Oil and Gas Development Is Allowed to Target Archaeologically Sensitive Areas of Southern Utah

Oil and Gas Development Is Allowed to Target Archaeologically Sensitive Areas of Southern Utah
The Bureau of Land Management plans to move forward on nearly 52,000 acres of proposed oil and gas leases in archaeologically sensitive parts of southeastern Utah. Among the 43 parcels to be auctioned in March are several that span Recapture and Jenny canyons, Mustang Mesa, Alkali Ridge and Montezuma Creek — all spots harboring a rich record of Ancestral Puebloan habitation dating back centuries, according to an environmental review released on Friday. http://bit.ly/2xQfCyo – Salt Lake Tribune

A New Look for Archaeology Southwest.Org
We are excited to welcome you to our newly redesigned website! Project leader Kathleen Bader worked with designers from Fabric 11 over the past year to overhaul the organization as well as the visual feel of the site. It should be much easier to learn about our projects, places to visit, and Southwestern archaeology in general. Take a look around and let us know what you think. http://www.archaeologysouthwest.org

The Amazing Ancient Images of Chevelon Canyon, on Display at Rock Art Ranch
Under an achingly blue sky, a lanky cowboy squints into the sun’s haze as he scans the plain. The scene feels frontier fresh, like it could have been plucked from the 1880s. So it seems perfectly natural to suddenly hear the strains of “Home on the Range.” But it’s just the ringtone for the cowpoke’s cellphone. Brantley Baird takes the call and gives directions to another group of travelers eager to step back in time with a visit to the Rock Art Ranch. http://bit.ly/2xPXeFK

History of the Green Chile, a Southwestern Culinary Icon
It would be unheard of and verging on blasphemy to be unfamiliar with the green and red chile pepper, capsicum annuum, that has become synonymous with New Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. However, it wasn’t always this way. The chile pepper is not native to the area. Its origins stem from central Mexico and into Central and South America. http://bit.ly/2x7QWOl – Durango Herald

Verde Valley Archaeology Center Receives IMLS Grant
The Verde Valley Archaeology Center has announced the receipt of a $24,000 Museums for America grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. With the grant money, the current Yavapai-Apache exhibit in the center will be updated and expanded. http://bit.ly/2x7ueWw – Arizona Daily Sun

Help the National Trust and National Geographic Choose to Fund Preservation Efforts in Casa Grande AZ and Las Vegas NM
Partners in Preservation is an initiative created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express to engage the public in preserving and increasing awareness of America’s historic places and their role in sustaining local communities. Since its inception in 2006, Partners in Preservation has awarded over $19 million in support of more than 200 sites. The 2017 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign invites the public to #VoteYourMainStreet to decide which historic sites along 25 of America’s favorite Main Streets should receive $2 million in preservation funding from American Express. The campaign runs from September 25th to October 31st. http://on.natgeo.com/2x7BotR – National Geographic

Archaeology Café – Tucson Underground
Knowledge seekers of every kind are welcome at Archaeology Café, where experts share their latest research on Tucson’s deep and diverse history in a jargon-free zone. On Tuesday, October 3, 2017, archaeologist James Vint will open the 2017-2018 season with an exploration of 4,000 Years Ago: Early Agriculture in the Tucson Basin. We gather at The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) around 5:30 p.m. to visit and enjoy food and beverages. Programs begin at 6 p.m. in Theatre 3. Seating is open and unreserved, with plenty of space for 98 guests. The Loft has plenty of free parking! Archaeology Café is free. Guests are encouraged to purchase their own refreshments from The Loft’s impressive concession bar. Offerings include tamales, pizza, wraps, sandwiches, snacks, and a great selection of local beers and wines. http://bit.ly/2xPKgHV – Archaeology Southwest

Tour Opportunity: Mounds and Migrants
Archaeology Southwest is partnering with Southwest Seminars to present Mounds and Migrants: A Clash of Religions in the Late Hohokam World, a special six-day tour from February 24–March 2, 2018. Join Bill Doelle, Lyle Balenquah, and Jeff Clark as we explore key sites that helped shape the Southwest’s past. http://bit.ly/2xQploi – Archaeology Southwest

