Early Agricultural Era Macaw Discovered in Chihuahua

INAH Reports Mummified Macaw Found in Northern Chihuahua
For a long time, the archaeological site of Paquimé, in Chihuahua, was the only pre-Hispanic site in northwest Mexico where remains of macaws were discovered in cultural contexts, but in 2016, residents of the Avendaños ejido in San Francisco de Borja found  a possible set of burials within a cave, Among other elements, was the head of a macaw naturally mummified, dating to 2000 years ago.  Possibly the oldest such remains discovered until in archaeological contexts of northern Mexico and southwest of the US. (Rough translation from the original Spanish article.) http://bit.ly/2sCEOaX – INAH

7th Natural History of the Gila Symposium
Join Archaeology Southwest’s Leslie Aragon, Stacy Ryan, Karen Schollmeyer, and colleagues for a poster session on Upper Gila archaeology at the 7th Natural History of the Gila Symposium from 1:00–3:00 p.m. on February 23, 2018. Information on this two-day symposium is available at http://gilasymposium.org/.

Archaeology Café (Phoenix): Gary Huckleberry
On March 6, 2018, we welcome geoarchaeologist Gary Huckleberry for The Salt River and Irrigation: 1,000 Years of Bringing the Valley to Life. Dr. Huckleberry is currently involved in several archaeological projects in the Phoenix metropolitan area that involve evidence for prehistoric water management. He will share more regarding the latest understanding of these sophisticated systems.Archaeology Café is an informal forum where adults can learn more about the Southwest’s deep history and speak directly to experts. We gather at around 5:30 p.m. at the Changing Hands Bookstore (300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix AZ) to visit and enjoy food and beverages. The program begins at 6:00 p.m. This program is made possible, in part, by The Smith Living Trust and Arizona Humanities. http://bit.ly/2sEkE03 – Archaeology Southwest

Two Chaco Hikes
In a remote canyon in northwestern New Mexico, at the center of the San Juan Basin, lies the remains of a complex agrarian society. Transitioning from a loose aggregation of Basketmaker communities, building began along Chaco Wash on a monumental scale in the mid-800’s. Chaco Culture is distinctive for its superbly crafted kivas and great houses… Ideally, spend several days exploring the park based from the campground. Chaco is an International Dark Sky Park. Spend the night in true dark and see the Milky Way and vast regions of space shot with stars. Short on time one day last February, I drove from Durango, hiked the Pueblo Alto Loop Trail and still had time to tour Pueblo Bonito and Casa Rinconada. Two of the four backcountry trails in the park are described. Both hikes begin from the Pueblo del Arroyo parking lot. http://bit.ly/2sBHxkX – Durango Herald

Volunteers Needed at Chimney Rock
It takes more than 80 volunteers to operate the interpretive program at Chimney Rock National Monument. While there are paid staff members, it is the volunteers who do most of the tasks that make the program work.
This year, there is a great need to fill that quota. http://bit.ly/2sBk2IB – Pagosa Springs Sun

Field School Opportunity
Join Archaeology Southwest and the University of Arizona this summer for the 2018 season of our Preservation Archaeology Field School. Learn excavation, survey, lab analysis, and experimental archaeology techniques while investigating how ancient communities formed during an era of migration and social change in beautiful southwest New Mexico. Funding is available for qualified undergraduate students. Applications due March 5; for more information, see http://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/field-school/.

Reminder: 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.

Lecture Opportunity – Durango
San Juan Basin Archaeological Society will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive. After a social from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and a brief business meeting, Charles Riggs, associate professor of anthropology at FLC, will present a talk, Fort Lewis College Archaeological Field School Excavations at the Bowthorpe Site in Southwest Colorado.

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Benjamin Madley, Associate Professor of History, University of California-Los Angeles and Author, An American Genocide The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe: 1846-1873 which was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for History; the Raphael Lemkin Book Award, Institute for the Study of Genocide; New York Times Editors’ Choice; and California Gold Medal Book Award. He will give a lecture An American Genocide on February 26 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt 505 466-2775; email: southwest seminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org