Jenny Adams’s Amazing Guide to Manos and Metates Available Online

Blogs Worth Reading: Ground Stone Expert Jenny Adams on Identifying Types of Manos and Metates
When I first learned about manos and metates used in the U.S. Southwest (in the 1970s), I found it confusing that manos were classified according to one set of types and the metates by a completely different set. I learned to give manos type names such as one-hand, two-hand, rocker, cobble, turtle back, loaf, biscuit, rectangular, or ovoid, or to define them by their profile shape or the number of grinding surfaces they had. The metate types I learned included basin, flat, slab, block, trough, Utah trough, through trough, and closed on one end trough. In addition, many archaeologists at that time didn’t use these type names but described the metates they found as Type I, Type II, Type III, and so on, sometimes with subtypes added as Type Ia, Type Ib… There was little point to trying to learn these because they differed with individual projects and couldn’t be universally applied. http://bit.ly/2zgSvPQ – Jenny Adams via Desert Archaeology

Orrin Hatch Highlights Attempt to Shrink National Monuments
Bears Ears National Monument’s boundaries likely will be reduced to between 100,000 and 300,000 acres, and Grand Staircase-Escalante could end up anywhere from 700,000 to 1.2 million acres, a top staffer in Sen. Orrin Hatch’s office said. Ron Dean, the central and eastern Utah director in Hatch’s office, briefed the Utah Legislature’s Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands in a Tuesday meeting on President Donald Trump’s plans to reduce the size of the monuments. http://bit.ly/2zgh7YJ – Deseret News

Zinke on Monument Recision
The interior secretary noted that he believes Trump will follow his recommendations, which in the case of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase, would return hundreds of thousands of acres back to land managed by the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service and open access for oil and gas exploration and other uses that are blocked by the monument status. “The president understands that I have become the resident expert in this area and I have dedicated an enormous amount of time and staff to make sure the local state voice was heard in the confines of following the law and making sure we protect the objects,” Zinke said. http://bit.ly/2zigq16 – Salt Lake Tribune

Meanwhile, Local Input Seems to Be Meaningless outside of Utah
Late last month, the Department of the Interior released a report titled “Review of the Department of the Interior Actions that Potentially Burden Domestic Energy.” That’s a fair topic to review, especially if corresponding reviews exist of actions that potentially burden other uses on public lands that are managed for multiple use. However, that is not the agenda of the Trump administration, which wants to streamline – read: slash – regulations on gas and oil development. http://bit.ly/2mI39cq – Durango Herald

Jaw-Dropping NAGPRA Violation Results in Minuscule Penalty
The archaeologists and park officials failed to notify and consult with tribal leaders during the excavations, as required by federal law. Several Native American tribes filed complaints after learned about the work. In 2013, the Department of the Interior issued two citations. “I’m of the opinion that this is one of the most egregious breaches of the NAGRPA act since it was introduced,” said George Strack, former preservation officer of the Miami of Oklahoma. http://indy.st/2zgHAFB – IndyStar Via USA Today

A Chance for Public Comment on the Future of Tonto National Forest
Hunters, conservationists, hikers and campers are being courted by Tonto National Forest to help determine a future that balances preservation and tourism. The U.S. Forest Service asks people to offer views on a preliminary planon how the forest will be used, preserved and managed, including discussing whether to limit target shooting and restrict the retrieval of big game. The proposal also emphasizes the importance of having Arizona native fish available for fishing, promoting conservation programs such as Leave No Trace, engaging diverse and historically underrepresented communities and offering year-round tourism activities, according to the 132-page document. http://bit.ly/2zgRgA5 – Cronkite News Service

Acoma Still Awaits Repatriation of Sacred Object
It’s been 18 months since a sacred tribal shield belonging to Acoma Pueblo turned up on a Paris auction block. With help from the U.S. State Department, the pueblo convinced the foreign auction house to halt the sale. But Acoma Pueblo Gov. Kurt Riley told Congress Wednesday the shield still hasn’t been returned to New Mexico. Acoma’s elders – especially the medicine specialists – are growing impatient, he said. https://www.abqjournal.com/1090170

Audio Presentation: The Trafficking of Sacred Hopi Objects
It was a hot summer day on the Hopi reservation in Arizona, with sunlight slanting onto jagged vermillion cliffs. A swarm of boys and girls were playing atop the plateau known as Second Mesa, their faces aglow in the late afternoon light. Suddenly, one of them spotted two white strangers skulking around. It was 1978, and not many white men showed up in this isolated part of northeastern Arizona. Fewer still made it to the stony outcrop below Shungopavi village where the children played. The strangers were furtively hunting for rare pottery and other exquisite items that are coveted by collectors who are willing to pay dearly for them. A few days of hunting could fetch as much as $15,000 (which would be about $60,000 today). http://bit.ly/2zixt3a – Pacific Standard

Video Presentation: Colorado Offers a Window into the Lives of the Paleoindians
Evidence of prehistoric mammals and early humans have been discovered across Colorado. Lamb Spring in Douglas County is home to the largest collection of Colombian mammoth bones in the state, offering archaeological insight into these prehistoric dwellers. The discoveries of Lindenmeier near Ft. Collins and Mountaineer in Gunnison reveal much about the people who lived here over 10,000 years ago.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ke2IegvfQM&t=1s – Colorado Experience via YouTube

Steve Lekson on Mimbres History and Politics Then and Now at the Next Tucson Archaeology Café
On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, Dr. Steve Lekson visits Tucson to explore the roles modern history and politics have played in our understanding of the 11th century societies of southwestern New Mexico. Lekson recently completed a study of Chaco archaeology framed by the history and politics of “Pueblo Space” – an idealized image of Pueblos, crafted in Santa Fe in the early 20th century and thereafter applied to archaeology. Mimbres – the 11th century societies of southwestern New Mexico – provides an interesting comparison. Archaeology Café is held at The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd). Due to the expected attendance, we’ve added a second “showing” that evening to accommodate more Café-goers. Lekson will speak at 6 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. that evening. While seating is open and unreserved, it is limited to 98 guests for each showing, and you must have a ticket. You can pick up your free tickets from The Loft Cinema box office anytime the day of the Café. (Limit two tickets per person.) 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/2miZXUx – Archaeology Southwest

Congratulations to the New Mexico Archaeology Council and Their Spiffy New Website
Stay up-to-date with New Mexico Archaeological Council’s latest news involving archaeological publications, findings, and more! http://bit.ly/2zh2e8O – NMAC

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Dan Flores, Environmental Historian and A.B. Hammond Professor Emeritus of Western History; Recipient, 2017 Stubbendieck Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize; Author: American Serengeti The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains; Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History; The Natural West: Environmental History in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains; and Horizontal Yellow: Nature and History in the Near Southwest who will give a lecture American Serengeti and Coyote America on November 27 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the Mother Earth Father Sky Lecture Series held annually to honor and acknowledge the work of The New Mexico Environmental Law Center. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt at 505 466-2775; email: southwestseminar@aol.com; website: http://southwestseminars.org

Thanks to Brian Kreimendahl for contributing to this week’s newsletter.