Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Arizona Republic Endorses a Preservation Approach to Ballot Initiatives
Prop. 301 would divert all of the Land Conservation Fund, which voters approved 12 years ago, into a one-time-only budget patch. It would sacrifice long-term benefits that include educational funding, community open space, and protection for archaeology, habitat and scenic resources on trust land.
http://tinyurl.com/2ae4xe5 - Arizona Republic
Data Recovery Nearly Complete at the Site of the Future Peoria Palo Verde Park
On a hot September afternoon, archaeologist Mark Hackbarth tread carefully across the fenced site that is dotted with short sticks with pink and orange markers. He looked for "hot spots" of Hohokam activity. The archaeologist has been using a device that sends radar pulses to capture subsurface images. "This is as good as it gets as far as archaeological sites go," Hackbarth said, pointing dirt-lined fingers to a dug-up area.
http://tinyurl.com/2ec4fr7 - Arizona Republic
Archaeology under Attack
Somewhere out there, there's a modern Western explorer who decided he had something so important to say that it had to be slathered in silver paint on a remote rock wall full of ancient petroglyphs in the national forest. The mysterious etchings depicting people, animals and a blazing sun are in a box canyon known as Keyhole Sink in the Kaibab National Forest east of Williams, a mountain town off Interstate 40 that has welcomed sojourners since its namesake, fur trapper "Old Bill" Williams, explored the locale in the early to mid-1800s.
http://tinyurl.com/22m263c - Arizona Republic
Poster Contest for Utah Archaeology Week
Archaeology Week isn't until May 7-14 but the Antiquities Section of State History is now inviting Utah residents to participate in the Utah Archaeology Week Poster Contest. Cash prizes will be offered in three categories: grand prize: $250; secondary school winner: $100; elementary school winner: $100.
http://tinyurl.com/2v5dpzj - Deseret News
Contractor Selected for New Mesa Verde Visitor Center
PCL Construction Services of Edwards has been awarded a $12 million contract from the National Park Service to build a visitor and research center at Mesa Verde National Park.
http://www.vaildaily.com/ARTICLE/20101005/BIZ/101009910/-1/RSS
Tour / Hiking Opportunity
Wilderness Hike to the Dittert Site,Saturday October 16, 2010. “Coyote, Doctor Dittert, and the Ancestors” Dr. Dittert said this site was built over a Chacoan outlier-like site. Others say it is closer to Mogollon country and influence. It may be the last mansion locally built before the difficult times of the 1270s. Come find out about two great ancestral cultures of the southwest, and decide for yourself if this is where they met, whether they got along, and why they chose this place. Modern interpretations are in flux. In the late 1200s drought was pervasive as was the likelihood of political upheaval.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/dittert_hike_2010.doc
New Website Documents Efforts to Preserve the Colonial Missions of Chihuahua (from Gloria Eugenia Alvillar)
My cousin who lives in Chihuahua, Chihuahua has sent this website on the mission reconstruction effort there. The video on the bottom half of the page is very well done. There is a Tarahumara governor who speaks toward the end of the film and it is moving. I would love to do a translation so that it can be shown in English. The narrative is respectful of all who participated in the legacy that is ours today. There are two architects from Valencia, Spain who are working on this effort and a small book has been published on how to restore old Spanish missions. Enjoy.
http://www.misionescoloniales.org/
Crow Canyon Announces New Three-Year Field Project
The new project shifts our focus in a number of ways: from the end of the ancestral Pueblo occupation to the beginning, from the final migration out of the region to the initial migration in, and from the best-understood period of ancestral Pueblo history to the least understood. The Basketmaker Communities Project: Early Pueblo Society in the Mesa Verde Region will focus on the earliest substantial period of ancestral Pueblo settlement in the Mesa Verde region, known as the Basketmaker III period (A.D. 500–750), and will investigate where these initial settlers came from, what their society was like, and the ways these early farmers impacted a pristine environment.
http://www.imakenews.com/crowcanyon1/e_article001886894.cfm?x=b11,0,w
Hueco Tanks Interpretive Fair Scheduled for October 16 and 17th
The Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site's 2010 Interpretive Fair Weekend will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. October 16, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 17. Attractions of the two-day event will include Native American dancing and drumming, folklorico dancers, pictograph, birding and nature tours and booths. Tours will begin at 8 a.m. both days of the fair, and will include birding tours, nature hikes, rare plant tours, hiking tours and tours to Native American pictograph sites. Visitors can browse informational booths on local history, desert wildlife, area parks and native plants. There will also be food, art and gifts for sale. An evening campfire storytelling program will start at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 16. The fair will be held at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. #1, El Paso, TX 79938. From US Highway 62/180, turn north onto Ranch Road 2775. Continue through the park gate to the headquarters building. The park is 32 miles northeast of El Paso.
Lecture Opportunity (Irvine)
The Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's October 14th meeting will feature Dr. Steven R. James speaking on “Archaeological Field Schools in California and the American Southwest: Historical Perspectives and Personal Reflections.” Meeting information: Thursday, October 14, 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
Student Employment Opportunity (Delores)
The Curatorial Program at the Bureau of Land Management - Anasazi Heritage Center is recruiting for qualified students who are interested in learning about the museum profession – particularly museum collections management for BLM and the Department of the Interior. The Student Temporary Experience Program (STEP) is temporary employment in the Federal government that provides the student with an opportunity to gain experience in the Federal government.
Http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ahc_step.doc
Showing posts with label Southwestern Archaeology News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southwestern Archaeology News. Show all posts
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tutuveni Petroglyphs Provided with Extra Protection
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Tutuveni Petroglyphs Provided with Extra Protection
Recognized as a sacred site by the Hopi people, the Hopi "Tutuveni" petroglyph area located near Tuba City and state Highway 89 contains the largest, most significant concentration of Hopi clan symbols found anywhere in the American southwest.
http://tinyurl.com/258rwz5 - Navajo Hopi Observer
Archaeologists Dismiss Clovis Comet Impact Theory
New research challenges the controversial theory that an ancient comet impact devastated the Clovis people, one of the earliest known cultures to inhabit North America. Writing in the October issue of Current Anthropology, archaeologists Vance Holliday (University of Arizona) and David Meltzer (Southern Methodist University) argue that there is nothing in the archaeological record to suggest an abrupt collapse of Clovis populations. "Whether or not the proposed extraterrestrial impact occurred is a matter for empirical testing in the geological record," the researchers write. "Insofar as concerns the archaeological record, an extraterrestrial impact is an unnecessary solution for an archaeological problem that does not exist."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uocp-nef092910.php
Lost City Musuem Celebrates 75 Years of Interpreting Ancient Nevada
"Most people don't know that in Southern Nevada, we had such large-scale, prehistoric populations," says Dr. Karen Harry, an archaeologist and professor in the anthropology department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "It's kind of a big deal."
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/the-artifacts-of-life-103698249.html
23 Historic Preservation Efforts in Nevada Canceled
The 23 historic preservation projects awarded funding from the Nevada Commission on Cultural Affairs earlier this year are the latest casualties of the state's budget crisis.
Historic Preservation Officer Ron James said the grants totaling $3 million were pulled back after the announcement that the state has no capacity to issue new bonds this coming budget cycle.
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20100923/NEWS/100929904/1001
Artifacts Stolen From Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
The National Park Service says burglars stole buffalo hides and historical weapons from two historic sites in southeastern Colorado.
http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/artifacts-stolen-from-colorado-historic-sites/
Symposium on the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip is Scheduled for November
On Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, 2010, the Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance will sponsor an archaeological symposium in Page, Arizona, Discovering the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip Region: Learning from the Past - Planning for the Future. The symposium will bring together agency archaeologists, professionals, students, tribal representatives, and the public to discuss questions that will guide a research design for the coming decades on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. On Friday night, November 12, keynote speakers Don and Catherine Fowler will share their archaeological experiences in the region. The public is invited without charge to the evening sessions. Early registration is $35.00 until October 1, 2010, after October 1 registration is $50.00.For symposium information and to register go to
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ohara/AZstrip.htm
Mesa Verde For Kids
here’s no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone. Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation.
http://tinyurl.com/2bv37qh - Ventura County Star
Celebrating The Twelfth Annual Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival San Xavier Plaza
The Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival for the Golden Eagle Feather Award and Scholarship will be celebrating its TWELFTH ANNUAL, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 6pm to 9 pm at the San Xavier Plaza, Tucson, Arizona. This event is open to everyone.
http://tinyurl.com/2bmxup7 - Tucson Citizen
Montezuma Castle National Monument Celebrates 50th Anniversary
In the shadow of nearly 1,000-year-old ruins, Marie Carone joined a celebration of a small, but significant milestone in the Verde Valley's history. The visitor's center at Montezuma's Castle, the popular national monument, is turning 50-years old.
http://tinyurl.com/26qo8t2 - ABC 15.com
Taking a New Look at Old Digs: Trampling Animals May Alter Stone Age Sites
Archaeologists who interpret Stone Age culture from discoveries of ancient tools and artifacts may need to reanalyze some of their conclusions. That's the finding suggested by a new study that for the first time looked at the impact of water buffalo and goats trampling artifacts into mud.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100923162408.htm
Legend Rock Encodes 10,000 Years of Beliefs
Ice Age paintings and carvings in Europe are revered as sublime achievements of early humans, yet the prehistoric rock art in the American West is far less known. At Legend Rock in central Wyoming, 10,000 years of profound beliefs are inscribed on red sandstone cliffs.
http://tinyurl.com/2eagwtn - The Wall Street Journal
El Paso Museum of Archaeology Offers Free Tours
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is offering free docent-led tours of the museum and its surrounding Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. Tours for families with children will be at 1 p.m. today and on Oct. 9 and Oct. 24. Adult tours will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and again on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Reservations are not necessary. To enjoy the gardens, wear suitable clothing, shoes and sun protection. The museum is at 4301 Trans Mountain. Information: 755-4332. - El Paso Times.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has issued a major new report evaluating how the federal government is meeting its statutory obligations to consider the effects of its activities on America’s historic and cultural resources. The report, entitled Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics, urges federal agencies to take more seriously their obligations to comply with the basic statutory mandate (on the books since 1966) to consider the effects of their activities on the nation’s heritage.
http://tinyurl.com/28mnkmw - National Trust for Historic Preservation
Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society presents "Recent Investigations Along the Chaco North Road: The Artifacts Don't Lie!" by Jim Copeland on Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center. Jim Copeland has been the Senior BLM archaeologist for the Farmington Field Office for the past 19 years. His investigations along previously unstudied sections of the famed Chaco North Road have identified consistent patterns in road artifact distributions and physical characteristics north of Pierre’s Ruin, a large Chaco outlier complex located along the road. Research also shows that the phenomenon of parallel roads extend twice as far north of Pierre’s Ruin than previously known, and may ultimately reach the escarpment of Kutz Canyon, where the North Road via a prehistoric stairway descends into the badlands. Aerial photo and archaeological site and artifact data also indicates that the North Road continued to Aztec Ruins. This talk is free and open to the public. For more information about the talk or joining Hisatsinom, call Diane McBride at 560-1643.
National Register Update
Congratulations to all those involved with listing the following places on the National Register of Historic Properties: Tonto National Monument Visitors Center, Tucson's Erskine P Caldwell House, the Don Martin Apartmentment House, the First Joesler House, Gable House, Haynes Building, Heckler House, and Type A and B Joesler Buildings, as well as Clarkdale's Tuzigoot Musuem,
Reminder - First Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.
This coming Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd in Glendale, AZ. Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Center) in Glendale. We will be touring the Center's grounds, exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. The SHPO values our partnerships with you we hope to see you at this meeting, and at future planning efforts, for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month public programming. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager State Historic Preservation Office 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov
Thanks to Carrie Gregory, Gerald Kelso, Brian Kreimendahl and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Tutuveni Petroglyphs Provided with Extra Protection
Recognized as a sacred site by the Hopi people, the Hopi "Tutuveni" petroglyph area located near Tuba City and state Highway 89 contains the largest, most significant concentration of Hopi clan symbols found anywhere in the American southwest.
http://tinyurl.com/258rwz5 - Navajo Hopi Observer
Archaeologists Dismiss Clovis Comet Impact Theory
New research challenges the controversial theory that an ancient comet impact devastated the Clovis people, one of the earliest known cultures to inhabit North America. Writing in the October issue of Current Anthropology, archaeologists Vance Holliday (University of Arizona) and David Meltzer (Southern Methodist University) argue that there is nothing in the archaeological record to suggest an abrupt collapse of Clovis populations. "Whether or not the proposed extraterrestrial impact occurred is a matter for empirical testing in the geological record," the researchers write. "Insofar as concerns the archaeological record, an extraterrestrial impact is an unnecessary solution for an archaeological problem that does not exist."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uocp-nef092910.php
Lost City Musuem Celebrates 75 Years of Interpreting Ancient Nevada
"Most people don't know that in Southern Nevada, we had such large-scale, prehistoric populations," says Dr. Karen Harry, an archaeologist and professor in the anthropology department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "It's kind of a big deal."
http://www.lvrj.com/neon/the-artifacts-of-life-103698249.html
23 Historic Preservation Efforts in Nevada Canceled
The 23 historic preservation projects awarded funding from the Nevada Commission on Cultural Affairs earlier this year are the latest casualties of the state's budget crisis.
