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.
Showing posts with label Blanding Looters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blanding Looters. Show all posts
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Another Light Sentence in 4-Corners Artifact Case
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Another Light Sentence in 4-Corners Artifact Case
Nicholas K. Laws has maintained he never collected ancient American Indian artifacts for sale, but when he was offered money by a federal informant the father of three desperately needed it. "For my client, this was not a living," Laws' attorney, Randy S. Ludlow, said in federal court Monday. "He was never doing it to make a fast buck."
http://tinyurl.com/263o2ef - Washington Examiner
Documentary Project "Postcards from the Parks" Looks to Resuscitate Arizona State Park System
Due to budget cuts enacted by the Arizona State Legislature and signed by Governor Jan Brewer, the state's park system is on the verge of complete collapse. A documentary film project entitled "Postcards from the Parks," created by four friends who visited all of the parks over a six-month period, details the problems our state parks face and
how it effects us all.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/postcards.doc - MS Word Document
Hopi Government Renews Pledge to Stop Snowmaking on San Francisco Peaks
The Hopi Tribe's legislative body voted unanimously Thursday to use any remaining legal avenues to stop snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl, the tribe's leader said Friday. "Ultimately and straightforwardly, we're just opposed to any snowmaking at all," said Chairman Le Roy Shingoitewa.
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/31987aeb-5ac7-5af2-888b-0ad50d48e1dc.html
Extinction of Woolly Mammoth, Saber-Toothed Cat May Have Been Caused by Human Predation
New analysis of the extinction of woolly mammoths and other large mammals more than 10,000 years ago suggests that they may have fallen victim to the same type of "trophic cascade" of ecosystem disruption that scientists say is being caused today by the global decline of predators such as wolves, cougars, and sharks.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701072732.htm
Hips Don't Lie: Researchers Find More Accurate Technique to Determine Sex of Skeletal Remains
Research from North Carolina State University offers a new means of determining the sex of skeletal human remains -- an advance that may have significant impacts in the wake of disasters, the studying of ancient remains and the criminal justice system.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706112601.htm
Viejas Ceremonial Sanctified Burial Site to be Protected ‘In Perpetuity’
California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed a lawsuit June 24 against a water district which continued construction on a site that has been determined to be sacred to the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and should be permanently protected.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/southwest/97664204.html
Excavation Tour Opportunity (Tucson)
EcoPlan Associates, Inc. is conducting data recovery excavations at several archaeological sites on the Santa Cruz floodplain, in Tucson, along Interstate 10 between Prince and Ruthrauff Roads in advance of Arizona Department of Transportation road widening and reconstruction of the Prince Road traffic interchange. Thus far, excavations have revealed extensive Early Agricultural occupation of the area, as well as both later Hohokam (Rillito/Rincon) and earlier Middle Archaic components. Please join EcoPlan archaeologists for a tour of the project area and a summary of our findings on Wednesday July 21, 2010 at 7 am. The tour will meet at the intersection of Prince Road and Business Center Drive, west of I-10 (Exit 254). On-street parking is available. Please note that hard hats and reflective safety vests are REQUIRED of all visitors. Please bring your own. Carpooling is encouraged. Please contact Dan Garcia (480 733 6666 x105 or dgarcia@ecoplanaz.com) with any questions.
Mesa Verde Region and Crow Canyon to Share Pueblo Cultures Via Preserve America Grant
Mesa Verde Country will give its Indian Arts and Culture Festival a boost and translate its website into languages around the world with a Preserve America grant. "It's helping us to go global," said Mesa Verde Country Tourism Director Lynn Dyer. The $89,822 grant has been a long time coming, Dyer said. Mesa Verde Country applied for it in conjunction with Crow Canyon Archaeology Center in 2007, but payments were delayed because of the economy.
http://tinyurl.com/2uut4le - Durango Herald
Call For Papers For 81st Texas Archeological Society Annual Meeting
October 22-24, 2010 Omni Bayfront Hotel, Corpus Christi, Texas (361) 887-1600 TAS code:1450 0809 629 The Conference theme is Archeology without Borders.
