Hopi Second Mesa in northeastern Arizona. The day begins at 5:00 a.m. MST with registration for the 5-mile traditional foot race and 2-mile fun run and walk. From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST, enjoy the Food and Artists Market, walking tours, and lectures. All events originate at the Sipaulovi Visitor Center on Second Mesa and are open to the public. Follow signs from the Highway 264/87 junction to the village.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/suvoyuki.doc- MS Word Document
2011 - Arizona Archaeology And Heritage Awareness Month Poster Design Competition
The Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is pleased to announce a call for original designs to be used on the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM) poster. The winning poster design will receive $250.00! In addition to being featured on the AAHAM poster, the chosen design will also be utilized on other 2011 AAHAM publicity tools, e.g., the statewide Listing of Events brochure, bookmarks, websites, and other venues/materials to be determined by the SHPO. The poster design should address the theme for the month: “Arizona Through Time: Stories of Stone”
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/poster_competition.doc - MS Word Document
Coffee with the Curators at ASM
Join us Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 3 Pm in the Arizona State Museum Library for a cup of coffee and an informal conversation with one of our curators! Dr. Dale Brenneman, assistant curator of documentary history, talks about the challenges—and the fun—of working with Spanish colonial documents to research the history of Native peoples. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee donated by Tucson Mountain Coffee Roasters and a delicious assortment of cookies donated by Paradise Bakery and Café. Future conversations on Oct 6, Nov 3, and Dec 1.
Publication Announcement - Leaving Mesa Verde - Peril and Change in the Thirteenth-Century Southwest
Crow Canyon is pleased to announce the publication of Leaving Mesa Verde: Peril and Change in the Thirteenth-Century Southwest. The 14-chapter volume, published by the University of Arizona Press, is edited by Dr. Timothy Kohler, regents professor at Washington State University (WSU) and a Crow Canyon research associate; Dr. Mark Varien, Crow Canyon vice president of programs; and Aaron Wright, a Ph.D. student at WSU and a preservation fellow at the Center for Desert Archaeology. As the title suggests, the book examines the depopulation of the northern Southwest, with a focus on the Mesa Verde region.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001851348.cfm?x=b11,0,w
Hiking Opportunity - 1230 to 1930. How Much has Changed
Grants, New Mexico – Saturday, September 11 - Hike from the stunning Lobo Canyon petroglyphs into the heart of BLM El Malpais NCA wilderness. End at a homestead built on a “Mogasazi” site in Mexican Spotted Owl habitat. Look for evidence that technology in the 1230s was more helpful than in the 1930s.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/1230_to_1920.doc
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine CA)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's September 9th meeting will feature Dr. John Collins speaking on “An Introduction to Southwest and Southern California Indian Baskets.” Meeting information: Thursday, September 9, 2010, 7:30 pm at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, CA. Meeting is free and open to the public. For information follow the link below.
http://www.pcas.org
Travelogue - Navajo National Monument
The visitor center at Navajo National Monument traces the history and culture of both the ancient cliff dwellers and the Navajo Nation through displays of centuries-old pottery; sandals, cord, cloth and baskets woven from fibers of native plants; flaked stone tools; wooden utensils; shell, bone and turquoise beads and ornaments; and demonstrations by contemporary Navajo artisans of such traditional crafts as rug-weaving.
http://tinyurl.com/3azpeeq - The Chieftan.Com
Travelogue - Mesa Verde
There's no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone. Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38937842/ns/travel-family_travel/
Thanks to Adrianne Rankin for Contributions to Today's Newsletter.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Ground Grains - What the Locals Ate 10,000 Years Ago
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
What the Locals Ate 10,000 Years Ago
ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2010) — If you had a dinner invitation in Utah's Escalante Valley almost 10,000 years ago, you would have come just in time to try a new menu item: mush cooked from the flour of milled sage brush seeds. five summers of meticulous excavation, Brigham Young University archaeologists are beginning to publish what they've learned from the "North Creek Shelter." It's the oldest known site occupied by humans in the southern half of Utah and one of only three such archaeological sites state-wide that date so far back in time.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100823131743.htm
http://tinyurl.com/2ehhook - Desert News
Cactus Genes Connect Modern Mexico to Its Prehistoric Past
ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2010) — In prehistoric times farmers across the world domesticated wild plants to create an agricultural revolution. As a result the ancestral plants have been lost, causing problems for anyone studying the domestication process of modern-day varieties, but that might change. A team led by Fabiola Parra at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) has managed to trace a domesticated cactus, the Gray Ghost Organ Pipe (Stenocereus pruinosus) to its living ancestor that can still be found in the Tehuacán Valley in Mexico.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100823113420.htm
New Foundation Practices Preservation in Central Arizona
While some people look at an old building or an abandoned site and see an eyesore, Gem Cox and other members of the Florence Heritage Foundation see an opportunity for history to come alive. “Our mission is to preserve our heritage and historic icons — buildings, sites and history,” said Cox, who serves as the president of the Florence Heritage Foundation, which was formed in 2009 and incorporated this year. Cox said that witnessing the degradation of many historic sites in the area helps to motivate the foundation.
