Dear Friends,
My last few missives have been downers, focusing as they have on the continuing desecration of the San Pedro Valley by construction of the SunZia powerline. That work proceeds at a rapid pace; last week I counted at least 45 tower pads from the air. During a field trip on Monday of this week, we noted the first tower going up. Sad, but our fight continues.
I want to lighten to mood this week by considering humor. It is, perhaps, an odd topic to think about as an archaeologist—after all, laughter, jokes, and humor aren’t often preserved in the archaeological record. As a humanist, however, I can’t help but note that while humor, and a sense of humor (two different things!), may be subjective, laughter is universal.
All humans laugh, but they laugh at different things that may be individually and culturally variable. And yet, if you ask people about their fondest memories, virtually all of them will focus on a moment or situation they found personally or collectively hilarious.
People laugh when they are scared. When they are nervous, and when they are joyful or embarrassed. People, as well as some other animals, laugh when they are tickled, but you can’t tickle yourself. (What a shame.) People can laugh so hard that they cry, and sometimes even pee.
It’s a well-known fact that laughter is contagious, so comedy clubs minimize space between audience members during a show. That’s also why it’s often easy to get free or discounted tickets to comedy shows—no one wants an empty club, for financial and psychological reasons. People don’t like to burst out laughing in a small, dispersed audience context.
When you think about all its subtleties and nuances, laughter is actually an absurdly complex and interesting phenomenon. But that’s what makes it so much fun to study.
I recently led the staff of Archaeology Southwest through PitchLab! public speaking workshop run by Jay Mays and Daniel Reskin, two professional comedian friends of mine. The point was not to develop our own comedy shows, but to become better public speakers through the use of professional stagecraft tips used by comedians. I’ve done a few science-based stand-up comedy shows through Science Riot, and I now sit on their board. By far, stand-up comedy is the toughest public speaking I’ve ever done. But the attendant rush of adrenaline when I realized people were laughing with me, not at me, was undeniable. I’m now hooked. Billy Strean, a friend of mine from college, now teaches laughter yoga. The possibilities are endless!
What about our beloved archaeological record? Scientists recently claimed that the oldest written joke dates back nearly 4,000 years, but that’s the oldest preserved and written joke. The earliest joke was actually told tens of perhaps even hundreds of thousands of years earlier—it just wasn’t written down and isn’t otherwise preserved.
So, what was the first joke? Mel Brooks has said that a fart is the first joke that anyone understands (hence the famous scene in Blazing Saddles). I am virtually certain the first joke had to do with bodily functions of some kind.
On April Fool’s Day, we at Archaeology Southwest shared a post that was a wink and a nod to the Barbie phenomenon that emanates from Greta Gerwig’s weird, wonderful, incisive film. Allen Denoyer loves to share wacky content now and then, and he approached us with the idea. Our social media guru, Sara Anderson—who had recently attended a nonprofit social media trends seminar that urged organizations to use more humor—helped him vet it with other staff members and wrote the text, which invited folks to “Join us to make replica ancient tools, jewelry and clothes for your Barbie with Allen Denoyer…Barbies not included, BYOB (Bring Your Own Barbie).” Allen made mini-versions of many of the things he teaches people to make for Barbie’s “photoshoot.” Many people found it hilarious, clever, irreverent, and insightful. One or two found it offensive, and that’s the risk anyone takes with a joke.
In the end, we won’t tell you what to laugh at, or when. But in a troubled world, it’s important that we all take time to laugh early and often, especially with friends. If you do that every day, I promise you’ll be happier as a result. Live. Laugh. Learn. L’chaim!
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Interactive Digital Experience for an Important Place in the Dinétah
With Harry Walters, Tim Begay, and Erik Simpson; narration by Mildred Waters. The Crow Canyon Petroglyphs site is located in northwest New Mexico and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The site is home to one of the largest concentrations of Navajo rock art with figures that shed light on the spiritual beliefs and everyday life of the Navajo. Cyark and the Bureau of Land Management | Experience now »
Arizona Highways Features Amerind’s Texas Canyon Nature Preserve
There are several private landowners in Texas Canyon, including Triangle T Guest Ranch, which has some trails for its guests. But none had opened its trails to the public until this past October, when the portion of the area owned and managed by the Amerind Foundation had its ribbon-cutting. After a multi-year campaign that raised $250,000, the Texas Canyon Nature Preserve — on land previously closed to the public for 85 years, and where the organization’s founding family raised quarter horses until 1968 — is open to all. “The idea had been percolating with the Amerind Foundation board and management for years,” says Eric Kaldahl, the president, CEO and chief curator of the foundation. “The response from the surrounding community has been very enthusiastic. We welcomed more visitors last October than we’ve seen for the past 10 years.” Suzanne Wright in Arizona Highways | Read more »
Continuing Coverage: Culturally and Ecologically Intact Valley or Green Energy Corridor?
