Genome of Clovis Era Individual Sequenced, Revealing Asian Origins of Ancient Americans

Genome of Clovis Era Individual Sequenced, Revealing Asian Origins of Ancient Americans
Nearly 13,000 years ago, a baby boy died in what is Montana today. Mourners stained his tiny body with red ochre and entombed him with artefacts that had likely been in his family for generations. After lying undisturbed for millennia, the infant’s body was dug up by accident at a construction site in 1968—the oldest skeleton ever found in the Americas.  http://bit.ly/1cete5n – Phys.Org

On the Ethics of Research on Clovis Remains
The remains of a young boy, ceremonially buried some 12,600 years ago in Montana, have revealed the ancestry of one of the earliest populations in the Americas, known as the Clovis culture. Published in this issue of Nature, the boy’s genome sequence shows that today’s indi­genous groups spanning North and South America are all descended from a single population that trekked across the Bering land bridge from Asia. http://bit.ly/1mmzA9t – Nature.Com

Link to Publication in Nature
The genome of a Late Pleistocene human from a Clovis burial site in western Montana.  http://bit.ly/1gahVtZ – Nature.com

Video Link: Prehistoric Connections and the Clovis Genome
Dr. Shane Doyle, an adjunct professor of Native American Studies at MSU, talks about his connections to a boy buried 12,600 years ago near Wilsall, Montana. He was the liaison between Montana tribes and an international team of researchers whose findings will be published in the Feb. 13 issue of Nature. http://bit.ly/1mmADpU – Vimeo.Com

Bottle Gourds Floated Their Way to the Americas
If you lived in the New World a thousand years ago, you seldom left home without your bottle gourd. This sturdy fruit makes a handy canteen and tote bag, making it the go-to accessory in prehistoric America. But no wild version grows in the Americas. So how did the gourd get there? A new study suggests an answer: It floated.  http://usat.ly/1bCI7R1 – USA Today

Solar Probe to Be Cloaked in a Prehistoric Pigment
European scientists designing the upcoming Solar Orbiter — a mission that will swoop deep inside the sun’s atmosphere (the corona) to carry out an unprecedented solar observing campaign — didn’t turn to science fiction for help, however. They’re using a technology that was available during prehistoric times to protect the spacecraft from the sun. Already sporting hi-tech titanium armor, Solar Orbiter scientists are using a novel technique to apply burnt bone charcoal to the armor’s surface. http://bit.ly/1gaaser – Discovery.Com

Familiar Tensions between Developers and Archaeologists over Ancient Village in Miami
In a vacant lot between gleaming hotels in downtown Miami, are a series of holes carved into the bedrock that form eight circles. At first glance, the site seems like an eyesore, but it’s here where archaeologists say they have uncovered a major prehistoric Native American village, one of the largest and earliest examples of urban planning ever uncovered in North America. It’s also where a movie theater, condos and 34-story hotel are expected to be built. http://bit.ly/N0IEk4 – Associated Press via Earthlink

Travelogue – Cedar Mesa
I’d stood in their magnificent Great Houses in Chaco Canyon, N.M., and palatial cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde, Colo. Although these places stoked the fires of imagination, they felt sterile and restricted, swept clean of the trappings of life. I wanted a deeper, more natural connection. So I came to Bluff in southeastern Utah, gateway to Cedar Mesa, a 70-mile-long plateau that’s home to one the largest collections of pre-Columbian ruins in the country. http://lat.ms/1mmD4bR – L.A. Times

Lecture Opportunity – Albuquerque
The UNM Department of Anthropology Colloquium Series is delighted to announce a talk by Dr. Lynne Sebastian on Thursday, February 20th at 4pm. Dr. Sebastian,  a former State Historic Preservation Officer of New Mexico, past President of the Society for American Archaeology, and current expert member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation,  will speak on “Anthropology and Historic Preservation: We’re All In This Together.” The lecture will take place in Hibben Center 105, on UNM campus; a reception will follow. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, please contact the UNM Anthropology Department at anthro@unm.edu.

