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.
Showing posts with label Arizona State Parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona State Parks. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Utah Family Helps to Excavate Ancestral Home
Archaeology Making the News, a Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Utah Family Helps to Excavate Ancestral Home
On Saturday, many descendants of the Benjamin F Johnson and Joel H. Johnson families gathered to assist the Uinta National Forest Archaeologist, Charmaine Thompson, and the local residents of Spring Lake with the excavation of the foundation of the B. F. Johnson home. Because The home was so large and made of adobe's, it was dubbed the "Mud Castle," and is located between Payson and Santaquin, Utah, on the East side of highway 6.
http://tinyurl.com/2f4tswm - Daily Herald
NBC News Covers Arizona State Parks Crisis
"It would make it very easy for illegal collectors to come in here and dig up the sites and do irreperable damage." - Karen Berggren, former Homolovi Ruins State Park Manager.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news#37541223
BLM’s El Malpais National Conservation Area Presents the Next Chapter of "Walking with the Ancestors" Hikes
Celebrate Summer Solstice and beat the heat with a sunrise hike to possible solstice-marking petroglyphs and the mesa top site, Citadel. Discover El Malpais secret cool weather and the active time for its wildlife. The hike will be held on Saturday, June 19th.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/el_malpais_solstice.doc
New Issue of Preserve America Newsletter Available
This issue focuses upon the selection of Wayne Donaldson as the new chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the termination of Preserve America Funding.
http://www.preserveamerica.gov/newsletter/june10/june10.htm
Avocational Archaeologist Rex Owens Donates Research Materials to Thatcher Museum
The personal notes and books of amateur archaeologist Rex Owens of Eden are at the Graham County Historical Society Museum in Thatcher. Though not on display yet, the donated items are being cataloged by museum volunteers and will soon be a welcome addition to reference and research materials housed in the museum, said Hal Herbert, museum historian.
http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2010/06/04/news/doc4c059c7a02d5a394961150.txt
X-Rays Fail to Find Clovis Tool Remnants in Controversial Ancient Bison Remains
Architect (sic) Steve Kenady examined the bones of an ancient, extinct giant bison by x-ray today at Orcas Family Health Center, unarguably the clinic's oldest "patient". Kenady was checking for remnants of stone tools that could have been used to slaughter the animal, but the scans revealed nothing but bison bone. The discovery roughly three years ago piqued curiosity in the global scientific community, inspiring new theories of human migration to the Pacific coast because some of the bones bear the marks of human butchery using stone tools. Earlier theories had maintained that the Clovis people were the earliest inhabitants of the region, but the bones, estimated by radiocarbon dating in an Irvine lab to be roughly 14,000 years old, pre-date the Clovis era by 800 years.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/news/95810309.html
Utah Family Helps to Excavate Ancestral Home
On Saturday, many descendants of the Benjamin F Johnson and Joel H. Johnson families gathered to assist the Uinta National Forest Archaeologist, Charmaine Thompson, and the local residents of Spring Lake with the excavation of the foundation of the B. F. Johnson home. Because The home was so large and made of adobe's, it was dubbed the "Mud Castle," and is located between Payson and Santaquin, Utah, on the East side of highway 6.
http://tinyurl.com/2f4tswm - Daily Herald
NBC News Covers Arizona State Parks Crisis
"It would make it very easy for illegal collectors to come in here and dig up the sites and do irreperable damage." - Karen Berggren, former Homolovi Ruins State Park Manager.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news#37541223
BLM’s El Malpais National Conservation Area Presents the Next Chapter of "Walking with the Ancestors" Hikes
Celebrate Summer Solstice and beat the heat with a sunrise hike to possible solstice-marking petroglyphs and the mesa top site, Citadel. Discover El Malpais secret cool weather and the active time for its wildlife. The hike will be held on Saturday, June 19th.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/el_malpais_solstice.doc
New Issue of Preserve America Newsletter Available
This issue focuses upon the selection of Wayne Donaldson as the new chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the termination of Preserve America Funding.
http://www.preserveamerica.gov/newsletter/june10/june10.htm
Avocational Archaeologist Rex Owens Donates Research Materials to Thatcher Museum
The personal notes and books of amateur archaeologist Rex Owens of Eden are at the Graham County Historical Society Museum in Thatcher. Though not on display yet, the donated items are being cataloged by museum volunteers and will soon be a welcome addition to reference and research materials housed in the museum, said Hal Herbert, museum historian.