http://trivalleycentral.com/articles/2010/08/27/front/doc4c77e53a6f952162784750.txt
Former Arizona State Parks Archaeologist Marilyn Mlazovsky Passes
Former Cultural Resources Manager for Arizona State Parks, Marilyn Mlazovsky, M.A., passed away on August 15, 2010. Marilyn was an archaeologist and often attended conferences and workshops throughout the state. With over 25 years in the cultural resources arena, she came to Arizona from the US Forest Service in California and Utah where she managed the USFS Heritage and Paleontology programs for a number of Forests. Marilyn also worked with the USFS International Forestry Section on a multi-government, multi-disciplinary team in Micronesia. She was a great fan of the Phoenix Symphony and can be remembered with donations to that organization. - From Ann Howard, AZ State Historic Preservation Office.
Rosetta Stone Releases Navajo Language Tutorial Software
Rosetta Stone, creator of the renowned language learning software, on Tuesday released its Navajo version, the first large-scale language revitalization project for the dialect. Navajo, traditionally an oral language, still is spoken by more than 100,000 people, making it the most common American Indian language north of Mexico. Yet use and fluency among the younger generations is on a decline with about 50 percent of Navajo age 17 and younger unable to speak their native language at all, according to data from the 2000 U.S. Census.
http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_15886128?source=rss
Congratulations to Tucson's Menlo Park Nationhood and Mesa's Fraiser Fields Historic District, Both now listed on National Register of Historic Places.
Video Link about Revitalizing Piman Agriculture (from Tom Wright)
Here's a link to a short video about some traditional Pima agricultural practices as currently being revitalized in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community: Archaeologists should pay special attention to Jacob Butler's comments about "rock mounds" and "rock spirals" starting at about 2 minutes, 40 seconds into the video. Think about the features he uses in his garden, and then imagine what they would look like after about 1000 years. Anybody who has recorded Hohokam rockpile fields, in the Northern Tucson Basin or elsewhere, will have a pretty good idea of the result. Also watch his use of a digging stick at 4:55, and the "double-dug" garden at 6:30.
http://www.youtube.com/channeldown2earth#p/u/6/UpUD2vWMO6U
Lecture Opportunity (Glendale)
The Agua Fria Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society is offering a free lecture on Archaeological Findings During Light Rail Excavations, on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 6:00 PM at the Glendale Public Library Auditorium, 5959 West Brown (south of Peoria Ave). Membership is not required. The speaker, Hoski Schaafsma, is a Ph.D. student in Archaeology at Arizona State University. He participated in the Light Rail archaeological excavations near Sky Harbor Airport. His presentation will feature photographs of a major Hohokam field system that was discovered. For more information contact Sandy Haddock, (480) 481-0582, azmacaw44@cox.net.
Arizona Archaeology Expo Scheduled for 2011
Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month has been sceduled for march 1 – 31 with the Archaeology Expo Scheduled for March 26th and 27th. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is pleased to announce that the theme for the 2011 celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM) is: “Arizona Through Time: Stories of Stone.” The Expo will be held at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (DVRAC) (3711 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, 85308. The first Expo Planning Meeting will be held at the DVRAC on October 5, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. More detailed information will follow soon. SHPO will be sending out participation forms in late September for the AAHAM statewide Listing of Events brochure and for the Archaeology Expo.
Can the Wiki System Help to Save Antiquities?
The field of archaeology and the timeworn Middle East would not seem the obvious places to look for a wiki revolution. But next month in Jordan, officials who oversee that country’s vast store of antiquities will begin an experiment aimed at bringing 21st-century tools to the task of protecting ancient sites, which is an especially pressing need in neighboring Iraq, where looting is once again on the rise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/arts/design/25getty.html?_r=1
Cambodian Archaeology on the Archaeology Channel
The rich cultural history of Cambodia has generated an impressive archaeological record that until recently received little world attention. Raising awareness of this country’s remarkable legacy and the challenges posed for those exploring it is our motive in selecting Gold Diggers and Temple Rescuers: A Cambodian Expedition to be the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Training Opportunity (Mt Pleasant, SC)
"Effective Interpretation of Archeological and Cultural Heritage Resources" a 5-day workshop that will enhance interdisciplinary communication skills for using a team
approach to develop and produce effective public interpretation and education programs and products.
