2018
24
Jul
National Monuments Review a Sham?
National Monuments Review a Sham?
In a quest to shrink national monuments last year, senior Interior Department officials dismissed evidence that these public sites boosted tourism and spurred archaeological discoveries, according to documents the department released this month and retracted a day ...
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2018
06
Jul
The Making of a Preservation Archaeologist
Jojo Matson, Utah State University
(July 9, 2018)—Throughout history, archaeology has often been viewed as invasive digging and robbing of burials and homes of Indigenous persons and places. In many respects that sometimes isn’t too far from the truth. Thankfully, not all archaeology follows ...
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2018
26
Jun
The Promise of Existing Collections
Bill Lipe: The Promise of Existing Collections
The value (and excitement) of archaeological field work doesn’t end when the pits are backfilled, the artifacts are analyzed, and the reports written. At least that’s true if the collections are safely curated in a well-run museum. Specimens collec...
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2018
19
Jun
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 agricul...
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2018
12
Jun
Taking Stock at the 112th Anniversary of the Antiquities Act
Commentary: Taking Stock at the 112th Anniversary of the Antiquities Act
Today, the nation benefits from roughly 160 national monuments—from Alaska and Hawaii to Maine and Florida—designated through the Antiquities Act. They are places where visitors explore, play, learn, and connect and serve ...
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2018
29
May
More News and Views on New Bill to Protect Greater Chaco
More News and Views on New Bill to Protect Greater Chaco
The fight to preserve Chaco Canyon cannot take decades — too much would be lost — but passing this important legislation is a step in the right direction. Remember, too, that Chaco is not just a New Mexico treasure. Like Stonehenge in Eng...
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2018
15
May
The Uncertain Fate of Bears Ears
PBS News Hour Considers the Uncertain Fate of Bears Ears
In the rugged and remote canyons of Southern Utah, scientists say they've barely scratched the surface of discoveries that can reach back millions of years, or shed light on the last 10,000 years of human history. But their work in Bears Ears...
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2018
08
May
BLM Staffers Disallowed from Attending SAAs in DC
BLM Staffers Disallowed from Attending SAAs in DC
The Bureau of Land Management blocked at least 14 of its staff archaeologists and other specialists from attending a major scientific conference this year, at a time when archaeological sites have become a flashpoint in the debate over public lands ...
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2018
01
May
Shocking Reversal on Chaco-Area Drilling Case
Shocking Reversal on Chaco-Area Drilling Case
Environmentalists were shocked and dismayed this week after a federal court rejected their claims against oil and gas development near Chaco Canyon, N.M., just weeks after the judge partially sided with them. Judge James Browning issued an opinion Monda...
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2018
08
Apr
Archaeology Southwest Is off to the SAA Meetings in Washington, DC
Bears Ears in DC: Two Forums
Bears Ears, the Antiquities Act, and the Status of Our National Monuments, an SAA President-Sponsored Session, takes place Thursday, April 12, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the SAA in Washington, DC. (Registered attendees only.) The paneli...
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2018
06
Apr
Archaeology Southwest in DC
Banner image: Carol M. Highsmith, via Wikimedia Commons
Kate Sarther Gann, Communications Coordinator, and Content Editor, Archaeology Southwest Magazine
(April 6, 2018)—The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) will host its 83rd annual meeting in Washington, DC, next week, April 11–15. Th...
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2018
25
Mar
Trump Administration Auctions off Parcels in Bears Ears
Trump Administration Auctions off Parcels in Bears Ears
The Interior Department on Tuesday is auctioning off 32 parcels of public lands in southeastern Utah for oil and gas development. The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) lease sale includes more than 51,000 acres of land near Bears E...
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