What Are New Mexico’s Most Endangered Historic Places?

What Are New Mexico’s Most Endangered Historic Places?
The 2012 call for nominations to the New Mexico Historic Preservation Alliance most endangered cultural heritage is now out and available online: www.nmheritage.org.  The deadline for submitting nominations has now been extended to March 31, 2012.  If you have a favorite place or cultural tradition in mind to nominate, now is the time to nominate it.  Nomination forms are available at http://www.nmheritage.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-MEP-Nom-form2.pdf.

Archaeology Magazine Examines the Site of Coronado’s Battle at Piedras Marcadas
In a dirt lot five miles from downtown Albuquerque, Matthew Schmader, the city’s archaeologist, kneels to examine a sharp flake of obsidian. “This could have been from a weapon one of the native troops brought up from Mexico,” he says, referring to the sixteenth-century Spanish expedition led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Cars hum past on Coors Boulevard, and a breeze ripples cottonwood leaves along the Rio Grande River, half a mile east. If the weather is good, and sometimes even if it’s not, chances are Schmader will be hard at work in this city-owned property surrounded by housing developments. http://www.archaeology.org/1203/features/francisco_coronado_puebloan_piedras_marcadas.html

First 10 Years of El Palacio Digitized and Placed Online
El Palacio Magazine, published by the Museum of New Mexico for nearly 100 years, celebrates the digital age just as the state celebrates its centennial, by putting the first ten years of the magazine online, free to all at http://archives.elpalacio.org. With the changing times, the vision of many magazine publishers—including El Palacio‘s—has had to broaden in order to continue a print product while also developing an online version and full archive for a Web-savvy audience. The New Mexico State Library’s State Document Program, which has long collected and cataloged printed copies of El Palacio, shared the magazine’s online, digital goals because of the publication’s historical content, its focus on New Mexico, and its perfect fit with the library’s mission to increase access to state publications. http://archives.elpalacio.org

Arizona Seeks Nominations for Governor’s Awards in Historic Presentation
Do you know a fantastic Historic Preservation project, site steward, or preservationist who deserves incredible recognition?  It’s time to put together your nominations for the Governor’s Awards for the 2012 Conference. The awards will be distributed at the Welcome Reception, Thursday, June 14, 2012 at the Elks Opera House in Prescott.  You won’t want to miss that presentation. Nomination DEADLINE: April 13, 2012.! Visit the following link for Nomination Forms: http://www.azpreservation.com/resources/documents.html

Early Registration Opens for Arizona Preservation Conference
The Registration system on the website is now live.  It’s time to register!  Early registration discounts will end March 20, 2012, so please register early.  Remember that members in good standing of the Arizona Preservation Foundation, Arizona Historical Society, and the Arizona Archaeological Council receive extra discounts.  Visit: http://www.azpreservation.com/registrationpage.html

Pima County Praised for Culturally Sensitive Development on Tucson Trincheras Site
Pima County has won praise from the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for the way it handled the challenging task of negotiating with Indian nations and others in southern Arizona for their support for constructing a communications tower atop Tumamoc Hill. Tumamoc Hill west of downtown Tucson is an ancestral site of great significance to the Tohono O’odham and other Native Americans. Petroglyphs, rock house foundations and evidence of farming at the site indicate that indigenous peoples have lived there for more than 2,000 years. http://tucsoncitizen.com/pima-county-news/2012/02/13/tumamoc-hill-project-heralded-as-a-case-study-in-protecting-cultural-resources-while-modernizing-county-communications/

Team of Local and National Experts Works to Save the Rock Art of the Lower Pecos River
The National Park Service, Shumla School, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, are collaborating on a project to document Panther Cave, site of one of the area’s most well-known—and most threatened—ancient rock art panels. http://www.texashighways.com/index.php/component/content/article/38-outdoors/6390-panther-cave-rock-art-in-danger

Texas Archaeology Society Offers an Archeology Academy in College Station, March 3–4
Have you ever wondered about a sherd – a piece of a broken pot?  Join fellow adventurers at an Archeology Academy about ceramics.  On March 3-4 in College Station, the Texas Archeological Society will present a two-day workshop that will intrigue you. Pottery and other clay artifacts are almost indestructible and tell wonderful stories when you know how to listen. An informal setting will inspire you to learn with hands-on activities and lectures. Lunch, snacks and a manual are provided. CPE credit is available for teachers.  Registration is required by February 22. See www.txarch.org activities, academy, ceramics 2012 or call 800 377-7240 for more information.

