Vandalism in National Parks Is on the Decline, Except in Urban Areas

Vandalism in National Parks Is on the Decline, Except in Urban Areas
City dwellers can argue over whether graffiti is vandalism or art or some strange hybrid of the two. But when it appears in national parks, there should be no question: It’s desecration. Over the last several years, across the 400 parks that fall under the auspices of the National Park Service, incidents of vandalism—graffiti and otherwise—have decreased, and the number of incidents is minuscule compared with the number of visitors each year (292.8 million in 2014). But in parks near urban areas, graffiti is a persistent problem. http://lat.ms/1J37M3o – Los Angeles Times

Clovis-Era Bone Jewelry Identified in Alaska
During the last two summers, teams led by UAF’s Ben Potter have expanded the breadth of the Mead Site, a white spruce bench that overlooks Shaw Creek Flats north of Delta Junction. Within the boundaries of the Mead Site, researchers have found what they believe are tent outlines. Inside the oval of what was probably a hide-covered structure 12,300 years ago, a student working with a trowel found a tiny bone pendant with delicate crosshatching on the edge. http://bit.ly/1JZDS1g – Sitnews.US

Rock Climbers Rally to Protect Cedar Mesa
In the southeast corner of Utah—from the San Juan River north to Indian Creek and from the Colorado River Valley to Grand Gulch in the west—millions of acres of incomparable desert landscape are under threat. This area is home to landmarks such as Cedar Mesa, Bears Ears, Valley of the Gods, the Abajo Mountains, and the crack-climbing mecca of Indian Creek. David Roberts, climber and award winning author who has made more than 60 trips to Cedar Mesa, calls it “one of the most sublime and culturally evocative landscapes on Earth.” http://bit.ly/1dVOW28 – Rock and Ice.com

A Rock Climber’s Perspective on Archaeology in the Southwest
David Roberts is a well-known mountaineer who made the first ascents of some of Alaska’s most challenging peaks. For his new book, The Lost World Of The Old Ones: Discoveries in The Ancient Southwest, he set off with a backpack to explore some of the remotest corners of the American Southwest. Rappelling down cliffs to reach ancient granaries, or stumbling across artifacts that have not been touched for 1,000 years, he follows the trail of long vanished peoples. Talking from his home in Boston, he explains why artifacts should be left where they are found and not locked up in museums; why the Dine leader, Hoskinini, should be remembered in the same way as Geronimo; and why the cave paintings of Desolation Canyon are so precious. http://bit.ly/1cFdbS4 – National Geographic

San Antonio Missions’ Bid for World Heritage Status Endorsed by ICOMOS
A World Heritage Site nomination for the Alamo and four other San Antonio missions got a major boost with the endorsement this week by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the city and county announced today. A decision is expected around July 5 when the 21-member World Heritage Committee will vote in Bonn, Germany. The state-owned Alamo complex downtown and four federally run missions on the South Side have collectively been nominated as “an exceptionally complete example of the Spanish crown’s efforts to colonize, evangelize and defend the northern frontier of New Spain.” http://bit.ly/1Eu1aoc – My San Antonio.Com

Reflections on the Harvey Houses and the Lives of Harvey Girls Entwined in a Navajo Rug
My mother-in-law’s mother, Hazel, was a Harvey Girl in Arizona. I’m not certain of the exact time period, but she started in Kansas City, then went to Ash Fork, Arizona. Harvey Girls couldn’t work and be married, so it had to be before 1912, the year she wed. I don’t know how long she worked for the Harvey Houses, but she came West to find cowboys! She did find her future husband. This rug was hers, and I’m assuming it came from Arizona, but I have no idea how she got it or any history of it. It measures 24 inches square. http://bayareane.ws/1Hb6aVN – San Jose Mercury News

Lecture Opportunity – Montrose, CO
As part of the Chipeta Chapter of Colorado Archaeology Society monthly lecture series, Dr. Timothy Riley, on Wednesday, May 20, 7:00 p.m., at the First Methodist Church, Park Avenue and South 1^st, to discuss  Eating along the edges of agriculture:  A comparison of Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan coprolites from the northern Colorado Plateau. Dr. Riley explores the diet from  coprolite specimens and compares the dietary patterns among these cultures. Contact Carol Patterson @970-252-8679 with questions about this or any other program. http://www.chipetachaptercas.org/.

Lecture Opportunity – Grand Junction, CO
The newly formed Grand Junction chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society monthly lecture series presents Dr. Carol Patterson, on Tuesday, May 19, 7:00 p.m., at Grand Junction City Hall, Corner of Fifth Street and Rood Avenue to discuss Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau, a Cultural Perspective, illustrating the cultural affiliation represented in the rock art of the Colorado Plateau. The mythic tradition (mythograms) of three different cultural diagnostics that distinguish one tradition from another in the rock art known only as the Barrier Canyon, Fremont, and Ancestral Pueblo Style. For more information, contact Doug Van Etten, 970-433-4312, CASGJinfo@gmail.com.

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Payson Sheets, who will give a lecture Did Climatic Change Bring Down Teotihuacan and the Wei Empire of China? on May 11, at 6:00 p.m., at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the annual Ancient Sites Ancient Stories II Lecture Series held to honor The Archaeological Conservancy. Admission is by subscription or $12 at the door. No reservations are necessary and refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt tel: 505 466-2775 email: southwest seminar@aol.com http://bit.ly/YhJddr – Southwest Seminars

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Thomas Dalton Dillehay, who will give a talk on Recent Archaeology of South America and Latest Research Findings from Monte Verde, Chile on May 18, at 6:00 p.m., at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the annual Ancient Sites Ancient Stories II Lecture Series held to honor The Archaeological Conservancy. Admission is by subscription or $12 at the door. No reservations are necessary and refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt tel: 505 466-2775 email: southwest seminar@aol.com http://bit.ly/YhJddr – Southwest Seminars