Lecture Opportunity – Cave Creek
Desert Foothills Chapter – AAS presents on October 11th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at no charge, Dr. Aaron Wright. Prehistoric Southwestern Arizona is the interface between Patayan and Hohokam material culture and settlement patterns. Presumably, there were ways-of-life that are tied to each of those traditions. Still, the western frontier of the Hohokam World remains little studied and therefore poorly defined. This presentation reviews the history of research on this topic revisiting the development and eventual demise of primary Hohokam villages along the lower Gila River. In contemporary perspective, this historical trajectory raises important questions about ethnic diversity, co-residence, and conflict. The meeting is held in the community building (Maitland Hall) at The Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, 6502 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (near the Dairy Queen).  http://bit.ly/2imIwP4 – Desert Foothills Chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Society

Lecture Opportunity – NW Tucson
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s 6 to 8:30 p.m. “Third Thursday Food for Thought” dinner, October 19, at El Molinito Mexican Restaurant, 10180 N. Oracle Rd., Oro Valley, Arizona, features University of Arizona dendrochronologist Dr. Paul R. Sheppard presenting “Great Moments in Dendrochronology: Important Achievements of Tree-Ring Science.” In addition to identifying some of these achievements (many of them relating to archaeology), Dr. Sheppard will note how some of them underwent interesting twists and turns before being identified as important. Reservation deadline 5 p.m., October 18. Guests may select and purchase their own dinners from the restaurant’s menu. 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
The Santa Fe Archaeological Society (SFAS), Archaeological Institute of America, is pleased to present Dr. Richard Ford of New Mexico on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Pecos Trail Cafe, 2239 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM.  His subject is “Archaic Period Petroglyphs in the Northern Rio Grande.”

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Anthony Dorame, Jr. (Tesuque Pueblo), Instructor of Agriscience and Environment, Community-Based Education, Santa Fe Indian School, who will give a lecture “Teaching Our Native Youth: The Pueblo Education Project at Santa Fe Indian School” on October 9 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the Native Culture Matters Lecture Series. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt, tel: 505 466-2775; email: southwestseminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org

Lecture Opportunity – Taos
The Taos Archaeological Society is pleased to present Janet MacKenzie, Mesa Prieta Project Director, who will speak on Historic Period Heritage Features at the Northern Terminus of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro in New Mexico. This lecture will take place Wednesday, October 11 2017 at 7pm in the Kit Carson Boardroom, 118 Cruz Alta Rd, Taos. Mesa Prieta, at the northern end of the Spanish Royal Road, features the largest assemblage of Historic Period petroglyphs in New Mexico. With many unique images dating from the early 1600s, these fascinating rock carvings provide an important glimpse into the culture and lives of the states’ early and more recent Hispano peoples. For additional information contact Rebecca Quintana at 575-770-7460.

Lecture Opportunity – Tucson
On October 17, at 5:30 p.m., the Tucson chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) welcomes AIA Kress National Lecturer, Dr. Kieran O’Conor, National University of Ireland, for Elite Settlement in Gaelic Ireland (A.D. 1169–1350). The presentation will take place on the University of Arizona campus, Saguaro Hall room 202, 1110 E South Campus Drive, Building 33, Tucson, AZ 85719. http://bit.ly/2x8cTfO – AIA Tucson

Lecture Opportunity – Verde Valley
In 1934, a young American artist, poet, and writer named Everett Ruess, known for his solo explorations of the High Sierra, disappeared in the Utah wilderness. A large manhunt followed, but all they turned up was his last camp and a couple burros. Numerous books have been published that attempt to prove what happened to Everett, but his fate remains one of the biggest mysteries of the southwest. The Verde Valley Archaeology Center will host Sedona writer, Robert Louis DeMayo, who will talk about the legends and facts surrounding the young vagabond who roamed the southwest in the early 1930s. His award-winning novel is Pledge to the Wind, the Legend of Everett Ruess. October 10, Cliff Castle Casino Lodge at 6:30 pm. Free. Information at www.vvarchcenter.org or 928-567-0066.