Another Look at Chaco and Chocolate

Podcast: “What’s in Your Cup, Chaco?”
One thing that your insulated mug of hot cocoa says about you on a cold day is that this drink is for you as an individual, and that you’re autonomous. For the people using the very first jars to drink hot chocolate found at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico around 875 AD, it was more like a party, according to southwest archaeologist Patricia Crown. We interviewed her and a Santa Fe chocolate expert and took a trip to Chaco Canyon ourselves to see what it was like for the first cocoa-lovers. http://bit.ly/2oaVULJ – Julie Ann Grimm and Katherine Lewin at the Santa Fe Reporter

Continuing Coverage: Significant Archaeology Recovered in Path of Highway Realignment
Just outside Durango, Colo., archeologist Rand Greubel stands on a mesa surrounded by juniper trees, and he points to a large pit house from the Pueblo I period. It’s a circular hole in the ground, about 30 feet across and nearly 10 feet deep. There’s a fire pit in the center of an earthen floor, ventilation shafts tunneled into the side walls, and bits of burned thatching that suggest how the structure once continued above the ground. “We knew right away that it was highly significant just because of the sheer size of it,” Greubel says. http://bit.ly/2Jdwg08 – KRCC (NPR)

Podcast: Interview with Filmmakers behind “Common Ground” Documentary on Bears Ears
Carl Moore of PANDOS, a Utah-based native and environmental rights organization, joined Chris and Nell to talk about their work and the film “Common Ground: The Story of Bears Ears.” The film aims to humanize this very polarizing issue through interviews with people of all perspectives. http://bit.ly/2Jb0W1W – This Green Earth, KPCW (NPR)

Trailer and information about the film: http://bearsearsdocumentary.com/

Continuing Coverage: Impacts to Cultural Resources and Public Lands along the Border
Yet as shocking as the Trump administration’s most recent demolition of the desert wilderness has been, scientists and Interior Department officials say that it is just a continuation of the destruction that has been unfolding for years as US-Mexico border militarization has intensified. Archaeologists Rick and Sandy Martynec are among those who have witnessed the erosion of environmental protections firsthand. For the past 25 years, the Martynecs, independent researchers, have been conducting archaeological surveys in Arizona along the US-Mexico border. In a roughly 20-by-20-mile stretch of desert, the husband and wife team has documented more than 600 distinct archeological sites, ranging from 10,000-year-old Paleo-Indian campsites to O’odham farming villages inhabited as recently as the 18th century. As they’ve documented the rich historical and cultural records, the couple has seen a fragile desert ecosystem become a casualty of US border policy. http://bit.ly/2oVAmTP – Sierra

Tribal Land Reparation in California
Indian Island off the coast of Northern California was the site of a massacre, a place that was contaminated by a shipyard and flush with invasive species. It’s also the spiritual and physical center of the universe for the small Wiyot Tribe, and it now belongs to them almost entirely after a city deeded all the land it owns on the island to the tribe during a packed signing ceremony Monday. “It’s a really good example of resilience because Wiyot people never gave up the dream,” tribal administrator Michelle Vassel said. Tribes have lost millions of acres of land through treaties broken by the U.S. government, by force and in exchange for federal services such as health care and education. Rarely has it been restored, said Cris Stainbrook, president of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. http://bit.ly/2o8pmll – MSN/Associated Press

The Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) Promotes Ellison to Associate Director
Congratulations to Leigh Anne Ellison on her recent promotion to Assistant Director of the Center for Digital Antiquity! Leigh Anne joined the staff in 2012 as Sales and Marketing Coordinator, and was promoted to Program Manager in 2017. She has extensive professional experience including work as a Project Director for archaeological fieldwork in Mexico and Honduras, where she studied social variability among commoners. She also has considerable field experience in the US, working as a Field Archaeologist on various projects throughout Hawaii, Arizona, and Colorado. http://bit.ly/32zye2t – tDAR

New Mexico State University Hosts Workshop with Hopi Artists
Three Hopi artists will return to New Mexico State University to engage with students and members of the public for the first time since they presented a panel discussion at NMSU’s American Indian Student Center in April this year. The group will provide hands-on experiences, demonstrations and lectures as the “Living in Sacred Continuum” event continues Oct. 24–28 at the University Museum at Kent Hall on the corner of University and Solano and the University Art Museum at Devasthali Hall. The visiting Hopi artists are among the five who played a key role in research conducted by Fumi Arakawa, NMSU anthropology professor and director of the University Museum. Arakawa collaborated with professor Atsunori Ito at the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) in Japan. By working with Native American artists, Arakawa and Ito hope to better understand the meanings behind the designs on the ancient Mimbres pottery found in southern New Mexico. http://bit.ly/2BwlIoF – Las Cruces Sun News

NEH Grant Supports Crow Canyon’s Workshops for Educators
For the ninth time, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center has been selected as a recipient of the National Endowment for Humanities Grant Award for 2020. The NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop for Teachers: Mesa Verde National Park and Pueblo Indian History project between Crow Canyon and NEH helps Crow Canyon continue to fulfill its mission by serving the field of archaeology. For one week, 36 K–12 teachers will take residence at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center as they learn different multicultural and historic perspectives from native scholars and professional archaeologists. Offered twice during the summer, the project is tuition-free and awards participants with a stipend to cover expenses while in the program. http://bit.ly/32GdHt5 – The Journal

Publication Announcement: Zooarchaeology of Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera
“Zooarchaeology of Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera,” by Barnet Pavão-Zuckerman and Júpiter Martínez-Ramírez. International Journal of Historical Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-019-00514-x (article posted online in its entirety)

Publication Announcement: La Rumorosa Rock Art Along the Border
La Rumorosa Rock Art Along the Border, V2: A Survey of Kumeyaay and Related Artwork in Southern California, Colorado River Corridor, Western Arizona and Baja California. Edited by Donald Liponi. http://larumorosarockart.com/the-book/

Event Opportunity, Dragoon, AZ
On Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Amerind Autumn Fest will celebrate the A:shiwi (Zuni) community with artists, public talks, and performers. Rich in tradition, history and culture, A:shiwi teachers, artists, singers, and dancers will hold a day-long cultural celebration at the Amerind Museum, 2100 N Amerind Rd. $10 per vehicle. Call 520-586-3666 for more information. http://www.amerind.org

REMINDER: Workshop Opportunity, Gourd-Rattle Making with Arturo Ramirez
Rattles or shakers may have been among humanity’s earliest possessions. People have long used gourds and other seed pods for many purposes. Join us on November 2 to craft your own gourd rattle. As we work, we will also discuss the history of rattles. Instructor Arturo Ramirez is of Apache and Southern Ute ancestry. He says, “I have used gourds as an art medium over 32 years. I will discuss general rattle lore, construction and general ceremonial usage. You will complete your rattle using indigenous Arizona deadfall wood, Arizona-grown wood and pebbles and anthill rocks from culturally significant locations.” http://bit.ly/2Be1dwR – Archaeology Southwest

Thanks to Cherie Freeman and Brian Kreimendahl for their contributions to today’s edition.

We’re happy to help get the word out, but we’re not mind readers! Please submit news, book announcements, and events at this link for consideration: https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/submit-to-sat/

Questions? sat-editor@archaeologysouthwest.org