You’re invited to join friends and colleagues for the 81th annual meeting of TAS. We hope to encourage colleagues south of the Rio Grande to attend and share their research with us. Papers and posters will be featured in sessions Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. The Public Forum and Career Social will attract regional visitors. Meetings and awards will honor many who have contributed to the Society and Texas archeology.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/tas_cfp_10.doc - MS Word Document
Rock Art Scholar Returns To The Anasazi Heritage Center
Sally Cole, author and rock art expert, will give a talk and slide show at the Anasazi Heritage Center at 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 8. Cole will give her presentation on the human form in rock art, which was canceled last June due to technical difficulties. Admission will be free throughout the day. Cole is the author of "Legacy on Stone: Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau and Four Corners Region." Her book is considered the best regional rock art reference currently in print.
http:// www.blm.co.gov/ahc
Lecture Opportunity - Tucson
The monthly Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society lecture will be given by Roger Anyon and Linda Mayro. The topic is Preserving the Past for Future Generations: Accomplishments of the Pima County Historic Preservation Bond Program. Monday, July 19th, 7:30 pm. DuVal Auditorium, UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Free and open to the public.
Position Announcement - Assistant Curator of Archaeology
The University of Arizona, Arizona State Museum (ASM), invites applications for an Assistant Curator of Archaeology (Mandated Programs Administrator) with tenure-equivalent status. The position serves as the ASM Director's designee to administer Arizona Revised Statute §§41-841 et seq. and ARS §41-865 through ABOR Chapter VIII ASM Rules. The incumbent is expected to collaborate across a wide range of state, county, municipal, and federal agencies on issues related to the implementation of the Arizona Antiquities Act and the protection of the state's archaeological resources.
http://www.cdarc.org.sat/asm_cofa_info.pdf
Thanks to Vincent Murray and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
Another Light Sentence in 4-Corners Artifact Case
Nicholas K. Laws has maintained he never collected ancient American Indian artifacts for sale, but when he was offered money by a federal informant the father of three desperately needed it. "For my client, this was not a living," Laws' attorney, Randy S. Ludlow, said in federal court Monday. "He was never doing it to make a fast buck."
http://tinyurl.com/263o2ef - Washington Examiner
Documentary Project "Postcards from the Parks" Looks to Resuscitate Arizona State Park System
Due to budget cuts enacted by the Arizona State Legislature and signed by Governor Jan Brewer, the state's park system is on the verge of complete collapse. A documentary film project entitled "Postcards from the Parks," created by four friends who visited all of the parks over a six-month period, details the problems our state parks face and
how it effects us all.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/postcards.doc - MS Word Document
Hopi Government Renews Pledge to Stop Snowmaking on San Francisco Peaks
The Hopi Tribe's legislative body voted unanimously Thursday to use any remaining legal avenues to stop snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl, the tribe's leader said Friday. "Ultimately and straightforwardly, we're just opposed to any snowmaking at all," said Chairman Le Roy Shingoitewa.
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/31987aeb-5ac7-5af2-888b-0ad50d48e1dc.html
Extinction of Woolly Mammoth, Saber-Toothed Cat May Have Been Caused by Human Predation
New analysis of the extinction of woolly mammoths and other large mammals more than 10,000 years ago suggests that they may have fallen victim to the same type of "trophic cascade" of ecosystem disruption that scientists say is being caused today by the global decline of predators such as wolves, cougars, and sharks.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701072732.htm
Hips Don't Lie: Researchers Find More Accurate Technique to Determine Sex of Skeletal Remains
Research from North Carolina State University offers a new means of determining the sex of skeletal human remains -- an advance that may have significant impacts in the wake of disasters, the studying of ancient remains and the criminal justice system.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706112601.htm
Viejas Ceremonial Sanctified Burial Site to be Protected ‘In Perpetuity’
California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed a lawsuit June 24 against a water district which continued construction on a site that has been determined to be sacred to the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and should be permanently protected.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/southwest/97664204.html
Excavation Tour Opportunity (Tucson)
EcoPlan Associates, Inc. is conducting data recovery excavations at several archaeological sites on the Santa Cruz floodplain, in Tucson, along Interstate 10 between Prince and Ruthrauff Roads in advance of Arizona Department of Transportation road widening and reconstruction of the Prince Road traffic interchange. Thus far, excavations have revealed extensive Early Agricultural occupation of the area, as well as both later Hohokam (Rillito/Rincon) and earlier Middle Archaic components. Please join EcoPlan archaeologists for a tour of the project area and a summary of our findings on Wednesday July 21, 2010 at 7 am. The tour will meet at the intersection of Prince Road and Business Center Drive, west of I-10 (Exit 254). On-street parking is available. Please note that hard hats and reflective safety vests are REQUIRED of all visitors. Please bring your own. Carpooling is encouraged. Please contact Dan Garcia (480 733 6666 x105 or dgarcia@ecoplanaz.com) with any questions.