http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2010/06/04/news/doc4c059c7a02d5a394961150.txt
X-Rays Fail to Find Clovis Tool Remnants in Controversial Ancient Bison Remains
Architect (sic) Steve Kenady examined the bones of an ancient, extinct giant bison by x-ray today at Orcas Family Health Center, unarguably the clinic's oldest "patient". Kenady was checking for remnants of stone tools that could have been used to slaughter the animal, but the scans revealed nothing but bison bone. The discovery roughly three years ago piqued curiosity in the global scientific community, inspiring new theories of human migration to the Pacific coast because some of the bones bear the marks of human butchery using stone tools. Earlier theories had maintained that the Clovis people were the earliest inhabitants of the region, but the bones, estimated by radiocarbon dating in an Irvine lab to be roughly 14,000 years old, pre-date the Clovis era by 800 years.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/news/95810309.html
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Arizona Archaeology Council Publishes Statement on Arizona State Park Closures
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Arizona Archaeology Council Publishes Statement on Arizona Park Closures
The Arizona Archaeological Council (AAC) writes to you as a state-wide organization of professional archaeologists whom have expressed considerable concern for the fate of cultural resources in state parks being affected by the current economic crisis. We understand that economic changes are forcing the State of Arizona to make difficult decisions and severe cuts, and the state parks have suffered disproportionately as a result. To this end, the AAC would like to make a position statement regarding, and offer assistance with, the protection and continued diligent management of cultural resources held in trust at Arizona’s State Parks.
http://tinyurl.com/aac-az-state-parks - Arizona Archaeology Council
12th Annual Meeting of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Scheduled
Information on the 12th Annual NATHPO Meeting that will be hosted by the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin the week of August 9, 2010, is now on the NATHPO website. This year's theme is "Respecting our Heritage, Protecting our Quality of Life, Strengthening our Future." Our children and young people of today are the future cultural leaders of tomorrow. Our decision to highlight Native youth – in addition to our annual discussions on current cultural preservation issues – is to encourage Native communities to continue preserving, protecting, and rejuvenating their respective languages and traditional lifestyles and unique cultures. We will be showcasing Native youth programs and hope that Native youth from across the country will be able to join us.
http://www.nathpo.org/meetings/12meeting.htm
New Publication Summarizes Clovis Technologies
A new book on the stone and bone tool technologies of Clovis culture of 13,500 years ago, published by faculty at Texas State University, is the first complete examination of the tools themselves and how the Clovis culture used them and transmitted their production. The book, “Clovis Technology (International Monographs in Prehistory, Archaeological Series 17),” covers the Clovis culture's making and use of stone blades, bi-faces and small tools as well as artifacts such as projectile points, rods, daggers, awls, needles, handles, hooks and ornaments made from bone, ivory, antler and teeth.
http://tinyurl.com/clovis-tech - San Marcos Daily Record
Learn More About Stone Tool Technologies at the Valles Caldera National Preserve
Stone tool "flintknapping" and atlatl-throwing demonstration in the Valle Grande, Sunday May 30, 2010, Valles Caldera National Preserve. Come out to the Valles Caldera National Preserve and spend a day with skilled flintknappers demonstrating how tools
are made from obsidian.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/stone_tool_demo_2010-05-30.pdf
Bill Introduced to Transfer the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service
Management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve would be transferred to the National Park Service under legislation by New Mexico's senators. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, both D-N.M., introduced the measure Thursday. According to a Government Accountability Office report, the northern New Mexico preserve is years behind schedule in developing a management control system, and a path to be financially self-sustained by 2015 will be a major challenge.
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/environment/valles-caldera-may-move-to-park-service
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine, CA) - Life by the Lakes in Laguna Canyon
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's June 10th meeting will feature Roderic McLean, Paul E. Langenwalter II, and Joyce Stanfield Perry speaking on “Buried Sites Archaeology: Life by the Lakes in Laguna Canyon during the Intermediate and Late Prehistoric Period.” Meeting information: Thursday, June 10, 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
The Ancient Maya Developed Rubber Compounds Hundreds of Year Before Goodyear
The researchers "have compiled a compelling case that ancient Mesoamerican peoples were the first polymer scientists, exerting substantial control over the mechanical properties of rubber for various applications," said materials scientist John McCloy of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who was not involved in the research.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-rubber-20100531,0,1397986.story
"I told you I was sick" - The Last Wish of James Deetz
It was those close family ties that inspired Wheelock to carve Deetz's gravestone. Though he had no formal training in stone carving, he decided to do research and carve a replica of Deetz's favorite. That stone, which marks the grave of Elizabeth Tillson, is on Burial Hill in Plymouth, the cemetery where some of the first English colonists are buried. He found the reference to the Tillson stone in Deetz's book, "In Small Things Forgotten," which has a section on stones and stone carvers, he said. "I tried to research the cutter and it was in my house all along," he said
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100530/NEWS/5300323
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributing to today's newsletter.
