Dear Friends,
I hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!
I spent the holiday weekend laboring (as it were) on archaeological research! I don’t get to do that often, so it didn’t really feel like work. It was a pleasure. An honor. A responsibility. And a privilege. I’ll share details of that research in a future post, but it got me to thinking about all the OTHER great research Archaeology Southwest has done over the years and continues to do.
As described on our website, ALL of our work falls under the deliberate, conscious rubric of Preservation Archaeology, which is
… a holistic and conservation-based approach to exploring and protecting heritage places while honoring their diverse values. We compile archaeological information, make it accessible and understandable, share it with the public and decision-makers, advocate for landscape-scale protection, and steward heritage properties and conservation easements. We are committed to real and ongoing collaboration with Indigenous communities.
From Chaco Canyon to Saguaro National Park, from the Patayan of southwestern Arizona to the Salado of the San Pedro River Valley, from collections and repositories to experimental archaeology, from digital initiatives to site and landscape preservation, the epic sweep of what our researchers do is extraordinary. There is, quite literally, something for everyone interested in archaeology!
We’ll continue to share details and insights on these projects as they develop. Meanwhile, let me express my appreciation for you, our members, donors, and supporters. We can’t do it without you!
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
P.S. from Kate, This 2-page PDF flyer just in from my colleague Sara Anderson, Director of Outreach, with talk titles and info on the 16th season of Archaeology Café! We’ll have even more info on our website soon. Talks will be recorded and posted to our YouTube.
Sandals and Power in the Ancient Southwest
Eight hundred years ago, something profoundly interesting happened in the American Southwest. Over the course of about one hundred years, the Puebloan world consciously transformed itself from a stratified hierarchical society to a system with no apparent markers of class or status. In our current state of political and climate chaos and anxiety, the experiences of Ancestral Puebloan people teach us that deep societal change is possible. Jim O’ Donnell with illustrations by Marty Two Bulls Sr. in El Palacio | Read more »
Investigating the Where and When of Horse Domestication
Because of their tremendous impact in shaping our collective human story, figuring out when, why and how horses became domesticated is a key step toward understanding the world we live in now. Doing so has proven to be surprisingly challenging. In my new book, “Hoof Beats: How Horses Shaped Human History,” I draw together new archaeological evidence that is revising what scientists like me thought we knew about this story. William Taylor (University of Colorado Boulder) in The Conversation | Read more »
Making Sense of Mimbres Turkeys
The near-absence of turkeys from most Mimbres-area villages suggests people didn’t use them very much. Even at Elk Ridge, most turkey remains (95%) were from birds left semi-articulated in uninhabited rooms in the village. In contrast, animals that people ate a lot of (like rabbits) have many hundreds or thousands of broken pieces of bone scattered throughout every village, in both indoor and outdoor trash deposits. Turkey bones in the Mimbres area also don’t generally show evidence of burning or cut marks from stone tools, which are much more common on other animals that were butchered and cooked. Why are there so many more turkey bones at Elk Ridge than at other Mimbres villages? Karen Schollmeyer for the Preservation Archaeology blog (Archaeology Southwest) | Read more »
Ancient Societies Offer Lessons in Dwelling in Hot, Arid Climates
The Puebloans in what today is the U.S. Southwest used small windows, materials such as mud brick and rock, and designed buildings with shared walls to minimize the heat getting in. They also understood the importance of solar orientation. The ancient Puebloans built entire communities under the overhang of south-facing cliffs. This orientation ensured their buildings were shaded and stayed cooler during the summertime but received sunlight and radiated heat to stay warmer during the wintertime. Their descendants adopted similar orientation and other urban-planning strategies, and adobe homes are still common in the U.S. Southwest. Adriana Zuniga-Teran (University of Arizona) in The Conversation | Read more »
A Decade of Weathering on a Replica Adobe Dwelling
The following year we moved our base camp to Cliff, New Mexico, and our Mule Creek structure was left to the elements. Fast-forward a decade: While my family was visiting me at the field school this summer [2024], we visited our Mule Creek hosts. This gave me the opportunity to study the conditions of the walls and roof after no care for so long. Here are some thoughts about what I learned, with more photos of the original construction compared to its current condition. Allen Denoyer for the Preservation Archaeology blog (Archaeology Southwest) | Read more »
Saving Indigenous History from Climate Change