Mesa Verde Region and Crow Canyon to Share Pueblo Cultures Via Preserve America Grant
Mesa Verde Country will give its Indian Arts and Culture Festival a boost and translate its website into languages around the world with a Preserve America grant. "It's helping us to go global," said Mesa Verde Country Tourism Director Lynn Dyer. The $89,822 grant has been a long time coming, Dyer said. Mesa Verde Country applied for it in conjunction with Crow Canyon Archaeology Center in 2007, but payments were delayed because of the economy.
http://tinyurl.com/2uut4le - Durango Herald
Call For Papers For 81st Texas Archeological Society Annual Meeting
October 22-24, 2010 Omni Bayfront Hotel, Corpus Christi, Texas (361) 887-1600 TAS code:1450 0809 629 The Conference theme is Archeology without Borders.
You’re invited to join friends and colleagues for the 81th annual meeting of TAS. We hope to encourage colleagues south of the Rio Grande to attend and share their research with us. Papers and posters will be featured in sessions Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. The Public Forum and Career Social will attract regional visitors. Meetings and awards will honor many who have contributed to the Society and Texas archeology.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/tas_cfp_10.doc - MS Word Document
Rock Art Scholar Returns To The Anasazi Heritage Center
Sally Cole, author and rock art expert, will give a talk and slide show at the Anasazi Heritage Center at 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 8. Cole will give her presentation on the human form in rock art, which was canceled last June due to technical difficulties. Admission will be free throughout the day. Cole is the author of "Legacy on Stone: Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau and Four Corners Region." Her book is considered the best regional rock art reference currently in print.
http:// www.blm.co.gov/ahc
Lecture Opportunity - Tucson
The monthly Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society lecture will be given by Roger Anyon and Linda Mayro. The topic is Preserving the Past for Future Generations: Accomplishments of the Pima County Historic Preservation Bond Program. Monday, July 19th, 7:30 pm. DuVal Auditorium, UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Free and open to the public.
Position Announcement - Assistant Curator of Archaeology
The University of Arizona, Arizona State Museum (ASM), invites applications for an Assistant Curator of Archaeology (Mandated Programs Administrator) with tenure-equivalent status. The position serves as the ASM Director's designee to administer Arizona Revised Statute §§41-841 et seq. and ARS §41-865 through ABOR Chapter VIII ASM Rules. The incumbent is expected to collaborate across a wide range of state, county, municipal, and federal agencies on issues related to the implementation of the Arizona Antiquities Act and the protection of the state's archaeological resources.
http://www.cdarc.org.sat/asm_cofa_info.pdf
Thanks to Vincent Murray and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Congresswoman Wants to Expand Nation's Oldest Archaeological Preserve
Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Congresswoman Wants to Expand Nations Oldest Archaeological Preserve
On Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix is one of America's most enduring ancient mysteries--a giant adobe structure called Casa Grande. It was erected by the Hohokam, a people who built towns where Tucson and Phoenix are today and who turned the desert green with an extensive system of irrigation. Ironically, the modern city of Phoenix was founded by American settlers who cleared out the prehistoric Hohokam canals and reused them for their own farms.
