Meetings of the American Anthropological Association Featured a Growing “Jargon Gap”

Meetings of the American Anthropological Association Feature Growing “Jargon Gap”
This weekend’s annual conference of the American Anthropological Association drew more than 6,000 scholars, making it among the best-attended meetings in the organization’s history. But the robust numbers did not prevent people here from worrying about the field’s future, and even about its basic coherence. http://chronicle.com/article/Anthropologists-Look-for/125464/

Archivist Discovers Photograph of Navajo War Chief Manuelito
An archivist for the Palace of the Governors photo archives was going through a collection of old photographs in the museum last summer when he recognized a face.
“I said, ‘My God, that looks like Manuelito,’ ” said Daniel Kosharek. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s weird. I’ve never seen this before.’ ” Kosharek checked the files and, sure enough, the image was not there. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/palace-of-the-governors-War-chief-photo-a-rare-find

Center for Desert Archaeology Benefit Book Sale Scheduled for Saturday, December 4
The Center for Desert Archaeology’s first-ever benefit book sale will take place on Saturday, December 4, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. There will be a members-only preview beginning at 9:00 a.m. Titles for sale include thousands of recently donated, gently used books on regional archaeology, geology, ethnology, botany, wildlife, and hiking.  https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/2010/11/01/benefit-book-sale/

December Archaeology Cafe Features Dr Patrick Lyons Discussing the Role of Pottery in Understanding the Ancient Southwest
The Center for Desert Archaeology and Casa Vicente invite all to the third season of Archaeology Café, a casual, happy hour-style discussion forum dedicated to promoting community engagement with cultural and scientific research. On Tuesday, December 7, 2010, we will be joined by Dr. Patrick Lyons, Head of Collections and Acting Associate Director of the Arizona State Museum. Focusing on materials recovered from the San Pedro River Valley as a case study, Patrick will discuss the The Role of Pottery in Understanding the Ancient Southwest. https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/2010/09/01/the-role-of-pottery/

Tonto Apache Exhibit Opens in Payson Casino
The Tonto Apache Tribe’s history is marred with struggle. Before casino slots and blackjack tables, there were land wars, various reservation migrations and widespread poverty. It took hundreds of years for the tribe to get to where it is today — a recognized tribe with its own land. Unfortunately, the history of the tribe is in danger of dying out. Few adolescents know the history and fewer speak the language. A new museum exhibit unveiled last week in the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino captures a slice of the tribe’s story, offering visitors a first chance look at some of the tribe’s artifacts and culture.  http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/nov/19/tonto-apache-museum-exhibit-opens/

Blanding Looter Sentanced to Probation
A Colorado man was sentenced Friday to 18 months of probation for selling an archaeological resource, a small pipe, that had been excavated from an Anasazi site on federal land near Blanding. U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer also banned Robert B. Knowlton, 66, from federal land for collecting purposes during the 18 months. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50714542-76/pipe-utah-colorado-federal.html.csp

Colorado Man Pleas Guilty to Charge of Looting
A Durango, Colo., man has pleaded guilty to removing an ancient human skull, pottery and a stone knife from federal land in the Four Corners area of southern Utah. http://www.kwgn.com/news/sns-ap-ut–artifactlooting,0,2559561.story?track=rss

Quechan Tribe Fighting Solar Energy Project planned for the Mojave Desert
The Quechan Tribe claims the Secretary of the Interior rushed through approval of a giant solar power project in the Mojave Desert and ignored potential damage to the tribe’s cultural artifacts and the desert’s sensitive flora and fauna, including an endangered lizard that appears in the tribe’s creation story.   The 709-megawatt Imperial Valley Solar Project will spread 28,360 “SunCatcher” dishes across 6,360 acres of public land, about 14 miles west of El Centro.  http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/11/02/31538.htm

Acoustic Archaeology
Researchers are uncovering the secrets of ancient civilizations who built fun house-like temples that may have scared the pants off worshipers with scary sound effects, light shows and perhaps drug-induced psychedelic trips. The emerging field of acoustic archaeology is a marriage of high-tech acoustic analysis and old-fashioned bone-hunting. The results of this scientific collaboration is a new understanding of cultures who used sound effects as entertainment, religion and a form of political control. http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/acoustic-archaeology-chavin-mayan.html

Lecture Opportunity (Huhugam Ki Museum)
Everyone is invited to a free program on “Hohokam Villages of the Salt River Valley” by Bill Doelle of the Center for Desert Archaeology on Tuesday, November 30th.  The location is the Lehi Community Center at the southeastern corner of Stapley Drive and Oak Street in the Lehi District of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.  A light supper (including traditional O’odham foods) will be served starting at 5:30, and the program will begin at 6:00.   A map showing the best way to get to the Lehi Community Center is attached.  (The local stretch of McDowell Road is under construction and should be avoided – use Oak Street instead).

Thanks to Terry Colvin and Adrianne Rankin for contributions to today’s newsletter.