http://www.nps.gov/history/seac/course-of-study/FOSU-CHPI_2010/index.htm
Employment Opportunity (Tucson)
Harris Environmental Group, Inc. is seeking an archaeological Project Director to direct compliance projects for federal, state, and commercial clients. Archaeological experience in the Southwestern United States is required. Candidates must meet Secretary of Interior standards, including a graduate degree in archeology, anthropology, or closely related field plus at least one year of full-time professional experience or equivalent specialized training in archeological research, administration or management; at least four months of supervised field and analytic experience in general North American archeology, and demonstrated ability to carry research to completion. Compensation package will be commensurate with experience. For more information on Harris Environmental Group, see www.heg-inc.com. To apply, please send resume and letter of interest via email to Lisa Harris, President, at lharris@heg-inc.com.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
What the Locals Ate 10,000 Years Ago
ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2010) — If you had a dinner invitation in Utah's Escalante Valley almost 10,000 years ago, you would have come just in time to try a new menu item: mush cooked from the flour of milled sage brush seeds. five summers of meticulous excavation, Brigham Young University archaeologists are beginning to publish what they've learned from the "North Creek Shelter." It's the oldest known site occupied by humans in the southern half of Utah and one of only three such archaeological sites state-wide that date so far back in time.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100823131743.htm
http://tinyurl.com/2ehhook - Desert News
Cactus Genes Connect Modern Mexico to Its Prehistoric Past
ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2010) — In prehistoric times farmers across the world domesticated wild plants to create an agricultural revolution. As a result the ancestral plants have been lost, causing problems for anyone studying the domestication process of modern-day varieties, but that might change. A team led by Fabiola Parra at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) has managed to trace a domesticated cactus, the Gray Ghost Organ Pipe (Stenocereus pruinosus) to its living ancestor that can still be found in the Tehuacán Valley in Mexico.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100823113420.htm
New Foundation Practices Preservation in Central Arizona
While some people look at an old building or an abandoned site and see an eyesore, Gem Cox and other members of the Florence Heritage Foundation see an opportunity for history to come alive. “Our mission is to preserve our heritage and historic icons — buildings, sites and history,” said Cox, who serves as the president of the Florence Heritage Foundation, which was formed in 2009 and incorporated this year. Cox said that witnessing the degradation of many historic sites in the area helps to motivate the foundation.
http://trivalleycentral.com/articles/2010/08/27/front/doc4c77e53a6f952162784750.txt
Former Arizona State Parks Archaeologist Marilyn Mlazovsky Passes
Former Cultural Resources Manager for Arizona State Parks, Marilyn Mlazovsky, M.A., passed away on August 15, 2010. Marilyn was an archaeologist and often attended conferences and workshops throughout the state. With over 25 years in the cultural resources arena, she came to Arizona from the US Forest Service in California and Utah where she managed the USFS Heritage and Paleontology programs for a number of Forests. Marilyn also worked with the USFS International Forestry Section on a multi-government, multi-disciplinary team in Micronesia. She was a great fan of the Phoenix Symphony and can be remembered with donations to that organization. - From Ann Howard, AZ State Historic Preservation Office.
Rosetta Stone Releases Navajo Language Tutorial Software
Rosetta Stone, creator of the renowned language learning software, on Tuesday released its Navajo version, the first large-scale language revitalization project for the dialect. Navajo, traditionally an oral language, still is spoken by more than 100,000 people, making it the most common American Indian language north of Mexico. Yet use and fluency among the younger generations is on a decline with about 50 percent of Navajo age 17 and younger unable to speak their native language at all, according to data from the 2000 U.S. Census.
http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_15886128?source=rss
Congratulations to Tucson's Menlo Park Nationhood and Mesa's Fraiser Fields Historic District, Both now listed on National Register of Historic Places.
Video Link about Revitalizing Piman Agriculture (from Tom Wright)
Here's a link to a short video about some traditional Pima agricultural practices as currently being revitalized in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community: Archaeologists should pay special attention to Jacob Butler's comments about "rock mounds" and "rock spirals" starting at about 2 minutes, 40 seconds into the video. Think about the features he uses in his garden, and then imagine what they would look like after about 1000 years. Anybody who has recorded Hohokam rockpile fields, in the Northern Tucson Basin or elsewhere, will have a pretty good idea of the result. Also watch his use of a digging stick at 4:55, and the "double-dug" garden at 6:30.
http://www.youtube.com/channeldown2earth#p/u/6/UpUD2vWMO6U
Lecture Opportunity (Glendale)
The Agua Fria Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society is offering a free lecture on Archaeological Findings During Light Rail Excavations, on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 6:00 PM at the Glendale Public Library Auditorium, 5959 West Brown (south of Peoria Ave). Membership is not required. The speaker, Hoski Schaafsma, is a Ph.D. student in Archaeology at Arizona State University. He participated in the Light Rail archaeological excavations near Sky Harbor Airport. His presentation will feature photographs of a major Hohokam field system that was discovered. For more information contact Sandy Haddock, (480) 481-0582, azmacaw44@cox.net.