http://tinyurl.com/2ee49qr - Gadling.Com
http://tinyurl.com/2e52el6 - Center for Desert Archaeology
Arizona Republic Declares "Congress Should Expand Monument"
The Hohokam civilization rose in central Arizona, flourished for a millennium and disappeared before Columbus discovered America. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick introduced a bill last week to preserve the traces of this prehistoric desert culture by expanding the boundaries of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Congress should move quickly to approve it.
http://tinyurl.com/256mljl - Arizona Republic
CRM Firm Embroiled in Texas Ranger Burial Controversy Files for Bankruptcy
An archaeology company tangled in civil suits with the city of Waco over its work on the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum has filed for bankruptcy. American Archaeology Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Austin on Thursday afternoon, a court clerk said.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/92480179.html
Learn About the Other Codetalkers at the Last Archaeology Cafe of the Season (Tucson)
The last Archaeology Cafe until September 2010 will take place this Tuesday, May 4, 6:15 p.m., at Casa Vicente in Tucson. Our presenter will be Dr. Suzanne Griset, Principal Investigator, Project Manager, and Oral Historian with SWCA Environmental Consultants in Tucson. Suzanne will discuss "The Other Codetalkers: Civilian Native American War Efforts at Navajo Ordnance Depot."
http://www.cdarc.org/2010/02/22/archaeology-cafe-recent-research-at-camp-navajo/
Civilian Conservation Corps History to be Featured in New Exhibit at the Arizona History Museum
A 1400 square foot multimedia exhibit tracing the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps and its Arizona projects will soon be on view at the Arizona Historical Society's Arizona History Museum in Tucson. It Saved my Life: Civilian Conservation Corps at the Grand Canyon, 1933-1942 was created by the National Park Service in 2008 to celebrate the CCC's 75th anniversary. The loaned exhibit, with the addition of period photographs and local artifacts from AHS and others, will open on Friday, May 14 with a special evening event from 5 until 7 p.m., when visitors may tour the displays, enjoy light refreshments and hear stories directly from CCC enrollees themselves.
http://willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2010/04/29/news/news18.txt
Giant Sequoias Yield Longest Fire History from Tree Rings
A 3,000-year record from 52 of the world's oldest trees shows that California's western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to new research. It's the longest tree-ring fire history in the world, and it's from this amazing place with these amazing trees." said lead author Thomas W. Swetnam of the University of Arizona in Tucson. "This is an epic collection of tree rings
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318093300.htm
Interior Secretary Salazar Promotes National Parks and Stimulus Efforts at Mesa Verde
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was at Mesa Verde National Park on Sunday to highlight nearly $50 million in improvements being made at the park, including a $23 million visitor and research center. The facility, which will be located just south of the park entrance on U.S. Highway 160, will replace the Far View Visitor Center, situated deep in the park and constructed 50 years ago as a temporary field lab. Construction on the new center, which is expected to meet the highest green-building standards, is scheduled to begin in the fall.
http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/04/26/Investments_significant/
Hopi Hotel and Conference Center Opens at Moenkopi
A Hopi village has opened a hotel and conference center billed as the western gateway to the reservation. The Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites had its official dedication this week. The hotel features 100 guest rooms, a salt water swimming pool and whirlpool, an outdoor performance plaza and a kiva garden.
http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/92491004.html
Tucson's Mission Gardens Project Seeks Donations and Volunteers
May is National Preservation Month, and according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the focus this year is: "Old is the new green." Supporters of the Mission Gardens on South Grande Avenue believe the proposed project is a perfect example of that theme.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/putting-down-roots/Content?oid=1945862
Utah Prehistory Week
May 1st kicks off a week long celebration of Utah’s ancient past and archaeology. Utah Prehistory Week, May 1-8, 2010, is a statewide event in which local communities celebrate ancient heritage. Events are scheduled throughout the state and range from tours of archaeological sites, lectures, kids activities, and museum exhibit openings.
http://tinyurl.com/27qarh7 - Examiner.Com
Colorado Celebrates its Heritage
This May, cities and towns across the state will, once again, host events honoring Colorado's past during Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month. This year's theme is “Pathways to Colorado's Heritage,” and the entire month will feature plenty of free or modestly priced tours, exhibits, lectures, displays and events.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100430/AE/100429764/-1/rss
Take a Historic Walk in Colorado with the Santa Fe Trail Caravan
Take a three-mile hike down the Santa Fe Trail behind an ox-driven Conestoga wagon. Interpreters from Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site will demonstrate trail life in the 1840s. The caravan will leave Sierra Vista Overlook on Highway 350 at 10 a.m. on May 8 and travel to the Timpas Picnic Area. For more information, please contact Rick Wallner at 719-383-5024 or rick_wallner@nps.gov.
