New Study to Examine Social and Political Contexts of Hohokam Ceramic Production

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

New Study to Examine Social and Political Contexts of Hohokam Ceramic Production
Can a manufacturing industry purr along without a class system of managers and workers? That's part of a longtime mystery that may soon be solved: How did a prehistoric, egalitarian people called the Hohokam produce large quantities of decorated ceramic vessels without a "manager" hierarchy?
http://www.physorg.com/news198857381.html

Genetic "Reconstruction" Indicates High Degree of Diversity in Origins of New World Paleolithic Populations
Anthropologist have believed for a while that humans migrated to the Americas in a relatively short period from a limited area in northeast Asia across a temporary land corridor that opened across the Bering Strait during an ice age. However, government archeologist Alejandro Terrazas says the picture has become complicated because the reconstruction resembles people from southeastern Asian areas like Indonesia. "History isn't that simple," Terrazas told the Associated Press (AP). "This indicates that the Americas were populated by several migratory movements, not just one or two waves from northern Asia across the Bering Strait."
http://tinyurl.com/3ybmoc9 - Red Orbit

Audit Finds Fault With NAGPRA Administrators
But the first official audit of the government agency that administers NAGPRA portrays a troubled organization that has failed to serve tribes well, and does not always give a fair hearing to scientists' claims. The final report, from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), is expected by autumn, but Nature has obtained a draft that is currently under review. Both the GAO and the NAGPRA office in Washington DC declined to comment on the draft.
Warning - the following link contains an image of human remains of unknown archaeological provenance.
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466422a.html

New BYU Exhibit Examines Ancient Life in Utah
A new exhibit at Brigham Young University’s Museum of Peoples and Cultures brings into focus the efforts to preserve and study these sites and the thousands of artifacts they have yielded. Beneath Your Feet: Discovering the Archaeology of Utah Valley conveys the story of the Fremont. These pre-Columbian Indians, who populated much of Utah due to their farming prowess, coaxed crops from arid soils from 400 AD until the record of their occupation fades away in the 13th century.
http://tinyurl.com/2vfjy3b - Salt Lake Tribune

Excavations Provide Glimpse of Life in Old Town San Diego
the four-year effort led by San Diego State University professor Seth W. Mallios has turned up more than 60,000 artifacts from the well behind the house, and more from two other locations on the property. “It’s this great timeline of the way life was lived here from the 1940s back to the 1850s,” said Mallios, whose youthful enthusiasm complements his sterling credentials.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/21/peek-old-town-lore/

Archaeo-Nevada Society Starts Fall Season September 9th
Archaeo-Nevada Society a 501c3 organization begins its' fall season September 9,2010 at 7 pm on the College of Southern Nevada campus. Mark Boatwright BLM archaeologist about archaeological activities in the Redrock Canyon National Recreation Area. The Society meets September through May on the second Thursday of each month at 7pm at the College of Southern Nevada W. Charleston campus. Speakers are local archaeologists and historians from Nevada. Memberships include an informative monthly newsletter. The Society was formed in 1962 its' goal is the education about and protection of Nevada's past. The society has established a archaeology/anthropology scholarship at CSN to aid students. For information about membership or donations to the scholarship fund contact Bruce Holloway at bholloway9@cox.net

The Santa Fe Railyard Park Wins National Park Service Award of Merit in Site Design
Public, private and international design firms from more than 20 states and five countries vied for honors in the inaugural Designing the Parks competition. Entries had to engage people, expand beyond traditional boundaries and demonstrate reverence for place, sustainability, informed decision-making and an integrated development process. The National Park Service’s Denver Service Center, in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, recognized outstanding examples of park design in four categories: master planning, site design, building design and historic preservation.
http://tinyurl.com/234sywc - Designing the Parks Awards (PDF)

Kick Off Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology And Heritage Awareness Month
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 10:00 a.m, at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Arizona State Parks, 1300 W. Washington, Phoenix, in the Basement Boardroom. Please come and share your ideas as the SHPO initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM) celebration. We will be deciding on a theme for the month, identifying our partners, discussing the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo (to be held at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, Phoenix, Arizona), and exchanging ideas for the promotion of this important educational program within our state. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager, SHPO, 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov

Publication Announcement - Ceramic Makers' Marks
Left Coast Press Announces the publication of Erica Gibson's Ceramic Makers' Marks, available for pre-order before the October 2010 release date. Erica Gibson’s comprehensive guide provides a much-needed catalogue of ceramic makers' marks of British, French, German, and American origin found in North American archaeological sites. Consisting of nearly 350 marks from 112 different manufacturers from the mid-19th through early 20th century, this catalog provides full information on both the history of the mark and its variants, as well as details about the manufacturer. A set of indexes allow for searches by manufacturer, location, mark elements, and common words used. This guide will be of interest not only to historical archaeologists, but material culture specialists, collectors, museum professionals, students, art historians, and others interested in ceramics. Coming October 2010, 256 pages, $24.95 Paper.
http://lcoastpress.com/book.php?id=315

Reminder and Link Update - TAS Annual Meeting Planned for Oct 22-24
Early registration continues through October 7 ($89 hotel reservations, too). This is also the end date for requesting a Banquet ticket or a table in the Exhibit Room. PDF and online forms for Texas Archeological Society Annual Meeting and Exhibit Room registrations are now available through the TAS website.
http://www.txarch.org/Activities/AnnualMeeting/am2010/index.php

A note of congratulations to the residents of the Indian Ridge Historic District in Tucson for their inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The properties were added to the register on July 16th, 2010.

Thanks to Carrie Gregory and Gerald Kelso for contributing to today's newsletter.