Arizona State Parks Board to Recommend Closure of Most of Arizona's State Archaeological and Historical Parks

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

- Arizona State Parks Board to Recommend Closure of Most of Arizona's State Archaeological and Historical Parks: According to the agenda posted at the link below, it may be too late to prevent the closure of a number of state parks that conserve and protect critically important heritage resources. Nevertheless, it is vitally important to write the Arizona State Parks Board at the link below. Remind the stewards of these heritage resources that even though an archaeological park may be closed, the need to secure and monitor these parks will be even more critical after the gates have been locked.
http://azstateparks.com/find/contact.html - Contact Arizona State Parks
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/11509_az_state_parks_agenda.pdf - List of Park Closures

- Nominations for the Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission Awards in Public Archaeology Now Being Accepted: The GAAC is sponsoring its 24th annual "Awards in Public Archaeology." The Commission is a statutory board that advises the State Historic Preservation Officer on issues of relevance to Arizona archaeology. The Awards are presented to individuals, organizations, and/or programs that have significantly contributed to the protection and preservation of, and education about, Arizona's non-renewable archaeological resources.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/2010_gaac_award_nom.doc

- Workshop in Archaeoastronomy Scheduled for March 11-12 at Pueblo Grande: The purpose of the CAASW is to advance the study and practice of archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest. The CAASW is committed to recognizing significant contributions to knowledge and the importance of research, professional standards and excellence in the study of archaeoastronomy, effective dissemination and presentation of archaeoastronomical knowledge, and innovation and originality of approach. To continue to build upon the success of the 2009 conference, a two-day technical workshop has been scheduled.
http://www.caasw.org/workshop.html

- Yale Seeks Dismissal of Peruvian Claims to Machu Picchu Artifacts: Yale University says a lawsuit by Peru seeking the return of thousands of Inca artifacts removed from the famed Machu Picchu citadel nearly a century ago should be dismissed because a statue of limitations expired. Peru rejects the argument, saying Yale never owned the artifacts and that its claim is not subject to a statute of limitations under Peruvian law. Peru also says Yale did not assert ownership of the artifacts until late 2008. "The artifacts are of immense cultural and historical importance," Peru's attorneys wrote in recently filed court papers. "Yale's mere retention of the artifacts establishes nothing."
http://tinyurl.com/ycoojpt - Associated Press

- Lecture and Book Signing (Albuquerque): According to archaeologist Stephen H. Lekson, much of what we think we know about the Southwest has been compressed into conventions and classifications and orthodoxies. This book challenges and reconfigures these accepted notions by telling two parallel stories, one about the development, personalities, and institutions of Southwestern archaeology, and the other about interpretations of what actually happened in the ancient past. Location: Bookworks - 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107-3157
http://www.bkwrks.com/event/lekson

- Lecture Opportunity (Irvine, CA) Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's January 14th meeting will feature Dr. Matthew Des Lauriers speaking on "Rediscovering Huamalgua: The Island of Fogs. Archaeological, Ethnohistoric, and Ethnographic Investigations on Isla Cedros, Baja California, Mexico." Meeting information: Thursday, January 14, 20, 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

- Lecture Opportunity (Las Vegas): January Meeting: On January 14th Heidi Roberts of HRA, Inc. will be talking about her company’s recent work at Corn Creek Dunes, on the Desert Wildlife Refuge. The lecture will be held at 7 P.M. on the West Charleston Campus of College of Southern Nevada. A field trip out to Corn Creek is planned for Saturday, January 16th, from approximately 8 A.M.-Noon. Sign-ups for the trip will occur after Heidi’s talk, and a meeting location for the trip will be announced as well. Please note: for the spring season there is a new meeting room. All meetings will be held in the ‘I’ Building (The Library Building), Room I-201. This is next to the previous building (the K, or Engelstad Building) from last fall.

- Black Mesa Residents Win Appeal Against Peabody Coal: Peabody Western Coal Company’s Black Mesa Coal Complex has suffered a major setback as an administrative law judge for the U.S. Department of the Interior vacated a permit for the massive coal-mining complex. The judge vacated the permit in response to one of several appeals filed by Navajo and Hopi residents as well as a diverse coalition of tribal and environmental groups. The permit, issued by Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, allowed Peabody to operate and expand the Black Mesa mine and the Kayenta mine under a single permit.
http://tinyurl.com/yeo7hng - Center for Biological Diversity

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