Arizona Archaeology Expo Scheduled for 2011
Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month has been sceduled for march 1 – 31 with the Archaeology Expo Scheduled for March 26th and 27th. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is pleased to announce that the theme for the 2011 celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM) is: “Arizona Through Time: Stories of Stone.” The Expo will be held at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (DVRAC) (3711 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix, 85308. The first Expo Planning Meeting will be held at the DVRAC on October 5, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. More detailed information will follow soon. SHPO will be sending out participation forms in late September for the AAHAM statewide Listing of Events brochure and for the Archaeology Expo.
Can the Wiki System Help to Save Antiquities?
The field of archaeology and the timeworn Middle East would not seem the obvious places to look for a wiki revolution. But next month in Jordan, officials who oversee that country’s vast store of antiquities will begin an experiment aimed at bringing 21st-century tools to the task of protecting ancient sites, which is an especially pressing need in neighboring Iraq, where looting is once again on the rise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/arts/design/25getty.html?_r=1
Cambodian Archaeology on the Archaeology Channel
The rich cultural history of Cambodia has generated an impressive archaeological record that until recently received little world attention. Raising awareness of this country’s remarkable legacy and the challenges posed for those exploring it is our motive in selecting Gold Diggers and Temple Rescuers: A Cambodian Expedition to be the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Training Opportunity (Mt Pleasant, SC)
"Effective Interpretation of Archeological and Cultural Heritage Resources" a 5-day workshop that will enhance interdisciplinary communication skills for using a team
approach to develop and produce effective public interpretation and education programs and products.
http://www.nps.gov/history/seac/course-of-study/FOSU-CHPI_2010/index.htm
Employment Opportunity (Tucson)
Harris Environmental Group, Inc. is seeking an archaeological Project Director to direct compliance projects for federal, state, and commercial clients. Archaeological experience in the Southwestern United States is required. Candidates must meet Secretary of Interior standards, including a graduate degree in archeology, anthropology, or closely related field plus at least one year of full-time professional experience or equivalent specialized training in archeological research, administration or management; at least four months of supervised field and analytic experience in general North American archeology, and demonstrated ability to carry research to completion. Compensation package will be commensurate with experience. For more information on Harris Environmental Group, see www.heg-inc.com. To apply, please send resume and letter of interest via email to Lisa Harris, President, at lharris@heg-inc.com.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Craig Child's New Book Dives Head-First into Southwest Archaeology's "Underbelly"
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Craig Child's New Book Dives Head-First into Southwest Archaeology's "Underbelly"
Childs' "Finders Keepers" is a fascinating book, full of swashbuckling pothunters, FBI raids, greasy museum curators who don't really care and many, many other characters (including ghosts). "This is a book about the underbelly of archaeology, from both a personal and a global perspective," he explains. But it is not a simple moral tale, as he suggests: "To say the archaeologist is right and the pothunter is wrong seems instinctive, but why? And is it true?"
http://tinyurl.com/3a3d4y4 - Los Angeles Times
"Collectors" Reflect on the Blanding Raids, One Year Later
The nation's largest and longest-running Indian artifact show opened last year under a cloud of fear and uncertainty as a federal investigation into the sale of Native American artifacts intensified throughout the Four Corners region. Since then, suicide has claimed the government's informant and two defendants, the prehistoric Indian art market has bottomed out, some collectors' lives have been turned upside down and several federal indictments have resulted only in probation for some of those accused of plundering artifacts from federal lands.
http://tinyurl.com/2eszh4j - Santa Fe New Mexican
(Related Story) Colorado Artifact Dealer Pleads Guilty
A Grand Junction man has pleaded guilty to selling an ancient American Indian artifact that was taken from public land by a Utah state archaeologist. Robert B. Knowlton, 67, originally was indicted for illegally selling three artifacts. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to two misdemeanor charges related to the sale of a Cloud Blower pipe from Blanding, Utah, to a government informant.
http://tinyurl.com/24xhl2o - Durango Herald
Arizona Site Stewards Make Rare Find Near Flagstaff
Site Stewards Christine Stephenson and Rich Rogers and myself (Bern Carey) were out monitoring sites with Dr. David Wilcox of the Museum of Northern Arizona during February 2009. Rich Rogers happened to see a small piece of pottery exposed at the bottom of a gully created in a slope of volcanic cinders. Upon closer examination it appeared that what was being exposed by erosion of the volcanic cinder slope was a prehistoric pot.
http://azstateparks.com/volunteer/v_site_feature.html
Luke AFB Construction Project Requires Archaeological Mitigation
Archaeologists hired by Luke Air Force Base will excavate seven sites where hundreds of Native American artifacts have been found to clear the way for construction of the military's largest solar array. Base officials were aware of the artifacts sites before recently launching a project to install more than 50,000 solar panels manufactured by SunPower Corp. The panels, paid for by Arizona Public Service Co., would generate power that the utility company would sell to its Valley customers. Luke would receive a fixed electricity rate for providing land for the panels.
http://tinyurl.com/25q236q - Arizona Republic
History of an Intertribal Conflict at Laguna Pueblo
New Mexico author Erna Fergusson in 1955 noted that all is not harmony in an Indian pueblo, as many whites mistakenly believe. She was referring to bitter factionalism within the Native villages that has undoubtedly been part of daily life since prehistoric times. Upheavals at Taos, San Ildefonso and Isleta have been studied and written up by anthropologists. Less well-known is the case of Laguna, where the interference of whites living in the pueblo contributed to a permanent split between traditionalists and progressives.
http://tinyurl.com/2ahfarl - Santa Fe New Mexican
Help Promote Historic and Cultural Resources through the "America's Great Outdoors" Initiative.
