Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Smithsonian Bureau of Ethnography Reports Now Available On-Line: The Gallica project, a division of the Bibleotheque national de France, has digitized the entire Ethnography Report collection. The reports are served as indexed PDF files.
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb37575968z/date
- Learning from Cabeza de Vaca - Revelations about Hunter-Gatherer Foodways at the Dawn of Written History in Texas: The earliest accounts of Texas' native peoples were given to us by Cabeza de Vaca and his companions. Shipwrecked on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1528, these men made their way from the shores near present-day Galveston to Mexico City during a seven-year ordeal. Their reports of that amazing journey provide fascinating--albeit enigmatic--glimpses of native people and the various odd-sounding foods they hunted, gathered, and plucked from often harsh landscapes. In a new exhibit on Texas Beyond History, anthropologist and archeologist Alston Thoms draws on his own studies of traditional foods and cooking technologies to speculate what the various roots, tubers, nuts, fruits, and fish may have been, how they were prepared, and much more. A colorful interactive for K-12 audiences follows the explorer on his journey and provides learning opportunities using primary documents and bilingual vocabularies. A standards-based lesson plan for teachers is correlated to the activity drawing on the accounts of Texas' first historian, Cabeza de Vaca.
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/cabeza-cooking/index.html
- Arizona Preservation Foundation Names Arizona's Most Endangered Historic Places: The Arizona Preservation Foundation has released its 2007 list of Arizona's most endangered historic places. Compiled by preservation professionals and historians, the list identifies critically endangered cultural resources of major historical significance to the state. "Each of the sites we have named are important historic landmarks in Arizona, but unfortunately are in grave danger of collapse, demolition, or destruction," said Vince Murray, APF Board President. "It is critical that residents and government officials act now to save these elements of their cultural heritage before it's too late."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070830/dc02250.html?.v=1
http://www.azmostendangered2007.blogspot.com/
- The Dilemma of Preservation and Growth - What Will the 202 Loop Bury? Is the lot where your kids play baseball on top of a Hohokam ruin bearing priceless historical objects? Do Ahwatukee Foothills high school football fields cover Hohokam buildings? As the Arizona Department of Transportation considers flattening 255 homes to make way for the Loop 202 maybe, just maybe, it is a situation of what goes around comes around. These days we are talking about stucco homes with basements and barbecue pits. All of that is the same and literally just classic upgrades to the Hohokam way of life. Are those 255 homes earmarked for destruction going to be just another layer for another soccer mom 300 years from now to park her version of an SUV?
http://www.ahwatukee.com/articles/adot_1261___article.html/hohokam_study.html
- Volunteers Needed For Historic Preservation Commission in Northwest Tucson: The Town of Oro Valley seeks to fill two volunteer positions on the Historic Preservation Commission. Commissioners are required to fulfill a two-year term. Commission meetings are held the second Monday of every month. The role of the Historic Preservation Commission is to promote conservation of historic buildings, landmarks, photos and documents important to the history and heritage of Oro Valley. Individuals interested in the positions can pick up applications at Oro Valley Town Hall, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive, or on the town Web site, www.townoforovalley.com. Click the “Town Clerk” icon. Completed applications are due Friday, Sept. 7.
http://www.explorernews.com/article/show/19675
http://www.townoforovalley.com
- Public Input Sought on Preservation of the Steam Pump Ranch in Oro Valley: Oro Valley residents can voice their own opinions beginning next week on how the town should preserve the historic Steam Pump Ranch. Steam Pump Ranch encompasses 15 acres on North Oracle Road between First Avenue and Tangerine Road. It was established by George Pusch and John Zellweger when they settled there in the 1870s in what would become Oro Valley.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/northwest/198393.php
- Employment Opportunity, Archaeology Laboratory Manager (Redlands CA): Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI), a multidisciplinary cultural resources consulting firm, has an immediate opening for a full-time manager of the archaeological laboratory in our Redlands, California, office. The person filling this position will work closely with SRI's laboratory director located in Tucson, AZ. The laboratory manager (LM) will oversee all regular functions of an archaeological laboratory and supervise a staff of 2-10 technicians and volunteers. Responsibilities include caring for and tracking archaeological collections and associated field and laboratory data, assigning tasks and evaluating the work of laboratory technicians, assisting analysts and project staff with their collections needs, supporting the laboratory needs of SRI's other California offices, and working with the laboratory director to keep the permits and repository agreements for SRI's California offices current.