Arizona Archaeology Council Publishes Statement on Arizona Park Closures
The Arizona Archaeological Council (AAC) writes to you as a state-wide organization of professional archaeologists whom have expressed considerable concern for the fate of cultural resources in state parks being affected by the current economic crisis. We understand that economic changes are forcing the State of Arizona to make difficult decisions and severe cuts, and the state parks have suffered disproportionately as a result. To this end, the AAC would like to make a position statement regarding, and offer assistance with, the protection and continued diligent management of cultural resources held in trust at Arizona’s State Parks.
http://tinyurl.com/aac-az-state-parks - Arizona Archaeology Council
12th Annual Meeting of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Scheduled
Information on the 12th Annual NATHPO Meeting that will be hosted by the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin the week of August 9, 2010, is now on the NATHPO website. This year's theme is "Respecting our Heritage, Protecting our Quality of Life, Strengthening our Future." Our children and young people of today are the future cultural leaders of tomorrow. Our decision to highlight Native youth – in addition to our annual discussions on current cultural preservation issues – is to encourage Native communities to continue preserving, protecting, and rejuvenating their respective languages and traditional lifestyles and unique cultures. We will be showcasing Native youth programs and hope that Native youth from across the country will be able to join us.
http://www.nathpo.org/meetings/12meeting.htm
New Publication Summarizes Clovis Technologies
A new book on the stone and bone tool technologies of Clovis culture of 13,500 years ago, published by faculty at Texas State University, is the first complete examination of the tools themselves and how the Clovis culture used them and transmitted their production. The book, “Clovis Technology (International Monographs in Prehistory, Archaeological Series 17),” covers the Clovis culture's making and use of stone blades, bi-faces and small tools as well as artifacts such as projectile points, rods, daggers, awls, needles, handles, hooks and ornaments made from bone, ivory, antler and teeth.
http://tinyurl.com/clovis-tech - San Marcos Daily Record
Learn More About Stone Tool Technologies at the Valles Caldera National Preserve
Stone tool "flintknapping" and atlatl-throwing demonstration in the Valle Grande, Sunday May 30, 2010, Valles Caldera National Preserve. Come out to the Valles Caldera National Preserve and spend a day with skilled flintknappers demonstrating how tools
are made from obsidian.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/stone_tool_demo_2010-05-30.pdf
Bill Introduced to Transfer the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service
Management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve would be transferred to the National Park Service under legislation by New Mexico's senators. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, both D-N.M., introduced the measure Thursday. According to a Government Accountability Office report, the northern New Mexico preserve is years behind schedule in developing a management control system, and a path to be financially self-sustained by 2015 will be a major challenge.
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/environment/valles-caldera-may-move-to-park-service
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine, CA) - Life by the Lakes in Laguna Canyon
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's June 10th meeting will feature Roderic McLean, Paul E. Langenwalter II, and Joyce Stanfield Perry speaking on “Buried Sites Archaeology: Life by the Lakes in Laguna Canyon during the Intermediate and Late Prehistoric Period.” Meeting information: Thursday, June 10, 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
The Ancient Maya Developed Rubber Compounds Hundreds of Year Before Goodyear
The researchers "have compiled a compelling case that ancient Mesoamerican peoples were the first polymer scientists, exerting substantial control over the mechanical properties of rubber for various applications," said materials scientist John McCloy of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who was not involved in the research.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-rubber-20100531,0,1397986.story
"I told you I was sick" - The Last Wish of James Deetz
It was those close family ties that inspired Wheelock to carve Deetz's gravestone. Though he had no formal training in stone carving, he decided to do research and carve a replica of Deetz's favorite. That stone, which marks the grave of Elizabeth Tillson, is on Burial Hill in Plymouth, the cemetery where some of the first English colonists are buried. He found the reference to the Tillson stone in Deetz's book, "In Small Things Forgotten," which has a section on stones and stone carvers, he said. "I tried to research the cutter and it was in my house all along," he said
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100530/NEWS/5300323
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributing to today's newsletter.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Suicides Continue to ComplicateFour-Corners Looting Prosecutions
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Suicides Complicate Blanding Looting Case
For 90 tense minutes last month, Sheriff Mike Lacy in Utah tried to prevent yet another person connected to the theft of Native American artifacts from committing suicide. Two defendants had already taken their own lives after federal authorities charged 24 people in June with looting Native American sites in the West. Now a despondent relative of a third defendant had called Lacy. The sheriff of San Juan County kept the caller on the phone until deputies could arrive and make sure everything was OK. But there was still another suicide to come.
http://tinyurl.com/yhgpxcs - LA Times
More on the Suicide of Ted Gardiner
A suicidal man who shot and killed himself during a confrontation with police Monday was the informant who helped federal officials in a case involving stolen Indian artifacts in the Four Corners region. A lover of Native American culture, the work Ted Dan Gardiner, 52, did for the FBI was work he did voluntarily, his son Dustin Gardiner said. He wanted to protect a history that was important to him.