Historic Preservation Officer Ron James said the grants totaling $3 million were pulled back after the announcement that the state has no capacity to issue new bonds this coming budget cycle.
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20100923/NEWS/100929904/1001
Artifacts Stolen From Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
The National Park Service says burglars stole buffalo hides and historical weapons from two historic sites in southeastern Colorado.
http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/artifacts-stolen-from-colorado-historic-sites/
Symposium on the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip is Scheduled for November
On Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, 2010, the Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance will sponsor an archaeological symposium in Page, Arizona, Discovering the Archaeology of the Arizona Strip Region: Learning from the Past - Planning for the Future. The symposium will bring together agency archaeologists, professionals, students, tribal representatives, and the public to discuss questions that will guide a research design for the coming decades on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. On Friday night, November 12, keynote speakers Don and Catherine Fowler will share their archaeological experiences in the region. The public is invited without charge to the evening sessions. Early registration is $35.00 until October 1, 2010, after October 1 registration is $50.00.For symposium information and to register go to
http://www.public.asu.edu/~ohara/AZstrip.htm
Mesa Verde For Kids
here’s no time to be nervous. The kids charge ahead up the 32-foot ladder, squeezing through a narrow, 12-foot tunnel, walking in toeholds carved into dusty sandstone. Imagine if you could only get into your office or house via toeholds carved into rock. Imagine cooking by tossing a hot rock into a waterproofed basket filled with stew fixings and grinding corn with a rock. Imagine living with your family in small stone rooms. Imagine no TV or video games to entertain the kids — just stories passed down from generation to generation.
http://tinyurl.com/2bv37qh - Ventura County Star
Celebrating The Twelfth Annual Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival San Xavier Plaza
The Traditional Native American Indian Feast & Fundraiser Festival for the Golden Eagle Feather Award and Scholarship will be celebrating its TWELFTH ANNUAL, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, from 6pm to 9 pm at the San Xavier Plaza, Tucson, Arizona. This event is open to everyone.
http://tinyurl.com/2bmxup7 - Tucson Citizen
Montezuma Castle National Monument Celebrates 50th Anniversary
In the shadow of nearly 1,000-year-old ruins, Marie Carone joined a celebration of a small, but significant milestone in the Verde Valley's history. The visitor's center at Montezuma's Castle, the popular national monument, is turning 50-years old.
http://tinyurl.com/26qo8t2 - ABC 15.com
Taking a New Look at Old Digs: Trampling Animals May Alter Stone Age Sites
Archaeologists who interpret Stone Age culture from discoveries of ancient tools and artifacts may need to reanalyze some of their conclusions. That's the finding suggested by a new study that for the first time looked at the impact of water buffalo and goats trampling artifacts into mud.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100923162408.htm
Legend Rock Encodes 10,000 Years of Beliefs
Ice Age paintings and carvings in Europe are revered as sublime achievements of early humans, yet the prehistoric rock art in the American West is far less known. At Legend Rock in central Wyoming, 10,000 years of profound beliefs are inscribed on red sandstone cliffs.
http://tinyurl.com/2eagwtn - The Wall Street Journal
El Paso Museum of Archaeology Offers Free Tours
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is offering free docent-led tours of the museum and its surrounding Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. Tours for families with children will be at 1 p.m. today and on Oct. 9 and Oct. 24. Adult tours will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and again on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Reservations are not necessary. To enjoy the gardens, wear suitable clothing, shoes and sun protection. The museum is at 4301 Trans Mountain. Information: 755-4332. - El Paso Times.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has issued a major new report evaluating how the federal government is meeting its statutory obligations to consider the effects of its activities on America’s historic and cultural resources. The report, entitled Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act: Back to Basics, urges federal agencies to take more seriously their obligations to comply with the basic statutory mandate (on the books since 1966) to consider the effects of their activities on the nation’s heritage.
http://tinyurl.com/28mnkmw - National Trust for Historic Preservation
Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society presents "Recent Investigations Along the Chaco North Road: The Artifacts Don't Lie!" by Jim Copeland on Tuesday, October 5, 7:00 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center. Jim Copeland has been the Senior BLM archaeologist for the Farmington Field Office for the past 19 years. His investigations along previously unstudied sections of the famed Chaco North Road have identified consistent patterns in road artifact distributions and physical characteristics north of Pierre’s Ruin, a large Chaco outlier complex located along the road. Research also shows that the phenomenon of parallel roads extend twice as far north of Pierre’s Ruin than previously known, and may ultimately reach the escarpment of Kutz Canyon, where the North Road via a prehistoric stairway descends into the badlands. Aerial photo and archaeological site and artifact data also indicates that the North Road continued to Aztec Ruins. This talk is free and open to the public. For more information about the talk or joining Hisatsinom, call Diane McBride at 560-1643.
National Register Update
Congratulations to all those involved with listing the following places on the National Register of Historic Properties: Tonto National Monument Visitors Center, Tucson's Erskine P Caldwell House, the Don Martin Apartmentment House, the First Joesler House, Gable House, Haynes Building, Heckler House, and Type A and B Joesler Buildings, as well as Clarkdale's Tuzigoot Musuem,
Reminder - First Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month.
This coming Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, 3711 W Deer Valley Rd in Glendale, AZ. Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) initiates planning for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology Expo that will be held on March 26-27, 2011 at the Deer Valley Rock Art Center (Center) in Glendale. We will be touring the Center's grounds, exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc. The SHPO values our partnerships with you we hope to see you at this meeting, and at future planning efforts, for the 2011 Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month public programming. For More Information, Please Contact: Ann Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager State Historic Preservation Office 602/542-7138, avh2@azstateparks.gov
Thanks to Carrie Gregory, Gerald Kelso, Brian Kreimendahl and Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Ray Thompson to Speak at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society Meeting
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Ray Thompson to Speak at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society Meeting (Tucson)
Dr. Thompson will be presenting the monthly AAHS lecture on Monday, Sept 20th at 7:30 pm in DuVal Auditorium, UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Dr. Thompson's will share his stories of southwestern archaeology in a talk entitled "The Real Dirt of Southwestern Archaeology: Tall Tales from the Good Old Days." The event is free and open to the public.
San Xavier - "A Gift of Angels"
It’s possible to become so familiar with something that we begin to take it for granted. We begin to overlook the meaning and the beauty that is present in the details. Bernard Fontana is a leading authority on Mission San Xavier del Bac, and the author of A Gift of Angels. “It was a huge undertaking,” he says, “to photograph the building and façade in detail.” Bernard, or "Bunny," to you and I, has been quite curious about this church for many decades, and he’s devoted a large part of his life to the scholarly interpretation of the San Xavier del Bac.
http://tinyurl.com/sanxavier
Huhugam Ki Museum Lecture Series Begins at the Salt River Maricopa Community Building "Onk Akimel–Va Shly’ay" Huhugam Ki Museum presents 3 nights of community talks, starting Thursday Sept. 30, 2010. “Finding Traces of Our Past: What Will Your Grandchildren Tell Their Grandchildren?” will be presented at the SRPMIC Cultural Preservation Program and Archaeology Program, Salt River Community Building, Longmore and McDowell from 6;00pm to 8;00pm. Light supper served at 5:30pm
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/3_nights_poster.pdf
Gary Nabhan to Speak at the Arizona Humanities Council's 2010 Lorraine W. Frank Lecture (Tucson)
The Arizona Humanities Council is proud to announce that this year's featured speaker is Gary Paul Nabhan. Gary Nabhan is an internationally known writer, lecturer, food and farming advocate whose work has long been rooted in the U.S. / Mexico borderlands region. He is a Research Social Scientist at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona. The talk will be held at the Leo Rich Theater in Tucson, Friday, Oct 22, 2010 with the reception starting at 5:30 pm. The lecture will begin at 6:30. This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested at the link below.
http://www.azhumanities.org/lwf_lecture5.php
NATHPO Training Program on Dangerous Chemicals in Artifacts Offered
Many museum collections were treated with pesticides to preserve them. Often there are no records and staff is unaware of what might be on the collection or how it may affect researchers. This class is designed for museum curators and others who work with Native American and ethnographic collections. It details methods to mitigate hazards from chemicals and pesticides and health issues stemming from their use on artifacts. Participants in Dangerous Materials: Chemical Poisons in Native American and Ethnographic Artifacts work through sections on their own. Materials and resources include online literature, slide lectures and dialog between students and the instructor through online forums. The course is limited to 20 participants. The instructor, Dr. Nancy Odegaard is the Conservator and Head of the Preservation Division for Arizona State Museum. She is also a Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Nancy manages and supervises staff and programs in the conservation lab, advises on museum environmental issues, and seeks to promote the preservation of collections through improved exhibition and storage conditions. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept 24th, 2010.
http://www.nathpo.org/NNMTP/DangerousMaterialsApplication.html
Archaeo-Nevada Society Begins this Year's Lecture Series
The Archaeo-Nevada Society started its 2010-2011 season with its first meeting Sept. 9th with a talk given by Mark Boatright BLM Archaeologist for Redrock Canyon National Conservation Area. His talked was about the archaeological happenings a at the conservation area with an emphasis on the rock rings throughout the area. The Society meets monthly September through May on the second Thursday at 7 pm on the College of Southern Nevada West Charleston Campus in building K room 228. All are welcome for our monthly lectures. Octobers meeting will feature Chuck Williams from the Redrock Canyon Interpretive Association discussing the rockart in Redrock Canyon. For information about membership contact Bruce Holloway at bholloway9@cox.net
Rock Art Symposium Announcement
Rock Art 2010, the 35th annual Rock Art Symposium presented by the San Diego Museum of Man, will meet on Saturday, November 6, 2010, at the Otto Center at the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd. in San Diego's Balboa Park. This day-long event offers participants the opportunity to share in the results of rock art research around the globe, presented in slide-illustrated lectures. Registration is $40 for students and Museum members, $50 for general admission, including a commemorative ceramic mug. The Rock Art 2010 Flyer with registration information and directions to the Symposium is now available at the link below.
http://www.museumofman.org/sites/default/files/RA2010Flyer.pdf
Rock Art Symposium Call for Papers
If you have rock art research to report, or a new discovery to announce to the world, we are accepting proposals for Rock Art 2010 papers until available time on the program is filled. To submit a paper, send the title and a brief abstract by e-mail to RockArt2010@cox.net <> no later than October 30, 2010. E-mail is preferred, but abstracts can be mailed if necessary to Ken Hedges at the San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
National Register Report
Congratulations to Pima County's Robles Ranch House, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel
Engaging the public in an archaeological project requires some stimulation of the imagination. As an example, the field school team at Fort St. Joseph in western Michigan take the public back to French colonial times in Making the Past Come Alive: Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel. Fort St. Joseph, begun as a French Jesuit mission in the 1680s, was one of the earliest European settlements in the western Great Lakes and an important link among the remote settlements of New France. For almost 80 years, French priests, enlisted men, and traders lived here closely with the native Potowatomi and Miami. After 1781, the fort eventually eroded away and its location was forgotten until its relocation by the Western Michigan University field School. WMU now carries out a very active public archaeology program at the site. http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.
Ray Thompson to Speak at Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society Meeting (Tucson)
Dr. Thompson will be presenting the monthly AAHS lecture on Monday, Sept 20th at 7:30 pm in DuVal Auditorium, UMC, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Dr. Thompson's will share his stories of southwestern archaeology in a talk entitled "The Real Dirt of Southwestern Archaeology: Tall Tales from the Good Old Days." The event is free and open to the public.