[Jennifer] Tenasco is also a supervisor of the Anishinābe Odjìbikan field school, which partners with the NCC [National Capital Commission] on archaeological digs, to help uncover parts of Indigenous history. “The land is very important and it tells our story and it tells our history,” Tenasco said. But over the years, the objective of these archaeological digs has changed: It’s no longer just about discovery. The goal now is to find and save as many artifacts as possible before they become the victims of erosion — and time is running out. Nicole Williams for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Read more »
The Toll of Disasters on National Park Service Employees
For park staff, living in a national park can be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. But it also means balancing multiple personal and professional responsibilities during a disaster. National Park Service employees are often first responders during an incident. They’re responsible for notifying or evacuating visitors, other staff, and their families, working up to 16 hours a day to support the park’s response to the incident, while also balancing their own needs. … “You can see the stress on employees, particularly fires where park employees had to evacuate multiple times while also trying to manage an incident in their park,” [Jennifer] Gibson said. “After a high-impact natural disaster, [staff] workload increases significantly…and mourning the loss of the resource while trying to rebuild your park can be tremendously stressful.” Julianne Reas, Wylie Carr, and Kaylin Thomas for Park Science Magazine (National Park Service) | Read more »
Studying up on Archaeological Resource Crime
In 1979, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) was passed. The law’s intention is to protect archaeological sites on Federal and Tribal land. The Save History campaign educates the public about ARPA, but we also do trainings for those who directly record these crimes in the field—archaeologists, law enforcement officers, cultural resource managers, and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. Three of our students from the most recent course in Billings, Montana—Bill Kurtz, Skylar Begay, and Anastasia Walhovd—graciously agreed to share a little about their experience and what about archaeology, ARPA, and archaeological resource crime that they wish the general public had a better grasp of. Save History
Bill Kurtz (BIA Midwest Regional Archaeologist) »
Skylar Begay (Director of Tribal Collaboration at Archaeology Southwest) »
Anastasia Walhovd (Preservation Archaeologist with Archaeology Southwest) »
Video: Youth Volunteers Help Preserve Historic Black Cemeteries
Last year, Congress passed a measure to find and protect historic Black cemeteries nationwide. But the money to do the work hasn’t been allocated. Some aren’t waiting for lawmakers to act. Earlier this summer, dozens of people came together to help preserve a pair of cemeteries in Washington. Claire Baek for thePBS News Hour | Watch now (3:30) »
Transcript available at the link.
Video: Tree-Ring Dating and the (Mis-) Interpretation of Southwestern History
In this presentation, archaeologist Dr. Stephen E. Nash examines the history of southwestern archaeological tree-ring dating to explore what might, or might not, be reasonable to infer from large sets of tree-ring dates. In so doing, he weaves a tapestry of wonderful historical vignettes from the activities of fascinating archaeologists and other scientists, many of whom were based at the University of Arizona. These include archaeologists Emil Walter Haury, Lyndon Lane Hargrave, and Earl Morris, and the founder of archaeological tree-ring dating, astronomer Dr. Andrew Ellicott Douglass. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Watch now »
Available Now: NM Friends of Archaeology August 2024 Newsletter
Inside this edition of the Friends of Archaeology newsletter are a trip report by Johnnie Martinez on the Friends of Archaeology’s tour of Pueblo Colorado in late June, an announcement of International Archaeology Day at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology on Saturday, October 19th, an announcement of the Friends of Archaeology’s Pueblo Blanco hike on Saturday, September 21st, news about the Thursday, September 12th lecture on the ancient human footprints found at White Sands National Park by New Mexico geoarchaeologist David Rachal, a welcome and introduction of our three new staff members: Ziggy Prothro, Esther Peramune, and Emma Kostecki, and the delivery of a large amount of archaeomagnetic dating laboratory equipment in July 2024 to Shelby Jones. New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies | Download now (free PDF) »
September Live Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
Sept. 9, Chris Lewis (Zuni), Maintaining Zuni Weaving Traditions; Sept. 16 Nicolasa Chavez, M.A., History of Flamenco; Sept. 23, Dr. D. Clark Wernecke, Peopling of the Americas and the Central Texas Gault Site; Sept. 30, Iva Honyeestewa (Hopi Second Mesa), Hopi Second Mesa Weaving. 6:00 p.m., Hotel Santa Fe. $20 at the door of $90 for the series of 5 lectures. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
THREE SPOTS LEFT: Sept. 7 In-Person Class (Tucson AZ): How Did People Make Dart Points & Arrowheads?