http://tinyurl.com/ygw9z3k - Deseret News
Join the Center for Desert Archaeology at Our Next Archaeology Cafe (Tucson)
The Center for Desert Archaeology and Casa Vicente invite all to the next meeting of Archaeology Café, a casual, happy hour-style discussion forum dedicated to promoting community engagement with cultural and scientific research. Join us Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 6:00 p.m for Steve Lekson's presentation on "Where Did the Mimbres Go, and Where Did Casas Grandes Come From?" The cafe will be held at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ. The event is free and open to the community—all are welcome. Guests are encouraged to support our host, Casa Vicente, by buying their own food and drinks.
http://www.tinyurl.com/yzl3ftc - Center for Desert Archaeology
William Lipe to Present and Discus the Archaeology of Lake Powell (Cortez, Co)
Two million visitors per year fish, play or soak in the waters of Lake Powell, but the area once was the heart of the most rugged and least populated part of the American Southwest. Archaeologist William Lipe, professor of anthropology at Washington State University, will be in Cortez, Colo., on Friday to present memories of Glen Canyon, a place transformed forever when the man-made lake flooded the area.
http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_14632223?source=rss
New Book on Pueblo Revolt Dismisses Traditional Western Concepts of Native Histories
Historical, archaeological and anthropological portrayals of Native American experiences, especially during colonial periods, have focused on the decimation of indigenous populations through rampant disease, cultural extinction and military conquest. But a new book by anthropologist and archaeologist Michael Wilcox argues that we've got the story all wrong. In The Pueblo Revolt and the Mythology of Conquest, Wilcox, an assistant professor of anthropology, argues that the real story of Native peoples in the Americas as reflected in New Mexico has a lot more to do with cultural brutality than disease. And it is infinitely more compelling than the lessons we're taught in school.
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/march/wilcox-native-american-030310.html
Single State Legislator Torpedoes Plan to Save Arizona State Parks
A single legislator is blocking a plan to ask voters to permanently fund the state parks system with a surcharge on vehicle license fees. Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, refuses to schedule a hearing on HCR 2040 in the Appropriations Committee, which he chairs, and will not agree to have the measure withdrawn from his committee.
http://azstarnet.com/article_e9a60aaf-dc27-531e-84af-76273b535bfd.html
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's March 11th meeting will feature Dr. Gary Stickel speaking on “Ice Age Man in Malibu: The Clovis Culture Discovery at the Farpoint Site.” Meeting information: Thursday, March 11, 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:
Http://www.pcas.org
New Exhibit on Perry Mesa Opens at Pueblo Grande
Phoenix’s Pueblo Grande Museum is thrilled to announce the opening of a new exhibit featuring an exploration of a stunning geographic and cultural landmark in central Arizona. Landscape Legacies: The Art and Archaeology of Perry Mesa will be opening on March 5, 2010. Visitors can explore the interaction of the environment and people that form the cultural landscape of Perry Mesa through the photographer’s lens, and through the scientific examination of a changing archaeological landscape.
http://www.evliving.com/2010/03/05/perry-mesa-exhibit/
Grand Canyon Hosts Third Annual Alternative Spring Break
Grand Canyon National Park will host the third annual Alternative Spring Break program sponsored by the Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with American Eagle Outfitters. Grand Canyon is the only site hosting an SCA Alternative Spring Break program this year. The program gives college students the opportunity to spend their spring break volunteering in one of America’s iconic national parks. Students will work with park and SCA staff on a variety of projects directly leading to the preservation and protection of Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural resources. The two one-week sessions begin on March 15. For more information, please contact Kassy Theobald, Restoration Biologist, Grand Canyon National Park, at 928-638-7857 or kassandra_theobald@nps.gov.
Grand Canyon National Park to Celebrate Archeology Day
On Saturday, March 27, Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate Archeology Day. This event provides park visitors with the opportunity to learn more about native peoples who inhabited the Grand Canyon long ago. Visitors can gain a greater understanding of what archeologists do and how their work informs an understanding of the past. Archeology Day will feature a series of special, family-friendly activities at Grand Canyon Visitor Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., including opportunities to make clay pinch pots and split-twig figurines and to “sift for artifacts.” There will also be two special evening programs associated with the event: Vanishing Treasures archeologist Ian Hough will share new archeological research in Grand Canyon on March 26, and Park Guide Jennifer Onufer will share her experiences on an archeology trip down the Colorado River on March 27. For more information, please contact Libby Schaaf, Supervisory Park Ranger, at 928-638-7641.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/arch_day.htm
Save America's Treasures and Preserve America Remain on the Federal Budget Chopping Block
As Hillary Rodham Clinton was leaving the White House, she asked Laura Bush first lady to first lady to continue one program if nothing else - the historic preservation program Save America's Treasures. Mrs. Bush said she knew about the project and pledged to see it through. Now, the grant program Clinton created that helped restore the original star-spangled banner, Rosa Parks' bus, President Lincoln's summer cottage in Washington and hundreds of sites across the country is on the current administration's chopping block.
