Climate Change May Recreate Ancient Southwestern Climate, Twin Migrations Postulated for the Peopling of the Americas

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

- Climate Change May Send Southwestern Environments Back to Ancient Conditions: Why did the ancestral Puebloans move? One theory: climate change. A megadrought coincided with the abandonment of the Four Corners region of the US in the late 1200s, where they’d lived for perhaps 1,000 years. The drought link is less clear in settlements like Bandelier in north-central New Mexico, abandoned by 1550. But soil exhaustion from centuries of farming and deforestation may have also played a role, says Rory Gauthier, archaeologist at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/317q - Christian Science Monitor

- New Theory on the Peopling of the Americas Posits Two Distinct Migrating Groups: Diversity ruled among the first American settlers. Within a relatively short time span, at least two groups of people trekked across a land bridge from Asia to Alaska and then went their separate ways, one down the Pacific Coast and the other into the heart of North America, a new genetic study suggests. A team led by geneticist Antonio Torroni of the University of Pavia in Italy estimates that these separate migrations into the New World occurred between 17,000 and 15,000 years ago.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/g56o - Science News

- Restoration and Preservation Complete on the West Tower of San Xavier del Bac: It's a jewel in our desert. But at more than 200 years old, Mission San Xavier del Bac has needed some major polishing. Now an important milestone has been reached: The restoration of the west tower. When you see San Xavier you immediately know why it's called the White Dove of the Desert. It sparkles where it sits, on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. And now, the west tower sparkles even more. If you take a closer look, you'll see the difference between the west tower and the east tower of the church. We were there Tuesday to see the "new" west tower. "This is our community landmark and it's worth every penny and every effort that we've put into it," architect Bob Vint says. He and the Morales family of masons have been working on the church's west tower for five years. Could the Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino have known that the Catholic mission he founded in 1692 would still be with us. The current church was finished in 1797.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=9628065&nav=menu86_2

- Research, Scholarship, and Travel Grant Opportunities, Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society: Awards are offered to students and researchers who are members of AAHS and involved in the study of archaeology, anthropology, American Indian studies, ethnohistory, and history of the Greater Southwest. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2009. Awards will be made by the AAHS Board of Directors and announced during Arizona Archaeology Month. All of the details, including instructions and application forms, are available at the following link.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/aahs_grants_2009.doc - Ms Word Document

- Talk Details Archaeology of a Village Site on the Upper San Pedro: The construction of the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2007 led to the find of a prehistoric village east of the San Pedro River. Some of those findings were presented Thursday evening to the Tubac/Santa Cruz County Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society. Twenty people attended the event. “The San Pedro is a special place,” said archaeologist Maren Hopkins, the project director. Hopkins said the village was probably the biggest data recovery project that she has directed. The 27-year-old has been digging for 10 years in many places in Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico.
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/01/09/news/doc4966f5869ba07167469550.txt

- Small Puebloan Village Found Near Las Vegas: A team of scientists exploring Springs Preserve with remote-sensing gear have found what is believed to be a prehistoric village of pit houses where as many as 30 Anasazi lived about 1,300 years ago, the preserve's archaeologist said Friday. The discovery of two and possibly four pit house structures was made "in the last few days" by researchers from Ithaca College in New York who used ground-penetrating radar to probe beneath topsoil in the northwest corner of the 180-acre preserve along U.S. Highway 95, Springs Preserve Archaeologist Patti Wright said.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/37375559.html

- Public Lands - Private Ceremonies: Conflicts which arise over the use of public lands by the dominant culture, for either extractive or non-extractive purposes, and which are inconsistent with traditional religious or cultural uses made of the same lands by Native Americans, will be explored January 21 from 7-9PM at the Wittemyer Courtroom at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder. Speakers include Patty Limerick (CU Boulder), LouAnn Jacobson (Canyons of the Ancients NM), Robert Lawrence (Davis, Graham & Stubbs) and Steve Moore (NARF). A presentation of the Boulder County Bar Association and Center of the American West, CLE credit is available.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/pl-pc.doc - MS Word Document

