Chaco Canyon’s Agricultural Potential Reappraised

New Appraisal of Agricultural Potential in Chaco Canyon
Discussions of agricultural feasibility and its impact on local population levels at Chaco Canyon have been heavily influenced by studies of soil salinity. A number of researchers have argued that salinized soils severely limited local agricultural production, instead suggesting food was imported from distant sources, specifically the Chuska Mountains. A careful reassessment of existing salinity data as measured by electrical conductivity reveals critical errors in data conversion and presentation that have misrepresented the character of the area’s soil and its potential impact on crops. http://bit.ly/2MGBK3t — PLOS One

Mesoamerican Source of Turquoise Confirmed by Geochemistry
Because scientists have found little evidence of turquoise mining in Mesoamerica, some researchers have used the presence of turquoise artifacts in the area as evidence of a long-distance trade exchange with ancient civilizations thousands of miles away in the American Southwest, where turquoise mines have been found. But a recent geochemical analysis of Aztec and Mixtec turquoise suggests that the mineral did not originate in the American Southwest, but rather in Mesoamerica. https://nyti.ms/2JQgmuU — New York Times

Report: Economic Benefits of National Parks (May 2018)
The economic benefits of national parks extend beyond tourism. The greatest value of natural amenities and recreation opportunities often lies in the ability of protected lands to attract and retain people, entrepreneurs, businesses, and retirees. http://bit.ly/2M2VMUU — Headwaters Economics

Photo Gallery: Take a Visual Journey through Bears Ears Country
The dramatic natural beauty of Bears Ears Country cannot be overstated. Below are a number of interactive panoramas which allow you to explore the landscape. http://bit.ly/2MDxhyE — Bears Ears Country

Audio: NPR’s 1A Hosted Panel Discussion on Utah Public Lands
Documents obtained by the New York Times show that energy interests pushed for the monuments to be shrunk. Who benefits from the rollbacks? Why are some courts pushing back? We’re taking the show on the road, and we’ll be live from KUER in Salt Lake City to discuss. http://bit.ly/2JQjS8A — The 1A

Scientists in Scotland Announce New Dating Technology
A Scottish-based team of scientists has created a new method of accurately dating the past. They have developed an approach to the radiocarbon dating process which they say is cheaper, faster and more accessible. Potential applications include conservation, archaeology and forensic science. https://bbc.in/2MFh24b — BBC

Preservation Archaeology Field School in the News
“This year’s group of 12 students comes from New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Michigan, New York, and Tennessee. For some, this is their first experience of the American Southwest,” said Bill Doelle, Archaeology Southwest’s executive director. “For the third year in a row, they have the privilege of excavating at the Gila River Farm site on The Nature Conversancy’s property near Cliff. We’re very fortunate in our partnership with TNC and in our ongoing welcome from our friends in Cliff.” http://bit.ly/2MFsM6M — Silver City Sun News

New Journal in Museum Studies: Theory and Practice
The National Emerging Museum Professional Network (NEMPN) partners with The Museum Scholar to co-produce a new peer-reviewed academic journal. http://bit.ly/2M4P2WB — Theory and Practice

Cultural Consequences of a Border Wall
To the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Indians, the water of the Rio Grande that divides the United States and Mexico sanctifies religious rites and purifies their hunts. But now tribal leaders fear a proposed border wall as envisioned by U.S. President Donald Trump will sever access to the river, spoiling traditions and ruining ancient culture. https://reut.rs/2JQQDCr — Reuters

ARPA Violator Sentenced
An investigation by Special Agents of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB) has resulted in a prison term for a man who trafficked prehistoric artifacts looted from public lands. Gary Womack, age 60, was recently sentenced to serve 15 months imprisonment for three felony violations of the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). http://bit.ly/2JRRran — National Park Service

Job Opportunity: Northern Arizona University
The Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor, specializing in Archaeology of the American Southwest beginning Fall 2019. This is a full time (9-month) position that requires a balance of teaching, scholarship, and service within the discipline. http://bit.ly/2K3Bn1r — NAU

Announcement: Standing Reed Books
Standing Reed Books is soliciting new, unpublished manuscripts. We are an independent, woman-owned publisher specializing in archaeology and anthropology. We also publish fiction. Nonfiction will be peer reviewed. Our website isn’t up yet, so please contact us at standingreedbooks@cox.net for a services quote and guidelines for submission. We welcome your submissions! — Stephanie Whittlesey, President and Acquiring Editor, Standing Reed Books

Symposium: History and Future of Mesa Verde’s Far View Visitor Center
Mesa Verde National Park invites the public to learn about the history and future of the Far View Visitor Center during a symposium on June 30, 2018. There will be a self-guided tour of the exterior of the building from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, followed by presentations on the history of the building, challenges with its current condition, and a vision for possible adaptive reuse from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Rec Hall building. Speakers include author and architectural historian Christine Madrid French; principal architect Jane Crisler of Form + Works Design Group; and Dr. Patrick Kociolek, the Director of the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Natural History Museum. After the presentations, the Mesa Verde Museum Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation will host a reception at the Rec Hall. All events are free and open to the public. http://bit.ly/2MEh787 — Mesa Verde National Park

Symposium: The Peopling of the Americas: Recent Research and Perspectives
The annual symposium of the Pre-Columbian Society/DC—“The Peopling of the Americas: Recent Research and Perspectives”—will take place in Washington on Saturday, September 15, 2018. David Meltzer of SMU will moderate a day-long program in which leading archaeologists and geneticists will address the still-controversial topic of when and how people first arrived in the new world, their migration routes, and the process by which they spread throughout the North and South American continents. Speakers include James Adovasio of Florida Atlantic University; Jon Erlandson of the University of Oregon; Kelly Graff of Texas A & M University; David Kilby of Texas State University, and Jennifer Raff of the University of Kansas. Program details and registration information are now available on the PCS website: www.pcswdc.org.

Lecture Opportunity, Santa Fe NM
Southwest Seminars Presents Jonathan Warm Day Coming (Taos Pueblo) and Dr. Lois Palken Rudnick who will give a presentation Taos Pueblo Artists and Patrons: Reflections on Three Generations of Gomez/Mirabal Familes on June 25 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the annual Voices From the Past Lecture Series. Jonathan is Author, Book Illustrator and photographic model and Lois is Co-Editor, Mabel Dodge Luhan & Company: American Moderns & the West. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. Contact Connie Eichstaedt 505 466-2775; email: southwestseminar@aol.com; website: southwest seminars.org

Editor’s Note: On Father’s Day, Flint Dibble posted a thread on Twitter in tribute to his father, Harold Dibble, and his career as a teacher and archaeologist. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those who wish to honor his memory donate to the Harold Dibble Mini-Me Fund at the Paleoanthropology Society and to the University of Pennsylvania Anthropology Department. Here is a link to the Twitter tribute: https://twitter.com/FlintDibble/status/1008411474086244352. Here is a link to the Harold Dibble Mini-Me Fund: http://www.paleoanthro.org/home/donate/. One of our regular readers suggested that fellow subscribers might like to read Beebe Bahrami’s book Café Neandertal (May 2017), which features a fine portrait of Dibble and his work (http://bit.ly/2JNaEKa — Publisher’s Weekly).

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