http://dailymail.com/News/NationandWorld/201003070562
Farming on the Gila in Ancient and Modern Times
Long before the city of Coolidge was established, the Gila River Valley flourished with then inhabitants the Hohokam natives (sic). The Hohokam culture was the way of life in this area from approximately 300 B.C. to 1450 A.D. when the tribe up and left the area and the remains of their presence in the dust. The reason for their move is still unclear but resulted in the name Hohokam, which is a Tohono O’odham word that translates into ‘those who have gone.”
http://tinyurl.com/yz9ankz - Coolidge Examiner
Archaeology Month in Northern Arizona
Throughout the month of March, Flagstaff area national monuments will host several activities in honor of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. In the Flagstaff area, more than 3,000 archeological sites have been recorded to date. Some of the artifacts found in the park are more than 1,000 years old. Through a combination of archeological information and the oral traditions of present-day tribes, park rangers are able to help park visitors learn more about how the Ancestral Pueblo people lived and how their descendants continue many of the traditions and life-ways today.
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/7099dde8-9aa3-5ccc-82fb-4998f913b2d9.html
"Finding Clovis" is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel
The search for the first Americans remains a high-profile quest sparking lots of debate. You can get familiar with some of the recent thinking on the subject, with a focus on South Carolina’s Topper Site, by watching Finding Clovis, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Dept of Agriculture Seeking Compromise to Protect Native Religious Rights and Prevent the use of Effluent at Snowbowl, Arizona Senators Outraged
A federal agency is pressing the city of Flagstaff to offer potable water for snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl that does not come directly from reclaimed wastewater. In addition, Snowbowl could get government aid to cover the $11 million in higher costs for the water over 20 winters. Arizona's two U.S. senators are blasting the plan as a waste of taxpayer money and a violation of court decisions in favor of making snow at Snowbowl with treated effluent.
http://tinyurl.com/y8kstlo - Arizona Daily Sun
Employment Opportunity (Az Army - National Guard - Phoenix)
The Environmental Branch, Facilities Management Office (FMO) at the Arizona Department of Emergency & Military Affairs / Arizona Army National Guard is seeking an archaeologist for their facilities statewide. My understanding is that the job announcement is not yet available, but it will be posted very shortly -- within the next few days. Here is what you can do if you are interested in obtaining the position: A. Visit https://secure.azstatejobs.gov/ and register or log on or log in (get in the system as a registered user) B. Complete your registration in the database and create or upload your curriculum vitae or resume and make sure it is active in the system. C. Send and email cover letter to Major John Ladd <>. Attach a copy of your digital CV or resume, so as position supervisor, he knows of your interest in the position D. The Arizona Department of Administration (DOA) selection process will be conducted, including official application, in-person and phone interviews, reference checks, and background checks.
Thanks to Cherie Freeman, Carrie Gregory, Brian Kenny and Michael D Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
Suicides Complicate Blanding Looting Case
For 90 tense minutes last month, Sheriff Mike Lacy in Utah tried to prevent yet another person connected to the theft of Native American artifacts from committing suicide. Two defendants had already taken their own lives after federal authorities charged 24 people in June with looting Native American sites in the West. Now a despondent relative of a third defendant had called Lacy. The sheriff of San Juan County kept the caller on the phone until deputies could arrive and make sure everything was OK. But there was still another suicide to come.
http://tinyurl.com/yhgpxcs - LA Times
More on the Suicide of Ted Gardiner
A suicidal man who shot and killed himself during a confrontation with police Monday was the informant who helped federal officials in a case involving stolen Indian artifacts in the Four Corners region. A lover of Native American culture, the work Ted Dan Gardiner, 52, did for the FBI was work he did voluntarily, his son Dustin Gardiner said. He wanted to protect a history that was important to him.
http://tinyurl.com/ygw9z3k - Deseret News
Join the Center for Desert Archaeology at Our Next Archaeology Cafe (Tucson)
The Center for Desert Archaeology and Casa Vicente invite all to the next meeting of Archaeology Café, a casual, happy hour-style discussion forum dedicated to promoting community engagement with cultural and scientific research. Join us Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 6:00 p.m for Steve Lekson's presentation on "Where Did the Mimbres Go, and Where Did Casas Grandes Come From?" The cafe will be held at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ. The event is free and open to the community—all are welcome. Guests are encouraged to support our host, Casa Vicente, by buying their own food and drinks.
http://www.tinyurl.com/yzl3ftc - Center for Desert Archaeology
William Lipe to Present and Discus the Archaeology of Lake Powell (Cortez, Co)
Two million visitors per year fish, play or soak in the waters of Lake Powell, but the area once was the heart of the most rugged and least populated part of the American Southwest. Archaeologist William Lipe, professor of anthropology at Washington State University, will be in Cortez, Colo., on Friday to present memories of Glen Canyon, a place transformed forever when the man-made lake flooded the area.
http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_14632223?source=rss
New Book on Pueblo Revolt Dismisses Traditional Western Concepts of Native Histories
Historical, archaeological and anthropological portrayals of Native American experiences, especially during colonial periods, have focused on the decimation of indigenous populations through rampant disease, cultural extinction and military conquest. But a new book by anthropologist and archaeologist Michael Wilcox argues that we've got the story all wrong. In The Pueblo Revolt and the Mythology of Conquest, Wilcox, an assistant professor of anthropology, argues that the real story of Native peoples in the Americas as reflected in New Mexico has a lot more to do with cultural brutality than disease. And it is infinitely more compelling than the lessons we're taught in school.