San Xavier - "A Gift of Angels"
It’s possible to become so familiar with something that we begin to take it for granted. We begin to overlook the meaning and the beauty that is present in the details. Bernard Fontana is a leading authority on Mission San Xavier del Bac, and the author of A Gift of Angels. “It was a huge undertaking,” he says, “to photograph the building and façade in detail.” Bernard, or "Bunny," to you and I, has been quite curious about this church for many decades, and he’s devoted a large part of his life to the scholarly interpretation of the San Xavier del Bac.
http://tinyurl.com/sanxavier
Huhugam Ki Museum Lecture Series Begins at the Salt River Maricopa Community Building "Onk Akimel–Va Shly’ay" Huhugam Ki Museum presents 3 nights of community talks, starting Thursday Sept. 30, 2010. “Finding Traces of Our Past: What Will Your Grandchildren Tell Their Grandchildren?” will be presented at the SRPMIC Cultural Preservation Program and Archaeology Program, Salt River Community Building, Longmore and McDowell from 6;00pm to 8;00pm. Light supper served at 5:30pm
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/3_nights_poster.pdf
Gary Nabhan to Speak at the Arizona Humanities Council's 2010 Lorraine W. Frank Lecture (Tucson)
The Arizona Humanities Council is proud to announce that this year's featured speaker is Gary Paul Nabhan. Gary Nabhan is an internationally known writer, lecturer, food and farming advocate whose work has long been rooted in the U.S. / Mexico borderlands region. He is a Research Social Scientist at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona. The talk will be held at the Leo Rich Theater in Tucson, Friday, Oct 22, 2010 with the reception starting at 5:30 pm. The lecture will begin at 6:30. This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is requested at the link below.
http://www.azhumanities.org/lwf_lecture5.php
NATHPO Training Program on Dangerous Chemicals in Artifacts Offered
Many museum collections were treated with pesticides to preserve them. Often there are no records and staff is unaware of what might be on the collection or how it may affect researchers. This class is designed for museum curators and others who work with Native American and ethnographic collections. It details methods to mitigate hazards from chemicals and pesticides and health issues stemming from their use on artifacts. Participants in Dangerous Materials: Chemical Poisons in Native American and Ethnographic Artifacts work through sections on their own. Materials and resources include online literature, slide lectures and dialog between students and the instructor through online forums. The course is limited to 20 participants. The instructor, Dr. Nancy Odegaard is the Conservator and Head of the Preservation Division for Arizona State Museum. She is also a Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Nancy manages and supervises staff and programs in the conservation lab, advises on museum environmental issues, and seeks to promote the preservation of collections through improved exhibition and storage conditions. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept 24th, 2010.
http://www.nathpo.org/NNMTP/DangerousMaterialsApplication.html
Archaeo-Nevada Society Begins this Year's Lecture Series
The Archaeo-Nevada Society started its 2010-2011 season with its first meeting Sept. 9th with a talk given by Mark Boatright BLM Archaeologist for Redrock Canyon National Conservation Area. His talked was about the archaeological happenings a at the conservation area with an emphasis on the rock rings throughout the area. The Society meets monthly September through May on the second Thursday at 7 pm on the College of Southern Nevada West Charleston Campus in building K room 228. All are welcome for our monthly lectures. Octobers meeting will feature Chuck Williams from the Redrock Canyon Interpretive Association discussing the rockart in Redrock Canyon. For information about membership contact Bruce Holloway at bholloway9@cox.net
Rock Art Symposium Announcement
Rock Art 2010, the 35th annual Rock Art Symposium presented by the San Diego Museum of Man, will meet on Saturday, November 6, 2010, at the Otto Center at the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd. in San Diego's Balboa Park. This day-long event offers participants the opportunity to share in the results of rock art research around the globe, presented in slide-illustrated lectures. Registration is $40 for students and Museum members, $50 for general admission, including a commemorative ceramic mug. The Rock Art 2010 Flyer with registration information and directions to the Symposium is now available at the link below.
http://www.museumofman.org/sites/default/files/RA2010Flyer.pdf
Rock Art Symposium Call for Papers
If you have rock art research to report, or a new discovery to announce to the world, we are accepting proposals for Rock Art 2010 papers until available time on the program is filled. To submit a paper, send the title and a brief abstract by e-mail to RockArt2010@cox.net <> no later than October 30, 2010. E-mail is preferred, but abstracts can be mailed if necessary to Ken Hedges at the San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101
National Register Report
Congratulations to Pima County's Robles Ranch House, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel
Engaging the public in an archaeological project requires some stimulation of the imagination. As an example, the field school team at Fort St. Joseph in western Michigan take the public back to French colonial times in Making the Past Come Alive: Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel. Fort St. Joseph, begun as a French Jesuit mission in the 1680s, was one of the earliest European settlements in the western Great Lakes and an important link among the remote settlements of New France. For almost 80 years, French priests, enlisted men, and traders lived here closely with the native Potowatomi and Miami. After 1781, the fort eventually eroded away and its location was forgotten until its relocation by the Western Michigan University field School. WMU now carries out a very active public archaeology program at the site. http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Craig Child's New Book Dives Head-First into Southwest Archaeology's "Underbelly"
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Change to NAGPRA Regulations Ensures Museums Repatriate Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Change to NAGPRA Regulations Ensures Museums Repatriate Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains
A change in the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act may force the University of Michigan’s Museum of Anthropology — as well as museums across the country — to redistribute their collections of Native American human remains. On Monday, a NAGPRA committee approved a change in the act that will force museums to inform Native American tribes that “culturally unidentifiable” remains found in their tribal regions may potentially be returned to them.
http://tinyurl.com/ybbkd3w - Michigan Daily
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s, Huhugam Ki Museum to Host “Pieces of the Puzzle – New Perspectives on the Hohokam”
On Saturday March 27th 2010 at 10am, the Huhugam Ki Museum will open its doors allowing the public to view the traveling exhibit from Tucson’s Center for Desert Archaeology, entitled “Pieces of the Puzzle: New Perspectives on the Hohokam.” Research for this particular exhibit includes artifacts already excavated and cataloged in museum repositories from the state including Arizona State Museum and Pueblo Grande Museum. Research and theory had been put together by leading archeologists and museum fellows to present new perspectives on how the Hohokam are viewed by the scientific and anthropological fields.
http://www.cdarc.org/satpieces_press_release.doc - MS Word Document
Arguing for a Much Earlier Colonization of the New World
Two U.S. scientists have published a radical new theory about when, where and how humans migrated to the New World, arguing that the peopling of the Americas may have begun via Canada's High Arctic islands and the Northwest Passage -- much farther north and at least 10,000 years earlier than generally believed. The hypothesis -- described as "speculative" but "plausible" by the researchers themselves -- appears in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology, which features a special series of new studies tracing humanity's proliferation out of Africa and around the world beginning about 70,000 years ago.
http://tinyurl.com/y86lsmn - Vancouver Sun
Colonial Spanish Empire Utilized an Ancient Roman Perspective on the New World
The Getty Villa, California's temple to ancient Greece and Rome, is currently hosting a show of objects and manuscripts from the earliest days of Nueva España. What's the connection? "From the moment Europeans went to Mexico, … they encountered a culture that was so unfamiliar, the only frame of reference they had was their knowledge of Roman antiquity."
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-aztecs21-2010mar21,0,6456017.story
Local Funding to Keep a Few Arizona State Parks Open
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is one of six Arizona state parks slated for closure that will stay open, at least for now. The state Parks Board on Wednesday approved agreements to accept money from city governments and other state agencies to keep some parks open. Agreements with the cities of Camp Verde, Yuma and Tombstone call for those cities to take over part or all of the operations at Fort Verde, Yuma Territorial Prison and Tombstone Courthouse state historic parks.
http://tinyurl.com/ydteocu - Arizona Daily Star
Petroglyphs Near Tucson Vandalized
Vandals have damaged priceless petroglyphs - ancient rock carvings - at popular Picture Rocks northwest of Tucson. The vandalism incidents, which occurred over the past three years, prompted owners of the site to post warning signs and call for vigilance by visitors. "People have been seen vandalizing petroglyphs. There has been some damage - defacing of the rocks," said Peter Tran, assistant director of the Redemptorist Renewal Center, 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road.
http://tinyurl.com/yfto93a - Arizona Daily Star
The Petroglyphs of Grapevine Canyon, Nevada
History buffs travel for many miles to explore Grapevine Canyon near Laughlin, Nevada because of a site in the canyon full of ancient and fascinating drawings. The wide varieties of Native American petroglyphs are found on the canyon walls and in the caves. The tribes that created the petroglyphs are unknown but thought to be the Mojave. They probably farmed nearby and retreated to the canyon when the Colorado River flooded.
http://tinyurl.com/yeg4dgr - The Galt Herald Online
National Park Service Finds Ways to Save Money and Fund Additional Projects
The National Park Service (NPS) announced recently that favorable pricing on its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) large construction projects has resulted in savings of over 20 percent totaling approximately $129 million. The Service will use these dollars to fund an additional 30 high priority projects across the country putting additional people to work in ways that will leave a permanent legacy for our national parks through critical facility improvements, infrastructure repairs, and energy efficiency enhancements.
http://tinyurl.com/ylew8b4 - Public Works.Com
Travelouge - Canyon de Chelly
I feel a sense of mystery and adventure while crossing the sweeping Arizona high desert toward this hidden place. A black ribbon of tarmac rises and falls down the road ahead. Arid pasture land, spotted with free-range livestock, flows by. Few passing cars break a spell of isolation from the outside world of Interstates. Only the modest settlement at Chinle restores any perception of civilization in this wilderness. Still, there is no hint of the beauty to be found below the plateau surface awaiting me at Canyon de Chelly pronounced "day-shay."
http://tinyurl.com/y88sra9 - San Diego Source
Scientology Founder's Phoenix Home Listed on National Register
About one hundred local residents of the Arcadia and surrounding Phoenix neighborhoods gathered as the sun set opposite Camelback Mountain on Friday to celebrate the designation of the L. Ron Hubbard House by The National Register of Historic Places in Washington D.C. as a "historic place worthy of preservation." Keynote speaker Mr. Bill Runyon, historian and chairman of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation in Washington D.C. stated: “During the almost three-year period (1952-1954) when L. Ron Hubbard lived in the suburban home, he formulated his main ideas about the soul and produced writings and lectures to help Man from a spiritual viewpoint. Here is where the religion of Scientology was born.
http://tinyurl.com/yg7ryta - Yahoo News
Thanks to Terry Colvin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Change to NAGPRA Regulations Ensures Museums Repatriate Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains
A change in the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act may force the University of Michigan’s Museum of Anthropology — as well as museums across the country — to redistribute their collections of Native American human remains. On Monday, a NAGPRA committee approved a change in the act that will force museums to inform Native American tribes that “culturally unidentifiable” remains found in their tribal regions may potentially be returned to them.
http://tinyurl.com/ybbkd3w - Michigan Daily
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s, Huhugam Ki Museum to Host “Pieces of the Puzzle – New Perspectives on the Hohokam”
On Saturday March 27th 2010 at 10am, the Huhugam Ki Museum will open its doors allowing the public to view the traveling exhibit from Tucson’s Center for Desert Archaeology, entitled “Pieces of the Puzzle: New Perspectives on the Hohokam.” Research for this particular exhibit includes artifacts already excavated and cataloged in museum repositories from the state including Arizona State Museum and Pueblo Grande Museum. Research and theory had been put together by leading archeologists and museum fellows to present new perspectives on how the Hohokam are viewed by the scientific and anthropological fields.
http://www.cdarc.org/satpieces_press_release.doc - MS Word Document
Arguing for a Much Earlier Colonization of the New World
Two U.S. scientists have published a radical new theory about when, where and how humans migrated to the New World, arguing that the peopling of the Americas may have begun via Canada's High Arctic islands and the Northwest Passage -- much farther north and at least 10,000 years earlier than generally believed. The hypothesis -- described as "speculative" but "plausible" by the researchers themselves -- appears in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology, which features a special series of new studies tracing humanity's proliferation out of Africa and around the world beginning about 70,000 years ago.
http://tinyurl.com/y86lsmn - Vancouver Sun
Colonial Spanish Empire Utilized an Ancient Roman Perspective on the New World
The Getty Villa, California's temple to ancient Greece and Rome, is currently hosting a show of objects and manuscripts from the earliest days of Nueva España. What's the connection? "From the moment Europeans went to Mexico, … they encountered a culture that was so unfamiliar, the only frame of reference they had was their knowledge of Roman antiquity."