Historic Hispanic Settlers Provide Models of Sustainability in Southern Colorado
A group of Hispanic families that settled in southern Colorado in the 1800s lived in such harmony with nature that their lifestyle can teach us some important environmental lessons today, according to a University of Denver archaeologist.  After 20 years of excavating remote settlements, Bonnie Clark recently published a book saying that bringing back the old Hispanic way of life in that region would do wonders in developing better environmental protection programs. In her study “On the Edge of Purgatory: An Archaeology of Place in Hispanic Colorado,” Clark explores the “unwritten history” of the Latino population in the southern part of the state, combining archaeological excavations and contemporary ethnography with historical accounts. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/02/14/environmental-lessons-from-early-hispanic-settlers-in-colorado/

New Exhibit on the Apache Experience Debuts at the Heard
The story of a legendary Apache warrior who is said to have walked without leaving footprints as he evaded thousands of Mexican and U.S. soldiers easily overshadows that of other Apaches who were trying to protect their people and way of life from encroachment.  But a new exhibit at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, “Beyond Geronimo: The Apache Experience,” draws on that warrior’s fame while also exploring less familiar stories of other Apaches. The exhibit runs through January. http://nativetimes.com/life/travel/6839-legendary-apache-warrior-subject-of-ariz-exhibit

Star Gazing Party at Gila Cliff Dwellings
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and Western National Parks Association invite the public to a Mardi Gras New Moon Star Party at the Gila Visitor Center on Tuesday February 21, 2012, from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm.  This special event will be conducted by the Silver City Astronomical Society.  SCAS members Kathy Anderson, Randy Carr, and Gary Emerson will guide the observations. With clear skies, they’ll identify constellations and asterisms, look at passing planets, and search for a few deep sky objects.  If it’s cloudy, they’ll conduct an indoor program on the Aurora Borealis of the World presented by Randy.  Refreshments will be provided at the WNPA Store inside the Gila Visitor Center.

Final Arizona Archaeology Expo Planning Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday
The final planning meeting for the 2102 Arizona Archaeology & Heritage Expo will be held on February 21, 2012, at 10 am, 2nd floor meeting room at Arizona State Parks/SHPO, 1300 W. Washington, Phoenix, 85007.             Please come and share your ideas as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) plans for the 2012 Arizona Archaeology & Heritage Expo that will be held on March 3, 2012 at the State Capitol Grounds in Phoenix.  SHPO’s co-sponsor for the event is Arizona Public Service.  We will be exchanging ideas with the various partners, discussing programming, publicity, lay out and organization, sponsors, funding, off-site activities, etc.

Greek Austerity Measures Putting World Heritage at Risk
The armed thieves are reported to have entered the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity at 07:30 local time on Friday (05:30 GMT) and demanded that a female employee hand over various objects. When the employee refused, she was tied up and gagged. Olympia Mayor Thymios Kotzias said the robbers – one of whom had a gun – targeted the guard during a shift change, after having already knocked out the alarm. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17071934

Ancient Wineries and Nevada Ghost Town Are Some of the Latest Features on the Archaeology Channel
In the latest installment of the Video News from TAC, we show you the ancient art of wine-making in Cyprus, excavations in the Chinese district of an abandoned mining town in Nevada, and offer an opinion on the upcoming auction of artifacts from the ocean-bottom site of the Titanic.  See these stories in the February 2012 edition of this monthly half-hour show, available now on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel (http://www.archaeologychannel.org) as well as on cable TV in cities across the US.