Budget Politics Prevents Opening of Center for New Mexico Archaeology

Budget Politics Prevents Opening of Center for New Mexico Archaeology
When you walk into the cavernous storage area at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology off N.M. 599 southwest of Santa Fe, what leaps to mind is the warehouse scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the classic 1981 film.  For Americans of a certain age, it’s a distinct pop-culture image: The man pushing a cart containing the newly discovered Ark of the Covenant through a vaguely ominous warehouse whose purpose is to hide rather than showcase the priceless discovery. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SantaFeNorthernNM/Just-add-water

New Mexico Heritage Preservation Month Starts on the First of May The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division is pleased to present you the 2011  Calendar of Events for Heritage Preservation Month this May. Please feel free to distribute the Calendar to as many individuals and organizations as you like by e-mail, or send the link to your friends on Facebook or wherever: http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/documents/2011_HPM_events.pdf

Jornada Mogollon Archaeology Conference Scheduled
Archaeologists working in the Jornada Branch of the Mogollon culture area in the American Southwest present papers on their recent research during this conference. The conference is jointly hosted by the City of El Paso Museum of Archaeology and the El Paso Archaeological Society.  The 17th biennial meetings will be held Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, 2011, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day. https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/sat/jornada_mogollon_conference_2011.doc

Registration for 2011 Pecos Conference Now Open
Early Registration opened April 10 and ends July 1 – Poster Abstracts accepted until August 1, 2011. http://www.swanet.org/2011_pecos_conference/prereg.html

Volunteer Finds Small Vessel from Fremont Era Site
BLM Cultural Resource Management staff recovered a Native American clay vessel on public lands managed by the Color Country District Bureau of Land Management last week. The painted vessel was discovered by a staff member and students from a youth recovery program traveling in the area. The artifact is believed to be of Fremont Indian heritage.  http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/12849009/article-Small-Artifact–Big-Find-for-Color-Country-BLM

Geocacher Finds Ancient Jar
When Dave Kurr was a kid exploring the hills north of Prescott with his friends, he was bummed out when they would find arrowheads and he never did. It took him until he was 43 years old to find an Indian artifact, but he’s made up for it by finding an amazingly rare ceramic jar on the Prescott National Forest. And instead of keeping it to show his friends, he chose to do the right thing by leaving it where it was and reporting it to archaeologists, so everyone could learn more about the people who created it. http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=92839

Utah Archaeology Week Begins May 7th
Utah Archaeology Week is May 7-14 and an open house is taking place May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Utah Division of State History, Rio Grande Depot, 300 S. Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City. Events include archaeology displays, workshops, crafts and demonstrations, including lessons on how to throw the ancient Atlatl spear. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/outdoors/51454212-117/lake-salt-state-utah.html.csp

Group Lists Two Mesa Attractions as Top Ten National Threatened Roadside Places
The Society for Commercial Archeology has named two Mesa sites to its 10 most endangered roadside places list. The Buckhorn Baths came in fourth on the list and The Diving Lady came in fifth. “The list showcases the diversity of roadside places and highlights the issues and challenges facing the preservation of these important resources,” the society states in a press release.

Preservation Efforts Begin for Bisbee Central School
Construction began on the first major renovation in more than a decade on Bisbee’s Historic Central School building. The work to repair the exterior surface of the west wall and bell tower began last week. The current work is a result of funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. Central School was one of 10 former schools nationwide that received the $50,000 funding in August 2010.

Lewis Binford Passes
Lewis R. Binford, one of the most influential American archaeologists of the last half-century and an early advocate of a more scientific approach to investigating ancient cultures, died on April 11 at his home in Kirksville, Mo. He was 79. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/23/us/23binford.html?_r=1

Satellites now Monitoring Heritage Sites around the World
Global Heritage Network,” in cooperation with Google Earth and private imaging satellite firm DigitalGlobe, an “early warning and threat detection system” for archaeological sites. In essence, antiquity now has its own spy agency, created to allow armchair archaeologists (as well as real ones), to watch for looting, disasters and other calamities at some of the most endangered sites of human history. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2011-04-15-archeology-satellites_N.htm

National Register Watch
Congratulations to the Benson Historic Barrio, Tempe Butte, Maricopa County’s Clark Addition Historic District, the Pioneer Cemetery in Wickenburg, and the Sands Estate Historic District in Glendale for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tour Opportunity
Join us for a West Mountain Night Tour from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 30 at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. #1, El Paso, TX 79938.  Experience majestic West Mountain at dusk and view prehistoric Native American pictographs. The hike will be strenuous; participants must be sure-footed on rock. Bring a flashlight and water.  Reservations are required; registered participants must check in for the tour by 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. There will be a $2 fee for participants ages 5 and above. Call 915-857-1135 or 915-849-6684 for information and reservations.

Lecture Opportunity (Cortez)
The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society is pleased to co-sponsor, with the Anasazi Heritage Center, Anna Sofaer and Rich Friedman to discuss *New Insights into Chaco Roads with New Technology *on Sunday, May 15 at 1:00 PM at the Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Hwy 184, Dolores, CO. This presentation is part of the Four Corners Lecture Series and is free to the public. The speakers will discuss new technology – LiDAR (aerial laser scanning) – which they used to detect and record the subtle, and vanishing, features of sections of the Chacoan Great North Road. They will also share their thoughts on the significance and possible purposes for the vast network of Chacoan roads, how their research sheds new light on this understudied aspect of Chacoan culture and how the research may, in fact, aid in the archival preservation of sections of the roads. For more information, call Bob Bernhart at 970-739-6772.

Lecture Opportunity (Tubac)
San Agustin del Tucson Mission and the Indigenous Community is Topic of Santa Cruz Valley AAS Program May 12.Anthropologist Monica Young will give a presentation to the Santa Cruz Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society on May 12, 2011, 7 PM, at the North County Facility at 50 Bridge Road in Tubac.  This program is free to the public.  For more information contact Alan Sorkowitz, President, Santa Cruz Valley Chapter, Arizona Archaeological Society, 520-207-7151, asorko@cox.net

Employment Opportunity (Aztec, NM)
Aztec Archaeological Consultants, LLC is hiring immediately for the position of Field Supervisor/Project Director. This is a permanent staff assignment. Salary range $20.00 to $25.00/hr DOE. Benefits include health insurance, paid sick leave, paid vacation, year-end bonus. Requirements: MA in archaeology, RPA preferred, experience writing and producing technical reports (a sample of writing will be required prior to consideration of employment), must hold or be eligible for a current BLM permit for Northwestern New Mexico and Dinetah permit desirable as well as listing as Project Director for State of NM. Additional permits are a plus. Please send resume, along with a sample of writing to caterj@aztecarchaeology.com

Thanks to Carrie Gregory and Gerald Kelso for contributions to this week’s issue of Southwest Archaeology Today.