Many of you are already familiar with the Obama administration’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, which seeks to reconnect all people-- but especially youth-- with nature, including cultural and historic resources. As an initial step, the government is soliciting examples of creative ways in which local communities are already doing this successfully. If you have examples of local (non-federal) programs and projects that are successfully educating and engaging communities in history and culture via the “great outdoors” please submit them online through the web site that has been set up for this purpose.
http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/
Self-Expression: From Newspaper Rock to Facebook
an you read these headlines, still posted on Newspaper Rock for all the world to see a millennia after they were etched in stone? Self expression is one of our most fiercely defended American values, a newly released survey of Americans has found, and that truth has extremely deep roots these ancient etchings suggest.
http://www.freep.com/article/20100820/NEWS07/100820012/1025/rss05
Dwindling Green Pastures, Not Hunting, May Have Killed Off the Mammoth
ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2010) — A massive reduction in grasslands and the spread of forests may have been the primary cause of the decline of mammals such as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhino and cave lion, according to Durham University scientists.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100817211052.htm
Training Opportunity in Oral History, September 23 (Tucson)
The Cienega Watershed Partnership Oral History Work Group is sponsoring an oral history training workshop on September 23, 2010, in Vail, Arizona. The workshop will be instructed by Jim Turner and will focus on the basic techniques from organizing the work and conducting interviews to evaluating results. The work shop is supported by a grant from the Bureau of Land Management and is part of the Oral History Work Group's focus to collect, manage and disseminate oral histories in southeastern Arizona. To register, contact Shela McFarlin, shela_mcfarlin@yahoo.com. Maximum of 30 registrants. A bag lunch is required for the 9 to 3 workshop. Cost: $5.00.
Great Kiva Research to be the Topic of Cortez Colorado Archaeology Society Meeting
The Hisatsinom chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society will hold its monthly meeting at the Cortez Cultural Center on Tuesday, September 7, at 7:00 p.m. Linda Wheelbarger will provide updates on her ongoing investigations of the Point Site outside of Farmington. The 2009-2010 San Juan College field school excavations at the Point Site revealed a great kiva estimated to be nearly 16 m in diameter. Great kiva research will be presented through the perspective of chronology, distribution, architectural features, masonry styles, associated ceramics types, Puebloan traditional context, and Puebloan continuity.
The Cortez Cultural Center is at 25 North Market Street in Cortez. For more information on the program or Hisatsinom, the Montezuma County chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society, please contact Diane McBride at 560-1643.
Opportunity to Tour the TJ Site (Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument)
The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will offer a ranger-guided tour of the TJ Site on Saturday, September 4, 2010. Visitors to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument have the unique opportunity to explore the TJ Site, an unexcavated surface pueblo that is usually closed to the public. This free tour of the TJ site will be offered on Saturday, September 4th at 11:00 a.m. and will last approximately 1 ½ hours. The tour is limited to 20 people and reservations should be made in advance by calling the Gila Visitor Center at (575) 536-9461.
Astronomy Evening to be Held At Gila Cliff Dwellings
Saturday, September 4, 2010, Take advantage of New Mexico’s magnificent dark skies by attending the season’s second astronomy evening at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument on Saturday, September 4th beginning at 7:00 p.m.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd_astronomy.doc - MS Word Document
Mesa Museum Seeks Volunteers
The Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa is recruiting volunteers to serve as gallery interpreters once a week. Training in archaeology, paleontology, geology, interpretation techniques and customer service will be offered 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays in October and Nov. 1 in the theater at the museum, 53 N. Macdonald.For more information, call (480) 644-2760, e-mail yvonne.petersen@mesaaz.gov
Http://www.azmnh.org - East Valley Tribune
Unique Symposium to Examine the Meaning of Night in Ancient Mesoamerica (Washington DC) Pre-Columbian Society Symposium, “Under Cover of Darkness.” The Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C., is accepting registrations for its 17th annual symposium, to be held on Saturday, September 25, at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center in downtown Washington, D.C. This year’s symposium, Under Cover of Darkness: The Meaning of Night in Ancient Mesoamerica, covers a topic that has been largely understudied to date. Presenters include Linda Brown of George Washington University; Cecelia Klein of the University of California at Los Angeles; John Pohl of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA; Kent Reilly of Texas State University at San Marcos (moderator); Keith Prufer of the University of New Mexico, and Marc Zender of the Peabody Museum, Harvard University.