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/march/wilcox-native-american-030310.html
Single State Legislator Torpedoes Plan to Save Arizona State Parks
A single legislator is blocking a plan to ask voters to permanently fund the state parks system with a surcharge on vehicle license fees. Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, refuses to schedule a hearing on HCR 2040 in the Appropriations Committee, which he chairs, and will not agree to have the measure withdrawn from his committee.
http://azstarnet.com/article_e9a60aaf-dc27-531e-84af-76273b535bfd.html
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's March 11th meeting will feature Dr. Gary Stickel speaking on “Ice Age Man in Malibu: The Clovis Culture Discovery at the Farpoint Site.” Meeting information: Thursday, March 11, 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:
Http://www.pcas.org
New Exhibit on Perry Mesa Opens at Pueblo Grande
Phoenix’s Pueblo Grande Museum is thrilled to announce the opening of a new exhibit featuring an exploration of a stunning geographic and cultural landmark in central Arizona. Landscape Legacies: The Art and Archaeology of Perry Mesa will be opening on March 5, 2010. Visitors can explore the interaction of the environment and people that form the cultural landscape of Perry Mesa through the photographer’s lens, and through the scientific examination of a changing archaeological landscape.
http://www.evliving.com/2010/03/05/perry-mesa-exhibit/
Grand Canyon Hosts Third Annual Alternative Spring Break
Grand Canyon National Park will host the third annual Alternative Spring Break program sponsored by the Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with American Eagle Outfitters. Grand Canyon is the only site hosting an SCA Alternative Spring Break program this year. The program gives college students the opportunity to spend their spring break volunteering in one of America’s iconic national parks. Students will work with park and SCA staff on a variety of projects directly leading to the preservation and protection of Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural resources. The two one-week sessions begin on March 15. For more information, please contact Kassy Theobald, Restoration Biologist, Grand Canyon National Park, at 928-638-7857 or kassandra_theobald@nps.gov.
Grand Canyon National Park to Celebrate Archeology Day
On Saturday, March 27, Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate Archeology Day. This event provides park visitors with the opportunity to learn more about native peoples who inhabited the Grand Canyon long ago. Visitors can gain a greater understanding of what archeologists do and how their work informs an understanding of the past. Archeology Day will feature a series of special, family-friendly activities at Grand Canyon Visitor Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., including opportunities to make clay pinch pots and split-twig figurines and to “sift for artifacts.” There will also be two special evening programs associated with the event: Vanishing Treasures archeologist Ian Hough will share new archeological research in Grand Canyon on March 26, and Park Guide Jennifer Onufer will share her experiences on an archeology trip down the Colorado River on March 27. For more information, please contact Libby Schaaf, Supervisory Park Ranger, at 928-638-7641.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/arch_day.htm
Save America's Treasures and Preserve America Remain on the Federal Budget Chopping Block
As Hillary Rodham Clinton was leaving the White House, she asked Laura Bush first lady to first lady to continue one program if nothing else - the historic preservation program Save America's Treasures. Mrs. Bush said she knew about the project and pledged to see it through. Now, the grant program Clinton created that helped restore the original star-spangled banner, Rosa Parks' bus, President Lincoln's summer cottage in Washington and hundreds of sites across the country is on the current administration's chopping block.
http://dailymail.com/News/NationandWorld/201003070562
Farming on the Gila in Ancient and Modern Times
Long before the city of Coolidge was established, the Gila River Valley flourished with then inhabitants the Hohokam natives (sic). The Hohokam culture was the way of life in this area from approximately 300 B.C. to 1450 A.D. when the tribe up and left the area and the remains of their presence in the dust. The reason for their move is still unclear but resulted in the name Hohokam, which is a Tohono O’odham word that translates into ‘those who have gone.”
http://tinyurl.com/yz9ankz - Coolidge Examiner
Archaeology Month in Northern Arizona
Throughout the month of March, Flagstaff area national monuments will host several activities in honor of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. In the Flagstaff area, more than 3,000 archeological sites have been recorded to date. Some of the artifacts found in the park are more than 1,000 years old. Through a combination of archeological information and the oral traditions of present-day tribes, park rangers are able to help park visitors learn more about how the Ancestral Pueblo people lived and how their descendants continue many of the traditions and life-ways today.