For Leif Abrell, a local professor and steward for a section of the Arizona Trail where [SunZia] construction is visible [in the San Pedro Valley], it represents the “false choice” that green spaces must be sacrificed for green energy. For Verlon Jose, the chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, it’s the latest example of the federal government and developers failing to properly consult with tribes and sacrificing landscapes vital to tribal history and beliefs “in the name of the almighty dollar.” Routing through the San Pedro Valley may be the cheaper option for the developer, Jose said, but it will never be cheaper for the tribes in opposition to the project. “You don’t have enough money to bring back what’s going to be destroyed,” he said. Wyatt Myskow for Inside Climate News | Read now »
Continuing Coverage and Commentary (Video): Sacred Lands or New Jobs?
Massive mining companies are stealing a community’s land to build the largest copper mine in the U.S. They want to win people over with gift cards. But the mine would wreck a sacred Apache site, produce 1.5 billion tons of toxic waste, and drain the local water supply. We investigated the corruption behind this deal. (14:13). More Perfect Union | Watch now »
Updated! 2024 Colorado Plateau Map from Grand Canyon Trust
View the 2024 edition of the Colorado Plateau map of public lands and tribal lands across northern Arizona, southern Utah, southwest Colorado, and northwest New Mexico, newly updated to include Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument (abbreviated BNIK on the map), designated August 8, 2023. Stephanie Smith, cartographer for Grand Canyon Trust | Download now »
Interview and Commentary: Move to Unionize US “Dirty Shovel Bums”
Alex N. Press spoke to [archaeologist Freeman] Stevenson about the work of archaeology in the twenty-first century and why archaeologists should organize. The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. … “As mundane as it sounds, it’s really hard work. If your survey is on a playa in an old abandoned lake bed, then sure, it’s pretty flat, it’s easy walking, except then maybe it’s the summer and it’s 110 degrees outside and it gets so hot that the skin on one of your tech’s feet falls off in their boots. One time, we surveyed an entire mountain range for a mine. You ever see transmission lines cutting across mountains and wonder how those got there? Well, we walked the entire route, hundreds of miles, up and over, looking for things.” Alex N. Press for Jacobin | Read more »
Blog: Bears Ears Partnership’s New Communications Manager Reflects on Celebrate Bears Ears
In many ways, it was a perfect—if unexpected—way to start this new role. I got to meet the wonderful staff, board, and community members I am now working with, and get a feel for how the greater Bears Ears community works together on its shared mission to protect this important landscape. The day was full of inspiring panels, presentations, and speakers. NGO partners tabled along the walls of the Bluff Community Center, and outside, local Indigenous artisans displayed their work. As I listened to each speaker, I filled my notebook pages with thoughts and questions, knowing that while these projects were new to me, they would soon become familiar, and that I would continue to reflect on and learn from the values behind them. Amelia Diehl for Bears Ears Partnership | Read more »
Publication Announcement: The Ratting of North America
Eric Guiry et al., The ratting of North America: A 350-year retrospective on Rattus species compositions and competition. Sci. Adv. 10, eadm6755 (2024). Read now (open access) »
Our friends the zooarchaeologists Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman and Martin Welker are among the authors. For a nonacademic overview, check out this piece at Phys.org »
April Subscription Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
April 15, J. McKim Malville, The Sun, Moon, and Supernova at Chimney Rock and Beyond; April 22, Gregorio Gonzales, Genízaros Valorosos: Indigenous Political Movement in Native New Mexico Borderlands; April 29, Philip J. Deloria, From the Charging Elk Sketchbook, 1940: A Dialogue on Art and Epistemology? Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
REMINDER: April 15 Online Event: Why Do Arrowheads Point Up? Thunderstorms, Spear Points, and Divine Iconography in Barrier Canyon Rock Art
With James Farmer. The Barrier Canyon Anthropomorphic Style (or BCS) of south-central Utah has long been regarded as one of the premier ancient painted rock art styles in the Americas, if not the world. The most dominant and commonly recognized features of the style are deep red anthropomorphic figures ranging in size from a few inches to over eight feet tall. San Diego Rock Art Association | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: April 15 Online and In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): What’s in a Symbol? A Look at Hohokam Art and Imagery
With Linda Gregonis. The art that Hohokam craftspeople produced embodied the world (seen and unseen) as they understood it. They were influenced by weather, animals they encountered, plants they grew and used, pilgrimages they made, other people they met, and their ancestors. They translated their experiences into art, creating iconic motifs that were shared across a wide region. Using objects, design elements, and motifs that were made and used during the Preclassic period (ca. A.D. 600 to 1150), Linda Gregonis will discuss how the Hohokam may have used symbols on different media including pottery, shell, stone, and rock art to define group identity and express their view of the world. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more »
