Major Clovis Discovery in Northern Sonora

Major Clovis Discovery in Northern Sonora
Mexican Archaeologists discovered 3 Clovis projectile heads associated to remains of Gomphotheres with an age of at least 12,000 years, in the northern region of the Mexican state of Sonora. The finding is relevant because these are the first evidences in North America of this extinct animal linked to the human species.  The finding opens the possibility of the coexistence of humankind with gomphotheres, animals similar to mammoths, but smaller, in this region of America, which contrasts with theories that declare that this species disappeared 30,000 years ago in this region of America and did not coexist with humans. http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=44345

Related Post – Archaeology Café Presentation Provides Interesting Context for the New Discoveries in Sonora
University of Wyoming archaeologist Todd Surovell’s recent presentation at the Center for Desert Archaeology’s Archaeology Café program examined the extinction of megafauna such as Gomphotheres in North America. In a tribute to the late Paul S. Martin, Surovell presented a compelling case for the overkill hypothesis.  The Center for Desert Archaeology is sharing Todd’s talk via streaming video. https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/what-we-do/information-resources/video/ac305_surovell_240p/

Edge of the Cedars and Other Utah State Parks Threatened with Closure
Four parks on the chopping block are museums, which seldom make money and almost always need government help. Charlie DeLorme, director of economic development and visitor services in San Juan County, called closing Edge of the Cedars “absolutely ludicrous.” He argues that the museum is the largest federal repository of Ancestral Puebloan artifacts in the Four Corners region and may become even bigger after the fallout after the raids of private citizens holding artifacts in the area in 2009. He points out that federal funds help pay for some of the operations. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51081852-76/park-state-county-course.html.csp?page=1

Federal Agreement Acknowledges Pueblo’s Decision-Making Rights over Aboriginal Lands
Just days after President Barack Obama announced U.S. support for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the White House Tribal Conference Dec. 16, the Pueblo of Jemez and the Santa Fe National Forest entered into a historic agreement that gives the Jemez nation decision making powers over its aboriginal lands and provides a model implementation of the indigenous human rights document. http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/Jemez-Pueblo-Santa-Fe-National-Forest-sign-historic-pact-113075064.html

Field School Announcement – 2011 Preservation Archaeology Field School at Mule Creek, NM
The Center for Desert Archaeology and the University of Arizona School of Anthropology are offering a preservation archaeology field school from May 29 through July 4, 2011. The field school will combine training in basic excavation and site recording skills with a curriculum highlighting the goals, ethics, and practice of preservation archaeology, which integrates research, education, and preservation within a community-based framework.
https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/2011/01/21/2011-mule-creek-field-school/

Arizona Centennial Celebrations Start Feb. 12
The National Park Service, Sharlot Hall Museum, and the Tucson Presidio Trust will be hosting the first Apache Pass Through Time event on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fort Bowie National Historic Site (NHS). This special event will serve as the kick-off event for Arizona’s statehood centennial celebration, and commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Bascom Affair, a confrontation between the United States military and the Chiricahua Apache that occurred in the Apache Pass area in 1861. http://willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2011/01/21/news/news11.txt

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument to Host Third Annual American Indian Music Festival
The Third Annual American Indian Music Fest at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will be held on Saturday and Sunday, February 12 and 13, 2011. This festive event celebrates the connection and continuity of prehistoric and current American Indian cultures through concert and demonstration. Visitors can experience a blend of prehistoric and modern Native American instrumentation, music and dance; they can also observe American Indian crafters and artisans engaged in the production of traditional and contemporary cultural items (available for purchase). Authentic American Indian foods provide a tasty accompaniment to the rhythms of the past and the present. http://www.nps.gov/cagr/planyourvisit/american-indian-music-fest.htm

The Arizona State Museum’s Southwest Indian Art Fair Could Use a Few Volunteers
The Arizona State Museum relies heavily on dedicated and hard-working volunteers to make the annual Southwest Indian Art Fair a success. There are a variety of positions available and flexible time slots over the busy weekend. Volunteers get free admission to the art fair, copious refreshments, and of course the undying gratitude from all of your friends at the Arizona State Museum. Contact ASM volunteer coordinator Mackenzie Massman at 520-621-4096 or sign up today at http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/events/swiaf/swiaf_volunteer_reg.shtml

New Denver Art Museum Exhibit Presents an Examination of Aesthetics in American Indian Fine Art
To many museum regulars, those who turn out mostly for impressionist landscapes or Rembrandt portraits, American Indian art can at first seem a little exotic and even off-putting. The symbols, techniques and materials, like feathers or porcupine quills, can certainly vary from those in European-derived art, and there are fewer household names, like Monet or Rubens, to guide the way. But a tour of the overhauled American Indian galleries opening Jan. 30 on the third story of the Denver Art Museum’s original building makes clear that this aesthetic world is not so different after all. http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_17151760

Deer Valley Rock Art Center Presents Southwestern Stories for Children
Would you like to introduce your preschooler to archaeology, desert wildlife, and Native American cultures? Join the Deer Valley Rock Art Center for Ollie’s Storybook Adventures. The Deer Valley Rock Art Center invites kids to its spring season of the popular children’s program, Ollie’s Storybook Adventures. Storybook is an educational program that offers fun and interactive ways for children to learn about Native American cultures as well as the plants, animals, and archaeology of the American southwest. Each adventure includes a story, art activity, music, and outdoor games. http://www.glendalestar.com/news/entertainment/article_105ad18c-2319-11e0-b279-001cc4c03286.html

Lecture Opportunity (Tubac)
Center for Desert Archaeology Preservation Fellow Rob Jones will present “Mule Creek and the Post-Mimbres Archaeology of the Upper Gila.” This talk will focus on recent work conducted by the Center for Desert Archaeology and others into the post-1200s occupation of the Upper Gila watershed. Three seasons of field work in Mule Creek, a tributary of the San Francisco, have shed new light on the culture history and community connections of the final Puebloan occupation of the area.  https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/sat/jones-2-11.doc

Lecture Opportunity (Phoenix)
The Agua Fria Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society is offering a free lecture on Latino Yerberias (herb shops) in Phoenix Neighborhoods on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 6:00 PM at the Glendale Public Library Auditorium, 5959 West Brown (south of Peoria Ave). Membership is not required. Donna Ruiz y Costello, an Arizona State University graduate in Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies will discuss her research of Mexican herb shops and the role that the owners of these businesses play in their communities. The Arizona Archaeology Society conducts frequent classes and field trips. For more information contact Sandy Haddock, (480) 481-0582, azmacaw44@cox.net.

Training Opportunity (Phoenix)
NPI, the National Preservation Institute, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980, educates those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of our cultural heritage. The 2011 National Preservation Institute seminar schedule is available online at www.npi.org. NPI plans to offer Cultural and Natural Resources: An Integrated Management Strategy Feburary 23 through the 24th and Renewable Energy Development: Impacts on Cultural Resources February 25th. http://www.npi.org

Employment Opportunity (El Paso)
The City of El Paso Texas has now posted the opening for the Curator position at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. To apply for the position, follow the link below and click on the El Paso Human Resources Department. Open the Employment tab (located on the left side of the page), and scroll down to the listing of positions open to see “Archaeology Museum Curator.” Note that there is a tab for Supplemental Questions. The closing date for applications is Jan. 28, 2011. http://www.elpasotexas.gov

Thanks to Adrianne Rankin for contributions to this week’s newsletter.