http://www.sricrm.com/opportunities/
- Employment Opportunity, Director of Development. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center seeks a Director of Development - Primary responsibility is to lead, guide, and supervise the overall development program; and participate in the formation and execution of the strategic plan, to achieve the established fund-raising goals. Qualification: A bachelor’s degree and seven years of progressively responsible experience with development programs and management Strong candidates will have demonstrated leadership in and involvement with a capital campaign; expertise in planned giving and gift accounting principles. For complete job descriptions see our Web site
http://www.crowcanyon.org/jobs
- Employment Opportunity: Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (ACS), an environmental firm located in Tempe, AZ, is seeking to hire a principal investigator and/or a senior project manager, and/or a project director. We are looking for at least one person, but may hire two. We are in need of staff members who can hit the ground running in project management, whether at the highest, PI, level, or at the next level as a project director (both field and office) or senior project manager (primarily office). Please send a cover letter identifying the position(s) for which you are applying, a copy of your vitae or resume, three references, and your salary requirements to jobs@acstempe.com by September 30, 2007 (although the position may be filled sooner if a qualified applicant is identified). ACS offers a competitive salary range and benefits, including participation in a 401(k) program, once certain criteria have been met. ACS does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Please check us out on the web at
Http://www.acstempe.com
Thanks to Tom Weiss and Susan W. Dial for contributions to this issue of Southwestern Archaeology Today.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
DNA from Quids, Submerged Paleolithic New World Deposits, Utah History & Kathleen Gilmore
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Ancient DNA Recovered from Basketmaker Quid's: In the September Journal of Field Archaeology, LeBlanc and several co-authors report that they have recovered DNA from 2000-year-old quids, as well as from aprons worn by Native Americans. The quids and aprons belonged to a vanished tribe that archaeologists call the Western Basketmakers. Between about 500 B.C.E. and 500 C.E., they lived in caves and rock shelters in what is now southern Utah and northern Arizona. Dry conditions are ideal for preserving DNA, and researchers have previously extracted ancient DNA from skeletons and feces of both humans and animals.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/822/4
- Submerged Canadian Site May Provide Evidence on the Peopling of the New World: In a Canadian archeological project that could revolutionize understanding of when and how humans first reached the New World, federal researchers in B.C. have begun probing an underwater site off the Queen Charlotte Islands for traces of a possible prehistoric camp on the shores of an ancient lake long since submerged by the Pacific Ocean.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/b4mk - Times Colonist
- Utah History Conference Begins Next Week: Many Voices, Utah State History's 55th annual conference, will look at history from multiple perspectives. Acclaimed author James Loewen will give the keynote address. Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong, will speak on "Hidden in Plain View: How History Keeps Us Racist." The next day, he will give workshops on improving the teaching of history. That evening, the Rev. France Davis will speak on the African-American Religious Experience, and the ever-energetic Calvary Baptist Choir will provide gospel music. The conference also will include tours; workshops on historic preservation for local governments; and an entire day of free, engaging presentations on history, with such diverse topics as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Wallace Stegner, the archaeology of the Walker War, the history of soccer in Utah, and a preview of the Utah State Capitol.
http://history.utah.gov/news_and_events/news_briefs/index.html#conf
- 105th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Birch Overland Mail Celebrated This Weekend in San Diego: On June 12, 1857, a mail contract was awarded to James E. Birch to carry mail over a route linking San Antonio, Texas with San Diego, California. Like most stage operations in rugged terrain, the Birch operation used mules to draw lightweight stage coaches with canvass tops called Celerity Stages or mudwagons. Birch’s Overland Mail, officially called the San Diego-San Antonio Mail Company, began its first trip from San Antonio, Texas on July 9, 1857, just 27 days after the mail contract was awarded. The route went from San Antonio through El Paso, Tucson, Yuma and ended in San Diego. From Tucson, the route followed the Rio Santa Cruz north to the Rio Gila then along the Gila to Yuma. This route followed Cooke's Wagon Road built by the Mormon Battalion in 1846. This was also called the Southern Emigrant Trail during the California Gold Rush of 1849. The little known Birch Overland Mail was the nation's first transcontinental mail line. It was replaced over a portion of its route by the Butterfield Overland Mail in 1858, which was in turn taken over by Wells Fargo in 1960.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/birch-overland-mail.pdf
- Kathleen Gilmore, One of the Most Unique Archaeologists in Texas: Archaeologist Kathleen Gilmore has unlocked some of the most elusive mysteries of Texas history. She spent decades hunting down the location of the French explorer La Salle's lost fort before discovering it near the Gulf Coast. She also excavated a number of Spanish colonial forts in Texas, including Mission Rosario, near Goliad. At age 92, the Preston Hollow resident will visit Spain in December to study a recently discovered cache of documents sent from early Texas missions.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/iu6e - Dallas Morning News
- Nevada Department of Transportation Rewarded for Proper Treatment of Cultural Resources: The Nevada Department of Transportation has received two awards for its handling of the discovery of one of northern Nevada's largest prehistoric villages. The discovery was made near the right-of-way for Phase 2A of the Carson bypass four years ago. NDOT officials hired the Louis Berger Group to handle the archaeological excavation. The three-year project unearthed thousands of Native American artifacts and located 48 dwelling sites.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/br3w - Nevada Appeal
- Employment Opportunity, Curator of Archaeology, College of Eastern Utah Museum:
The College of Eastern Utah (CEU) Prehistoric Museum is seeking a Curator of Archeology. The Museum is located in Price, Utah and houses a prehistoric archaeological collection of over 700,000 artifacts. Eastern Utah is in the heart of rich archaeological resources including Archaic, Fremont and Ute rock art. The Museum is strategically located two hours from Range Creek.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ceu_curator.doc - Ms Word Document
Thanks to Terry Colvin, Brian Kenny and Dr Jackson Underwood for contributing to this issue of Southwestern Archaeology Today.