April 18 Online Event: Climate History & Indigenous Futures: Climate Adaptation for Contested Landscapes
With Lindsey Schneider. This presentation considers how narratives of ecological damage – particularly those associated with climate change – have been used to constrain, contest, and erase Indigenous land relationships and tribal sovereignty. Yet, in the last few decades there has been a surge of interest in Indigenous environmental knowledges, particularly for its relevance in developing climate adaptation strategies. Tribal nations now find themselves being asked to share their traditional knowledge with the same colonial institutions that occupy and manage their homelands. What would it look like to rethink environmental land management through the lens of Indigenous futurisms? Using this framework, Dr. Schneider will discuss examples of the process of building institutional partnerships with tribal communities that center the needs, visions, and agency of tribal nations as a starting point for climate adaptation. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: April 18 Online Event: Interaction on the Northern Mogollon Frontier
With Karl Laumbach. The Cañada Alamosa is a spring-fed canyon located on the northeastern edge of the Mimbres Mogollon world. The Ojo Caliente or Warm Spring supplies 2,000 gallons per minute, ensuring a perennial flow to the Rio Alamosa as it flows to the Rio Grande. Separated by 50 miles and the imposing Black Range from the Mimbres Mogollon cultural center, the canyon’s well-watered position on a “zone of interaction” between the Mogollon and Ancestral Puebloans resulted in a unique cultural sequence from the pithouse period up to the abandonment of the canyon in the 14th century reflecting a variety of local interactions as well as changes in their respective centers. Karl Laumbach’s archaeological career in southern New Mexico since 1974 included direction of the Human Systems Research nonprofit organization’s Cañada Alamosa project. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
April 20 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Agave Roast and Learn
Come experience an agave roast and learn about these plants’ many uses! Members of the Hualapai Tribe will demonstrate their methods of roasting agave hearts, then share samples of this sweet, unique food. Talk to environmental and cultural organizations from around the region about agave’s unique uses, including how agave fiber can be used for ropes, shoes, and clothes. Experience a panel discussion about how agaves may make a comeback as a crop of the future. Mission Garden | Learn more »
April 20 In-Person Event (Glendale AZ): Creosote Salve-Making Workshop
With Sharah Nieto. Participants will learn the step-by-step process of creating creosote salve, including ingredient selection, oil infusion and preparation. This workshop aims to empower participants with the skills to produce their own creosote salve at home, fostering a sense of self-sufficiency. Each participant will be able to take home their own creosote salve. This workshop will include a walk on the trail to learn more about creosote. Fees apply. Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve (ASU) | Learn more »
May 1 Online Event: Telling the Story of Iosepa: Archaeology, Oral History, and Public Education
With Ally Gerlach. Join our webinar to discover how artifacts and records from the Polynesian LDS [Latter-day Saints] settlement of Iosepa can be used to create collaboration with descendant communities that results in new research and exhibits to engage the public. Ally will show us how community involvement enriches our understanding of history. Don’t miss this opportunity to delve into diverse narratives and interpretations of the past! Utah State Historic Preservation Office | Learn more and register (free) »
May 7 Online Event: Tasting History: A Hands-On Approach and Revival of Native and Traditional Agave Crops in the Tucson Area
With Jesús García (Kino Heritage Fruit Trees program, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum). Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Register (free) »
May 8–Aug. 7 Online Class: Mogollon Archaeological Culture
With Allen Dart. Wednesdays from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Arizona Time, this 14-session online adult education class focuses on the Mogollon culture of the US Southwest. Topics include the history of Mogollon archaeology, Mogollon origins, the regional Mogollon branches, chronology of habitation, subsistence and settlement patterns, artifacts, rock art, religious and social organization, population movements, and descendant peoples. Fees apply. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
May 16 Online Event: Of Noble Kings Descended: Colonial Documents and the Ancient Southwest
With Steve Lekson. Early Spanish and Mexican records can tell us much about the ancient Southwest. Dr. Lekson will review some of them that lend insights for deeper history relevant to places like Chaco Canyon and Casas Grandes, and will contextualize these with Native accounts and archaeological data. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
Remember to send us notice of upcoming webinars and Zoom lectures, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!