Southwest Archaeology Today for March 1, 2006

Archaeology Making the News – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

– WW-II Wreckage Site Under Lake Mead Focus of Preservation Controversy: The 1948 wreckage of a U.S. bomber at the bottom of Lake Mead has been called a “submerged cultural resource” by the National Park Service. Others say it’s evidence of Park Service gross mismanagement. The B-29 Superfortress crashed during a secret mission and lay unseen until five years ago, when it was found by expert divers who had gone in search of the wreckage. But instead of allowing the dive team to make a television special about the discovery and then salvage it for public display, the Park Service asserted ownership and won its case in court. Then the Park Service did something that divers say all but guaranteed that treasure hunters would strip the wreckage. The agency put buoys on the surface near the airplane, which had remained hidden for a half-century under 210 feet of water. The buoys included a warning: “No anchoring, mooring or diving permitted.”
http://tinyurl.com/etrqg – Las Vegas Sun

– Excellent Guide to the Ethnobotany of the Lower Pecos Now On-line: An Ethnobotany gallery has been added to the Lower Pecos exhibit on Texas Beyond History, the virtual museum of Texas’ cultural heritage, a public education service of the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin and 13 partner organizations. Dr. J. Philip (Phil) Dering is the author of the new gallery, which is sponsored by the Amistad National Recreation Area of the National Park Service. This gallery is intended as a teaching and research tool for those who seek to understand how ancient peoples used the plants typical of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of southwest Texas. Many of these plants grow and were utilized by native groups across much of the Edwards Plateau, Trans-Pecos, and the Rio Grande Plains. The gallery entries may be a bit technical for the general public, but scientific details and references are necessary for serious students of ethnobotany (as well as botany, archeology, and natural history).
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/pecos/ethnobot.html

– Historic Preservation (Paradise Valley, AZ): While the number of new homes in the Valley continues to rise, there are plenty of communities whose housing stock is aging. Statewide, 26 cities and towns have formalized historic preservation programs, and just five of those are in the Valley: Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe. Phoenix and Scottsdale have designated historic neighborhoods. But as bulldozers razed a record number of homes in Paradise Valley, the town is confronting a struggle that communities face Valley-wide: balancing preservation with property rights.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0227pvhistoric0227.html

– Arizona Archaeology Expo is This Weekend: Kids and adults will learn about the hard life of native people and early settlers at the annual Arizona Archaeology Expo Friday and Saturday. This year it’s at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. The state’s Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month kick-off, which is held at a different location each year, aims to use fun activities to show what archaeologists do and outline Arizona’s early history. The Expo Runs from 9 am to 4 pm, Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th.
http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/caliente/117801.php

– Archaeologist Sharon Urban to Teach Rock Art Class in Tucson: Sharon F. Urban, M.A., recently retired from the Arizona State Museum after 32 years as the Public Archaeologist with the first six years being devoted to Highway Salvage Archaeology. Her interest in rock art began with first visit to a rock art site in 1961 with the Southern California Archeological Survey Association. Actively involved in rock art recording and study since 1970, Sharon has provided lectures and staff support to the Arizona Archaeological Society Rock Art Field School since 1990. The class is being offered through “The Learning Curve.”
http://www.thelearningcurvetucson.com/pictographs.htm

– Tour Opportunity, Old Pueblo Archaeology’s Tour of Southeast Utah Ruins, Rock Art and Rivers: Wednesday, March 15 – Sunday, March 19, 2006. We will base in Bluff, Utah at quaint Recapture Lodge on the San Juan River and do day tours in the area. $695 per person for non-members. ($670 per person for old pueblo archaeology center and pueblo grande museum auxiliary members). Tour fee includes a donation to Old Pueblo Archaeology, lodging, transportation by van, and all entry and tour fees. Call old pueblo archaeology center at 520-798-1201 to sign up. info@oldpueblo.org
http://www.oldpueblo.org/