- Ancient DNA Recovered from Basketmaker Quid's: In the September Journal of Field Archaeology, LeBlanc and several co-authors report that they have recovered DNA from 2000-year-old quids, as well as from aprons worn by Native Americans. The quids and aprons belonged to a vanished tribe that archaeologists call the Western Basketmakers. Between about 500 B.C.E. and 500 C.E., they lived in caves and rock shelters in what is now southern Utah and northern Arizona. Dry conditions are ideal for preserving DNA, and researchers have previously extracted ancient DNA from skeletons and feces of both humans and animals.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/822/4
- Submerged Canadian Site May Provide Evidence on the Peopling of the New World: In a Canadian archeological project that could revolutionize understanding of when and how humans first reached the New World, federal researchers in B.C. have begun probing an underwater site off the Queen Charlotte Islands for traces of a possible prehistoric camp on the shores of an ancient lake long since submerged by the Pacific Ocean.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/b4mk - Times Colonist
- Utah History Conference Begins Next Week: Many Voices, Utah State History's 55th annual conference, will look at history from multiple perspectives. Acclaimed author James Loewen will give the keynote address. Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong, will speak on "Hidden in Plain View: How History Keeps Us Racist." The next day, he will give workshops on improving the teaching of history. That evening, the Rev. France Davis will speak on the African-American Religious Experience, and the ever-energetic Calvary Baptist Choir will provide gospel music. The conference also will include tours; workshops on historic preservation for local governments; and an entire day of free, engaging presentations on history, with such diverse topics as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Wallace Stegner, the archaeology of the Walker War, the history of soccer in Utah, and a preview of the Utah State Capitol.
http://history.utah.gov/news_and_events/news_briefs/index.html#conf
- 105th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Birch Overland Mail Celebrated This Weekend in San Diego: On June 12, 1857, a mail contract was awarded to James E. Birch to carry mail over a route linking San Antonio, Texas with San Diego, California. Like most stage operations in rugged terrain, the Birch operation used mules to draw lightweight stage coaches with canvass tops called Celerity Stages or mudwagons. Birch’s Overland Mail, officially called the San Diego-San Antonio Mail Company, began its first trip from San Antonio, Texas on July 9, 1857, just 27 days after the mail contract was awarded. The route went from San Antonio through El Paso, Tucson, Yuma and ended in San Diego. From Tucson, the route followed the Rio Santa Cruz north to the Rio Gila then along the Gila to Yuma. This route followed Cooke's Wagon Road built by the Mormon Battalion in 1846. This was also called the Southern Emigrant Trail during the California Gold Rush of 1849. The little known Birch Overland Mail was the nation's first transcontinental mail line. It was replaced over a portion of its route by the Butterfield Overland Mail in 1858, which was in turn taken over by Wells Fargo in 1960.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/birch-overland-mail.pdf
- Kathleen Gilmore, One of the Most Unique Archaeologists in Texas: Archaeologist Kathleen Gilmore has unlocked some of the most elusive mysteries of Texas history. She spent decades hunting down the location of the French explorer La Salle's lost fort before discovering it near the Gulf Coast. She also excavated a number of Spanish colonial forts in Texas, including Mission Rosario, near Goliad. At age 92, the Preston Hollow resident will visit Spain in December to study a recently discovered cache of documents sent from early Texas missions.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/iu6e - Dallas Morning News
- Nevada Department of Transportation Rewarded for Proper Treatment of Cultural Resources: The Nevada Department of Transportation has received two awards for its handling of the discovery of one of northern Nevada's largest prehistoric villages. The discovery was made near the right-of-way for Phase 2A of the Carson bypass four years ago. NDOT officials hired the Louis Berger Group to handle the archaeological excavation. The three-year project unearthed thousands of Native American artifacts and located 48 dwelling sites.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/br3w - Nevada Appeal
- Employment Opportunity, Curator of Archaeology, College of Eastern Utah Museum:
The College of Eastern Utah (CEU) Prehistoric Museum is seeking a Curator of Archeology. The Museum is located in Price, Utah and houses a prehistoric archaeological collection of over 700,000 artifacts. Eastern Utah is in the heart of rich archaeological resources including Archaic, Fremont and Ute rock art. The Museum is strategically located two hours from Range Creek.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/ceu_curator.doc - Ms Word Document
Thanks to Terry Colvin, Brian Kenny and Dr Jackson Underwood for contributing to this issue of Southwestern Archaeology Today.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Navajo Protests at Chaco Canyon, Navajo Traders, More Money for Mesa Verde
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Protest at Chaco Canyon: Terms such as "National Park Service" and "national monument" were foreign to the Navajos who lived in Chaco Canyon 100 years ago. A century ago this year — on March 11, 1907 — the government declared the ancient ruins a national monument, and by the 1950s, it had erected a fence to keep the Navajos out. The designation was the start of a century of tension, said Lee Norberto, who was born in the canyon and later moved 10 miles outside the fence. "That's our country, that's our land," he said. "Our ancestors and religion (are) there, and we wanted to live there for the rest of our time."
http://www.daily-times.com//ci_6703885?IADID
- Navajo Views of Chaco Canyon: The wind blows eerily through the gaping windows of the old Navajo Chaco Church, stirring the fallen shingles that litter the floor inside. Once a mainstay of the tiny Navajo community, the crumbling church stands as a reminder of what was lost when many of the younger residents moved into the cities. In its peak, the community — which lies within view of Chaco Culture National Historical Park — included a preschool, a trading post and a landing strip for small aircraft, said Chaco resident Leonard Dempsey.|
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_6721900?source=most_emailed
- New Exhibit in Window Rock Highlights Navajo Traders: When historians Klara Kelley and Harris Francis began their ethnographic field work on the Diné and Diné traders in the 1980s, they stumbled across what would initiate an unforeseen 20-year project. As they conducted interviews with elders on a regular basis for research projects related to preserving the land and religious protection, they began hearing reoccurring stories about different Diné traders. Even as historians, learning about the vast number of traders was astounding.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/august/082407nkj_dinetraders.html
- Additional Funding for Mesa Verde: Mesa Verde National Park is in line to receive $1.9 million in funding for projects, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar announced this week.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/kol2 - Cortez Journal
http://www.cdarc.org/page/dzmx - Rocky Mountain News
- Archaeology and Preservation at Fort Lewis College: Another Community Services grant allowed the college to conduct a preservation plan and survey of the Old Fort site. Archaeology professor Mona Charles this summer supervised four students who surveyed and excavated a 247-acre section and uncovered what Charles described as a living historical document of the campus. The artifacts recovered create a timeline: prehistoric shards that predate the ancestral Puebloans (2,000 B.C. to 500 A.D.); military cartridges and buttons from its first incarnation as a U.S. Army outpost from 1881 to 1892; bottles, vials and personal items covering the educational period - first as an American Indian boarding school, then later as a public school and a college.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/l9m3 - Durango Herald
- Visiting Keet Seel: Soft light bathes the walls of Keet Seel as dawn passes to morning, and ranger Max Benally says we must leave soon. He looks out into the canyon. I want more time, but Benally was kind enough to bring me here when the air was cool, the light gray, when songbirds and ravens began to stir. I move within the alcove, my camera resting on a rickety tripod of bent metal and duct tape. A woodpecker taps on a fallen beam and flies out of the ruin. There is no wind, not a cloud in the sky. It is the start of a beautiful day, with the same red glow that must have greeted the Pueblo Indians who once lived here. I shoot several more frames and we climb down a 70-foot ladder to the path below.