Anasazi Heritage Center Celebrates Archaeology Month With Lecture And Free Admission
Archaeologist Ben Bellorado will speak at the Anasazi Heritage Center on Sunday, May 9, at 1 p.m. in connection with Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month. Admission to the museum will be free throughout the day.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/bellorado.doc - MS Word Document
Blanding Artifact Looting Defendants to Face Trial in October
Five defendants netted in a government crackdown on artifacts trafficking will take their case to trial before a federal judge in October. Co-defendants Joseph M. Smith, Meredith Smith, Tad Kreth, Reece Laws and Brandon Laws will take their case to trial before U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart on Oct. 25. The trial is slated to run for two weeks.
http://tinyurl.com/2dhbwps - Deseret News
Thanks to Carrie Gregory and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
Congresswoman Wants to Expand Nations Oldest Archaeological Preserve
On Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix is one of America's most enduring ancient mysteries--a giant adobe structure called Casa Grande. It was erected by the Hohokam, a people who built towns where Tucson and Phoenix are today and who turned the desert green with an extensive system of irrigation. Ironically, the modern city of Phoenix was founded by American settlers who cleared out the prehistoric Hohokam canals and reused them for their own farms.
http://tinyurl.com/2ee49qr - Gadling.Com
http://tinyurl.com/2e52el6 - Center for Desert Archaeology
Arizona Republic Declares "Congress Should Expand Monument"
The Hohokam civilization rose in central Arizona, flourished for a millennium and disappeared before Columbus discovered America. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick introduced a bill last week to preserve the traces of this prehistoric desert culture by expanding the boundaries of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Congress should move quickly to approve it.
http://tinyurl.com/256mljl - Arizona Republic
CRM Firm Embroiled in Texas Ranger Burial Controversy Files for Bankruptcy
An archaeology company tangled in civil suits with the city of Waco over its work on the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum has filed for bankruptcy. American Archaeology Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Austin on Thursday afternoon, a court clerk said.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/92480179.html
Learn About the Other Codetalkers at the Last Archaeology Cafe of the Season (Tucson)
The last Archaeology Cafe until September 2010 will take place this Tuesday, May 4, 6:15 p.m., at Casa Vicente in Tucson. Our presenter will be Dr. Suzanne Griset, Principal Investigator, Project Manager, and Oral Historian with SWCA Environmental Consultants in Tucson. Suzanne will discuss "The Other Codetalkers: Civilian Native American War Efforts at Navajo Ordnance Depot."
http://www.cdarc.org/2010/02/22/archaeology-cafe-recent-research-at-camp-navajo/
Civilian Conservation Corps History to be Featured in New Exhibit at the Arizona History Museum
A 1400 square foot multimedia exhibit tracing the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps and its Arizona projects will soon be on view at the Arizona Historical Society's Arizona History Museum in Tucson. It Saved my Life: Civilian Conservation Corps at the Grand Canyon, 1933-1942 was created by the National Park Service in 2008 to celebrate the CCC's 75th anniversary. The loaned exhibit, with the addition of period photographs and local artifacts from AHS and others, will open on Friday, May 14 with a special evening event from 5 until 7 p.m., when visitors may tour the displays, enjoy light refreshments and hear stories directly from CCC enrollees themselves.
