Cache of Ancient Tobacco Quids Identified in Cave Deposit

Cache of Ancient Tobacco Quids Identified in Cave Deposit
Dozens of small, fiber-wrapped bundles discovered in a cave in Arizona have been found to contain wild tobacco, the first scientific evidence suggesting that Ancestral Puebloans of the prehistoric Southwest chewed tobacco for personal use, archaeologists say. “As wads of fibers, perhaps they haven’t produced as much excitement as they could have, before we realized ancient folks were actually putting substances inside them,” said Dr. Karen Adams of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, who led the new study. http://bit.ly/1MW5HsL – Western Digs

Original Foundations of San Francisco Presidio Relocated
Archaeologists in San Francisco’s Presidio have discovered the stone foundations of the site’s original Spanish fort, built in 1815. The discovery follows a year-long dig near the Presidio Officer’s Club, the only survivor of the original Spanish Fort and, along with Mission Dolores, believed to be San Francisco’s oldest existing structures. “This foundation would’ve held up adobe walls or mud brick walls,” said Presidio archaeologist Kari Jones, peering into a shallow pit. “That would’ve extended about 10 feet tall.” http://bit.ly/1Thw7Uw – NBC News

Introducing the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps is just one way the park is working to deepen its ties to the 11 tribes whose ancestral home ranges included what is now Grand Canyon National Park. The park facilitates tribal trips to culturally important sites and ongoing archaeological preservation efforts. Two years ago, the park founded an Inter-tribal Advisory Council. http://bit.ly/1WaNlaq – Arizona Republic

Infighting Begins on Potential Monument Designation for Bear’s Ears
A schism is opening among Utah Navajos over whether to protect sacred lands surrounding the Bears Ears Buttes with a new national monument. A multi-tribe American Indian group, urging protection for a 1.9 million-acre region south of Canyonlands National Park, says San Juan County has excluded tribal perspectives in crafting a proposal that could shape public-lands policy for generations to come. Meantime, some local Navajos have split from the group, worried a federal designation would impede tribes’ access to the scenic highlands west of Blanding. http://bit.ly/1MWbVsF – Salt Lake Tribune

Restoring Mission San Xavier
Work to restore the structural integrity of the Mission San Xavier del Bac has been going on for decades. Efforts during the 1950s and 1960s involved, among other things, the use of cement and rubberized roofing paint, which failed. Bob Vint has been the Preservation Architect at San Xavier del Bac for the past 25 years. He has seen the damage caused by the hard coat of cement applied in previous restoration efforts. http://bit.ly/1Tadozv – Arizona Public Media

Tucson: Preservation in Neon
Tucson, Arizona, was once a glowing city, with neon signs flickering in vibrant pinks, yellows, greens, and blues. Clustered along major highways that run through the city, the signs were popular among business owners from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Owners of motels, theaters, coffee shops, or laundromats alike relied on the bold colors and dancing pictures to entice “auto tourists.” http://bit.ly/1IvRoXZ – Citylab

The National Trust Looks at Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors
Located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Palace of the Governors is one of the oldest, in-use public building in the United States. Once the seat of power, the Palace now showcases the diverse and colorful history of Santa Fe and its peoples. This Exposure slideshow takes you on a virtual tour of this unique historic place. http://bit.ly/1IvPu9M – Preservation Nation

National Park Service Report Finds “Decade of Dysfunction”
The National Park Service has shelved a blistering internal report that details a “decade of dysfunction” as the agency allowed dozens of illegal construction projects to cause significant damage to an ancient Iowa burial ground that Indian tribes consider sacred. Titled “Serious Mismanagement Report,” the document blasts the park service’s failed stewardship of the Effigy Mounds National Monument from 1999 to 2010 and says the case should serve as a wakeup call for agency employees at all levels to avoid similar violations. http://dmreg.co/1HzWdLN – Des Moines Register

Archaeologically Significant Meteorite on Display in Verde Valley
Those interested in having an out-of-this-world experience may want to visit the Verde Valley Archaeology Center sooner than later. By summer’s end, the Camp Verde Meteorite will have returned home: Not back to space, but back to Arizona State University, ending its six month loan. http://bit.ly/1DFx8UI – Camp Verde Bugle

New Chemical Analysis Could Help Track Stolen Rock Art
Scientists at Loughborough University hope their early trials of a new chemical blueprint technique could assist a crackdown on stone theft. Rural parts of Britain have been experiencing a surge in stone thefts recently, including paving slabs and garden ornaments, and as a result, MPs have brought the issue of this new and emerging crime to Parliament’s attention. http://bit.ly/1IRnXwt – Science Daily

Comprehensive Study of Dart Points Made and Used by the Southwest’s Earliest Farmers
A new monograph by flaked stone expert Jane Sliva of cultural resources management firm Desert Archaeology, Inc., presents the first comprehensive study of Early Agricultural period projectile points in the greater Southwest United States, including typological and behavioral interpretations. Archaeology Southwest has published the volume through its own imprint in partnership with Desert Archaeology, Inc. http://bit.ly/1MGVbpk – Archaeology Southwest

New Publication on the Archaeology of Las Capas and the Early Farmers of the Southwest
Tucson-based cultural resources management firm Desert Archaeology, Inc., has recently completed final reports on the Las Capas site, which provides substantial new insights into agricultural practices of the Early Agricultural period in the Tucson Basin. Archaeology Southwest has published the volumes through its Anthropological Papers series and its Technical Report imprint, in partnership with Desert Archaeology, Inc. http://bit.ly/1KXxvd2 – Archaeology Southwest

Lecture Opportunity – Cortez
With millions of gallons of brilliant orange mine waste contaminating the Animas River, rivers are a timely topic for the Four Corners Lecture Series. Chris Rasmussen will speak on Thursday, Aug. 20, on “Ecology of Southwestern Rivers: Form and Function, Restoration and Resilience.” Her presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, 23390 Road K, Cortez. For more information, call Crow Canyon at 970-564-4362.

Lecture Opportunity – Springerville
The Ancients built their homes in some very unusual places. Randy Porch, geologist and educator at Northland Pioneer College, will speak Monday Aug 17th at 7 p.m. about the part geology may play in why these particular places were chosen as home sites. Free to the public. The talk is held at the Springerville Heritage Center, 418 E. Main St., Springerville, AZ.

Thanks to Cherie Freeman, Bruce Hilpert, and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to this week’s newsletter.