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/features/articles/0824keet0826.html
- The City of Tucson and The Arizona Board of Regents Agree to Fund New Museum Complex: The Arizona Board of Regents approved an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Tucson and the UA to collaborate on the design, construction and operation of a combined Flandrau Science Center and Arizona State Museum in the Rio Nuevo district Downtown. The $130 million project will be entirely funded by the Rio Nuevo District Tax Increment Financing. The UA will operate the project. Designing of the facility is expected to begin in September, and the building is scheduled to open for Arizona's centennial in 2012.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/83o9 - Arizona Daily Wildcat
- Protest at Chaco Canyon: Terms such as "National Park Service" and "national monument" were foreign to the Navajos who lived in Chaco Canyon 100 years ago. A century ago this year — on March 11, 1907 — the government declared the ancient ruins a national monument, and by the 1950s, it had erected a fence to keep the Navajos out. The designation was the start of a century of tension, said Lee Norberto, who was born in the canyon and later moved 10 miles outside the fence. "That's our country, that's our land," he said. "Our ancestors and religion (are) there, and we wanted to live there for the rest of our time."
http://www.daily-times.com//ci_6703885?IADID
- Navajo Views of Chaco Canyon: The wind blows eerily through the gaping windows of the old Navajo Chaco Church, stirring the fallen shingles that litter the floor inside. Once a mainstay of the tiny Navajo community, the crumbling church stands as a reminder of what was lost when many of the younger residents moved into the cities. In its peak, the community — which lies within view of Chaco Culture National Historical Park — included a preschool, a trading post and a landing strip for small aircraft, said Chaco resident Leonard Dempsey.|
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_6721900?source=most_emailed
- New Exhibit in Window Rock Highlights Navajo Traders: When historians Klara Kelley and Harris Francis began their ethnographic field work on the Diné and Diné traders in the 1980s, they stumbled across what would initiate an unforeseen 20-year project. As they conducted interviews with elders on a regular basis for research projects related to preserving the land and religious protection, they began hearing reoccurring stories about different Diné traders. Even as historians, learning about the vast number of traders was astounding.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/august/082407nkj_dinetraders.html
- Additional Funding for Mesa Verde: Mesa Verde National Park is in line to receive $1.9 million in funding for projects, National Park Service Director Mary Bomar announced this week.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/kol2 - Cortez Journal
http://www.cdarc.org/page/dzmx - Rocky Mountain News
- Archaeology and Preservation at Fort Lewis College: Another Community Services grant allowed the college to conduct a preservation plan and survey of the Old Fort site. Archaeology professor Mona Charles this summer supervised four students who surveyed and excavated a 247-acre section and uncovered what Charles described as a living historical document of the campus. The artifacts recovered create a timeline: prehistoric shards that predate the ancestral Puebloans (2,000 B.C. to 500 A.D.); military cartridges and buttons from its first incarnation as a U.S. Army outpost from 1881 to 1892; bottles, vials and personal items covering the educational period - first as an American Indian boarding school, then later as a public school and a college.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/l9m3 - Durango Herald
- Visiting Keet Seel: Soft light bathes the walls of Keet Seel as dawn passes to morning, and ranger Max Benally says we must leave soon. He looks out into the canyon. I want more time, but Benally was kind enough to bring me here when the air was cool, the light gray, when songbirds and ravens began to stir. I move within the alcove, my camera resting on a rickety tripod of bent metal and duct tape. A woodpecker taps on a fallen beam and flies out of the ruin. There is no wind, not a cloud in the sky. It is the start of a beautiful day, with the same red glow that must have greeted the Pueblo Indians who once lived here. I shoot several more frames and we climb down a 70-foot ladder to the path below.