Http://www.pcswdc.org
Employment Opportunity (Phoenix)
Desert Archaeology Inc. is seeking archaeological personnel for upcoming projects in the Phoenix metropolitan area. An archaeological testing and data recovery project is expected to begin sometime in September and last from two to four weeks. Further work may include monitoring projects, cultural resources surveys, and other archaeological testing/data recovery projects. Experienced field technicians are sought, but entry level archaeologists will be considered. Some supervisory positions may be available. Wages will be competitive and commensurate with experience. There will be no lodging or per diem associated with this local Phoenix work. If you are interested, please email a cover letter, resume, and references to Kathy Henderson at khenderson@desert.com or fax to 480-967-9211.
Thanks to Cherie Freeman and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Craig Child's New Book Dives Head-First into Southwest Archaeology's "Underbelly"
Childs' "Finders Keepers" is a fascinating book, full of swashbuckling pothunters, FBI raids, greasy museum curators who don't really care and many, many other characters (including ghosts). "This is a book about the underbelly of archaeology, from both a personal and a global perspective," he explains. But it is not a simple moral tale, as he suggests: "To say the archaeologist is right and the pothunter is wrong seems instinctive, but why? And is it true?"
http://tinyurl.com/3a3d4y4 - Los Angeles Times
"Collectors" Reflect on the Blanding Raids, One Year Later
The nation's largest and longest-running Indian artifact show opened last year under a cloud of fear and uncertainty as a federal investigation into the sale of Native American artifacts intensified throughout the Four Corners region. Since then, suicide has claimed the government's informant and two defendants, the prehistoric Indian art market has bottomed out, some collectors' lives have been turned upside down and several federal indictments have resulted only in probation for some of those accused of plundering artifacts from federal lands.
http://tinyurl.com/2eszh4j - Santa Fe New Mexican
(Related Story) Colorado Artifact Dealer Pleads Guilty
A Grand Junction man has pleaded guilty to selling an ancient American Indian artifact that was taken from public land by a Utah state archaeologist. Robert B. Knowlton, 67, originally was indicted for illegally selling three artifacts. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to two misdemeanor charges related to the sale of a Cloud Blower pipe from Blanding, Utah, to a government informant.
http://tinyurl.com/24xhl2o - Durango Herald
Arizona Site Stewards Make Rare Find Near Flagstaff
Site Stewards Christine Stephenson and Rich Rogers and myself (Bern Carey) were out monitoring sites with Dr. David Wilcox of the Museum of Northern Arizona during February 2009. Rich Rogers happened to see a small piece of pottery exposed at the bottom of a gully created in a slope of volcanic cinders. Upon closer examination it appeared that what was being exposed by erosion of the volcanic cinder slope was a prehistoric pot.
http://azstateparks.com/volunteer/v_site_feature.html
Luke AFB Construction Project Requires Archaeological Mitigation
Archaeologists hired by Luke Air Force Base will excavate seven sites where hundreds of Native American artifacts have been found to clear the way for construction of the military's largest solar array. Base officials were aware of the artifacts sites before recently launching a project to install more than 50,000 solar panels manufactured by SunPower Corp. The panels, paid for by Arizona Public Service Co., would generate power that the utility company would sell to its Valley customers. Luke would receive a fixed electricity rate for providing land for the panels.
http://tinyurl.com/25q236q - Arizona Republic
History of an Intertribal Conflict at Laguna Pueblo
New Mexico author Erna Fergusson in 1955 noted that all is not harmony in an Indian pueblo, as many whites mistakenly believe. She was referring to bitter factionalism within the Native villages that has undoubtedly been part of daily life since prehistoric times. Upheavals at Taos, San Ildefonso and Isleta have been studied and written up by anthropologists. Less well-known is the case of Laguna, where the interference of whites living in the pueblo contributed to a permanent split between traditionalists and progressives.
http://tinyurl.com/2ahfarl - Santa Fe New Mexican
Help Promote Historic and Cultural Resources through the "America's Great Outdoors" Initiative.
