Arizona Archaeological Council Urges AZ House to Reject House Bill 2498

Arizona Archaeological Council Urges AZ House to Reject House Bill 2498, Which Would “Streamline” Archaeological Surveys on State-Range Improvement Projects
The AAC has drafted a letter response to Arizona House Bill 2498. The bill and letter response are attached. Please direct any comments to AAC President Dave Hart: dhart@gsrcorp.com. http://bit.ly/2EBTPPe – AAC

New Mexico Senators Introduce New Antiquities Act
U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both New Mexico Democrats, are among a group of co-sponsors of the America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States Act, or the Antiquities Act of 2018. This bill would codify into law the boundaries for more than 50 national monuments established through the Antiquities Act since 1996. The legislation also would make it so that only Congress has the authority to reduce or diminish national monuments designated by presidents through the Antiquities Act of 1906. http://bit.ly/2EvHcFh – Santa Fe New Mexican

Moving the BLM away from the Capital, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Bureau of Land Management oversees some of the nation’s most prized natural resources: vast expanses of public lands rich in oil, gas, coal, grazing for livestock, habitat for wildlife, hunting ranges, fishing streams and hiking trails. But more than 99 percent of that land is in 12 Western states, hundreds of miles from the nation’s capital. Some Western politicians — both Republicans and Democrats — are asking why the bureau’s headquarters isn’t in the West as well. “You’re dealing with an agency that basically has no business in Washington, D.C.,” said Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who introduced a bill to move the headquarters to any of those dozen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington or Wyoming. The Bureau of Land Management manages a combined 385,000 square miles (997,000 square kilometers) in those states. Colorado Republican Rep. Scott Tipton introduced a similar measure in the House, and three Democrats signed up as co-sponsors: Reps. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Jared Polis of Colorado and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado. http://bit.ly/2EzYhhm – Earthlink News

Archaeologists Pushing Back against Study Claiming Humans in the Americas before 100,000 Years Ago
Archaeologists are taking aim at a controversial study that claimed to rewrite theories about when humans first reached the Americas, one of the biggest questions in palaeoanthropology. When researchers made the astonishing suggestion last year that early humans settled the Americas 100,000 years earlier than thought, they asked doubters to keep an open mind and consider the evidence backing their claim. But their study, which proposed that mastodon bones from California were broken by an as-yet-unidentified group of early humans 130,000 years ago, was instantly questioned by archaeologists. Most researchers agree that humans settled the Americas around 15,000 years ago. http://go.nature.com/2sqSeH3 – Nature

Blogs Worth Reading: Skepticism over Last Week’s LiDAR Findings in Guatemala 
I am skeptical about the hype surrounding the recent press release from the National Geographic Society about the new findings of LiDAR survey in the Maya region of northern Guatemala. I have no reason to question the quality of the LiDAR survey, or its potentialusefulness for understanding aspects of ancient Maya society in this region. Rather, I question two aspects of the way these new findings have been portrayed, both in the NGS press release and in the journalism that has resulted from the find. (1) This is portrayed as revealing brand-new ideas, when in fact earlier LiDAR work had very similar results; and (2) The work is portrayed as a major scientific discovery, when in fact it is only the first step of a process, the end result of which will be (one hopes) some major scientific discoveries. http://bit.ly/2sqOEMO – Michael E. Smith via Publishing Archaeology

Guided Hike – Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde National Park staff will teach guests about winter adaptations of plants and animals in the Four Corners during a free, guided hike Feb. 21. Participants will be invited to join hiking guides from 9 a.m. to noon as they explore how animals and plants survive in the winter. Advance sign-up is required, and there is a limit of 20 people. Children should be at least 7 years old. http://bit.ly/2snzt7l – Durango Herald

Position Announcement – ASU
The School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) at Arizona State University (https://shesc.asu.edu/) invites applications for a position as Curator of Collections (at the academic rank of Assistant Research Professor).  We seek applicants with applied experience and theoretical knowledge of current collections-management approaches, museum experience, as well as experience teaching courses in museum studies or other relevant anthropological/archaeological topics. Anticipated start date is June 1, 2018.  This appointment will be renewable on an annual basis and will not be eligible for tenure consideration. http://bit.ly/2suw5rt – Arizona State University

Fellowship Opportunity – Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
Agnese N. Haury Visiting Scholar & Trainee Fellowship: Review of applications will begin March 12th, 2018. It is anticipated that multiple fellowships will be awarded. Applications will be considered for residence including any portion of April 1st, 2018 to August 31st, 2019. These fellowships are provided by the Agnese Nelms Haury Fund (Endowment) for the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. The fellowships are intended to foster dendrochronology training of scientists from any country in the world, and to promote research collaborations with faculty, staff, and students at the LTRR. Visitors/trainees may be graduate students, postdoctoral fellows or established scientists. The Fellowships typically last one or two months (but could be shorter), and the support will usually cover travel costs to Tucson (and return) and living expenses. http://bit.ly/2ssj3dW – University of Arizona

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
The Santa Fe Archaeological Society (SFAS), Archaeological Institute of America, is pleased to present Jamie Civitello, National Park Service, Bandelier National Monument on Tuesday, February 20, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Pecos Trail Cafe, 2239 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM. His subject will be Ringing Rocks of the Southwest, presenting a range of NPS-facilitated work at Bandelier National Monument.

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Polly Dix Schaafsma, Anthropologist, Archaeologist and Rock Art Researcher; Author, Rock Art in New Mexico; Images and Power: Rock Art and Ethics; Warrior, Shield and Star: Imagery and Ideology of Pueblo Warfare; Indian Rock Art of the Southwest; Rock Art inNew Mexico; Rock Art of Utah; Co-Author (w/D. Muench), Images in Stone: Petroglyphs and Photographs; Editor, Kachinas in the Pueblo World. Polly will give a talk Petroglyphs, Symbols, and Change: Power on Display in the Rio Grande Valley on February 19 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the Ancient Sites Ancient Stories Lecture Series. 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: southwest seminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org

Lecture Opportunity – Tucson 
The Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society (AAHS) is pleased to present Paul F. Reed on Monday, February 19th at 7:30 pm in the University Medical Center’s Duval Auditorium (1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson 85724), who will discuss, Protecting the Greater Chaco Landscape: The Role of Current Research and Technology. Meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, please visit the AAHS website: http://www.az-arch-and-hist.org/, or contact John D. Hall at john.hall@terracon.com with questions about this or any other AAHS program.

Save the Date: PastForward Preservation Conference in San Francisco
From its golden bridges to its painted ladies, San Francisco conjures up distinctive images of landmarks, architecture, and bohemian culture. At the PastForward conference, we’ll feature iconic San Francisco, but also show you a progressive city that is tackling climate change and urban density while maintaining its cultural landscape and intangible heritage—issues that will resonate with preservation practitioners across the country. Save the date for PastForward 2018, November 13-16! http://www.PastForwardConference.org

Thanks to Cherie Freeman for contributing to Southwest Archaeology Today.