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/features/articles/0824keet0826.html
- The City of Tucson and The Arizona Board of Regents Agree to Fund New Museum Complex: The Arizona Board of Regents approved an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Tucson and the UA to collaborate on the design, construction and operation of a combined Flandrau Science Center and Arizona State Museum in the Rio Nuevo district Downtown. The $130 million project will be entirely funded by the Rio Nuevo District Tax Increment Financing. The UA will operate the project. Designing of the facility is expected to begin in September, and the building is scheduled to open for Arizona's centennial in 2012.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/83o9 - Arizona Daily Wildcat
Friday, August 24, 2007
New Hohokam Exhibit in Mesa, Bond Funding for Honey Bee Village, Irma Moreno
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- New Exhibit at Mesa Southwest Museum Explores Hohokam Platform Mounds: Before traveling to Mexico or Egypt to view ancient temples, check out the one in your backyard. The Mesa Grande Temple Mound is a well-preserved Hohokam site in the Southeast Valley. It's open only on special occasions, and from outside the enclosure, may seem just a dusty and creosote bush-covered mound, but an upcoming exhibit at Mesa Southwest Museum promises fresh insight into the spiritual side of Hohokam life.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0822mr-hohokam0823.html
- Bond Funding Proposed to Improve Interpretive Features at Honeybee Village: Honey Bee Village is what remains of a Hohokam settlement located in Oro Valley east of North Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and south of the Moore Road alignment. The Hohokam first settled in the village, which was along the Honey Bee Wash in the Cañada del Oro Valley, around A.D. 450, according to the Center for Desert Archaeology. Those 13 acres are meant to become a public preserve, both town and county officials said. "The 2008 proposal is to make that site accessible to the public," said Roger Anyon, cultural resources program manager for the county's Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Office. If approved, most of the bond money would go toward creating trails and interpretative signs, he said.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/197575
- Irma Moreno is a Living History Treasure for Tucson: When Irma Moreno was in school, she disliked studying history. But a curious thing happened to Moreno one day in 1999. Having retired from 22 years of teaching elementary school on the South Side and wanting to do something interesting and useful, Moreno walked into a building to ask about being a volunteer. It was the Arizona Historical Society by the university.
There she discovered the history she had been taught to dislike. The society staff opened her eyes to the vastness that is Tucson's history.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/197925.php
- National Park Service Celebrates 91st Anniversary This Saturday. The National Park Service, America's premier conservation agency -- turns 91 years old this week with millions of citizens enjoying historic treasures from Independence Hall to Mesa Verde and famous natural sanctuaries such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Everglades. Today, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR), whose more than 600 members cumulatively served 17,000 years in the National Park Service, voiced hope that a new era of reinvestment in national parks is dawning.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/hqr - Yahoo News
- National Park Service Agrees to Support Expansion of Trail for San Antonio Missions: The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park's proposal to build a new trail connecting Mission San Jose to hike and bike lanes along Mission Trail has been declared eligible to receive federal matching funds. The local friends group of the park, Los Compadres de San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, has raised $48,700 through individual donors and fund-raising events toward the new trail.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/dbqy - San Antonio Business Journal
- 115 Years of Preservation at Casa Grande: Last June, the local landmark celebrated 115 years as nationally protected grounds. In fact, Casa Grande Ruins was the first prehistoric and cultural site to be established in the United States. The Casa Grande represented the centerpiece of the Hohokam irrigation farming culture, which flourished in the Gila River Valley beginning sometime between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. By the Classic Period (1100-1450 A.D.), experts believe that anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 Hohokam inhabited the area, living along 300 miles of canals dug from the Gila River.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/6dkz - Tri Valley Central
- Man Fined for Illegal Excavations on San Carlos Reservation: A northeastern Arizona man has been ordered to pay $24,000 in federal fines for illegally digging for artifacts on an Indian reservation. Mark Anthony Brady of Springerville pleaded guilty to violating a federal law that prohibits digging for tribal artifacts on Indian lands. Brady was digging for artifacts at a prehistoric village site on the San Carlos Indian Reservation.
The Phoenix Business Journal.
- Coin Cache found in San Antonio: A backhoe uncovered about 200 U.S. quarters, half dollars and silver dollars dating between 1852 and 1880. The crew also found a gold coin from that era. The value of the coins largely depends on their condition, and many are green with corrosion. Suneson said he doesn't expect to make a fortune selling the hoard. He's more interested in the mystery of how the coins wound up underground, forgotten.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/89as - My San Antonio.Com
- New Exhibit at Mesa Southwest Museum Explores Hohokam Platform Mounds: Before traveling to Mexico or Egypt to view ancient temples, check out the one in your backyard. The Mesa Grande Temple Mound is a well-preserved Hohokam site in the Southeast Valley. It's open only on special occasions, and from outside the enclosure, may seem just a dusty and creosote bush-covered mound, but an upcoming exhibit at Mesa Southwest Museum promises fresh insight into the spiritual side of Hohokam life.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0822mr-hohokam0823.html
- Bond Funding Proposed to Improve Interpretive Features at Honeybee Village: Honey Bee Village is what remains of a Hohokam settlement located in Oro Valley east of North Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and south of the Moore Road alignment. The Hohokam first settled in the village, which was along the Honey Bee Wash in the Cañada del Oro Valley, around A.D. 450, according to the Center for Desert Archaeology. Those 13 acres are meant to become a public preserve, both town and county officials said. "The 2008 proposal is to make that site accessible to the public," said Roger Anyon, cultural resources program manager for the county's Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Office. If approved, most of the bond money would go toward creating trails and interpretative signs, he said.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/197575
- Irma Moreno is a Living History Treasure for Tucson: When Irma Moreno was in school, she disliked studying history. But a curious thing happened to Moreno one day in 1999. Having retired from 22 years of teaching elementary school on the South Side and wanting to do something interesting and useful, Moreno walked into a building to ask about being a volunteer. It was the Arizona Historical Society by the university.