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/7099dde8-9aa3-5ccc-82fb-4998f913b2d9.html
"Finding Clovis" is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel
The search for the first Americans remains a high-profile quest sparking lots of debate. You can get familiar with some of the recent thinking on the subject, with a focus on South Carolina’s Topper Site, by watching Finding Clovis, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Dept of Agriculture Seeking Compromise to Protect Native Religious Rights and Prevent the use of Effluent at Snowbowl, Arizona Senators Outraged
A federal agency is pressing the city of Flagstaff to offer potable water for snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl that does not come directly from reclaimed wastewater. In addition, Snowbowl could get government aid to cover the $11 million in higher costs for the water over 20 winters. Arizona's two U.S. senators are blasting the plan as a waste of taxpayer money and a violation of court decisions in favor of making snow at Snowbowl with treated effluent.
http://tinyurl.com/y8kstlo - Arizona Daily Sun
Employment Opportunity (Az Army - National Guard - Phoenix)
The Environmental Branch, Facilities Management Office (FMO) at the Arizona Department of Emergency & Military Affairs / Arizona Army National Guard is seeking an archaeologist for their facilities statewide. My understanding is that the job announcement is not yet available, but it will be posted very shortly -- within the next few days. Here is what you can do if you are interested in obtaining the position: A. Visit https://secure.azstatejobs.gov/ and register or log on or log in (get in the system as a registered user) B. Complete your registration in the database and create or upload your curriculum vitae or resume and make sure it is active in the system. C. Send and email cover letter to Major John Ladd <>. Attach a copy of your digital CV or resume, so as position supervisor, he knows of your interest in the position D. The Arizona Department of Administration (DOA) selection process will be conducted, including official application, in-person and phone interviews, reference checks, and background checks.
Thanks to Cherie Freeman, Carrie Gregory, Brian Kenny and Michael D Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Budget Cuts Threaten Arizona State Parks, Challenges to Comet Impact Theory, Archaeology Cafe
Southwest Archaeology Today – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Arizona State Parks Closures Anticipated: The state will have to close at least five parks—and possibly as many as eight—if lawmakers do not restore the funds being stripped from the agency that operates them, state Parks Director Ken Travous said Friday.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/278278.php
- New Findings Cast Doubt on Comet Impact Theory: New data, published today, disproves the recent theory that a large comet exploded over North America 12,900 years ago, causing a shock wave that travelled at hundreds of kilometres per hour and triggering continent-wide wildfires. Dr Sandy Harrison from the University of Bristol and colleagues tested the theory by examining charcoal and pollen records to assess how fire regimes in North America changed between 15 and 10,000 years ago, a time of large and rapid climate changes.
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6123.html
- In Memoriam, Dr. Trudy Griffin-Pierce: Anthropologist Trudy Griffin-Pierce didn't want to observe the rituals and elaborate spiritual ceremonies of the Navajo: She wanted to live the life of the Diné. Though of Catawba Indian heritage and born in South Carolina, Griffin-Pierce was fascinated from childhood by the Navajo, said her aunt, Pat Wells of Florida. Diné, meaning "The People," is the name Navajos use for themselves.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/metro/278421
http://community.azstarnet.com/slideshows/flash/index.php?id=1995
- Archaeology Café, “The Archaeology of a Historic Tucson Cemetery at the Joint Courts Complex.” Learn what the remains of nineteenth-century Tucsonans--and others whose lives ended in Tucson--reveal about life in this community between 1862 and 1881. Marcy Gray, director of historic programs and project manager for Statistical Research, Inc., will lead a panel of project team members in a discussion of their work on one of the country's largest historic cemetery exhumations. Tuesday, February 3, 6:00 pm, on the patio at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson. Free and open to the public; guests are encouraged to support our host, Casa Vicente, by buying their own food and drinks.
http://www.cdarc.org/pages/articles.php?req=read&article_id=737
- Concern Over Restoration of San Xavier East Tower: Bernard Fontana favors the former perspective, and with good reason: A retired ethnologist, he's spent most of his adult life helping bring San Xavier back from ruin, and only our better selves--in the shape of generous donations--has made that possible. Millions have already been spent in artwork restoration, and the west bell tower has been painstakingly returned to its original, gleaming glory. But now there's a catch: The east tower has yet to be redone, and time is not treating it kindly. Nor is the economy.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=oid:121372
- Advocacy Group Sees Opportunity in Stimulus Package: The National Parks Conservation Assn., a nonpartisan parks advocacy group, has testified before Congress that the nation's 391 parks have billions of dollars in "shovel-ready projects," some of them remnants of the system's more than $8.7-billion maintenance backlog. Citing the CCC as a model, the parks group is advocating the development of a National Park Service Corps and estimates that investing stimulus funds in parks would create about 50,000 jobs. The group has studied the economic impact of parks, particularly in rural areas, finding that every dollar spent at a park generates $4 in benefit.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8o1p - The Los Angeles Times
- Funding for Mesa Grande Interpretive Program: Mesa has secured more than $250,000 to open the ancient temple grounds of the Hohokam tribe within two years, Howard said. The Mesa Grande Interpretive Project would make something previously open to visitors only once a year available every week.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/134818
- Papago Park Revival: Authorities in Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale believe the plan could put Papago on par with New York's Central Park or San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The goals: Promote Papago Park's historical and archaeological assets, explore the grounds for still-uncovered ruins, educate the community about the Valley's Hohokam heritage, and conserve land within the park, turning it into a national center for eco-tourism.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/4ije - The Arizona Republic
- Alleged Looter Indicted in South Dakota: A Monona man, John M. Sheild, 77, has been indicted in South Dakota on a federal charge of trafficking in archeological resources, accused of violating an archeology law that protects American Indian artifacts. An Associated Press article from South Dakota on Monday said Sheild was one of five men indicted on similar charges.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/435575
Thanks to Terry W. Colvin for his contribution to today’s newsletter.