- Deer Valley Rock Art Center Now Available as a Venue for Private Ceremonies: Imagine reciting your wedding vows at sunset in the midst of looming hills and ancient petroglyphs, with desert wildlife joining the crowd of well-wishers. This scenario now can be a reality, thanks to Arizona State University’s Deer Valley Rock Art Center, which has begun offering the use of the center and its facilities for weddings and other private events.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20090108_rockartcenter

- Volunteers Needed for Arizona Archives Dedication Ceremony: At long last, the day has nearly arrived. But before the building has the official dedication on January 15, one more request for help. We are asking folks to get in touch if they are willing and able to volunteer for the event next Thursday, January 15. We need folks to set-up, direct people to parking, staff registration tables, and clean-up. Plenty of opportunity! We have 250 reservations so far, and are planning for up to 300 people attending. We will have a two-sided tent, heaters, speakers' platforms, the works. This is our day to shine. A continental breakfast will be available after 8:15 (yes, we are feeding you!). Please let me know if would like to volunteer. I would like folks to contact me directly via email at: mtb75@juno.com

- Archaeological Field Training to be Offered at Old Pueblo Archaeology: Old Pueblo Archaeology Center is offering training in archaeological survey methods as part of a research project to identify and record archaeological sites that may be present near the Picture Rocks petroglyphs site northwest of Tucson. Training will be provided in archaeological site identification, recording, and interpretation; use of degree-reading compass and global positioning systems equipment; interpretation of aerial photographs and topographic maps; photography; and other archaeological methods. Archaeological field school session on cultural resources survey techniques led by archaeologist Allen Dart, RPA, starting at the Picture Rocks Redemptorist Renewal Center, 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road, Tucson. Saturday January 17, 2009, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. $20. Advance reservations and Old Pueblo Archaeology Center membership at Individual or higher level required: 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

- Native Musicians to Gather at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument: Traditional Native American musicians from across the nation will be gathering at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument for the first Native American Music Festival from Feb. 13 to 15. Discussion regarding the festival began about a year ago when Ruins Superintendent Jason Lott and several staff members got together to brainstorm ideas for an annual event at the historic sitew. At first it was unclear as to what the event would be, but those involved knew its main focus had to be awareness of the monument and bringing in more visitors.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/iez3 - Tri Valley Central

- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Offers Section 106 Training: The ACHP is pleased to announce its very popular Section 106 training schedule for 2009. We are offering the 106 Essentials courses in 6 locations, and the Advanced Section 106 Seminar in 8 locations. All courses are taught by highly knowledgeable ACHP staff who are engaged both on a daily basis and have practical hands-on experience with Section 106 issues. Attendees taking our courses receive an added benefit from the expertise that our instructors bring to the course.
http://www.achp.gov/106select.html

- Employment Opportunity (Washington): The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is pleased to announce it is now recruiting an Assistant Director for the Federal Property Management section (GS-14) position in its Office of Federal Agency Programs (OFAP), Washington, DC. OFAP conducts Section 106 reviews, provides technical assistance, training, and guidance for Section 106 users, and works to improve federal agency programs as they relate to historic properties. Among its other duties, OFAP is responsible for developing a Report to the President under Executive Order 13287 on the state of federal stewardship and interacts directly with federal agencies, State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Indian tribes, and the public on historic preservation issues across the country.
http://www.achp.gov/X3e_CD09602.pdf
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8ukt - USA Jobs

Thanks to Gerald Kelso and Terry Colvin for contributions to today's newsletter.

San Pedro Valley Spared, Rick Renzi's Legal Issues Impacts Petified Forest Land Exchange

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

- San Pedro Valley Spared Development of Interstate Bypass: Arizona transportation officials will continue planning for a possible Interstate 10 bypass around Tucson and Phoenix but have dropped proposed routes through the environmentally sensitive San Pedro River valley. The state Transportation Board unanimously approved a motion dropping the two potential San Pedro River valley routes east of Tucson during a meeting here today.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/230801.php