There she discovered the history she had been taught to dislike. The society staff opened her eyes to the vastness that is Tucson's history.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/197925.php
- National Park Service Celebrates 91st Anniversary This Saturday. The National Park Service, America's premier conservation agency -- turns 91 years old this week with millions of citizens enjoying historic treasures from Independence Hall to Mesa Verde and famous natural sanctuaries such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Everglades. Today, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR), whose more than 600 members cumulatively served 17,000 years in the National Park Service, voiced hope that a new era of reinvestment in national parks is dawning.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/hqr - Yahoo News
- National Park Service Agrees to Support Expansion of Trail for San Antonio Missions: The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park's proposal to build a new trail connecting Mission San Jose to hike and bike lanes along Mission Trail has been declared eligible to receive federal matching funds. The local friends group of the park, Los Compadres de San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, has raised $48,700 through individual donors and fund-raising events toward the new trail.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/dbqy - San Antonio Business Journal
- 115 Years of Preservation at Casa Grande: Last June, the local landmark celebrated 115 years as nationally protected grounds. In fact, Casa Grande Ruins was the first prehistoric and cultural site to be established in the United States. The Casa Grande represented the centerpiece of the Hohokam irrigation farming culture, which flourished in the Gila River Valley beginning sometime between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. By the Classic Period (1100-1450 A.D.), experts believe that anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 Hohokam inhabited the area, living along 300 miles of canals dug from the Gila River.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/6dkz - Tri Valley Central
- Man Fined for Illegal Excavations on San Carlos Reservation: A northeastern Arizona man has been ordered to pay $24,000 in federal fines for illegally digging for artifacts on an Indian reservation. Mark Anthony Brady of Springerville pleaded guilty to violating a federal law that prohibits digging for tribal artifacts on Indian lands. Brady was digging for artifacts at a prehistoric village site on the San Carlos Indian Reservation.
The Phoenix Business Journal.
- Coin Cache found in San Antonio: A backhoe uncovered about 200 U.S. quarters, half dollars and silver dollars dating between 1852 and 1880. The crew also found a gold coin from that era. The value of the coins largely depends on their condition, and many are green with corrosion. Suneson said he doesn't expect to make a fortune selling the hoard. He's more interested in the mystery of how the coins wound up underground, forgotten.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/89as - My San Antonio.Com
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Southwestern Archaeology Today for August 22, 2007
Southwestern Archaeology making the News – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- Ancient Bead Trade in the Southwest: A leading expert on prehistoric Southwest jewelry has claimed Indian beads were one of the marvels of Native technology. Even a casual glance at some of the tiny, beautifully made examples recovered by archaeologists would force us to agree. Ancient trade routes stretching across the Southwest connected important manufacturing and trading centers at which redistribution of goods occurred. In this early-day commerce, beads had high value and were much in demand.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/66885.html
- Nevada’s Most Endangered Historic Treasures: The Goldfield school, Commercial Row in Wells and the rail yard in Ely are among Nevada's most endangered historic treasures, a preservation group said in a new report. The Virginia Street Bridge in Reno also remains on the list issued by Preserve Nevada, along with Reno's Hillside Cemetery, the Round Hill Pine Resort at Lake Tahoe and the First Presbyterian Church in Carson City.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2007/aug/21/082110010.html
- Historical Context and Inventory Study of WWII Internment Camps Available Online:
The final edition of the Context, Inventory, and Heritage WW II POW Camps on DoD Installations (Legacy Project 05-256) is now available on DENIX. The PDF file includes the historic context, inventory of POW camps, and seven documentation reports of existing features on current DoD installations. The report is 110MBs, so expect downloading to take a few minutes. The report is available to the public at:
http://www.cdarc.org/page/7o8d - US Department of Defense
- Lecture in Tucson to Focus Upon Pioneering Hispanic Family: Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 6:30 PM, at the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson park. Archaeologist Homer Thiel will present “Francisco Solano Leon and Ramona Elias: A Presidio Family." The park is located at the southwest corner of Church Avenue and Washington Street, one block north of the domed Pima County Courthouse. Refreshments will be served.
- Ancient Bead Trade in the Southwest: A leading expert on prehistoric Southwest jewelry has claimed Indian beads were one of the marvels of Native technology. Even a casual glance at some of the tiny, beautifully made examples recovered by archaeologists would force us to agree. Ancient trade routes stretching across the Southwest connected important manufacturing and trading centers at which redistribution of goods occurred. In this early-day commerce, beads had high value and were much in demand.
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/66885.html
- Nevada’s Most Endangered Historic Treasures: The Goldfield school, Commercial Row in Wells and the rail yard in Ely are among Nevada's most endangered historic treasures, a preservation group said in a new report. The Virginia Street Bridge in Reno also remains on the list issued by Preserve Nevada, along with Reno's Hillside Cemetery, the Round Hill Pine Resort at Lake Tahoe and the First Presbyterian Church in Carson City.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2007/aug/21/082110010.html
- Historical Context and Inventory Study of WWII Internment Camps Available Online:
The final edition of the Context, Inventory, and Heritage WW II POW Camps on DoD Installations (Legacy Project 05-256) is now available on DENIX. The PDF file includes the historic context, inventory of POW camps, and seven documentation reports of existing features on current DoD installations. The report is 110MBs, so expect downloading to take a few minutes. The report is available to the public at:
http://www.cdarc.org/page/7o8d - US Department of Defense
- Lecture in Tucson to Focus Upon Pioneering Hispanic Family: Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 6:30 PM, at the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson park. Archaeologist Homer Thiel will present “Francisco Solano Leon and Ramona Elias: A Presidio Family." The park is located at the southwest corner of Church Avenue and Washington Street, one block north of the domed Pima County Courthouse. Refreshments will be served.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Southwestern Archaeology Today for August 20, 2007
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology
- New Museum In Tuba City Highlights Navajo Culture: Jocelyn Billy, the reigning Miss Navajo, was one of the speakers at the grand-opening ceremonies for the Explore Navajo Interactive Museum here in late July. She spoke in her native language, then repeated her remarks in English. The message was the same: It is time for Navajos to share their culture with the world.