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-aztecs21-2010mar21,0,6456017.story
Local Funding to Keep a Few Arizona State Parks Open
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is one of six Arizona state parks slated for closure that will stay open, at least for now. The state Parks Board on Wednesday approved agreements to accept money from city governments and other state agencies to keep some parks open. Agreements with the cities of Camp Verde, Yuma and Tombstone call for those cities to take over part or all of the operations at Fort Verde, Yuma Territorial Prison and Tombstone Courthouse state historic parks.
http://tinyurl.com/ydteocu - Arizona Daily Star
Petroglyphs Near Tucson Vandalized
Vandals have damaged priceless petroglyphs - ancient rock carvings - at popular Picture Rocks northwest of Tucson. The vandalism incidents, which occurred over the past three years, prompted owners of the site to post warning signs and call for vigilance by visitors. "People have been seen vandalizing petroglyphs. There has been some damage - defacing of the rocks," said Peter Tran, assistant director of the Redemptorist Renewal Center, 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road.
http://tinyurl.com/yfto93a - Arizona Daily Star
The Petroglyphs of Grapevine Canyon, Nevada
History buffs travel for many miles to explore Grapevine Canyon near Laughlin, Nevada because of a site in the canyon full of ancient and fascinating drawings. The wide varieties of Native American petroglyphs are found on the canyon walls and in the caves. The tribes that created the petroglyphs are unknown but thought to be the Mojave. They probably farmed nearby and retreated to the canyon when the Colorado River flooded.
http://tinyurl.com/yeg4dgr - The Galt Herald Online
National Park Service Finds Ways to Save Money and Fund Additional Projects
The National Park Service (NPS) announced recently that favorable pricing on its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) large construction projects has resulted in savings of over 20 percent totaling approximately $129 million. The Service will use these dollars to fund an additional 30 high priority projects across the country putting additional people to work in ways that will leave a permanent legacy for our national parks through critical facility improvements, infrastructure repairs, and energy efficiency enhancements.
http://tinyurl.com/ylew8b4 - Public Works.Com
Travelouge - Canyon de Chelly
I feel a sense of mystery and adventure while crossing the sweeping Arizona high desert toward this hidden place. A black ribbon of tarmac rises and falls down the road ahead. Arid pasture land, spotted with free-range livestock, flows by. Few passing cars break a spell of isolation from the outside world of Interstates. Only the modest settlement at Chinle restores any perception of civilization in this wilderness. Still, there is no hint of the beauty to be found below the plateau surface awaiting me at Canyon de Chelly pronounced "day-shay."
http://tinyurl.com/y88sra9 - San Diego Source
Scientology Founder's Phoenix Home Listed on National Register
About one hundred local residents of the Arcadia and surrounding Phoenix neighborhoods gathered as the sun set opposite Camelback Mountain on Friday to celebrate the designation of the L. Ron Hubbard House by The National Register of Historic Places in Washington D.C. as a "historic place worthy of preservation." Keynote speaker Mr. Bill Runyon, historian and chairman of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation in Washington D.C. stated: “During the almost three-year period (1952-1954) when L. Ron Hubbard lived in the suburban home, he formulated his main ideas about the soul and produced writings and lectures to help Man from a spiritual viewpoint. Here is where the religion of Scientology was born.
http://tinyurl.com/yg7ryta - Yahoo News
Thanks to Terry Colvin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Santo Domingo Pueblo Reestablishes Traditional Pueblo Name
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
Santo Domingo Pueblo Reestablishes Traditional Pueblo Name
The tribal seal now says Kewa (KEE-wah) Pueblo. Tribal councilors for what has been known as Santo Domingo Pueblo late last year unanimously changed the pueblo's name back to what it was traditionally. Former pueblo Gov. Everett Chavez, who proposed the change, says Kewa is how the tribe's people refer to themselves.
http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12115964
Arizona Blogger Questions True Costs of Closing Arizona State Parks
Well, it's making national news: Arizona is closing many of its state parks because of budget problems. My father called this week from the East Coast asking if it's true. Sadly, I see the reasoning and the why; however, a problem remains in keeping the parks secure. State parks officials are struggling to figure out how they're going to keep closed state parks free of vandals and looters. The first wave of closures began Feb. 22.
http://tinyurl.com/y8b4s7o - Prescott Daily Courier
Resurrected Arizona State Museum Southwest Indian Art Fair Benefit, at Desert Diamond Casino
On March 27 and 28, 2010, Meet 100 Native artists and shop for top-quality handmade artwork including pottery, Hopi kachina dolls, paintings, jewelry, baskets, rugs, blankets, and more. Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., adult admission $6 (members $5). Proceeds go directly to strengthening SWIAF 2011. We are grateful for the expertise of the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and the generosity of Desert Diamond Casino in helping to make this benefit a reality. Special thanks to Madden Media/Tucson Guide.
http://www.southernazfestivals.org/indianartfair.html
Tour Opportunity (Flagstaff)
Celebrate archaeology month by taking a guided walk with an expert to Keyhole Sink, a petroglyph site in the Kaibab National Forest west of Flagstaff. The free hikes are at 2 p.m. Saturdays in March. Creeks are flowing as a result of the wet winter, and "there's almost guaranteed to be a waterfall" next to the petroglyph site, said Neil Weintraub, archaeologist at the forest's Williams Ranger District.
http://tinyurl.com/ybtrrc8 - Arizona Republic
Exhibit Celebrating the Life and Work of Michael Kabotie Opens at MNA
A monumental and stark-white triptych hangs against lava-blue walls inside what is now called the Walking in Harmony gallery at the Museum of Northern Arizona. The 6-foot by 15-foot panel seems blank, but a closer inspection reveals delicate blue outlines on the left panel, the beginnings of a sketch of images yet to come. The Zen-like work has a name, and an artist: "3 Ladies of the Americas," by Michael Kabotie, a much-respected Hopi painter, printmaker, jeweler, poet and spiritual seeker.
http://tinyurl.com/y8aulb2 - Arizona Daily Sun
Analysis of Alabama Case Pitting Archaeological Preservation Against Urban Sprawl
Overlooking the Interstate and an outdoor shopping mall here stands a sad little hill, bald but for four bare trees and a scattering of stones. That the stones are there is beyond argument. But everything else about them — whether somebody put them there, how long they have been there and what should be done with them — became a matter of fierce debate last summer and has continued to yield surprising twists into recent weeks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/us/14oxford.html
Lecture Opportunity (Tucson)
Steve Lekson will present "Chimney Rock and Chaco Canyon, Pinnacle and Mesa Verde: Ancestral Pueblo Regional Dynamics" at the monthly meeting of the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society. Tonight, Monday, March 15th 7:30 pm DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N Campbell Ave. The AAHS will have Dr. Lekson's newest book A History of the Ancient Southwest for sale at a discounted price of $32.00 to benefit the archaeology society.
Reminder - 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
Native American Grant Opportunity with IMLS
The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program promotes enhanced learning and innovation within museums and museum related organizations, such as cultural centers. The program provides opportunities for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge by strengthened museum services in the following areas:Programming: Services and activities that support the educational mission of museums and museum related organizations. Professional development: Education or training that builds skills, knowledge, or other professional capacity for persons who provide of manage museum service activities. Individuals may be paid or volunteers. Enhancement of museum services: Support for activities that enable and improve museum services. Eligible applicants are: federally recognized Indian tribes, Alaskan Native Villages and corporations, and, organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. For more information about these IMLS grant programs, contact: Sandra Narva, Senior Program Officer, Phone: (202) 653-4634, E-mail: snarva@imls.gov or Reagan Moore, Program Specialist, Phone: (202) 653-4637, E-mail: rmoore@imls.gov.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.
Santo Domingo Pueblo Reestablishes Traditional Pueblo Name
The tribal seal now says Kewa (KEE-wah) Pueblo. Tribal councilors for what has been known as Santo Domingo Pueblo late last year unanimously changed the pueblo's name back to what it was traditionally. Former pueblo Gov. Everett Chavez, who proposed the change, says Kewa is how the tribe's people refer to themselves.
http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12115964
Arizona Blogger Questions True Costs of Closing Arizona State Parks
Well, it's making national news: Arizona is closing many of its state parks because of budget problems. My father called this week from the East Coast asking if it's true. Sadly, I see the reasoning and the why; however, a problem remains in keeping the parks secure. State parks officials are struggling to figure out how they're going to keep closed state parks free of vandals and looters. The first wave of closures began Feb. 22.
http://tinyurl.com/y8b4s7o - Prescott Daily Courier
Resurrected Arizona State Museum Southwest Indian Art Fair Benefit, at Desert Diamond Casino
On March 27 and 28, 2010, Meet 100 Native artists and shop for top-quality handmade artwork including pottery, Hopi kachina dolls, paintings, jewelry, baskets, rugs, blankets, and more. Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., adult admission $6 (members $5). Proceeds go directly to strengthening SWIAF 2011. We are grateful for the expertise of the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and the generosity of Desert Diamond Casino in helping to make this benefit a reality. Special thanks to Madden Media/Tucson Guide.
http://www.southernazfestivals.org/indianartfair.html
Tour Opportunity (Flagstaff)
Celebrate archaeology month by taking a guided walk with an expert to Keyhole Sink, a petroglyph site in the Kaibab National Forest west of Flagstaff. The free hikes are at 2 p.m. Saturdays in March. Creeks are flowing as a result of the wet winter, and "there's almost guaranteed to be a waterfall" next to the petroglyph site, said Neil Weintraub, archaeologist at the forest's Williams Ranger District.
http://tinyurl.com/ybtrrc8 - Arizona Republic
Exhibit Celebrating the Life and Work of Michael Kabotie Opens at MNA
A monumental and stark-white triptych hangs against lava-blue walls inside what is now called the Walking in Harmony gallery at the Museum of Northern Arizona. The 6-foot by 15-foot panel seems blank, but a closer inspection reveals delicate blue outlines on the left panel, the beginnings of a sketch of images yet to come. The Zen-like work has a name, and an artist: "3 Ladies of the Americas," by Michael Kabotie, a much-respected Hopi painter, printmaker, jeweler, poet and spiritual seeker.
http://tinyurl.com/y8aulb2 - Arizona Daily Sun
Analysis of Alabama Case Pitting Archaeological Preservation Against Urban Sprawl
Overlooking the Interstate and an outdoor shopping mall here stands a sad little hill, bald but for four bare trees and a scattering of stones. That the stones are there is beyond argument. But everything else about them — whether somebody put them there, how long they have been there and what should be done with them — became a matter of fierce debate last summer and has continued to yield surprising twists into recent weeks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/us/14oxford.html
Lecture Opportunity (Tucson)
Steve Lekson will present "Chimney Rock and Chaco Canyon, Pinnacle and Mesa Verde: Ancestral Pueblo Regional Dynamics" at the monthly meeting of the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society. Tonight, Monday, March 15th 7:30 pm DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N Campbell Ave. The AAHS will have Dr. Lekson's newest book A History of the Ancient Southwest for sale at a discounted price of $32.00 to benefit the archaeology society.
Reminder - 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
Native American Grant Opportunity with IMLS
The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program promotes enhanced learning and innovation within museums and museum related organizations, such as cultural centers. The program provides opportunities for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge by strengthened museum services in the following areas:Programming: Services and activities that support the educational mission of museums and museum related organizations. Professional development: Education or training that builds skills, knowledge, or other professional capacity for persons who provide of manage museum service activities. Individuals may be paid or volunteers. Enhancement of museum services: Support for activities that enable and improve museum services. Eligible applicants are: federally recognized Indian tribes, Alaskan Native Villages and corporations, and, organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. For more information about these IMLS grant programs, contact: Sandra Narva, Senior Program Officer, Phone: (202) 653-4634, E-mail: snarva@imls.gov or Reagan Moore, Program Specialist, Phone: (202) 653-4637, E-mail: rmoore@imls.gov.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso for contributions to today's newsletter.
Monday, February 8, 2010
New Findings on Ancient Turkeys of the Southwest (and no, this is not about your dissertation chair)
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- More Information on Ancient Southwestern Turkey Domestication: Today at Discovery News you can find out how Native Americans domesticated turkeys, not just once, but twice, well over 1,500 years before Christopher Columbus and other Europeans set foot on American soil. Native Americans were hardly starved for food. They had long before gotten their farming act together. They instead raised turkeys for their feathers, which were "used in rituals and ceremonies, as well as to make feather robes or blankets," according to Simon Fraser University's Camilla Speller, who led the recent research project on North American turkey domestication. Her team's paper is in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://tinyurl.com/yhfmbjs - Discovery News
http://tinyurl.com/yb69oly - National Academy of Sciences
- Center for Desert Archaeology Settling Down in New Location: The Center for Desert Archaeology has moved downtown. The nonprofit, which is dedicated to research and preservation of archaeology, has moved to 300 N. Ash Alley, on the property of the Bates Family House and Mountain Oyster Club on North Stone. The 138-year-old adobe brick building is the former home of the ranch culture-oriented Mountain Oyster Club, which moved in 2003 to its current home at 6400 E. El Dorado Circle.
http://tinyurl.com/ya9zkql - Arizona Daily Star
- In the Aftermath of Park Closure, Northern Arizonans Attempt to Save Riordan Mansion: After 106 years of a mostly happy storyline, the tale of Riordan Mansion, including its almost 30 years as an Arizona state park, may take on an element of tragedy Feb. 22 when the facilities are officially closed to the public, as mandated by a Jan. 15 decision by the Arizona State Parks Board. As the mansion hovers on the brink of its closing date, a growing band of concerned parties, including paid park staff, volunteers, historians, and various government and nonprofit agency officials, are rallying to raise money to keep this unique state treasure open.
http://tinyurl.com/ye7p3rs- Arizona Daily Sun
http://tinyurl.com/yba3jys - Arizona Daily Sun
Gila Cliff Dwellings to Reopen to Foot Traffic: Superintendent Steve Riley announced today that Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will likely reopen the West Fork Bridge to foot and bicycle traffic next weekend. Beginning on Saturday, February 13th, visitors will be permitted to cross the bridge on a pedestrian gangway and make the 3-mile roundtrip hike to the Cliff Dwellings. Visitors must park their vehicles at Woody’s Corral and hike down the closed road to the trailhead. Please plan on allowing at least three hours to visit the site. The Cliff Dwellings will be staffed daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and while the gate to the Cliff Dwellings closes at 4:00 p.m., visitors have another hour in which to complete their visit. There will be no guided tours during this interim period. Both Lower Scorpion Campground and Upper Scorpion Campground have been reopened for pack-in camping, but there is no potable water available. TJ Corral and the West Fork Trail (#151) will be accessible for those wanting to use the trailheads for wilderness travel. Please note that the West Fork Bridge remains closed to any motorized traffic. For further information, please contact the Gila Visitor Center at (575) 536-9461.