Many of you are already familiar with the Obama administration’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, which seeks to reconnect all people-- but especially youth-- with nature, including cultural and historic resources. As an initial step, the government is soliciting examples of creative ways in which local communities are already doing this successfully. If you have examples of local (non-federal) programs and projects that are successfully educating and engaging communities in history and culture via the “great outdoors” please submit them online through the web site that has been set up for this purpose.
http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/
Self-Expression: From Newspaper Rock to Facebook
an you read these headlines, still posted on Newspaper Rock for all the world to see a millennia after they were etched in stone? Self expression is one of our most fiercely defended American values, a newly released survey of Americans has found, and that truth has extremely deep roots these ancient etchings suggest.
http://www.freep.com/article/20100820/NEWS07/100820012/1025/rss05
Dwindling Green Pastures, Not Hunting, May Have Killed Off the Mammoth
ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2010) — A massive reduction in grasslands and the spread of forests may have been the primary cause of the decline of mammals such as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhino and cave lion, according to Durham University scientists.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100817211052.htm
Training Opportunity in Oral History, September 23 (Tucson)
The Cienega Watershed Partnership Oral History Work Group is sponsoring an oral history training workshop on September 23, 2010, in Vail, Arizona. The workshop will be instructed by Jim Turner and will focus on the basic techniques from organizing the work and conducting interviews to evaluating results. The work shop is supported by a grant from the Bureau of Land Management and is part of the Oral History Work Group's focus to collect, manage and disseminate oral histories in southeastern Arizona. To register, contact Shela McFarlin, shela_mcfarlin@yahoo.com. Maximum of 30 registrants. A bag lunch is required for the 9 to 3 workshop. Cost: $5.00.
Great Kiva Research to be the Topic of Cortez Colorado Archaeology Society Meeting
The Hisatsinom chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society will hold its monthly meeting at the Cortez Cultural Center on Tuesday, September 7, at 7:00 p.m. Linda Wheelbarger will provide updates on her ongoing investigations of the Point Site outside of Farmington. The 2009-2010 San Juan College field school excavations at the Point Site revealed a great kiva estimated to be nearly 16 m in diameter. Great kiva research will be presented through the perspective of chronology, distribution, architectural features, masonry styles, associated ceramics types, Puebloan traditional context, and Puebloan continuity.
The Cortez Cultural Center is at 25 North Market Street in Cortez. For more information on the program or Hisatsinom, the Montezuma County chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society, please contact Diane McBride at 560-1643.
Opportunity to Tour the TJ Site (Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument)
The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will offer a ranger-guided tour of the TJ Site on Saturday, September 4, 2010. Visitors to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument have the unique opportunity to explore the TJ Site, an unexcavated surface pueblo that is usually closed to the public. This free tour of the TJ site will be offered on Saturday, September 4th at 11:00 a.m. and will last approximately 1 ½ hours. The tour is limited to 20 people and reservations should be made in advance by calling the Gila Visitor Center at (575) 536-9461.
Astronomy Evening to be Held At Gila Cliff Dwellings
Saturday, September 4, 2010, Take advantage of New Mexico’s magnificent dark skies by attending the season’s second astronomy evening at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument on Saturday, September 4th beginning at 7:00 p.m.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd_astronomy.doc - MS Word Document
Mesa Museum Seeks Volunteers
The Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa is recruiting volunteers to serve as gallery interpreters once a week. Training in archaeology, paleontology, geology, interpretation techniques and customer service will be offered 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays in October and Nov. 1 in the theater at the museum, 53 N. Macdonald.For more information, call (480) 644-2760, e-mail yvonne.petersen@mesaaz.gov
Http://www.azmnh.org - East Valley Tribune
Unique Symposium to Examine the Meaning of Night in Ancient Mesoamerica (Washington DC) Pre-Columbian Society Symposium, “Under Cover of Darkness.” The Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C., is accepting registrations for its 17th annual symposium, to be held on Saturday, September 25, at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center in downtown Washington, D.C. This year’s symposium, Under Cover of Darkness: The Meaning of Night in Ancient Mesoamerica, covers a topic that has been largely understudied to date. Presenters include Linda Brown of George Washington University; Cecelia Klein of the University of California at Los Angeles; John Pohl of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA; Kent Reilly of Texas State University at San Marcos (moderator); Keith Prufer of the University of New Mexico, and Marc Zender of the Peabody Museum, Harvard University.
Http://www.pcswdc.org
Employment Opportunity (Phoenix)
Desert Archaeology Inc. is seeking archaeological personnel for upcoming projects in the Phoenix metropolitan area. An archaeological testing and data recovery project is expected to begin sometime in September and last from two to four weeks. Further work may include monitoring projects, cultural resources surveys, and other archaeological testing/data recovery projects. Experienced field technicians are sought, but entry level archaeologists will be considered. Some supervisory positions may be available. Wages will be competitive and commensurate with experience. There will be no lodging or per diem associated with this local Phoenix work. If you are interested, please email a cover letter, resume, and references to Kathy Henderson at khenderson@desert.com or fax to 480-967-9211.
