Southwest Archaeology Today for June 1, 2005

Welcome to the inauguration of “Southwest Archaeology Today”, a newsletter dedicated to sharing information about Archaeology, History, and Historic Preservation in the American Southwest and Mexican Northwest.

This newsletter is an attempt to live up to the legacy created by Brian Kenny’s 10 years of publishing “Got Caliche.” Please have some measure of patience with the Center for Desert Archaeology staff as we attempt to “get up to speed” on the best ways to share news and information on topics that may be of interest to our subscribers. We wish Brian and the swanet the very best with new projects at http://www.swanet.org, and eagerly anticipate viewing their new efforts in public archaeology.

For the past 23 years, the Center for Desert Archaeology’s goal has been to “build a preservation archaeology network across the Greater Southwest.” It is our sincere hope that “Southwest Archaeology Today” will evolve into an important part of this network, and that as a subscriber, you will feel free to contribute your own news, needs or concerns regarding the practice of archaeology and history in the Greater Southwest.

Interested in submitting your news? Contact the SAT editor at SAT-Editor@cdarc.org.

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Soutwest Archaeology Today:

– Banner Mesa to use lounge space for exhibit on Hohokam ruins

A medical center lounge will become exhibit space for the Mesa Southwest Museum. A wall-sized window will offer a panoramic view of the Mesa Grande ruins and a surrounding valley. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=42185

– The Bureau of Land Management has dangled out a $500 reward for information about vandalism this month at an ancient rock art site near St. George. http://tinyurl.com/bkgx9 or http://www.newutah.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=56119&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

– Utah History: Early Jewish farmers try their hand in a hardscrabble land

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2766999

– Mesa Verde: Summer Tours & Festival Schedule

http://tinyurl.com/dgrdj or

http://www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/05/news050528_2.htm

– Arizona Preservation Conference Reminder:

There is still time to register for the Arizona Preservation Conference, June 9-11, 2005. See http://www.corpdestination.com/AzPresConf/ for more information.

Special note to conference presenters, your powerpoint presentations are due today, and should be sent by email to Kristi Jenkins at Kristi.Jenkins@tucsonaz.gov. If your presentation is too large to send by email, use the large file forwarding service at http://www.yousendit.com

– New Archaeology Video at the Archaeology Channel

From Rick Pettigrew: A thousand years ago, a civilization in the heart of North America was building impressive platform mounds. You can witness the recent excavation of one of these monuments by viewing In Vivid Color: Voices from Shiloh’s Mound, the newest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel (http://www.archaeologychannel.org). Capitalizing on a rare archaeological opportunity, National Park Service archaeologists at Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee have unearthed the architecture of a Mississippian platform mound built ten centuries ago. Their findings may change how archaeologists see all such mounds: these ancient pyramids were not merely piles of earth, but instead colorful creations with powerful symbolism. Archaeology is revealing this mound’s original appearance and yielding compelling clues about the way it was used during the Mississippian Period (A.D. 900-1550).

http://www.archaeologychannel.org