- Lecture Opportunity (Blanding): Thursday, February 11th, 6:30 PM. Memories of Glen Canyon Archaeology with Dr. Bill Lipe From 1958 through 1961, Bill Lipe led crews engaged in studying some of the many archaeological sites destined to be destroyed or otherwise affected by the Lake. In this presentation, Dr. Lipe will draw on his recollections, as well as on 50 year-old photos and films, to discuss the significance of flooding Glen Canyon, and what was learned about the area’s archaeology before it was forever affected by the development of Lake Powell. The Glen Canyon Project crews came into Blanding, Utah every two weeks to re-supply and mail collections and notes back to the University of Utah. A number of Blanding residents assisted with the project and their contributions are also highlighted in the talk. The talk is free, and will be held at Edge of the Cedars Museum State Park, 660 West 400 North, Blanding, Utah 84511. Contact 435-678-2238
- Lecture Opportunity (Irvine): Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's February 11th meeting will feature Alexander (Sandy) Rogers speaking on "Dating the Coso Petroglyphs." Meeting information: Thursday, February 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 more information follow the link below: '
http://www.pcas.org
- Lecture Opportunity (Salt Lake City): The Salt Lake/Davis Chapter of the Utah Statewide Archaeology Society February meeting will be February 10 at 7pm at REI (33rd South). Dr. Joel Janetski, Professor of Anthropology at BYU, will be speaking. His topic is “The Archaeology of North Creek Shelter: 10,000 Years of Human History in Southern Utah.” Please bring treats to share. Convention Planning Committee will meet at 6pm at REI. ALL members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Even if you're a new member or haven't been to a meeting in a while, we would love your input, ideas, and suggestions. Help us make our convention a success!
http://www.utaharchaeology.org/Chapters/SL-Davis/SL-Dcurrent.html
- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): Cherie Freeman, an Arizona Site Steward and long time member of Center for Desert Archaeology, will present “Beneath the Rails” on Feb 16th at 12 noon and 7 pm at the ParkWise Conference Room, 110 East Pennington Street, Suite 150 Rm 112. (Pennington Street garage). The presentation will view bridges and other Railroad structures in the Cienega Creek Preserve. This is the kick-off presentation in the 5th annual Lecture series presented by Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. Admission is $5 per person per presentation. All proceeds go to the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum (a Division of Old Pueblo Trolley, Inc a 501 (C) (3) Corporation.) Call 623-2223 for further information.
- Call for Papers / Posters - Sonoran Desert Symposium: A tri-national symposium addressing successes and continuing challenges of conserving the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The symposium will focus on cultural and natural resource issues and is being organized by representatives from the Tohono O’odham Nation, Mexico and the U.S. Date: March 16th thru 18th, 2010 Location: Curley School Campus, Ajo, Arizona, USA.
Field Trips: March 19th, 2010
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/sonorandesertdymposium2010.pdf
- High Tech Hotel Planned for Grand Canyon Interior? A state of the art, out of this world design for a new resort at the western end of the Grand Canyon has been presented to Mohave County supervisors. The hotel would use new technology similar to what's used in a space station. Architect Michael Sarda says the self-sufficient hotel also would use solar, geothermal and possibly wind systems for power. It would be built into the Canyon's walls similar to the Anasazi Native American cliff dwellings of Northern Arizona.
http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11919465
http://www.lvrj.com/news/grand-plan-pitched-to-arizona-county-83323277.html
Thanks to Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
- More Information on Ancient Southwestern Turkey Domestication: Today at Discovery News you can find out how Native Americans domesticated turkeys, not just once, but twice, well over 1,500 years before Christopher Columbus and other Europeans set foot on American soil. Native Americans were hardly starved for food. They had long before gotten their farming act together. They instead raised turkeys for their feathers, which were "used in rituals and ceremonies, as well as to make feather robes or blankets," according to Simon Fraser University's Camilla Speller, who led the recent research project on North American turkey domestication. Her team's paper is in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://tinyurl.com/yhfmbjs - Discovery News
http://tinyurl.com/yb69oly - National Academy of Sciences
- Center for Desert Archaeology Settling Down in New Location: The Center for Desert Archaeology has moved downtown. The nonprofit, which is dedicated to research and preservation of archaeology, has moved to 300 N. Ash Alley, on the property of the Bates Family House and Mountain Oyster Club on North Stone. The 138-year-old adobe brick building is the former home of the ranch culture-oriented Mountain Oyster Club, which moved in 2003 to its current home at 6400 E. El Dorado Circle.
http://tinyurl.com/ya9zkql - Arizona Daily Star
- In the Aftermath of Park Closure, Northern Arizonans Attempt to Save Riordan Mansion: After 106 years of a mostly happy storyline, the tale of Riordan Mansion, including its almost 30 years as an Arizona state park, may take on an element of tragedy Feb. 22 when the facilities are officially closed to the public, as mandated by a Jan. 15 decision by the Arizona State Parks Board. As the mansion hovers on the brink of its closing date, a growing band of concerned parties, including paid park staff, volunteers, historians, and various government and nonprofit agency officials, are rallying to raise money to keep this unique state treasure open.
http://tinyurl.com/ye7p3rs- Arizona Daily Sun
http://tinyurl.com/yba3jys - Arizona Daily Sun
Gila Cliff Dwellings to Reopen to Foot Traffic: Superintendent Steve Riley announced today that Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will likely reopen the West Fork Bridge to foot and bicycle traffic next weekend. Beginning on Saturday, February 13th, visitors will be permitted to cross the bridge on a pedestrian gangway and make the 3-mile roundtrip hike to the Cliff Dwellings. Visitors must park their vehicles at Woody’s Corral and hike down the closed road to the trailhead. Please plan on allowing at least three hours to visit the site. The Cliff Dwellings will be staffed daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and while the gate to the Cliff Dwellings closes at 4:00 p.m., visitors have another hour in which to complete their visit. There will be no guided tours during this interim period. Both Lower Scorpion Campground and Upper Scorpion Campground have been reopened for pack-in camping, but there is no potable water available. TJ Corral and the West Fork Trail (#151) will be accessible for those wanting to use the trailheads for wilderness travel. Please note that the West Fork Bridge remains closed to any motorized traffic. For further information, please contact the Gila Visitor Center at (575) 536-9461.
- Lecture Opportunity (Blanding): Thursday, February 11th, 6:30 PM. Memories of Glen Canyon Archaeology with Dr. Bill Lipe From 1958 through 1961, Bill Lipe led crews engaged in studying some of the many archaeological sites destined to be destroyed or otherwise affected by the Lake. In this presentation, Dr. Lipe will draw on his recollections, as well as on 50 year-old photos and films, to discuss the significance of flooding Glen Canyon, and what was learned about the area’s archaeology before it was forever affected by the development of Lake Powell. The Glen Canyon Project crews came into Blanding, Utah every two weeks to re-supply and mail collections and notes back to the University of Utah. A number of Blanding residents assisted with the project and their contributions are also highlighted in the talk. The talk is free, and will be held at Edge of the Cedars Museum State Park, 660 West 400 North, Blanding, Utah 84511. Contact 435-678-2238
- Lecture Opportunity (Irvine): Pacific Coast Archaeological Society's February 11th meeting will feature Alexander (Sandy) Rogers speaking on "Dating the Coso Petroglyphs." Meeting information: Thursday, February 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 more information follow the link below: '
http://www.pcas.org
- Lecture Opportunity (Salt Lake City): The Salt Lake/Davis Chapter of the Utah Statewide Archaeology Society February meeting will be February 10 at 7pm at REI (33rd South). Dr. Joel Janetski, Professor of Anthropology at BYU, will be speaking. His topic is “The Archaeology of North Creek Shelter: 10,000 Years of Human History in Southern Utah.” Please bring treats to share. Convention Planning Committee will meet at 6pm at REI. ALL members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Even if you're a new member or haven't been to a meeting in a while, we would love your input, ideas, and suggestions. Help us make our convention a success!
http://www.utaharchaeology.org/Chapters/SL-Davis/SL-Dcurrent.html
- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): Cherie Freeman, an Arizona Site Steward and long time member of Center for Desert Archaeology, will present “Beneath the Rails” on Feb 16th at 12 noon and 7 pm at the ParkWise Conference Room, 110 East Pennington Street, Suite 150 Rm 112. (Pennington Street garage). The presentation will view bridges and other Railroad structures in the Cienega Creek Preserve. This is the kick-off presentation in the 5th annual Lecture series presented by Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. Admission is $5 per person per presentation. All proceeds go to the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum (a Division of Old Pueblo Trolley, Inc a 501 (C) (3) Corporation.) Call 623-2223 for further information.
- Call for Papers / Posters - Sonoran Desert Symposium: A tri-national symposium addressing successes and continuing challenges of conserving the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The symposium will focus on cultural and natural resource issues and is being organized by representatives from the Tohono O’odham Nation, Mexico and the U.S. Date: March 16th thru 18th, 2010 Location: Curley School Campus, Ajo, Arizona, USA.
Field Trips: March 19th, 2010
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/sonorandesertdymposium2010.pdf
- High Tech Hotel Planned for Grand Canyon Interior? A state of the art, out of this world design for a new resort at the western end of the Grand Canyon has been presented to Mohave County supervisors. The hotel would use new technology similar to what's used in a space station. Architect Michael Sarda says the self-sufficient hotel also would use solar, geothermal and possibly wind systems for power. It would be built into the Canyon's walls similar to the Anasazi Native American cliff dwellings of Northern Arizona.
http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11919465
http://www.lvrj.com/news/grand-plan-pitched-to-arizona-county-83323277.html
Thanks to Adrianne Rankin for contributing to today's newsletter.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
2009 Pecos Conference Starts this Thursday
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology.
- 2009 Pecos Conference Starts this Thursday: A traditional gathering focused on understanding the archaeological work being done across the Southwest, with a special focus on contemporary regional and professional issues.
http://pecos.cortezculturalcenter.org/about.shtml
-- Update on Pecos Fire Restrictions: Campfires in the free Pecos Conference camping area are not allowed, but the Forest Service will allow the usual types of gas or propane camp stoves for cooking. Campfires are allowed in established fire rings in the traditional campground, but these campsites require payment of a fee.
-- SAT Newsletter @ Pecos: Southwest Archaeology Today is now four years old and we hope that this service is useful to the southwestern archaeology community. If there are ways that you think this newsletter could be improved, or wish to offer constructive critique, please stop by the Center for Desert Archaeology table under the Pecos vendor's tent and let us know.
- Restored Paquime Ceramics to Be Displayed at the Casas Grandes Heritage Center: Sixty seven original Prehispanic ceramic pieces from Paquime region, most of them from the Medium (sic) period (1060-1340), were restored by National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to be exhibited at Casas Chihuahua Cultural Heritage Center, from August 2009. Pots, flat bowls and effigy vessels integrate the Casas Grandes culture collection that presented deterioration; surface cleaning of the red and black earthenware, salts and dust removal and reintegration, in some cases, was carried on.
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32387
- SAA Finds that a Federal Land Exchange called the "Apache Leap Bill" Could Have Significant Negative Impacts on Southwestern Archaeological Sites: Called "S. 409--Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009," sponsored by Sen. McCain. This legislation, also known as the Apache Leap bill, would direct the Department of Agriculture to convey certain lands on the Tonto National Forest to the Resolution Copper Mining Company in exchange for a parcel of environmentally sensitive land elsewhere in Arizona. The lands to be conveyed contain a significant number of archaeological sites. On June 17, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing on the bill. During the hearing, the Department of Agriculture witness expressed the administration's concerns with the bill. SAA submitted written testimony in opposition to the legislation, as it does not ensure adequate protection for the cultural resources that would be affected by the land transfer and subsequent mining activity.
http://www.saa.org/AbouttheSociety/GovernmentAffairs/tabid/115/Default.aspx
- Stephen Durand Passes: A memorial gathering for sharing memories of Stephen R. Durand will be planned for his birthday in October. Arrangements will be announced at a later time. Stephen Roland Durand was born October 10, 1952, in Washington, DC, to Clara and Roland E. Durand, and died at his home in Portales, NM, on July 28, 2009, of Malignant Melanoma. Stephen did his undergraduate work at Purdue University where he had planned to study Engineering. However, he took a class in Anthropology, and a lifetime love of archaeology was born.
http://www.legacy.com/pntonline/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=130577453
- Can the Divide Between the Angry Citizens of Southern Utah and Archaeologists be Bridged by a Museum? It's tough to watch positions hardening when there's a local project underway that would protect artifacts in a way that doesn't demonize the locals who dug them up. I moved to Utah last year, and recently watched archaeologists and students whisk powdery red earth from floors that Native Americans popularly known as Anasazi built 1,000 years ago. It wasn't what they were finding that intrigued me, though, it was the precedent they've been setting.