Thanks to Cherie Freeman and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Legal Battle over Geronimo's Remains Continues
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Legal Battle over Geronimo's Remains Continues
Descendants of Geronimo say they aren't giving up their legal effort to find out once and for all if the venerable Apache chief's remains are ensconced at Yale. A Washington judge late last month dismissed a suit demanding that Yale's Skull and Bones society turn over a skull and other remains that, according to legend, are inside the club's building in Connecticut.
http://tinyurl.com/2co6dhg - UPI.Com
Sacred Objects Repatriated to Northern California Tribe
White deerskins, condor feathers and head dresses made of bright red woodpecker scalps are among more than 200 sacred artifacts that are once again in the possession of a Northern California Indian tribe. The Yurok Tribe celebrated the items' return this past week — among the largest repatriation of Native American sacred objects ever — from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.
http://tinyurl.com/2a6ubvx - Earthlink
Hiking Opportunity with El Malapis NCA
BLM's El Malpais NCA hosts a ranger-led 2 mile hike, "Ancient Graffiti -
Sacred Altar", on 8/28/10 to the Aldridge Petroglyph Panels. Come to
Grants, New Mexico and delve into the wonders and wisdom of the ancestor's
creations. Info at 505.280.2918.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/8-28-10-aldridge.doc - MS Word Document
Lecture Opportunity (Phoenix)
Arizona State University’s Deer Valley Rock Art Center will kick off its fall season of events with a free lecture at 1 p.m., Sept. 4, titled “Hopi Pőnawit ~ Along Ancient Trails and the Cultural Landscape of the Hopi People.” Speaking will be Micah Loma’omvaya, a Hopi tribal member of the Bear Clan from Songoopavi Village on Second Mesa, Ariz. Loma’omvaya earned a B.A. degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1997 and has worked in the field of anthropology since the age of 17.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20100726_hopilecture
Lecture Opportunity (Tubac)
The Center for Desert Archaeology’s Southwest Field Representative Andy Laurenzi will give a presentation to the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society on September 9, 2010, 7 PM, at the North County Facility at 50 Bridge Road in Tubac. His topic will be the expansion of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The presentation is free and open to the public.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/laurenzi_press_release.doc
UKTV Documentary Examines Possible Clovis Connection to Solutrean Europe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1mPD3jbF5k
Ancient Armenia is the latest Topic on the Archaeology Channel
Built more than 2000 years ago as the grand capitol city of Armenia, Tigranakert succumbed to the Mongol invasion of the Thirteenth Century and came to light again only in 2005. We are pleased to bring this underappreciated story to the world in Tigranakert: An Armenian Odyssey, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Thanks to Terry Colvin and Cherie Freeman for contributing to today's newsletter.
Legal Battle over Geronimo's Remains Continues
Descendants of Geronimo say they aren't giving up their legal effort to find out once and for all if the venerable Apache chief's remains are ensconced at Yale. A Washington judge late last month dismissed a suit demanding that Yale's Skull and Bones society turn over a skull and other remains that, according to legend, are inside the club's building in Connecticut.
http://tinyurl.com/2co6dhg - UPI.Com
Sacred Objects Repatriated to Northern California Tribe
White deerskins, condor feathers and head dresses made of bright red woodpecker scalps are among more than 200 sacred artifacts that are once again in the possession of a Northern California Indian tribe. The Yurok Tribe celebrated the items' return this past week — among the largest repatriation of Native American sacred objects ever — from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.
http://tinyurl.com/2a6ubvx - Earthlink
Hiking Opportunity with El Malapis NCA
BLM's El Malpais NCA hosts a ranger-led 2 mile hike, "Ancient Graffiti -
Sacred Altar", on 8/28/10 to the Aldridge Petroglyph Panels. Come to
Grants, New Mexico and delve into the wonders and wisdom of the ancestor's
creations. Info at 505.280.2918.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/8-28-10-aldridge.doc - MS Word Document
Lecture Opportunity (Phoenix)
Arizona State University’s Deer Valley Rock Art Center will kick off its fall season of events with a free lecture at 1 p.m., Sept. 4, titled “Hopi Pőnawit ~ Along Ancient Trails and the Cultural Landscape of the Hopi People.” Speaking will be Micah Loma’omvaya, a Hopi tribal member of the Bear Clan from Songoopavi Village on Second Mesa, Ariz. Loma’omvaya earned a B.A. degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1997 and has worked in the field of anthropology since the age of 17.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20100726_hopilecture
Lecture Opportunity (Tubac)
The Center for Desert Archaeology’s Southwest Field Representative Andy Laurenzi will give a presentation to the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society on September 9, 2010, 7 PM, at the North County Facility at 50 Bridge Road in Tubac. His topic will be the expansion of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The presentation is free and open to the public.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/laurenzi_press_release.doc
UKTV Documentary Examines Possible Clovis Connection to Solutrean Europe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1mPD3jbF5k
Ancient Armenia is the latest Topic on the Archaeology Channel
Built more than 2000 years ago as the grand capitol city of Armenia, Tigranakert succumbed to the Mongol invasion of the Thirteenth Century and came to light again only in 2005. We are pleased to bring this underappreciated story to the world in Tigranakert: An Armenian Odyssey, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Thanks to Terry Colvin and Cherie Freeman for contributing to today's newsletter.
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