Lecture Opportunity – Coolidge AZ
Mark your calendars and join Casa Grande Ruins National Monument for two exciting upcoming lectures. On Wednesday February 19th, at noon, Al Dart will present, Southwestern Rock Calendars and Ancient Time Pieces. This presentation will look at examples of ancient architecture and rock symbols. On Wednesday, February 26th, at Noon, Dr. Kyle Woodson will present, The Impact of Flooding on Hohokam Canal Irrigation Agriculture.  The lectures will take place at the Casa Grande Ruins visitor center located at 1100 W. Ruins Drive, Coolidge, AZ. For more information, please visit http://1.usa.gov/1dfEizf, or call (520) 723-3172.

Lecture Opportunity – Flagstaff
During the 10^th and first half of the 11^th Centuries, Champagne Springs Ruins and Mitchell Springs Ruin Group were the largest aggregated villages in the Northern San Juan Region. David Dove is the principal investigator at these two locations. The slide show and lecture presentation highlights the ongoing research at these two prehistoric community centers in southwest Colorado.Feb 23 is at the East Flagstaff Community Library, 3000 North Fourth Street, Suite 5. Lecture is free and open to the public, no reservation are required.

Arizona Archaeology Month Events for the Week of March 1

Cave Creek – Desert Foothills Chapter and Cave Creek Museum cosponsor the 5th annual Spur Cross Archaeology Expo on March 1st. The Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area event in Cave Creek is open from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm enabling the public to learn about the area’s archaeology through hikes, booths, gold panning, and other live demonstrations. $3 park entry fee, excluding children under 16 and those with Maricopa County Park or Spur Cross passes. Hike, display booths and speakers are scheduled throughout the day. Spur Cross Conservation Area is 4 ½ miles north of Cave Creek’s main downtown district from Cave Creek Road, turn North on to Spur Cross Road.

Coolidge – Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will host Ancient Technology Days, March 1 and every Saturday in March. Hands-on presentations will give participants the opportunity to try some of the techniques and tools used by the ancient Hohokam Indians. The innovations and problem solving skills of the Hohokam are impressive even by modern standards. Try your hand at some of the life skills that were everyday work in the 1300s. No reservations required. Regular park entrance fees apply. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 1100 W. Ruins Dr.

Coolidge – Casa Grande Ruins will also host back-country tours of the park on March 2 and every Sunday in March. Some areas that are normally closed to the public will be available during these tours. Tours will last approximately 1 ½ to two hours. Arrive at the Park Visitor Center by 8:45 am, wear sturdy shoes, bring water, and dress appropriate to the current weather conditions. No one can leave the tour once beyond the picnic area. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, 1100 W. Ruins Dr. Regular entrance fees apply. Reservations are required, as the tours are limited to 10 people. Contact Diane Garcia at (520) 723-3172, ext. 112.  For this opportunity, visitors must speak with a ranger to confirm tour, reservations by emial or voicemail will not be accepted. For details see http://1.usa.gov/1dfEizf

Mesa – Mesa Grande Museum will be offering tours Thursdays through Sundays in March. Sponsored by Arizona Museum of Natural History. Mesa Grande is one of two, great, ancient Hohokam platform mounds found in the Salt River Valley. Mesa Grande, 10th & Date St., a block west of Country Club Dr. on Brown Rd (turns into Date St.). Guided tours by an archaeologist are available for groups of 10 or more. Regular entrance fees apply. Must be booked at least one week in advance. CONTACT: Alison Stoltman, (480) 644-3553 or alison.stoltman@mesaaz.gov

Phoenix – Archaeology For Kids, sponsored by Pueblo Grande Museum (PGM) and Archaeology Park. Become a Junior Archaeologist and discover the science of archaeology by doing a simulated excavation of a Hohokam pit house. Learn about mapping, recording, and other archaeological methods and concepts. Appropriate for ages 7-12. Bring comfortable shoes, hat, and sunscreen. PGM, 4619 East Washington St. Pre-registration of $15 per child is required. CONTACT: LAURA ANDREW, (602) 495-0901 or laura.andrew@phoenix.gov or http://bit.ly/1frH2XK.