http://willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2010/04/29/news/news18.txt
Giant Sequoias Yield Longest Fire History from Tree Rings
A 3,000-year record from 52 of the world's oldest trees shows that California's western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to new research. It's the longest tree-ring fire history in the world, and it's from this amazing place with these amazing trees." said lead author Thomas W. Swetnam of the University of Arizona in Tucson. "This is an epic collection of tree rings
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318093300.htm
Interior Secretary Salazar Promotes National Parks and Stimulus Efforts at Mesa Verde
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was at Mesa Verde National Park on Sunday to highlight nearly $50 million in improvements being made at the park, including a $23 million visitor and research center. The facility, which will be located just south of the park entrance on U.S. Highway 160, will replace the Far View Visitor Center, situated deep in the park and constructed 50 years ago as a temporary field lab. Construction on the new center, which is expected to meet the highest green-building standards, is scheduled to begin in the fall.
http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/04/26/Investments_significant/
Hopi Hotel and Conference Center Opens at Moenkopi
A Hopi village has opened a hotel and conference center billed as the western gateway to the reservation. The Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites had its official dedication this week. The hotel features 100 guest rooms, a salt water swimming pool and whirlpool, an outdoor performance plaza and a kiva garden.
http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/92491004.html
Tucson's Mission Gardens Project Seeks Donations and Volunteers
May is National Preservation Month, and according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the focus this year is: "Old is the new green." Supporters of the Mission Gardens on South Grande Avenue believe the proposed project is a perfect example of that theme.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/putting-down-roots/Content?oid=1945862
Utah Prehistory Week
May 1st kicks off a week long celebration of Utah’s ancient past and archaeology. Utah Prehistory Week, May 1-8, 2010, is a statewide event in which local communities celebrate ancient heritage. Events are scheduled throughout the state and range from tours of archaeological sites, lectures, kids activities, and museum exhibit openings.
http://tinyurl.com/27qarh7 - Examiner.Com
Colorado Celebrates its Heritage
This May, cities and towns across the state will, once again, host events honoring Colorado's past during Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month. This year's theme is “Pathways to Colorado's Heritage,” and the entire month will feature plenty of free or modestly priced tours, exhibits, lectures, displays and events.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100430/AE/100429764/-1/rss
Take a Historic Walk in Colorado with the Santa Fe Trail Caravan
Take a three-mile hike down the Santa Fe Trail behind an ox-driven Conestoga wagon. Interpreters from Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site will demonstrate trail life in the 1840s. The caravan will leave Sierra Vista Overlook on Highway 350 at 10 a.m. on May 8 and travel to the Timpas Picnic Area. For more information, please contact Rick Wallner at 719-383-5024 or rick_wallner@nps.gov.
Anasazi Heritage Center Celebrates Archaeology Month With Lecture And Free Admission
Archaeologist Ben Bellorado will speak at the Anasazi Heritage Center on Sunday, May 9, at 1 p.m. in connection with Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month. Admission to the museum will be free throughout the day.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/bellorado.doc - MS Word Document
Blanding Artifact Looting Defendants to Face Trial in October
Five defendants netted in a government crackdown on artifacts trafficking will take their case to trial before a federal judge in October. Co-defendants Joseph M. Smith, Meredith Smith, Tad Kreth, Reece Laws and Brandon Laws will take their case to trial before U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart on Oct. 25. The trial is slated to run for two weeks.
http://tinyurl.com/2dhbwps - Deseret News
Thanks to Carrie Gregory and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
Friday, July 10, 2009
First of Accused Blanding Artifact Thieves Pleads Guilty
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- First Guilty Plea in Blanding Artifacts Case: Reporting from Denver -- The wife of a southern Utah doctor who killed himself after his arrest on charges of stealing Native American artifacts from public lands pleaded guilty on Monday to similar charges. As part of a plea agreement, Jeanne Redd, 59, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft of government and tribal property and trafficking in stolen artifacts. Federal prosecutors agreed to seek a lesser penalty at her September sentencing than the maximum 10 years in prison provided for under the charges.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/12gp - Los Angeles Times
- Introducing the "Twiggers," A Five Part Series Examines the Link Between Looting in the Southwest and the Methamphetamine Trade: The following conversation was once caught on an undercover wiretap. “Have you ever dug at Mesa Verde Park?” “No, that’s my bank for the future.” Site looter. Grave robber. Privy pillager. Twigger. Strong words describing something many perceive as little more than picking up a stray pot or stone for extra income. One person claims it’s how he pays the increasingly high college tuition costs for his children. Others say it’s how they’re surviving the economic downturn. Some shrug, wondering why there’s such a fuss as it’s been a family tradition for generations.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/kyl8 - Examiner.com
- People are Still Upset in Blanding: This small Four Corners community prides itself on being a law-abiding, church and family-oriented, patriotic throwback to more innocent times. So the Fourth of July is a gala of parades, prayers and pyrotechnics where sparkling apple cider is the strongest celebratory beverage. But this year, the festivities had an angry edge. Mayor Toni Turk opened with a prayer that included beseeching God to keep Blanding citizens free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The annual melodrama incorporated lyrics about recent raids and seizures of ancient artifacts from Blanding homes. "Legalize Pot" T-shirts, emblazoned with images of ancient ceramic pots, sold out quickly.