- Arizona State Parks Closures Anticipated: The state will have to close at least five parks—and possibly as many as eight—if lawmakers do not restore the funds being stripped from the agency that operates them, state Parks Director Ken Travous said Friday.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/278278.php
- New Findings Cast Doubt on Comet Impact Theory: New data, published today, disproves the recent theory that a large comet exploded over North America 12,900 years ago, causing a shock wave that travelled at hundreds of kilometres per hour and triggering continent-wide wildfires. Dr Sandy Harrison from the University of Bristol and colleagues tested the theory by examining charcoal and pollen records to assess how fire regimes in North America changed between 15 and 10,000 years ago, a time of large and rapid climate changes.
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6123.html
- In Memoriam, Dr. Trudy Griffin-Pierce: Anthropologist Trudy Griffin-Pierce didn't want to observe the rituals and elaborate spiritual ceremonies of the Navajo: She wanted to live the life of the Diné. Though of Catawba Indian heritage and born in South Carolina, Griffin-Pierce was fascinated from childhood by the Navajo, said her aunt, Pat Wells of Florida. Diné, meaning "The People," is the name Navajos use for themselves.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/metro/278421
http://community.azstarnet.com/slideshows/flash/index.php?id=1995
- Archaeology Café, “The Archaeology of a Historic Tucson Cemetery at the Joint Courts Complex.” Learn what the remains of nineteenth-century Tucsonans--and others whose lives ended in Tucson--reveal about life in this community between 1862 and 1881. Marcy Gray, director of historic programs and project manager for Statistical Research, Inc., will lead a panel of project team members in a discussion of their work on one of the country's largest historic cemetery exhumations. Tuesday, February 3, 6:00 pm, on the patio at Casa Vicente, 375 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson. Free and open to the public; guests are encouraged to support our host, Casa Vicente, by buying their own food and drinks.
http://www.cdarc.org/pages/articles.php?req=read&article_id=737
- Concern Over Restoration of San Xavier East Tower: Bernard Fontana favors the former perspective, and with good reason: A retired ethnologist, he's spent most of his adult life helping bring San Xavier back from ruin, and only our better selves--in the shape of generous donations--has made that possible. Millions have already been spent in artwork restoration, and the west bell tower has been painstakingly returned to its original, gleaming glory. But now there's a catch: The east tower has yet to be redone, and time is not treating it kindly. Nor is the economy.
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=oid:121372
- Advocacy Group Sees Opportunity in Stimulus Package: The National Parks Conservation Assn., a nonpartisan parks advocacy group, has testified before Congress that the nation's 391 parks have billions of dollars in "shovel-ready projects," some of them remnants of the system's more than $8.7-billion maintenance backlog. Citing the CCC as a model, the parks group is advocating the development of a National Park Service Corps and estimates that investing stimulus funds in parks would create about 50,000 jobs. The group has studied the economic impact of parks, particularly in rural areas, finding that every dollar spent at a park generates $4 in benefit.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8o1p - The Los Angeles Times
- Funding for Mesa Grande Interpretive Program: Mesa has secured more than $250,000 to open the ancient temple grounds of the Hohokam tribe within two years, Howard said. The Mesa Grande Interpretive Project would make something previously open to visitors only once a year available every week.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/134818
- Papago Park Revival: Authorities in Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale believe the plan could put Papago on par with New York's Central Park or San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The goals: Promote Papago Park's historical and archaeological assets, explore the grounds for still-uncovered ruins, educate the community about the Valley's Hohokam heritage, and conserve land within the park, turning it into a national center for eco-tourism.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/4ije - The Arizona Republic
- Alleged Looter Indicted in South Dakota: A Monona man, John M. Sheild, 77, has been indicted in South Dakota on a federal charge of trafficking in archeological resources, accused of violating an archeology law that protects American Indian artifacts. An Associated Press article from South Dakota on Monday said Sheild was one of five men indicted on similar charges.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/435575
Thanks to Terry W. Colvin for his contribution to today’s newsletter.
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