- Arizona Representative Rick Renzi's Legal Problems Threaten Petrified Forest Land Exchange: When federal grand jurors handed up a 35-count indictment of Rick Renzi last month, they accused the Arizona congressman of cheating to win an election and abusing his powers for profit. But those details only describe the charges, not the environmental and economic fallout from the scandal. Renzi's political upheaval stymied a pair of huge federal land exchanges: One deal would have added 15,000 acres of dinosaur bones and archaeological ruins to Petrified Forest National Park, an expansion already approved by Congress.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0318renzi0318.html

- McDowell Sonoran Conservancy to Donate 1.6 Million Dollar Land Parcel for Scottsdale Preserve: The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy has accepted the donation of a conservation easement by a long-time MSC donor and supporter of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and will transfer the donation to Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross at a ceremony in March. This donation, valued at $1.6 million, demonstrates both the willingness of the community to support MSC and the attractiveness land donations offer landowners because of their potential tax benefits.
http://mcdowellsonoran.org/documents/MSCFeb_08.pdf

- Lecture on Apache Sunrise Dance Tradition to be Offered at Besh-Be-Gowah Archaeological Park (Globe, Az). Saturday, March 29. For the past decade Prof. Carol Markstrom of West Virginia University has been conducting field research on the Sunrise Dance as well as coming-of-age rites of Navajos and Ojibwas; the results of which serve as the basis of her new book "Empowerment of North American Indian Girls." Saturday, March 29, she will give a 3 p.m. lecture about her research at the Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park in Globe as part of the Archaeology Awareness Month celebration. The author will be available to sign copies of her book following the lecture.
http://www.silverbelt.com/articles/2008/03/13/apache_moccasin/apache04.txt

- National Trust for Historic Preservation Offering Intensive Course in Preservation Leadership: Preservation Leadership Training (PLT) is an intensive one-week experience tailored to respond to the needs of state and local preservation organizations and agencies. It emphasizes providing a participatory experience in leadership and organizational development techniques and the most up-to-date and effective information and training in current preservation practices, issues and action strategies. The next Preservation Leadership Training will be held June 21-28, 2008, in Portland, Maine. Applications are due March 31, 2008.
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/training/plt/

- Saving the Landscapes of the Ancient Maya, a New Feature on the Archaeology Channel: Interpreting archaeological sites requires an understanding of landscape and environment. And sometimes in saving one we also save the other, as exemplified by Saving the Cradle of Maya Civilization: Mirador Basin, Guatemala, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org

- Archaeologist Brian Fagan Discusses his book, "The Great Warming" on the Daily Show: (Video Link)
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=164181&title=brian-fagan

- Paid Internship Opportunity: The Department of Archaeology and Landscapes at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest is offering two funded research positions for May 25 through July 25. These internships are intended for early-phase graduate students and advanced undergraduates who have previous field training and are looking for more experience conducting fieldwork and supervising field school students in a research-oriented setting.
http://www.poplarforest.org/ARCH/archwattsinternship.html

Thanks To Gerald Kelso for Contributions to Today's Newsletter.

Note: Due to the Society for American Archaeology meetings next week, the Southwestern Archaeology Today newsletter service will be on hiatus March 23-30.

Michael Collins Purchases and Donates the Gault Site, More on the I-10 Bypass, Another Ancient Asteroid Impact Discovered

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

- University of Texas Professor Purchases the Gault Site for Preservation: A University of Texas professor who for five years has sought to procure an archaeological dig site north of Austin for his colleagues has finally closed the deal: by cashing out his personal savings. Michael Collins, associate researcher at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at UT's J.J. Pickle Research Campus, bought the 33-acre Gault site in southwestern Bell County and donated it to the Archaeological Conservancy.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/9gny - The Statesman

- Opportunity for Public Comment on I-10 Bypass Opens Tomorrow Morning at the Pima County Board of Supervisors Meeting: The Pima County Board of Supervisors will be discussing the ecological considerations relative to the proposed construction of an Interstate 10 bypass route around Tucson. Please attend if you can and show that the public supports this strong resolution in opposition to the bypass concept. The Pima County Board meeting will be held at 9am, Tuesday December 18, BOS Hearing Room, 130 W. Congress, 1st Floor. While this meeting will also start at 9 AM, you will need to show up by 8:30 AM if you wish to sign up to speak (3 min limit). If you haven't yet submitted your comments on the Bypass Feasibility Study, please do so ASAP, at the very latest by December 20th.