With Allen Denoyer. You will use traditional techniques using deer antlers and rocks to create stone projectile points. Learn about the history of stone tools and their uses. Each class lasts approximately 3 hours. Beginners are welcome! Open to individuals 18 years and older. $50 registration fee for nonmembers. Hands-On Archaeology (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more »
REMINDER: Sept. 10 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Tucson Chinese History Revealed
Take a self-guided tour of Chinese history in downtown Tucson revealed through four augmented reality (AR) experiences. You’ll discover how some of the stories of Chinese life and markets have been hidden, or completely built over, due to urban development. After the tour, we will convene at Screwbean Brewery (the site of a former Chinese market) for discussion, drinks, light fare, and another AR experience about contemporary Chinese culture in Tucson. A map with a suggested route will be emailed to each registrant. Bring your smartphone! Someone will be at each site to aid you with the AR, if needed. 5–7 p.m. self-guided tour at your own pace; 7–8:30 p.m. discussion and presentation at Screwbean Brewery (food and drinks are at your own expense). Arizona State Museum | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: Sept. 12 Online Event: A Hidden History: An Overview of African American History and Northern Arizona
With Margaret Hanagan. The history of African Americans in the West, and the archaeological sites associated with their lives, has had little rigorous archaeological study. This webinar will discuss the history of African Americans in Northern Arizona and the diaspora out of the south to work in the timber industry of Arizona. The talk will conclude with a general discussion on the challenges with identifying African Americans in the archaeological record. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Sept. 19 Online Event: Archaeology on the Rocks: Investigating an 18th-century Spanish Land Grant in Tijeras Canyon, NM
With Kelly L. Jenks. In 1763, New Mexico’s Spanish colonial Governor Cachupín approved an application by 19 petitioners for a grant of community land east of Albuquerque in Cañón de Carnué, now known as Tijeras Canyon. The grantees were expected to defend these lands by building a fortified plaza. The governor also stipulated that these lands were to be used for agricultural purposes. Seven years later, Apaches attacked this settlement and the survivors fled the canyon. When they refused to resettle, they were ordered to go back and destroy their homes. The New Mexico State University Archaeological Field School resurveyed the site of this 18th-century plaza in 2021 and returned in 2022 to do test excavation, stabilization work, and more survey, and to investigate artifacts from a 1946 field school at this site. These projects offer intriguing new insights into who these people were, why they settled in this place, how they made their living, and what happened when they left. Third Thursday Food for Thought Series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
Sept. 19 Online Event: The Legacy of Paquimé
With John Douglas. Was this agriculturally fertile valley truly abandoned after a single cataclysmic event? Could there be continuities between ancient Paquimé and the Indigenous people whom the Spanish attempted to missionize? Addressing the first question, contemporary researchers increasingly find reason to doubt [archaeologist Charles] Di Peso’s apocalyptic vision. The second question fuels this presentation, focusing on the enigmatic Suma and their relationship to Paquimé. The webinar will begin with reconsidering the colonial documentary evidence and then turn to the archaeological record at Mission San Antonio. There, Dr. Douglas explores architecture, burial data, and ceramics, looking for linkages with the ancient past. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Sept. 24 Online Event: Using Indigenous Literature
This FREE virtual showcase will feature a panel of educators discussing, sharing, and exploring the importance of using Indigenous literature to meet the Arizona K-12 Academic Standards. The 90-minute experience will also include opportunities for participants to win books and receive resources they can take back to their classrooms. AZ Humanities | Learn more and register (free) »
Sept. 25 In-Person (Santa Fe NM) and Online Event: Across a Threshold: People, Animals, and Landscapes in Central New Mexico, 1300–1950 CE
With Emily Jones. The Tiguex War of 1540 marked the start of a dramatic socio-economic transformation of central New Mexico. Was this transformation a gradual process, with each step having a cumulative impact, or was the transition more of an abrupt change in environmental processes and/or species composition in a formerly resilient landscape? School for Advanced Research | Learn more and register (free) »
Oct. 1 In-Person Event (Scottsdale AZ): Rock Imagery of the Southwest
With Aaron Wright. Wright will explore the fascinating world of petroglyphs and pictographs, which are integral to the cultural traditions of Indigenous communities worldwide, with a special focus on the Sonoran Desert. The talk will examine the diversity of rock imagery across the region, highlighting both common threads and unique regional qualities. Rather than simply asking what these images mean, Dr. Wright encourages attendees to consider what these images do. He will discuss how these ancient artworks, etched and painted on canyons and cliffs, continue to move us in remarkable ways, revealing their enduring significance. Desert Foothills Land Trust and the Holland Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Remember to send us notice of upcoming webinars and Zoom lectures, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!