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_12949608
- Chevron Mining Donates Land for Navajo Code Talkers Museum: Chevron Mining Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, today announced the donation of 208 acres of land to the Navajo Code Talkers Association (NCTA) for the future home of a Code Talkers museum and veterans center. The land transfer recognizes the Navajo Code Talkers for their service in creating history's only unbroken battlefield code during the Pacific campaign of World War II.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/gceg - Yahoo News
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Center for Desert Archaeology are Seeking Comments on a Proposed SunZia Power Transmission Line: The organizations are considering submitting a joint comment letter in response to the BLM's intent to prepare an EIS and possible RMP amendment for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project in southern NM and AZ. The comment deadline has been extended to August 28. Links to the maps of the proposed project location and some cultural resources located within the APE are listed below. We welcome additional information about potential conflicts between the proposed transmission line and cultural resources (prehistoric, historic, tribal). If you're interested in working on a comment letter with us or are willing to share information about potentially affected cultural resources, please contact rebecca_schwendler@nthp.org.
http://www.sunzia.net/downloads.php
Thanks to Zoe Johnson and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
- 2009 Pecos Conference Starts this Thursday: A traditional gathering focused on understanding the archaeological work being done across the Southwest, with a special focus on contemporary regional and professional issues.
http://pecos.cortezculturalcenter.org/about.shtml
-- Update on Pecos Fire Restrictions: Campfires in the free Pecos Conference camping area are not allowed, but the Forest Service will allow the usual types of gas or propane camp stoves for cooking. Campfires are allowed in established fire rings in the traditional campground, but these campsites require payment of a fee.
-- SAT Newsletter @ Pecos: Southwest Archaeology Today is now four years old and we hope that this service is useful to the southwestern archaeology community. If there are ways that you think this newsletter could be improved, or wish to offer constructive critique, please stop by the Center for Desert Archaeology table under the Pecos vendor's tent and let us know.
- Restored Paquime Ceramics to Be Displayed at the Casas Grandes Heritage Center: Sixty seven original Prehispanic ceramic pieces from Paquime region, most of them from the Medium (sic) period (1060-1340), were restored by National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to be exhibited at Casas Chihuahua Cultural Heritage Center, from August 2009. Pots, flat bowls and effigy vessels integrate the Casas Grandes culture collection that presented deterioration; surface cleaning of the red and black earthenware, salts and dust removal and reintegration, in some cases, was carried on.
http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32387
- SAA Finds that a Federal Land Exchange called the "Apache Leap Bill" Could Have Significant Negative Impacts on Southwestern Archaeological Sites: Called "S. 409--Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009," sponsored by Sen. McCain. This legislation, also known as the Apache Leap bill, would direct the Department of Agriculture to convey certain lands on the Tonto National Forest to the Resolution Copper Mining Company in exchange for a parcel of environmentally sensitive land elsewhere in Arizona. The lands to be conveyed contain a significant number of archaeological sites. On June 17, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing on the bill. During the hearing, the Department of Agriculture witness expressed the administration's concerns with the bill. SAA submitted written testimony in opposition to the legislation, as it does not ensure adequate protection for the cultural resources that would be affected by the land transfer and subsequent mining activity.
http://www.saa.org/AbouttheSociety/GovernmentAffairs/tabid/115/Default.aspx
- Stephen Durand Passes: A memorial gathering for sharing memories of Stephen R. Durand will be planned for his birthday in October. Arrangements will be announced at a later time. Stephen Roland Durand was born October 10, 1952, in Washington, DC, to Clara and Roland E. Durand, and died at his home in Portales, NM, on July 28, 2009, of Malignant Melanoma. Stephen did his undergraduate work at Purdue University where he had planned to study Engineering. However, he took a class in Anthropology, and a lifetime love of archaeology was born.
http://www.legacy.com/pntonline/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=130577453
- Can the Divide Between the Angry Citizens of Southern Utah and Archaeologists be Bridged by a Museum? It's tough to watch positions hardening when there's a local project underway that would protect artifacts in a way that doesn't demonize the locals who dug them up. I moved to Utah last year, and recently watched archaeologists and students whisk powdery red earth from floors that Native Americans popularly known as Anasazi built 1,000 years ago. It wasn't what they were finding that intrigued me, though, it was the precedent they've been setting.
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_12949608
- Chevron Mining Donates Land for Navajo Code Talkers Museum: Chevron Mining Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, today announced the donation of 208 acres of land to the Navajo Code Talkers Association (NCTA) for the future home of a Code Talkers museum and veterans center. The land transfer recognizes the Navajo Code Talkers for their service in creating history's only unbroken battlefield code during the Pacific campaign of World War II.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/gceg - Yahoo News
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Center for Desert Archaeology are Seeking Comments on a Proposed SunZia Power Transmission Line: The organizations are considering submitting a joint comment letter in response to the BLM's intent to prepare an EIS and possible RMP amendment for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project in southern NM and AZ. The comment deadline has been extended to August 28. Links to the maps of the proposed project location and some cultural resources located within the APE are listed below. We welcome additional information about potential conflicts between the proposed transmission line and cultural resources (prehistoric, historic, tribal). If you're interested in working on a comment letter with us or are willing to share information about potentially affected cultural resources, please contact rebecca_schwendler@nthp.org.
http://www.sunzia.net/downloads.php
Thanks to Zoe Johnson and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today's newsletter.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
75th Anniversary of Snaketown Excavations
Southwestern Archaeology Making The News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Southwestern Archaeologists Observe 75th Anniversary of Snaketown Excavations: This year marks the 75th anniversary of the first excavations at Snaketown, the large ancient Hohokam settlement on the present-day Gila River Indian Community, near Chandler, Ariz. For archaeologists, including those at The University of Arizona and the Arizona State Museum, Snaketown represents a significant key to understanding the Hohokam, who lived in the Southwest from as early as A.D 500 until about A.D. 1450. It also began a sea change in how archaeological sites are now excavated and interpreted. That includes illuminating the lives of those who lived in prehistoric communities in much greater detail than ever before.
http://uanews.org/node/26098
- Multimedia Presentations on the 75th Anniversary of Excavations at Snaketown:
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/page/snaketown
http://uanews.org/node/26247
- Chimney Rock, Chaco, & Mesoamerican Connections: Lekson speculates that the Chacoans may have interacted with the Aztec and Toltec civilizations and strived to emulate them. As evidence, he cites design similarities in the architecture at New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the great Meso American cultural sites in Central America. "At Chaco Canyon, we've found cacao, copper, macaw feathers and turquoise, and deer and elk bones," Lekson said. "All of that came from far away."
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ezc4 - Durango Herald
http://www.cdarc.org/page/tg0 - Durango Herald
- New Archaeology Center Celebrates Groundbreaking in Santa Fe: , N.M. (AP) - New Mexico officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday for a new state archaeology center. Fittingly, they used replicas of ancient digging sticks - used to plant seeds or dig holes - rather than shovels.
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1028390.shtml?cat=516
- San Diego Archaeology Center is a Doorway to the Past: Truly one of San Diego County’s little known gems, the San Diego Archaeological Center was created in 1993 to provide an archaeological curation facility for the San Diego Region. The center was the first nonprofit organization in the nation dedicated solely to curating and sharing archaeological collections with the public. It curates archaeological collections that document 10,000 years of the region’s rich cultural history and relate to the cultural diversity that still exists in Southern California.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/94h3 - Ramona Sentinel
- Visiting Places of the Past - Montezuma Castle: Beaver Creek is flowing, the sun is shining and a steady stream of visitors moves along the loop trail. The park was created to preserve a small village built about 1,000 years ago by Southern Sinagua, who lived along rivers and creeks in the Verde Valley. The Sinagua hunted, planted corn and cotton, and made baskets and pottery. The Hopi and Zuni claim them as ancestors. Another pueblo culture, the Northern Sinagua, lived near the San Francisco Peaks in villages built away from rivers, which gave rise to the name Sinagua, meaning "without water."
http://www.cdarc.org/page/3gpd
- Man Arrested Saturday for Threatening Confidential Informant in Blanding Raids: Federal prosecutors have charged a southern Utah man with threatening to beat a confidential informant who was pivotal in a widespread investigation into the looting of Native American artifacts, authorities said Monday. Charles Denton Armstrong, 44, was arrested Saturday and charged with one count of retaliation against an informant. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison. His public defender and relatives declined to comment after his court appearance in Salt Lake City on Monday.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/f7eo - Los Angeles Times
- Gila Cliff Dwellings Seek Public Input on Management Plan: The Monument, continuing with its General Management Planning process begun last summer, will be holding public meetings to discuss the range of alternatives outlined in the July, 2009 Newsletter, available on line at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/gicl or directly from the Monument by calling 575-536-9461. Meetings are planned at the following times and locations: July 21 at 6:00 PM the Gila Visitor Center, 43 miles north of Silver City on New Mexico Highway 15. The meeting may be indoors or outdoors depending on number of attendees and weather. A potluck dinner is planned following the meeting. Please call the Monument if you plan to attend so that adequate food can be prepared. July 22 at 7:00 PM at the SILCO Theater, 311 North Bullard, in Silver City. Comments are also being solicited by email: Steve_Riley@nps.gov OR mail: Superintendent, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, HC 68 Box 100, Silver City, NM 88061.
- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): On Monday July 20th Dr. William Graves (SRI) will present the monthly Arizona Archaeology and Historical Society Lecture. The topic is "History, Households and Power in the Ancient Hohokam World". The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is held at DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson and starts at 7:30 pm.
- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): Thursday July 16, 2009, Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's "Third Thursdays" free presentation: "Tree-Rings, Hunting, and Migrants: The Evidence from Whiptail Ruin" with archaeologist Linda Gregonis at Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, 2201 W. 44th Street, Tucson (in Tucson Unified School District's Ajo Service Center, just west of La Cholla Blvd., ½-mile north of John F. Kennedy
Park). 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free.
- Audio Interview with Dr Fred Wendorf is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel: We are pleased to present an audio interview with Dr. Fred Wendorf, a principal figure in the history of American archaeology and for decades the leading researcher in the prehistory of northeastern Africa. This interview, titled Desert Days after the title of his recently published memoir, is the latest feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel
http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Employment Opportunity: Director, Huhugam Heritage Center, Gila River Indian Community, Chandler, Arizona. The Director, Huhugam Heritage Center is responsible for the leadership, long-range planning, implementation, and maintenance of professional standards for the Huhugam Heritage Center (HHC). The incumbent shall be the point of contact with the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Department of the Interior for and on behalf of the Huhugam Heritage Center. Job Number: 2009-232 Recruitment Closes: August 14, 2009.
http://www.gilariver.org/index.php/jobs/17-current-gric-job-openings/722
Employment Opportunity: The Tonto National Forest is looking for a hit-the-ground-running assistant to the Forest Archeologist in the Phoenix Supervisor's Office at the GS-11 grade level. This is a term appointment for a minimum of 13 months up to 4 years. If you know of any appropriate candidates, please encourage them to apply. Questions can be directed to Scott Wood(swood01@fs.fed.us)at 602 225-5231. There are two job announcements at USA Jobs: one open to all qualified candidates - ADS09-R3TNF-4414DP(P-DB)- and one open to USFS- ADS09-R3TNF-4414G(P-DB. The job announcement closes Tuesday, July 28.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso and Michael Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
- Southwestern Archaeologists Observe 75th Anniversary of Snaketown Excavations: This year marks the 75th anniversary of the first excavations at Snaketown, the large ancient Hohokam settlement on the present-day Gila River Indian Community, near Chandler, Ariz. For archaeologists, including those at The University of Arizona and the Arizona State Museum, Snaketown represents a significant key to understanding the Hohokam, who lived in the Southwest from as early as A.D 500 until about A.D. 1450. It also began a sea change in how archaeological sites are now excavated and interpreted. That includes illuminating the lives of those who lived in prehistoric communities in much greater detail than ever before.
http://uanews.org/node/26098
- Multimedia Presentations on the 75th Anniversary of Excavations at Snaketown:
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/page/snaketown
http://uanews.org/node/26247
- Chimney Rock, Chaco, & Mesoamerican Connections: Lekson speculates that the Chacoans may have interacted with the Aztec and Toltec civilizations and strived to emulate them. As evidence, he cites design similarities in the architecture at New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the great Meso American cultural sites in Central America. "At Chaco Canyon, we've found cacao, copper, macaw feathers and turquoise, and deer and elk bones," Lekson said. "All of that came from far away."