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_12765729
- Unique Research Program Hosted at Crow Canyon: Researchers from across the United States and Canada gathered at the Crow Canyon campus June 7–10 to coordinate the second phase of investigations for the Village Ecodynamics Project (VEP). The first phase of the project, VEP I, was initiated in 2002 and brought together researchers representing diverse disciplines—archaeologists, geologists, geographers, computer scientists, and economists—in an effort to explain key aspects of ancestral Pueblo life in southwestern Colorado between A.D. 600 and A.D. 1300.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001471333.cfm?x=b11,0,w
- Albuquerque Public Schools Implement Program to Preserve Navajo Language and Culture: When Brittany Arviso was old enough to take part in a Navajo coming-of-age ceremony, her family grappled with the preparations. Not knowing where to find some of the items for the ceremony, they turned to her grandparents for help. Her father and grandfather went up into the mountains to get some plants and other things for the four-day ceremony. But there was one thing that 12-year-old Brittany didn't have and wished she had - knowing more of her native language so she could better understand the ceremony. "If I had been able to speak and understand a little language, it would have been easier and more helpful," she said. Her parents hope that a new Navajo language summer school offered by Albuquerque Public Schools this year will eventually help her learn more about her culture and language. Her 10-year-old brother, Lucas, is in the classes, and Brittany may be able to join next year if the program is expanded.
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12759662
- Waco Mammoth National Monument One Step Closer to Reality: The Waco Mammoth Site has moved a step closer to being recognized as a national monument as part of the National Park Service. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards’ resolution on the site, HR 1376, was passed by a voice vote in the House National Resources Committee, clearing the way for consideration and vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Edwards, D-Waco, said there has been strong support throughout his push for “The Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2009,” including little to no resistance in committee.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/1036 - Waco Tribune
- Does Maize Fuel the Rise of States? Prehistoric communities in one part of Peru’s Andes Mountains may have gone from maize to amazingly complex. Bioarchaeologist Brian Finucane’s analyses of human skeletons excavated in this region indicate that people living there 2,800 years ago regularly ate maize. This is the earliest evidence for maize as a staple food in the rugged terrain of highland Peru, he says.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/6qn9 - Us News and World Report
- If Chaco has a Meridian, Does Los Angeles Have a Vector? (June 30): With respect to the article about the Chaco Meridian and the possibility that the Anasazi deliberately built their principal settlements on said line with only minor deviations, it certainly could be deliberately so. If it is so, however, then what are we to say about the fact that, also in the Southwest (Los Angeles to be exact) in more modern times, four major “temples of sport” — namely, the Rose Bowl, Dodger Stadium, The Forum and Hollywood Park — all lie on a straight line extending from the northeast to the southwest. One cannot help but wonder what archeologists of the next millennium will manage to make of the above fact! Bob Freedman (NY Times).