- (Related Story) International Herald Tribune Declares San Pedro Valley an Imperiled Landscape: The sign on the dusty road running past Andy Smallhouse's cattle ranch reads "No Pavement 50 Miles," and he would rather it stay that way, especially since the alternative could be a freeway. The biggest road in the area now is Interstate 10, about 40 miles away. But state planners are drawing lines on a map, and some of them would route a proposed I-10 bypass right through his southern Arizona spread. "We don't see any way possible for an interstate to come through the middle of us and not interrupt what we're doing," said Smallhouse, whose great-great-grandfather established the ranch in 1884. "We might possibly profit from it, but we're not really interested in that aspect."
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/15/america/Imperiled-Landscape.php

- Researchers Discover Another Instance of Meteorite Damage to Ancient North American Megafauna: An ancient meteor impact in North America sent up waves of rock fragments that peppered prehistoric mammals with "space shrapnel" about 34,000 years ago, scientists say. Many of the animals, particularly in the region near present-day Alaska, didn't survive. That's the story being pieced together by a research team led by Richard Firestone of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/3lc2 - National Geographic

- Planned Pima County Wastewater Plant is Relocated to Avoid Hohokam Site, Saving County 2 Million Dollars: Rather than excavate the archaeological site, the county covered it up again.
"Over the last decade or so, there has been a change in archaeology ethics," Anyon said. "So much development has taken place along the Santa Cruz River, and there has been so much archaeology lost … that when we find something we can conserve, we prefer to conserve it." County officials don't know yet if the site will be disturbed when they build the new plant. They will try to design around it, but they may not be able to.
But if the site is excavated at a later date, the archaeological techniques might be better and more might be gleaned from it, Anyon said. "In a way, it's banking the archaeology for the future," he said.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/216422

- Call for Participants, Arizona Archaeology Expo: This is a call for 2008 Arizona Archaeology Expo participants!! Participant forms for the Arizona Archaeology Expo to be held at the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson on March 1-2, 2008 are due! We still have room, so take advantage of this great opportunity to meet your public outreach goals and responsibilities! Hope to hear from you soon! Thanks, Ann Howard.

Changes to NAGPRA debated, I-10 Bypass Proposal Meets Strong Opposition

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

- Society for American Archaeology Protests Proposed Changes to NAGPRA: The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) has condemned a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Interior that would put in jeopardy the highly productive compromise that was reached when the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was passed in 1990. On October 16, 2007, the Department of the Interior published draft regulations that would destroy the use of cultural affiliation as the principle for repatriation decisions, which is at the core of NAGPRA and supported by seventeen years of hard work and effort by tribes, archaeologists, and museum personnel, and replace it with an undefined notion of "cultural relationship." “The Department’s proposed regulations have no basis in law or science and reflect an attempt to impermissibly legislate in a manner not prescribed by Congress.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/bki-pfr120307.php

- Public Comment and Discussion of Proposed Changes to NAGPRA will be Managed by Online Teleconference: The teleconference will be on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, unless business is finished earlier. The teleconference provides the Review Committee with an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule regarding the disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains [43 CFR 10.11].
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/nagpra_teleconference.doc - Ms Word Document

- Interstate 10 Bypass Proposal Meets Strong Opposition: A proposed bypass of Tucson and Phoenix from Interstate 10 was roundly criticized at a public meeting sponsored by the Arizona Department of Transportation on Thursday. ADOT engineers are looking into the need and feasibility of such a bypass, citing anticipated population and heavy truck traffic growth that might make it desirable in 20 to 30 years. The idea is in the preliminary study stages, said Dale Buskirk, ADOT project manager for the study. He spoke to about 140 people at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 300 E. River Road.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/70246.php

- Tucson Citizen Proposes Alternatives to Interstate Bypass: Talk about the wisdom of crowds. At a public meeting last week to help determine if a bypass of Tucson and Phoenix from Interstate 10 should be built, 40 people spoke. All but one opposed the proposal. So do we, for reasons ecological and economic. Plus, the time is right to once again consider an alternative to building more paths for more internal combustion engines: intercity rail service between Tucson and Phoenix. Several of the proposed bypasses would snake through unsullied environs in the San Pedro River Valley and Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness northeast of Tucson.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/70608.php