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ezc4 - Durango Herald
http://www.cdarc.org/page/tg0 - Durango Herald
- New Archaeology Center Celebrates Groundbreaking in Santa Fe: , N.M. (AP) - New Mexico officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday for a new state archaeology center. Fittingly, they used replicas of ancient digging sticks - used to plant seeds or dig holes - rather than shovels.
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1028390.shtml?cat=516
- San Diego Archaeology Center is a Doorway to the Past: Truly one of San Diego County’s little known gems, the San Diego Archaeological Center was created in 1993 to provide an archaeological curation facility for the San Diego Region. The center was the first nonprofit organization in the nation dedicated solely to curating and sharing archaeological collections with the public. It curates archaeological collections that document 10,000 years of the region’s rich cultural history and relate to the cultural diversity that still exists in Southern California.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/94h3 - Ramona Sentinel
- Visiting Places of the Past - Montezuma Castle: Beaver Creek is flowing, the sun is shining and a steady stream of visitors moves along the loop trail. The park was created to preserve a small village built about 1,000 years ago by Southern Sinagua, who lived along rivers and creeks in the Verde Valley. The Sinagua hunted, planted corn and cotton, and made baskets and pottery. The Hopi and Zuni claim them as ancestors. Another pueblo culture, the Northern Sinagua, lived near the San Francisco Peaks in villages built away from rivers, which gave rise to the name Sinagua, meaning "without water."
http://www.cdarc.org/page/3gpd
- Man Arrested Saturday for Threatening Confidential Informant in Blanding Raids: Federal prosecutors have charged a southern Utah man with threatening to beat a confidential informant who was pivotal in a widespread investigation into the looting of Native American artifacts, authorities said Monday. Charles Denton Armstrong, 44, was arrested Saturday and charged with one count of retaliation against an informant. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison. His public defender and relatives declined to comment after his court appearance in Salt Lake City on Monday.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/f7eo - Los Angeles Times
- Gila Cliff Dwellings Seek Public Input on Management Plan: The Monument, continuing with its General Management Planning process begun last summer, will be holding public meetings to discuss the range of alternatives outlined in the July, 2009 Newsletter, available on line at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/gicl or directly from the Monument by calling 575-536-9461. Meetings are planned at the following times and locations: July 21 at 6:00 PM the Gila Visitor Center, 43 miles north of Silver City on New Mexico Highway 15. The meeting may be indoors or outdoors depending on number of attendees and weather. A potluck dinner is planned following the meeting. Please call the Monument if you plan to attend so that adequate food can be prepared. July 22 at 7:00 PM at the SILCO Theater, 311 North Bullard, in Silver City. Comments are also being solicited by email: Steve_Riley@nps.gov OR mail: Superintendent, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, HC 68 Box 100, Silver City, NM 88061.
- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): On Monday July 20th Dr. William Graves (SRI) will present the monthly Arizona Archaeology and Historical Society Lecture. The topic is "History, Households and Power in the Ancient Hohokam World". The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is held at DuVal Auditorium, University Medical Center, 1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson and starts at 7:30 pm.
- Lecture Opportunity (Tucson): Thursday July 16, 2009, Old Pueblo Archaeology Center's "Third Thursdays" free presentation: "Tree-Rings, Hunting, and Migrants: The Evidence from Whiptail Ruin" with archaeologist Linda Gregonis at Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, 2201 W. 44th Street, Tucson (in Tucson Unified School District's Ajo Service Center, just west of La Cholla Blvd., ½-mile north of John F. Kennedy
Park). 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free.
- Audio Interview with Dr Fred Wendorf is the Latest Feature on the Archaeology Channel: We are pleased to present an audio interview with Dr. Fred Wendorf, a principal figure in the history of American archaeology and for decades the leading researcher in the prehistory of northeastern Africa. This interview, titled Desert Days after the title of his recently published memoir, is the latest feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel
http://www.archaeologychannel.org
Employment Opportunity: Director, Huhugam Heritage Center, Gila River Indian Community, Chandler, Arizona. The Director, Huhugam Heritage Center is responsible for the leadership, long-range planning, implementation, and maintenance of professional standards for the Huhugam Heritage Center (HHC). The incumbent shall be the point of contact with the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Department of the Interior for and on behalf of the Huhugam Heritage Center. Job Number: 2009-232 Recruitment Closes: August 14, 2009.
http://www.gilariver.org/index.php/jobs/17-current-gric-job-openings/722
Employment Opportunity: The Tonto National Forest is looking for a hit-the-ground-running assistant to the Forest Archeologist in the Phoenix Supervisor's Office at the GS-11 grade level. This is a term appointment for a minimum of 13 months up to 4 years. If you know of any appropriate candidates, please encourage them to apply. Questions can be directed to Scott Wood(swood01@fs.fed.us)at 602 225-5231. There are two job announcements at USA Jobs: one open to all qualified candidates - ADS09-R3TNF-4414DP(P-DB)- and one open to USFS- ADS09-R3TNF-4414G(P-DB. The job announcement closes Tuesday, July 28.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso and Michael Mauer 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.
Monday, July 6, 2009
News About Chimney Rock Excavations, Pima County Moves to Protect Hohokam Village Site.
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Excavations at Chimney Rock: Take a 1,000-year-old, ancient Puebloan site that links to a major astronomical “capital” 100 miles away, combine it with archaeology connections to the University of Colorado spanning 40 years, and you end up with a masterpiece of excavation and mystery just a half-hour from Pagosa Springs. The Chimney Rock Archaeology Area is best known locally as the towering pillars of stone that rise above the valley floor near the intersection of U.S. 160 and Colo. 151. Visible from areas in Pagosa Springs, the formations are just a small part of the site that has attracted attention from archaeologists both regionally and worldwide. In fact, a film crew from the National Geographic Society was at the site in late June to document the current project, which could provide conclusive evidence that Chimney Rock is not a stand-alone site, but part of a much larger group of ancient pueblos whose function is related to astronomical events.
http://www.pagosasun.com/archives/2009/07july/070209/feature.html
- Colorado Representative John Salazar Visits Chimney Rock Project: Salazar praised the efforts of federal, state and private groups, including University of Colorado at Boulder faculty and student archaeologists, who are working together to investigate and restore the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area near Pagosa Springs, Colo. The site is considered one of the most spectacular Ancestral Pueblo ruins in all of the Southwest. Salazar toured Chimney Rock, believed to be an important religious and ceremonial center for the Pueblo people 1,000 years ago, on June 30. The 4,100-acre Chimney Rock Archaeological Area features two spectacular rock pinnacles, a Pueblo Great House, a ceremonial Great Kiva and a variety of other stone structures. The site is located at an altitude of 7,800 feet, high above the valley floor, and appears to have been sacred to the Pueblo elite who likely watched the moon periodically rise between the rock pinnacles.
http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/662988bb4dc6b81df322f62a1e243433.html
- John Salazar's Bill to Provide Mesa Verde with 22 Million Dollars for New Visitor's Center Passes in US House: The proposed visitor and curatorial center at Mesa Verde National Park stands to receive $22 million under a funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The money was requested by U.S. Rep. John Salazar, who announced the funding Wednesday at Mesa Verde. The bill contains $11.6 million for the curatorial center and $10.5 million for the visitors center. Both centers will be housed in one building near the park's entrance.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/fqb7 - Durango Herald
- Pima County Hopes to Preserve Ancient Hohokam Village: The county hopes to capitalize on the low land values hitting commercial investors now as it tries to secure state funds to buy 67 acres on the Southwest side for preservation. The county wants a state grant to purchase the archeologically-rich Valencia Site, near West Valencia Road and Interstate 19, most of which it will preserve. A small portion will be used for public education. The site includes about 1,800 Hohokam pithouses and represents about 500 years of Hohokam occupation.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/299626
- Autry National Center Hits Roadblock in Planned Takeover of Southwest Museum: A panel of five City Council members — faced with a polite crowd of more than 200 people divided between those with “Yes!” decals urging approval of the Autry’s plans and others with multicolored paper “S.O.S.” buttons, for “Save Our Southwest” — voted unanimously to delay a decision for four weeks. It urged the Autry to provide legal assurances by then that the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mount Washington won't become just an afterthought to a larger, more comprehensive Griffith Park facility.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/fha9 - Los Angeles Times
- The Strange Story of Everett Ruess continues: Any doubt that remains found in the Utah wilderness were those of Everett Ruess, a legendary wanderer of the 1930s, seemed to be erased by a battery of forensic and genetic tests a few months ago. But Utah's state archaeologist, who was not involved in the discovery, is raising a series of questions about whether the remains are actually those of the poet and artist who disappeared in the Escalante canyons.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/49753927.html
Thanks to Michael D Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
- Excavations at Chimney Rock: Take a 1,000-year-old, ancient Puebloan site that links to a major astronomical “capital” 100 miles away, combine it with archaeology connections to the University of Colorado spanning 40 years, and you end up with a masterpiece of excavation and mystery just a half-hour from Pagosa Springs. The Chimney Rock Archaeology Area is best known locally as the towering pillars of stone that rise above the valley floor near the intersection of U.S. 160 and Colo. 151. Visible from areas in Pagosa Springs, the formations are just a small part of the site that has attracted attention from archaeologists both regionally and worldwide. In fact, a film crew from the National Geographic Society was at the site in late June to document the current project, which could provide conclusive evidence that Chimney Rock is not a stand-alone site, but part of a much larger group of ancient pueblos whose function is related to astronomical events.
http://www.pagosasun.com/archives/2009/07july/070209/feature.html
- Colorado Representative John Salazar Visits Chimney Rock Project: Salazar praised the efforts of federal, state and private groups, including University of Colorado at Boulder faculty and student archaeologists, who are working together to investigate and restore the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area near Pagosa Springs, Colo. The site is considered one of the most spectacular Ancestral Pueblo ruins in all of the Southwest. Salazar toured Chimney Rock, believed to be an important religious and ceremonial center for the Pueblo people 1,000 years ago, on June 30. The 4,100-acre Chimney Rock Archaeological Area features two spectacular rock pinnacles, a Pueblo Great House, a ceremonial Great Kiva and a variety of other stone structures. The site is located at an altitude of 7,800 feet, high above the valley floor, and appears to have been sacred to the Pueblo elite who likely watched the moon periodically rise between the rock pinnacles.