Thanks to Joyce Alexander and Michael Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
- First Guilty Plea in Blanding Artifacts Case: Reporting from Denver -- The wife of a southern Utah doctor who killed himself after his arrest on charges of stealing Native American artifacts from public lands pleaded guilty on Monday to similar charges. As part of a plea agreement, Jeanne Redd, 59, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft of government and tribal property and trafficking in stolen artifacts. Federal prosecutors agreed to seek a lesser penalty at her September sentencing than the maximum 10 years in prison provided for under the charges.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/12gp - Los Angeles Times
- Introducing the "Twiggers," A Five Part Series Examines the Link Between Looting in the Southwest and the Methamphetamine Trade: The following conversation was once caught on an undercover wiretap. “Have you ever dug at Mesa Verde Park?” “No, that’s my bank for the future.” Site looter. Grave robber. Privy pillager. Twigger. Strong words describing something many perceive as little more than picking up a stray pot or stone for extra income. One person claims it’s how he pays the increasingly high college tuition costs for his children. Others say it’s how they’re surviving the economic downturn. Some shrug, wondering why there’s such a fuss as it’s been a family tradition for generations.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/kyl8 - Examiner.com
- People are Still Upset in Blanding: This small Four Corners community prides itself on being a law-abiding, church and family-oriented, patriotic throwback to more innocent times. So the Fourth of July is a gala of parades, prayers and pyrotechnics where sparkling apple cider is the strongest celebratory beverage. But this year, the festivities had an angry edge. Mayor Toni Turk opened with a prayer that included beseeching God to keep Blanding citizens free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The annual melodrama incorporated lyrics about recent raids and seizures of ancient artifacts from Blanding homes. "Legalize Pot" T-shirts, emblazoned with images of ancient ceramic pots, sold out quickly.
http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_12765729
- Unique Research Program Hosted at Crow Canyon: Researchers from across the United States and Canada gathered at the Crow Canyon campus June 7–10 to coordinate the second phase of investigations for the Village Ecodynamics Project (VEP). The first phase of the project, VEP I, was initiated in 2002 and brought together researchers representing diverse disciplines—archaeologists, geologists, geographers, computer scientists, and economists—in an effort to explain key aspects of ancestral Pueblo life in southwestern Colorado between A.D. 600 and A.D. 1300.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001471333.cfm?x=b11,0,w
- Albuquerque Public Schools Implement Program to Preserve Navajo Language and Culture: When Brittany Arviso was old enough to take part in a Navajo coming-of-age ceremony, her family grappled with the preparations. Not knowing where to find some of the items for the ceremony, they turned to her grandparents for help. Her father and grandfather went up into the mountains to get some plants and other things for the four-day ceremony. But there was one thing that 12-year-old Brittany didn't have and wished she had - knowing more of her native language so she could better understand the ceremony. "If I had been able to speak and understand a little language, it would have been easier and more helpful," she said. Her parents hope that a new Navajo language summer school offered by Albuquerque Public Schools this year will eventually help her learn more about her culture and language. Her 10-year-old brother, Lucas, is in the classes, and Brittany may be able to join next year if the program is expanded.
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12759662
- Waco Mammoth National Monument One Step Closer to Reality: The Waco Mammoth Site has moved a step closer to being recognized as a national monument as part of the National Park Service. On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards’ resolution on the site, HR 1376, was passed by a voice vote in the House National Resources Committee, clearing the way for consideration and vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Edwards, D-Waco, said there has been strong support throughout his push for “The Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2009,” including little to no resistance in committee.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/1036 - Waco Tribune
- Does Maize Fuel the Rise of States? Prehistoric communities in one part of Peru’s Andes Mountains may have gone from maize to amazingly complex. Bioarchaeologist Brian Finucane’s analyses of human skeletons excavated in this region indicate that people living there 2,800 years ago regularly ate maize. This is the earliest evidence for maize as a staple food in the rugged terrain of highland Peru, he says.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/6qn9 - Us News and World Report
- If Chaco has a Meridian, Does Los Angeles Have a Vector? (June 30): With respect to the article about the Chaco Meridian and the possibility that the Anasazi deliberately built their principal settlements on said line with only minor deviations, it certainly could be deliberately so. If it is so, however, then what are we to say about the fact that, also in the Southwest (Los Angeles to be exact) in more modern times, four major “temples of sport” — namely, the Rose Bowl, Dodger Stadium, The Forum and Hollywood Park — all lie on a straight line extending from the northeast to the southwest. One cannot help but wonder what archeologists of the next millennium will manage to make of the above fact! Bob Freedman (NY Times).
Thanks to Joyce Alexander and Michael Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
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