Director of Zuni Museum Comments on Upcoming Auction of 71 Hopi and Zuni Masks

Director of Zuni Museum Comments on Upcoming Auction of 71 Hopi and Zuni Masks
If the shameless business of dealing in looted antiquities and the bad karma that goes with it isn’t enough, let me say to the auctioneers and possible purchasers of the 71 Hopi and Zuni masks to be auctioned by Neret-Minet in Paris, it’s buyer beware because the only way to absolutely authenticate a Zuni ceremonial object is to seek truth at the source by having Zuni experts, the people of the source community themselves, physically inspect the object. But that is unlikely in the case of a private auction overseas. So a carrier and potential buyer can only be assured of one thing, they may have a fake.  http://bit.ly/110OzqW – Indian Country Today

Colorado Examines the Final Phase of NAGRPA Compliance – Can Tribes Be Provided with Access to the Proper Places for Reburial?
Of the almost 45,000 culturally affiliated and culturally unidentifiable human remains that have been noticed by federal agencies and museums, only about one quarter have been transferred to tribes. “Lack of a place to rebury has come forward as a reason for many,” Sherry Hutt, national NAGPRA program manager wrote in an email. The issue is “certainly one of the unresolved and broadly contentious issues under NAGPRA,” Johnson said. http://bit.ly/Wx51iO

From Above Opens at Sky Harbor
From Above: Photographs by Adriel Heisey, a collection of large-scale photographs that capture the ancient ruins in the southwest landscape are on display at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Phoenix Deer Valley Airport.  Heisey is the photographer that captured these aerial images from his ultra-light aircraft. Officials at Sky Harbor say, “The low-altitude angles reveal how the terrain and natural resources influenced where humans settled.”  http://bit.ly/WPV81W – AZ Family.com

Archaeology Café (Phoenix): How Migration Transformed Social Networks in the Late Prehispanic Southwest
On March 19, 2013, Dr. Matthew Peeples (Archaeology Southwest) will explore the nature of widespread social transformations in the centuries just before the Spaniards arrived. Matt is part of a group of researchers working on the Southwest Social Networks project, which applies methods from social network analysis toward understanding this turbulent period. The event begins at 6 p.m. in the Aztec Room of Macayo’s Central, 4001 N. Central Ave. Seating is open and unreserved, but limited. It is best to arrive half an hour before the presentation begins. We encourage guests to share tables at this free event. Please support our hosts at Macayo’s Central (near the Indian School light rail stop) by purchasing refreshments from the menu. http://bit.ly/16CoBhv – Archaeology Southwest

Durango Arts Center to Host Premier of Death of Place
The documentary Death of Place, by local filmmaker Larry Ruiz will premiere at the Durango Arts Center on Wednesday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. The film features Native Peoples, along with famed author Craig Childs, archaeologists Winston Hurst and Jonathan Till, and other experts specializing in the fields of archaeology and preservation. Come take a soul-stirring look at how sacred places in the Four Corners area of southwestern US are in danger and must be preserved. This film shows precisely how close we are to losing a precious part of our ancient history by documenting perspectives on how ‘Place’ should be respected and protected for what it is: a living home to the American Indian ancestors. The documentary eventually takes the audience back to Utah where author Craig Childs expresses his deepest hope and love for the land. Trailer for Death of Place is available at http://vimeo.com/43949554

Due Date For Nominations for GAAC’s Awards in Public Archaeology Is April 12
The Governor’s Archaeology Advisory Commission (GAAC) is sponsoring its 27th annual Awards in Public Archaeology. The Commission is a statutory board that advises the State Historic Preservation Officer on issues of relevance to Arizona archaeology. The Awards are presented to individuals, organizations, and/or programs that have significantly contributed to the protection and preservation of, and education about, Arizona’s non-renewable archaeological resources. Download the nomination form at http://bit.ly/Wx20in. For more information or questions, contact Kris Dobschuetz at kdobschuetz@azstateparks.gov or 602-542-4171.

Prescott Museum Opens Exhibit on Region’s Ancient Past
The Sharlot Hall Museum has opened the first phase of a new permanent exhibit in its Lawler building that will trace this region’s history from pre-human times to Prescott’s territorial capital days. In a way, this is the first time any exhibit has synthesized the history of our region,” said Exhibit Curator Sandy Lynch, the museum’s curator of anthropology. Archaeologists from the Prescott, Coconino, and Tonto National Forests, as well as the Museum of Northern, helped her knit the story together. http://bit.ly/141EyOA – KTAR.com

Ranger Guided Tour – El Malpais, NM
Grants, New Mexico     “Rough Magic”  Celebrate spring and the return of the sun on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 10:30am.  Join us at BLM El Malpais National Conservation Area for a mellow 3 mile round trip walk in the Cebolla Canyon Wilderness to see a petroglyph calendar.  Discover if this site has a Chaco-like sun dagger during equinox week.  Registration required:  http://bit.ly/XiyEBA – Meetup.com

Educational Opportunity – Kerrville  
The Texas Archeological Society (TAS) will present its second Academy of the season: Archeobotany at the Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos St., Kerrville 78028 on April 6, Saturday 9 am- 4 pm and Sunday April 7, 8:30 am – 3 pm. Archeobotany will feature Dr. Leslie Bush chairing the sessions by Dr. Kevin Hanselka (ethnobotany), Paul Waller (plant dyes), Doug Boyd (earth ovens), Dr. Karen Clary (grocery store botany), Neal Stilley (fire making), and Mike Quigg (emerging technologies, including residue analysis). Dr. Matt Turner will sign copies of his book, Remarkable Plants of Texas. Hands-on activities will include an earth oven, nut processing, dye baths and a plant walk. A set of readings will be sent to registered participants in advance of the Academy. Registration deadline: March 22  online http://bit.ly/YAzk4T

Lecture Opportunity – Tucson
Historical Archaeologist J. Homer Thiel will be holding a presentation about the archaeology in Tucson and how it has created a clearer understanding of our past. The presentation, titled “Archaeology of the Tucson Presidio”, will be hosted at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., in the lower level meeting room on Thursday, March 28 from noon – 1 p.m. It is free and open to the public. J. Homer Thiel is a project director at Desert Archaeology, Inc, and specializes in historical archaeology, genealogy, and faunal analysis. For more information, please call 520-882-4405 or e-mail info@santacruzheritage.org