http://www.colorado.edu/news/r/662988bb4dc6b81df322f62a1e243433.html
- John Salazar's Bill to Provide Mesa Verde with 22 Million Dollars for New Visitor's Center Passes in US House: The proposed visitor and curatorial center at Mesa Verde National Park stands to receive $22 million under a funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The money was requested by U.S. Rep. John Salazar, who announced the funding Wednesday at Mesa Verde. The bill contains $11.6 million for the curatorial center and $10.5 million for the visitors center. Both centers will be housed in one building near the park's entrance.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/fqb7 - Durango Herald
- Pima County Hopes to Preserve Ancient Hohokam Village: The county hopes to capitalize on the low land values hitting commercial investors now as it tries to secure state funds to buy 67 acres on the Southwest side for preservation. The county wants a state grant to purchase the archeologically-rich Valencia Site, near West Valencia Road and Interstate 19, most of which it will preserve. A small portion will be used for public education. The site includes about 1,800 Hohokam pithouses and represents about 500 years of Hohokam occupation.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/299626
- Autry National Center Hits Roadblock in Planned Takeover of Southwest Museum: A panel of five City Council members — faced with a polite crowd of more than 200 people divided between those with “Yes!” decals urging approval of the Autry’s plans and others with multicolored paper “S.O.S.” buttons, for “Save Our Southwest” — voted unanimously to delay a decision for four weeks. It urged the Autry to provide legal assurances by then that the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mount Washington won't become just an afterthought to a larger, more comprehensive Griffith Park facility.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/fha9 - Los Angeles Times
- The Strange Story of Everett Ruess continues: Any doubt that remains found in the Utah wilderness were those of Everett Ruess, a legendary wanderer of the 1930s, seemed to be erased by a battery of forensic and genetic tests a few months ago. But Utah's state archaeologist, who was not involved in the discovery, is raising a series of questions about whether the remains are actually those of the poet and artist who disappeared in the Escalante canyons.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/49753927.html
Thanks to Michael D Mauer for contributions to today's newsletter.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Mesoamerican Diet, Excavations on Utah Potter's Kiln
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Domestication Of Chile Pepper Provides Insights Into Crop Origin And Evolution:
Chile peppers have long played an important role in the diets of Mesoamerican people. Capsicum annuum is one of five domesticated species of chiles and is one of the primary components of these diets. However, little is known regarding the original location of domestication of C. annuum and the genetic diversity in wild relatives. Researchers have now found a large amount of diversity in individuals from the Yucatan Peninsula, making this a center of diversity for chiles.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152137.htm
- Excavations on Kiln Site Used By Pioneer-Era Master Potter: Thomas Davenport fired up a kiln in southern Utah's first pioneer settlement and started making pottery and crockery that slowly spread through the West along with his reputation as a craftsman. The old site in Parowan, where Davenpoprt manufactured the clay pieces, is being excavated now by a team from Michigan Technological University led by a associate professor who has been studying Davenport and his work for the past 10 years.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12651916
- Tribe from New Mexico Now One Step Closer to Formal Federal Recognition: This is a story of numbers and the quest of one Native American tribe. The Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe, Pueblo of San Juan de Guadalupe of Las Cruses, N.M., has been seeking federal recognition from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs for almost 40 years, but with the help of Lee Ann Allen, a UNT anthropology student, the American Indian tribe is one step closer to receiving recognition. One of the requirements of Bureau of Indian Affairs requires is for the tribe to have complete records. In order to accomplish this, Allen lived with the tribe's cacique Edward Roybal Sr. and his wife, and spent eight to nine hours a day, sometimes six days a week, organizing the tribal archives.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/zvd - North Texas Daily
- Jornada Mogollon artifacts found at White Sands: Artifacts have been found near White Sands Missile Range of the Jornada Mogollon, who lived mostly in the Tularosa Basin more than 650 years ago. The archeological find was discovered last year during preliminary site preparation for construction of facilities for the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which was activated at White Sands in October. Archaeologists consider the artifacts "a significant discovery" because they suggest that the Jornada Mogollon temporarily occupied the site two separate times, first around A.D. 1150 and the second from about A.D. 1250 to 1350.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/education/ci_12614579
- Phoenix Museum of History to Close: The museum that holds prized artifacts from Phoenix's early days will close on June 30 because it doesn't have enough money to operate. The Phoenix Museum of History would like to merge with another organization so that the museum can reopen later, officials say. It's unclear, however, if or when that would happen. "We are hoping to come back stronger, but right now, the money is not there," said Frank Barrios president of the museum's board of trustees.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8eqs - Arizona Republic
- US Government Seeks Dismissal of Geronimo Repatriation Lawsuit: US officials are seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the government by descendants of Apache leader Geronimo to recover his remains. The descendants want to rebury Geronimo, who was buried in Oklahoma in 1909, in his native land in New Mexico. They are also seeking the return of body parts they say were stolen in 1918 or 1919 by a secret society at Yale University known as Skull and Bones. But justice officials say the law cited by the plaintiffs is not applicable.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8112051.stm
- 11th Annual Meeting of National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers to be Held in Durant Ok, August 10-17: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will host our annual meeting, as well as related events and training sessions. The Tribe's Choctaw Casino-Resort-Hotel in Durant, Oklahoma, will be the main meeting location, and they have graciously offered a discounted room rate for NATHPO participants. This year's meeting theme is, "Tribal Historic Preservation and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)."
http://www.nathpo.org/meetings/11meeting.htm
- Second Man Linked to Artifacts Investigation Found Dead: A second defendant indicted following an investigation into the theft and illegal trafficking of American Indian artifacts from the Four Corners area has been found dead in an apparent suicide, the FBI said Friday.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ds7q - Santa Fe New Mexican
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_12651408
- Maya Intensively Cultivated Manioc 1,400 Years Ago:A University of Colorado at Boulder team has uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616133940.htm
- Earlier Dates for Peopling of the Americas: Many, if not most, Native people insist that their ancestors have lived on this continent since time immemorial, and some mainstream scientists are beginning to weigh in on their side.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/47924372.html
- (Reminder) Today is the Last Chance to Register for the Friends of Arizona Archives Annual Meeting: The meeting will take place on Thursday, June 25, starting at 11:00 a.m. in the Arizona Capitol Museum. The theme of the meeting is "Arizona Archives and Authors." The keynote speaker at the meeting will be Heidi Osselaer, author of the recently published book "Winning Their Place: Arizona Women in Politics, 1883-1950." People that register by June 22 and attend the meeting will receive a free book and a free lunch, courtesy of FAzA
http://faza.org/
- Conference Posits a New Vision of our Relationship with Water and Earth:
Elders and artists from Hopi, Navajo and the West, scientists and researchers from across the country and across cultures, and conference attendees shared their teachings, worldviews and wisdom at the Braiding Through Water conference presented by Black Mesa Trust. Water is a living, sentient substance that flows through and connects all life, explained Hopi Tobacco/Rabbit Clan at Hotevilla Keeper of the Pipe Jerry Honawa.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/southwest/48613282.html
Tubac Resident Wins Arziona GAAC Public Archaeology Award:Tubac property owner Linda Ellinor has received the Governor’s Advisory Commission Award in Public Archaeology in the category of private developer/landowner. Linda purchased three adjacent properties in the heart of Tubac, just diagonally across the street from the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, to establish a new business, the Floating Stone Inn and Spa. These three properties include the Charles D. Poston Territorial House, an adjoining building that Poston used as the office of the Sonoran Exploring and Mining Company, and the Ysidro Otero House. Plans called for an extensive remodeling of the land involved, but realizing its historic importance, Linda sought out the Tubac/Santa Cruz County Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society for assistance. Linda’s appeal to that group elicited the support of its members and its former chapter advisor, professional archaeologist Deni J. Seymour. A dig on the property was planned and conducted, the results of which are currently being written up for a published report and the artifacts from which are currently being prepared for curation at the Arizona State Museum. Linda provided financial support for the effort and even instructed her architects to modify their design to preserve evidence of a foundation wall perhaps dating to the Spanish Colonial period. She did this despite being under deadline pressure to begin the building process and knowing that, under particular circumstances, the results of the excavation might create delays to that project. In nominating Linda for the GAAC award, chapter president Alan Sorkowitz said, “Linda has placed documenting and preserving a part of Arizona’s history above her own economic interest as a property owner—done the right thing rather than simply the most expedient.” This prestigious award recognizes Linda for her support of Arizona’s archaeology and history.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso, Adrianne Rankin and Alan Sorkowitz for contributions to today's newsletter.
- Domestication Of Chile Pepper Provides Insights Into Crop Origin And Evolution:
Chile peppers have long played an important role in the diets of Mesoamerican people. Capsicum annuum is one of five domesticated species of chiles and is one of the primary components of these diets. However, little is known regarding the original location of domestication of C. annuum and the genetic diversity in wild relatives. Researchers have now found a large amount of diversity in individuals from the Yucatan Peninsula, making this a center of diversity for chiles.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152137.htm
- Excavations on Kiln Site Used By Pioneer-Era Master Potter: Thomas Davenport fired up a kiln in southern Utah's first pioneer settlement and started making pottery and crockery that slowly spread through the West along with his reputation as a craftsman. The old site in Parowan, where Davenpoprt manufactured the clay pieces, is being excavated now by a team from Michigan Technological University led by a associate professor who has been studying Davenport and his work for the past 10 years.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12651916
- Tribe from New Mexico Now One Step Closer to Formal Federal Recognition: This is a story of numbers and the quest of one Native American tribe. The Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe, Pueblo of San Juan de Guadalupe of Las Cruses, N.M., has been seeking federal recognition from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs for almost 40 years, but with the help of Lee Ann Allen, a UNT anthropology student, the American Indian tribe is one step closer to receiving recognition. One of the requirements of Bureau of Indian Affairs requires is for the tribe to have complete records. In order to accomplish this, Allen lived with the tribe's cacique Edward Roybal Sr. and his wife, and spent eight to nine hours a day, sometimes six days a week, organizing the tribal archives.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/zvd - North Texas Daily
- Jornada Mogollon artifacts found at White Sands: Artifacts have been found near White Sands Missile Range of the Jornada Mogollon, who lived mostly in the Tularosa Basin more than 650 years ago. The archeological find was discovered last year during preliminary site preparation for construction of facilities for the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which was activated at White Sands in October. Archaeologists consider the artifacts "a significant discovery" because they suggest that the Jornada Mogollon temporarily occupied the site two separate times, first around A.D. 1150 and the second from about A.D. 1250 to 1350.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/education/ci_12614579
- Phoenix Museum of History to Close: The museum that holds prized artifacts from Phoenix's early days will close on June 30 because it doesn't have enough money to operate. The Phoenix Museum of History would like to merge with another organization so that the museum can reopen later, officials say. It's unclear, however, if or when that would happen. "We are hoping to come back stronger, but right now, the money is not there," said Frank Barrios president of the museum's board of trustees.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/8eqs - Arizona Republic
- US Government Seeks Dismissal of Geronimo Repatriation Lawsuit: US officials are seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the government by descendants of Apache leader Geronimo to recover his remains. The descendants want to rebury Geronimo, who was buried in Oklahoma in 1909, in his native land in New Mexico. They are also seeking the return of body parts they say were stolen in 1918 or 1919 by a secret society at Yale University known as Skull and Bones. But justice officials say the law cited by the plaintiffs is not applicable.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8112051.stm
- 11th Annual Meeting of National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers to be Held in Durant Ok, August 10-17: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will host our annual meeting, as well as related events and training sessions. The Tribe's Choctaw Casino-Resort-Hotel in Durant, Oklahoma, will be the main meeting location, and they have graciously offered a discounted room rate for NATHPO participants. This year's meeting theme is, "Tribal Historic Preservation and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)."
http://www.nathpo.org/meetings/11meeting.htm
- Second Man Linked to Artifacts Investigation Found Dead: A second defendant indicted following an investigation into the theft and illegal trafficking of American Indian artifacts from the Four Corners area has been found dead in an apparent suicide, the FBI said Friday.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ds7q - Santa Fe New Mexican
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_12651408
- Maya Intensively Cultivated Manioc 1,400 Years Ago:A University of Colorado at Boulder team has uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616133940.htm
- Earlier Dates for Peopling of the Americas: Many, if not most, Native people insist that their ancestors have lived on this continent since time immemorial, and some mainstream scientists are beginning to weigh in on their side.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/47924372.html
- (Reminder) Today is the Last Chance to Register for the Friends of Arizona Archives Annual Meeting: The meeting will take place on Thursday, June 25, starting at 11:00 a.m. in the Arizona Capitol Museum. The theme of the meeting is "Arizona Archives and Authors." The keynote speaker at the meeting will be Heidi Osselaer, author of the recently published book "Winning Their Place: Arizona Women in Politics, 1883-1950." People that register by June 22 and attend the meeting will receive a free book and a free lunch, courtesy of FAzA
http://faza.org/
- Conference Posits a New Vision of our Relationship with Water and Earth:
Elders and artists from Hopi, Navajo and the West, scientists and researchers from across the country and across cultures, and conference attendees shared their teachings, worldviews and wisdom at the Braiding Through Water conference presented by Black Mesa Trust. Water is a living, sentient substance that flows through and connects all life, explained Hopi Tobacco/Rabbit Clan at Hotevilla Keeper of the Pipe Jerry Honawa.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/southwest/48613282.html
Tubac Resident Wins Arziona GAAC Public Archaeology Award:Tubac property owner Linda Ellinor has received the Governor’s Advisory Commission Award in Public Archaeology in the category of private developer/landowner. Linda purchased three adjacent properties in the heart of Tubac, just diagonally across the street from the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, to establish a new business, the Floating Stone Inn and Spa. These three properties include the Charles D. Poston Territorial House, an adjoining building that Poston used as the office of the Sonoran Exploring and Mining Company, and the Ysidro Otero House. Plans called for an extensive remodeling of the land involved, but realizing its historic importance, Linda sought out the Tubac/Santa Cruz County Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society for assistance. Linda’s appeal to that group elicited the support of its members and its former chapter advisor, professional archaeologist Deni J. Seymour. A dig on the property was planned and conducted, the results of which are currently being written up for a published report and the artifacts from which are currently being prepared for curation at the Arizona State Museum. Linda provided financial support for the effort and even instructed her architects to modify their design to preserve evidence of a foundation wall perhaps dating to the Spanish Colonial period. She did this despite being under deadline pressure to begin the building process and knowing that, under particular circumstances, the results of the excavation might create delays to that project. In nominating Linda for the GAAC award, chapter president Alan Sorkowitz said, “Linda has placed documenting and preserving a part of Arizona’s history above her own economic interest as a property owner—done the right thing rather than simply the most expedient.” This prestigious award recognizes Linda for her support of Arizona’s archaeology and history.
Thanks to Gerald Kelso, Adrianne Rankin and Alan Sorkowitz for contributions to today's newsletter.
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