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/features/articles/0817navajo0812.html
- Book Review – Anasazi America: But another lost civilization, right here in North America, offers not just examples of failure to avoid but also of success to imitate. Anasazi America, by David E. Stuart, an archaeologist specializing in the Southwest, offers an excellent introduction to this oh-so-relevant history.
http://thetyee.ca/Books/2007/08/17/Anasazi/
- Apache Acorn Harvest In Payson: Members of the White Mountain Apache tribe can be seen all over Payson. For the last two or three weeks now in various spots around town, groups ranging from entire families to just a couple of Native Americans from the White Mountain Apache tribe have been seen gathering something in the fields and open lots around Payson. They have been collecting acorns to get the oak nuts inside them from the numerous oak trees in and around town.
http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/localnews/story/30132
- Arizona Humanities Council Lecture to Examine Archaeological and Cultural Views of the Treatment of the Dead: Allen Dart Presents “ What Do We Do with Our Ancestors” Saturday September 8, 2007, 10 a.m. to noon at the Yavapai Apache Nation Tribal Headquarters, 2400 W. Datsi, Camp Verde. Ever since archaeology became an active intellectual pursuit, many archaeologists have held that all materials left behind by ancient peoples, including human remains as well as artifacts, are proper subjects for scientific study, and that these materials should all be preserved in museums to keep them accessible for study in the future. In contrast, some Native Americans and others believe that human remains and grave objects should not be subjected to any kind of destructive scientific studies, or not even disturbed or studied at all, and that if they are disturbed they should be respectfully reburied.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/opac-ancestors.doc – Ms Word Document
- New Museum In Tuba City Highlights Navajo Culture: Jocelyn Billy, the reigning Miss Navajo, was one of the speakers at the grand-opening ceremonies for the Explore Navajo Interactive Museum here in late July. She spoke in her native language, then repeated her remarks in English. The message was the same: It is time for Navajos to share their culture with the world.
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/features/articles/0817navajo0812.html
- Book Review – Anasazi America: But another lost civilization, right here in North America, offers not just examples of failure to avoid but also of success to imitate. Anasazi America, by David E. Stuart, an archaeologist specializing in the Southwest, offers an excellent introduction to this oh-so-relevant history.
http://thetyee.ca/Books/2007/08/17/Anasazi/
- Apache Acorn Harvest In Payson: Members of the White Mountain Apache tribe can be seen all over Payson. For the last two or three weeks now in various spots around town, groups ranging from entire families to just a couple of Native Americans from the White Mountain Apache tribe have been seen gathering something in the fields and open lots around Payson. They have been collecting acorns to get the oak nuts inside them from the numerous oak trees in and around town.
http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/localnews/story/30132
- Arizona Humanities Council Lecture to Examine Archaeological and Cultural Views of the Treatment of the Dead: Allen Dart Presents “ What Do We Do with Our Ancestors” Saturday September 8, 2007, 10 a.m. to noon at the Yavapai Apache Nation Tribal Headquarters, 2400 W. Datsi, Camp Verde. Ever since archaeology became an active intellectual pursuit, many archaeologists have held that all materials left behind by ancient peoples, including human remains as well as artifacts, are proper subjects for scientific study, and that these materials should all be preserved in museums to keep them accessible for study in the future. In contrast, some Native Americans and others believe that human remains and grave objects should not be subjected to any kind of destructive scientific studies, or not even disturbed or studied at all, and that if they are disturbed they should be respectfully reburied.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/opac-ancestors.doc – Ms Word Document
Friday, August 17, 2007
Southwestern Archaeology Today for August 17 , 2007
Southwestern Archaeology Making the News - A Service of the Center For Desert Archaeology
- New Mural in Tucson Depicts Hohokam Designs: The mural's background design is taken from motifs from Hohokam pots, said one of the designers, Desert View High School teacher Brenda Semanick. "We decided on the Hohokam design because there are a lot of Hohokam ruins in the nearby Tanque Verde basin," she said.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/196745
- Settlement Reached in Fraudulent Native Arts Case. An American Indian arts group has reached a settlement in its lawsuit accusing a St. George store owner of misrepresenting goods as being made by Indian artists. The Chicago-based Native American Arts Inc., representing Ho-Chunk tribal members, had demanded $8 million from Milne Jewelry Co. in a complaint filed in 2005. A confidential settlement was reached on Aug. 6, according to court records. Company owner Irwin Milne did not admit guilt but agreed not to violate the Indian Arts and Craft Act, essentially a truth-in-advertising law that makes it unlawful to sell counterfeit Indian artwork.
