Genetic Data Indicate Scale of Contact-Era Native Population Decline

Genetic Data Indicate Scale of Contact-Era Native Population Decline
A study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences using both modern and ancient mitochondrial DNA from Native Americans concludes that about 500 years ago, the number of reproductively active Native American women quickly plunged by half, indicating a “widespread and severe” contraction in population size. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6061/1335.full

Ancient Dry Spells Offer Clues About the Future of Drought
As parts of Central America and the U.S. Southwest endure some of the worst droughts to hit those areas in decades, scientists have unearthed new evidence about ancient dry spells that suggest the future could bring even more serious water shortages. Three researchers speaking at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco on Dec. 5, 2011, presented new findings about the past and future of drought. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205181917.htm

Exhibit on Hohokam Decline – “Pieces of the Puzzle” Opens at Anasazi Heritage Center
What happened to the Hohokam? More than 40,000 people lived in the Hohokam region in AD 1300, but fewer than 10,000 were present only two centuries later. Clues from artifacts and architecture help archaeologists understand this decline. http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ahc/exhibits_and_events.html

Research on Sunset Crater Indicates that Volcanic Eruptions are not Always Catastrophic
For many, the story of Pompeii defines what happens when a volcano erupts: It destroys everything in its path and kills everyone who cannot escape. But nearly a millennium ago, a very different scenario played out just north of the modern-day city of Flagstaff in the Arizona desert. Here, the local Sinagua peoples survived the eruption of the powerful Sunset Crater volcano and adapted to a changed landscape to forge a more complex society and higher standard of living. “They were much better evolved to deal with the volcano than we are,” said archaeologist Mark Elson of Desert Archaeology, a Tucson firm that helps preserve ancient sites. By studying how the Sinagua adapted, Elson thinks we could learn better ways to cope with such massive catastrophes as Hurricane Katrina and the Great Plains floods. http://azdailysun.com/news/science/total-destruction-not-always-the-result-when-volcanoes-erupt/article_c4aeb4ed-f7a4-5c60-99c6-9f311cdd2bb4.html

Plan Now for the Sonoran Symposium
Back by popular demand! Participants in the March 2010 tri-national symposiumorganized by representatives from the Tohono O’odham Nation, Mexico, and the United States recommended that this remarkable gathering should happen every two years. The March 2012 tri-national symposium will address successes and continuing challenges of conserving the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The symposium will focus on cultural and natural resource issues. http://www.sonoransymposium.com/index.html

Texas Archaeology Society Offers Weekend Academies
Lithics: Reading Stone Artifacts will be held during the first weekend of February (4th and 5th) at the Quality Inn in Uvalde. This academy will teach participants how to recognize human made stone tools, attributes that define how they were made, attributes related to type and how they were used, why stone artifacts are important, and how stone tools contribute toward an understanding of past cultures and the archeological record. These lessons will be taught through lectures by Dr. Harry Shafer and through hands-on exercises and demonstrations. The Ceramics: The Stories Found in Pottery Academy will be held at Texas A&M University in College Station on March 3rd and 4th, 2012. This academy will impart the importance of archeological ceramics in terms of technology, chronology, dating, trade, subsistence, and cultural identity. Participants will be informed through lectures and hands-on exercises, all provided by Dr. Harry Shafer and Marybeth Tomka. Registration information may be found at http://www.txarch.org/Activities/academy/aa2012/index.php

Preparations Underway for Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Month Expo
Presenting the participation form for the 2012 Arizona Archaeology & Heritage Expo that will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2012 on the Arizona State Capitol Grounds. https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/sat/2012_az_arch_expo_participation.doc

Planned Postal Service Cuts at Mesa Verde will Complicate Life at the National Park
Area visitors may no longer be able to have their Cliff Palace or Spruce Tree House postcards postmarked from Mesa Verde National Park under a proposed plan by the U.S. Postal Service to close the park’s only post office. The first public meeting on the matter scheduled in October was canceled because of road conditions after a snowstorm. Instead, the meeting was held last week, after the majority of the park’s seasonal workers and visitors had left for the year. http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20111205/NEWS01/712059932/-1/news01&source=RSS

Employment Opportunity – Tucson
The Tucson-based nonprofit Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance is hiring a part-time Membership & Outreach Coordinator to assist the executive director with general fundraising and outreach responsibilities. She/he will also assist in event coordination, fundraising planning, and financial management. The position demands a high level of organizational skills and attention to detail, and a commitment to heritage-based education, preservation, and promotion. For full job description, requirements, and application instructions, please visit www.santacruzheritage.org/Jobs. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Dec 27, 2011

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