Bipartisan Effort to Expand Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Gathers Momentum in Congress

Bill to Expand Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Reintroduced
The boundaries of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument could expand under a House bill. U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick a Democrat, has introduced the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boundary Modification Act of 2013, and if approved, the measure would transfer several pieces of land from various agencies to the National Park Service in the interest of preserving cultural artifacts that might be on the land. http://bit.ly/1eSz8cD – Arizona Daily Star

Bipartisan Effort to Expand Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Gathers Momentum in Congress
U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick said at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument during an open house in Coolidge recently that progress is being made on a bill that would expand the boundaries of the monument. The 1st District Democrat introduced the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Boundary Modification Act of 2013 on June 25. If it is passed, control of several pieces of land will transfer from various agencies to the National Park Service in the interest of preserving cultural artifacts that might be located on the land. http://bit.ly/1efQS2V – Daily Herald & http://bit.ly/1eCczvc – Archaeology Southwest

Archaeology Southwest’s Sixth Season of Archaeology Café Begins Tuesday, October 1st
On Tuesday, October 1, 2013, Dr. David Doyel will share his expert perspective on archaeology in the Great Bend of the Gila, an enduring cultural crossroads that may become a national monument. We gather after 5:00 p.m., and presentations begin by 6:15 p.m. Seating is open and unreserved, but limited.  http://bit.ly/14TLLlY – Archaeology Southwest

Study of Skulls Shows Significant Variation among Ancient Mexican Groups
A new analysis of the skulls of prehistoric peoples in Mexico reveals significant regional variation in the facial characteristics of indigenous populations – indicating that there were notable physical differences between geographically separate groups before the arrival of Europeans. http://bit.ly/146qtPr – Phys.org

National Geographic Summarizes Current State of the Clovis Comet Debate
Why did mammoths, mastodons, and other mega-beasts vanish from North America? Was it because: 1) humans killed them; 2) they couldn’t hack the climate after the Ice Age ended; or 3) an exploding comet ignited continent-wide wildfires, sent hundred-mile-an-hour winds and tornadoes howling across the land, and shattered the North American ice sheet, while also maybe gouging out the Great Lakes? Let’s talk about option number three. http://bit.ly/146tijy – National Geographic Online

AAHS Book Sale Scheduled for October 12
The Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society will be having its annual used book sale on Saturday, October 12 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Arizona State Museum lobby (1013 E. University Blvd.). The sale features hard-to-find titles on the anthropology, archaeology, and ethnohistory of the greater southwest and more. Most books are $2 or less. Proceeds support the ASM library. Contact Jon Boyd @ 520 444-6385 with questions about this, or any other AAHS program.

Lecture Opportunity – El Paso
On September 21, 2013 at 2:00 pm Mrs. Mary Louise Johnson Thompson Ridinger speaks on Cacao and Sacbés: Royal Roads across the Maya Heartland at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.  She explores the evidence for early trade in jade and cacao along similar routes connecting far flung regions in ancient Mesoamerica as early as 1700 B.C. and connections to the American Southwest. This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information call 915-755-4332 or go to http://bit.ly/18kqFbh

Lecture Opportunity – Tucson
Native Seeds/SEARCH presents Gwinn Vivian on Wednesday, September 18 at 6 PM to discuss The Mystery of Chaco. Dr. Vivian will present details on the ancient agricultural systems at Chaco. The lecture is located at the Native Seeds/SEARCH Conservation Center at 3584 E. River Road. Additional details: http://bit.ly/18p74wq – Native Seeds/SEARCH

Position Announcement – Dragoon
The Amerind Foundation, a 75 year old independent non-profit (501-c-3) foundation located in Dragoon, Arizona, 60 miles east of Tucson, invites applications for Executive Director. The facilities include a museum, art gallery, laboratories, research library, seminar house, and staff and visiting scholar residences, on a 1600 acre rural campus. The collections include research materials generated by archaeological projects, Native American art and ethnographic objects from throughout the Americas, and fine art works including Native American paintings and Western American paintings and sculpture. The foundation supports advanced scholarly seminars in anthropology, archaeology, and history, and an academic publication series. See http://bit.ly/1gkguIF – Amerind Foundation