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_6634937
- GILA Cliff Dwellings Announces Centennial Events For September: Throughout 2007, Gila Cliff Dwellings’ theme Celebrating a Century of Storytelling will guide the special events and programs at the monument, leading up to the actual 100th anniversary on November 16, 2007. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Superintendent Steve Riley announced September centennial celebration activities.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd-sept.doc - Ms Word Document
- Bighorn Sheep Returned to Ancient Range: For the hunters and gatherers who called northern New Mexico home in prehistoric times, seeing Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep roam from the state's highest peaks down the 800-foot basalt cliffs that form the Rio Grande Gorge was part of life. Petroglyphs chiseled into boulders up and down the river depict big-horned mammals, but it was long ago that the majestic animals disappeared from the area. State and federal wildlife managers have been working years on the prospect of reintroducing the past, and they took a major step over the weekend as they lifted the latch on a livestock trailer and a group of bighorn sheep -- after bit of hesitation -- thundered out, scrambling one after the other up the rocks
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ekad - Casper Tribune
- Employment Opportunity - Cultural Resources Program Manager, Maricopa County Department of Transportation, Phoenix, Arizona: Primary responsibility will be to manage MCDOT’s cultural resources program. This program evaluates capital improvements projects and other miscellaneous projects to determine the presence of archaeological and/or historical resources. The Cultural Resources Program Manager will oversee the consultant on-call program. A secondary responsibility for this position will be the coordination of hazardous materials investigations for various roadway projects. Thirdly, this position will also be asked to assist with the research and preparation of environmental documents; i.e. environmental overviews, categorical exclusions, and environmental assessments. Requires Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, History or related field and three years of experience working with environmental and cultural regulations and policies. A Masters degree may substitute for one year of experience. $53,643-$64,750. Great benefits package including flexible 9/80 work schedule, tuition reimbursement, and 3 weeks paid time off per year. To apply, go to http://www.maricopa.gov/human_resources/jobs_index.asp (Real Estate, Planning, Zoning).
- Employment Opportunity - City Of Phoenix Historic Preservation Planner: Coordinates and assists in the implementation of the City's Historic Preservation Program. Prepares and processes historic preservation zoning cases; performs design reviews of Certificate of Appropriateness applications; manages major rehabilitation work on city-owned historic sites; reviews city projects for compliance with city, state and federal historic preservation regulations; performs historic research and survey work; helps to manage historic preservation incentive programs; performs public outreach; prepares reports and makes public presentations; enforces the city historic preservation ordinance; and provides technical, architectural and historical design guidance to City staff, elected officials, citizens, boards and commissions.
http://www.phoenix.gov/jobs
- New Mural in Tucson Depicts Hohokam Designs: The mural's background design is taken from motifs from Hohokam pots, said one of the designers, Desert View High School teacher Brenda Semanick. "We decided on the Hohokam design because there are a lot of Hohokam ruins in the nearby Tanque Verde basin," she said.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/196745
- Settlement Reached in Fraudulent Native Arts Case. An American Indian arts group has reached a settlement in its lawsuit accusing a St. George store owner of misrepresenting goods as being made by Indian artists. The Chicago-based Native American Arts Inc., representing Ho-Chunk tribal members, had demanded $8 million from Milne Jewelry Co. in a complaint filed in 2005. A confidential settlement was reached on Aug. 6, according to court records. Company owner Irwin Milne did not admit guilt but agreed not to violate the Indian Arts and Craft Act, essentially a truth-in-advertising law that makes it unlawful to sell counterfeit Indian artwork.
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_6634937
- GILA Cliff Dwellings Announces Centennial Events For September: Throughout 2007, Gila Cliff Dwellings’ theme Celebrating a Century of Storytelling will guide the special events and programs at the monument, leading up to the actual 100th anniversary on November 16, 2007. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Superintendent Steve Riley announced September centennial celebration activities.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/gcd-sept.doc - Ms Word Document
- Bighorn Sheep Returned to Ancient Range: For the hunters and gatherers who called northern New Mexico home in prehistoric times, seeing Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep roam from the state's highest peaks down the 800-foot basalt cliffs that form the Rio Grande Gorge was part of life. Petroglyphs chiseled into boulders up and down the river depict big-horned mammals, but it was long ago that the majestic animals disappeared from the area. State and federal wildlife managers have been working years on the prospect of reintroducing the past, and they took a major step over the weekend as they lifted the latch on a livestock trailer and a group of bighorn sheep -- after bit of hesitation -- thundered out, scrambling one after the other up the rocks
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ekad - Casper Tribune
- Employment Opportunity - Cultural Resources Program Manager, Maricopa County Department of Transportation, Phoenix, Arizona: Primary responsibility will be to manage MCDOT’s cultural resources program. This program evaluates capital improvements projects and other miscellaneous projects to determine the presence of archaeological and/or historical resources. The Cultural Resources Program Manager will oversee the consultant on-call program. A secondary responsibility for this position will be the coordination of hazardous materials investigations for various roadway projects. Thirdly, this position will also be asked to assist with the research and preparation of environmental documents; i.e. environmental overviews, categorical exclusions, and environmental assessments. Requires Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology, Archaeology, History or related field and three years of experience working with environmental and cultural regulations and policies. A Masters degree may substitute for one year of experience. $53,643-$64,750. Great benefits package including flexible 9/80 work schedule, tuition reimbursement, and 3 weeks paid time off per year. To apply, go to http://www.maricopa.gov/human_resources/jobs_index.asp (Real Estate, Planning, Zoning).
- Employment Opportunity - City Of Phoenix Historic Preservation Planner: Coordinates and assists in the implementation of the City's Historic Preservation Program. Prepares and processes historic preservation zoning cases; performs design reviews of Certificate of Appropriateness applications; manages major rehabilitation work on city-owned historic sites; reviews city projects for compliance with city, state and federal historic preservation regulations; performs historic research and survey work; helps to manage historic preservation incentive programs; performs public outreach; prepares reports and makes public presentations; enforces the city historic preservation ordinance; and provides technical, architectural and historical design guidance to City staff, elected officials, citizens, boards and commissions.
http://www.phoenix.gov/jobs
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