- Scottsdale Plans Museum of the West: Scottsdale civic leaders are envisioning a $50 million Museum of the West opening on Arizona's centennial - Feb. 14, 2012. A contemporary 48,000-square-foot, solar-powered museum would be built in Scottsdale's downtown gallery district on Main Street Plaza, just blocks from Scottsdale's iconic cowboy sign.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/jyqs - Arizona Republic

- Landscape Art of Stanton Engleheart to be Featured at the Anasazi Heritage Center: An opening celebration will take place at the museum on Sunday, December 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. A new book, entitled Stanton Englehart: A Life on Canvas,will be available for the first time at this event. Published by Durango author Jules Masterjohn, the book examines the artist’s career and includes a half-hour DVD featuring interviews with Englehart in the locations that most inspire him. Profits from the book will benefit the Stanton Englehart Scholarship Fund for art students at Fort Lewis College.
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ahc/exhibits_and_events.html

- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): Saturday, December 8th, "Agave Beverages in Hospitality, Feasting, and Ritual Traditions of Ancient Mesoamerica and the Borderlands", a lecture by Arizona State Museum archaeologist Suzanne Fish. 12 noon and 2 p.m. at the Western National Park Association, 12880 N. Vistoso Village Drive in Oro Valley. Free and open to the public.

- Arizona State Museum Continues Popular Culture Craft Saturday Program: Saturday, December 8th, Tohono O’odham Traditions of Fun and Games, 1-4 p.m.
Free fun for the whole family. Get riled up for high energy, high impact Toka (similar to hockey)! Try your luck in a game of Gins (geents). Doll making, and exploratory writing round out the day’s hands-on activities.
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/public/index.shtml

- Employment Opportunity: The Kansas State Historical Society is seeking a Principal Investigator to lead excavations, analyze material, and produce a report on results of investigations at the Pawnee Indian Village (14RP1) to be conducted in Summer, 2008. Laboratory analysis of previously-excavated material would begin January 1, 2008.
Please visit the Kansas Department of Administration website for instructions for submitting a proposal: Scroll down to the date 12/20/2007 in the left column and look for bid number 10931.
http://www.da.ks.gov/purch/RFQ/default.asp

- Employment Opportunity: Archaeologist for Rural Utilities Program. Vacancy Announcement No.: 08-RUS-14JL-DEU Archeologist, GS-0193-12/13. Rural Utilities Service
Assistant Administrator - Water and Environmental Programs Engineering & Environmental Staff. Opens: December 5, 2007 - Closes: January 8, 2008. Applications will be accepted from all United States citizens. To view the full text version of the vacancy announcement, please use the link below.
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/ftva.asp?seeker=1&JobID=66056563

- Employment Opportunity: Utah SHPO office, Vernal Utah. Matthew Seddon writes: This is a really fantastic opportunity. The person will essentially be an on the ground SHPO in the Vernal BLM field office, an office with a huge and interesting array of archaeological and historical sites and a diverse set of projects. The position includes money beyond the salary to assist with housing in Vernal. The person would not necessarily have to reside in Vernal, but instead could simply commute 3-4 days a week. There would be huge flexibility in how the person could approach the job. We anticipate that basic case review might involve no more than 1-2 days per week (depending on the week of course) with substantial time to work proactively on better ways to find, evaluate, manage, and preserve sites in the Vernal area. Working along with the BLM, the person could have a tremendous positive impact on the management, preservation, and public interpretation of the fantastic archaeological record in the Vernal area. This is also a great opportunity for someone to learn about cultural resource management from both the federal agency side and the SHPO side. We expect that a person could walk out of this job highly qualified for any job in CRM, and particularly for the vast and growing set of agency jobs that will be opening up in a few years as long-time agency archaeologists would retire.
https://statejobs.utah.gov/jobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=15480

Thanks to Gerald Kelso, Teresa Paglione, and Matthew Seddon for contributions to today's newsletter.