Strange Twist in the Now Discredited Clovis Comet Hypothesis

Strange Twist in the Story of the Now Discredited Clovis Comet Hypothesis
A new look at the comet claim suggests all of these phenomena may be in play, apparently creating a peculiar bond of desperation as the theory came under increasing attack. Indeed, the team’s established scientists are so wedded to the theory they have opted to ignore the fact their colleague “Allen West” isn’t exactly who he says he is. http://www.miller-mccune.com/science/comet-claim-comes-crashing-to-earth-31180/

Another Blanding Looter Avoids Legal Penalties
Federal prosecutors in Utah have agreed to delay prosecuting an 80-year-old Blanding man on charges of theft and trafficking of American Indian artifacts for one year. Harold Lyman was among two dozen people indicted in Utah, New Mexico and Colorado in 2009 for artifacts looting and trafficking.  Prosecutors say Lyman sold a prehistoric pipe bowl stolen from public lands to an undercover informant for $1,000.
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Man-inks-diversion-deal-in-artifacts-case/9oMyNUDNh0GnZeitThhpBA.cspx?rss=1451

A Gift of Angels Wins Several Arizona Book Awards
Congratulations to author Bernard “Bunny” Fontana and photographer Edward McCain for their work on the illustrated history of the San Xavier Mission. A Gift of Angels: The Art of Mission San Xavier del Bac received the Judges Award for Best Book, as well as awards for Best Art/Music/Photography Book, and Best Regional Book. http://uanews.org/node/39835

Yale Demonstrates a State of the Art Approach to Open Source Museum Collections
“That Yale has achieved the goal of making its collections available online to students, scholars, and the general public, in a free and open-access environment, is a splendid achievement that we hope will inspire other colleges and universities internationally to follow suit,” said Amy Meyers, director of the Yale Center for British Art. “The ability to publish images directly from our online catalogues without charge will encourage the increased use of our collections for scholarship, a benefit to which we look forward with the greatest excitement.” http://opensource.com/life/11/5/yale-offers-open-access-millions-resources

UCLA Archaeologist Examines Learning Frameworks in Shell Bead Manufacture
“Originally, I thought these were new, experimental forms executed by virtuoso bead-makers,” confessed Arnold, a researcher at UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and a UCLA professor of anthropology. After closer analysis, however, she now believes the shell artifacts, which are nearly 250 years old, provide a rare window into a little-known world: the efforts of young apprentices, possibly children, among traditional peoples.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509091603.htm

Political Squabbles in New Mexico Demonstrate the Power of Oil and Mining Companies to Derail Cultural Protection for Traditional Lands
Two people appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez to the state’s Cultural Properties Review Committee in late February survived only one meeting, casualties of the ongoing dispute over the status of Mount Taylor as a protected site. Ed Boles left the committee, and Richard Luarkie was removed by Martinez. The departures followed a March 17 meeting at which the committee voted to join the appeal of a court ruling overturning Mount Taylor’s designation as a traditional cultural property.  http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/11232081197newsstate05-11-11.htm

A History of Public Lands Management in Southern Utah Reveals Troubling Disregard of Legal Procedures
The first step was for each BLM state office to make an inventory of all roadless areas with wilderness characteristics. Then each state office was directed to study each area, hold public hearings, and recommend which areas should be declared wilderness.  All the state inventories proceeded according to law – except in Utah. BLM officials in Utah simply balked. Instead, the Utah BLM created a truncated and illegal inventory. In 1980, after just one year of study, the BLM eliminated nearly 20 million acres from wilderness consideration. Remaining were just 2.6 million acres (later increased to 3.2 million after appeals by Utah conservationists).  http://www.hcn.org/hcn/issues/38/1145

Jack Swilling – The Colorful Character  who Founded Phoenix
This was Swilling’s big moment in Arizona history. Others before him had noticed the ruins and strange earthworks left behind centuries before by the ancient Hohokam people, but Swilling saw the potential – good land, virtually no frost, but no water. Swilling built a large home near what is now 32nd and Washington streets, or perhaps it was Van Buren Street. There used to be a historical marker, but supposedly a drunk driver knocked it down some years ago. It has never been replaced.  http://www.azcentral.com/travel/articles/2011/05/12/20110512jack-swilling-father-phoenix.html

Tree-Rings Providing 1100 Years of Climate Reconstruction
El Niño and its partner La Niña, the warm and cold phases in the eastern half of the tropical Pacific, play havoc with climate worldwide. Predicting El Niño events more than several months ahead is now routine, but predicting how it will change in a warming world has been hampered by the short instrumental record. An international team of climate scientists has now shown that annually resolved tree-ring records from North America, particularly from the US Southwest, give a continuous representation of the intensity of El Niño events over the past 1100 years and can be used to improve El Niño prediction in climate models. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110506093107.htm

Walk Among the Ancients at Bandelier National Monument
From the outset, it’s good to keep in mind that Bandelier is best enjoyed as a walking experience. The national monument — located a half hour’s drive southwest of Los Alamos — is tucked away in canyon country and offers visitors the opportunity to see ancient cliff dwellings and pristine scenery. But you’ll have to get out of your car to see the best sights. http://www.chieftain.com/life/local/take-a-walk-among-the-ancient-ones/article_0e3162fe-7db9-11e0-99df-001cc4c002e0.html

Lecture Opportunity (Tucson)
Dr. Margaret Nelson will give a lecture entitled “Then and Now: Lessons from the Mimbres” at the monthly AAHS meeting, Monday, May 16th, 7:30 pm at DuVal auditorium, Univeristy Medial Center, 1501 N Campbell Ave http://www.az-arch-and-hist.org/2010/09/margaret-nelson-then-and-now-how-archaeological-knowledge-can-inform-the-present/

3D Movie Declared the “Closest Thing to Time Travel”
Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” opens in theaters across the U.S. this weekend, and reveals in eye-opening 3D the dark, undulating, awe-inspiring interior of France’s Chauvet Cave, decorated by humans some 32,000 years ago with lifelike images of the animals with whom they shared the landscape. It reveals the oldest known figurative paintings in the world. http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/05/07/3d-cave-art-the-closest-you-can-get-to-time-travel/

Thanks to Adrianne Rankin for contributing to this weeks issue of Southwest Archaeology Today.