Southwest Archaeology Today for Nov. 23, 2005

– New Preserve in Cortez with Protect Natural and Archaeological Resources: Now that the 122-acre Hawkins Preserve is part of the city, officials hope an upcoming archaeological assessment will enhance enjoyment of the site and lead to state historic designation. Hawkins Pueblo, with its standing rock walls, is a main site for archaeological study, Colton said. It dates back to 800 or 900 A.D. Two other areas will be analyzed, including another pueblo and a Paleo-Indio site. Davidson said the assessment will begin this winter, with cataloguing and analyzing of collected artifacts already at the cultural center. Varying patterns on pottery shards within a site can tell a story about which clans or tribes a group interacted with, Colton said. That’s why tampering with or vandalizing sites is so detrimental; it can disrupt the continuity of time and events.
http://tinyurl.com/e2957 – The Cortez Journal

– “Virtual” Forest Fire Burns on the Internet, but Mesa Verde is Safe: A false alarm that reported two blazes burning out of control near Mesa Verde National Park spread across the Internet like wildfire on Sunday. The news story, released on a national wire by the Associated Press Broadcast News Center in Washington, D.C., stated, “Fire crews are battling two wildfires near Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado.” The report, wrongly identified as a dispatch from Towoac, also erroneously quoted a national fire official saying there remained a 100 percent chance of lightning sparking new blazes in the area. The report appeared Sunday shortly after noon on at least 45 television news Web sites ranging from WPRI-Eyewitness News in Providence, R.I., to KESQ-The Desert’s Breaking News Leader in Palm Desert, Calif.
http://tinyurl.com/8vbwj – The Durango Herald

– Travelogue – Exploring a Ruin Near Prescott: I share the same curiosity for the many Anasazi, or Ancestral Puebloan, ruins left behind by the “ancient ones” in the southwest. With his vantage point from the air, or on the less-traveled back roads, he has seen his share of the ruins that were once part of a far-flung Indian society that began building permanent buildings sometime around 900 A.D. Earlier he had checked online to get a satellite picture of where the ruins were from the road. He had found that they are on government land at the edge of a rock promontory, surrounded by private homes. As we angled our way up the hill, we could see Chino Valley spreading out to the east. On the west, the upscale Williamson Valley lay dotted with large ranches and the emerald ovals of golf courses.
http://www.chicoer.com/features/style/ci_3148308

– Springerville, Arizona Named one of 28 “Preserve America” Communities at White House Ceremony : Springerville was honored Nov. 9 when Mrs. Laura Bush designated it among the Nation’s newest Preserve America communities. “Preserve America communities demonstrate that they are committed to preserving America’s heritage while ensuring a future filled with opportunities for learning and enjoyment,” Mrs. Bush said. “This community designation program, combined with the Preserve America Presidential Awards and Federal support, provides strong incentives for continued preservation of our cultural and natural heritage resources. I commend you for your Springerville and its leaders for their commitment to preserving an important part of our Nation’s historic past for visitors, neighbors, and, most importantly, for children.”