Southwest Archaeology Today for Oct. 17, 2005

Archaeology making the news – a service of the Center for Desert Archaeology.

– Those of a decidedly ceramic bent might like to know that Anna Shepard’s complete classic 1956 Carnegie Institute published “Ceramics for the Archaeologist” is available for download at:
http://www.carnegieinstitution.org/downloadable_books.html

– Presidio Trail will be downtown guide: A map and brochure will show pedestrians around area attractions. The effort is being paid for with private funding.
http://tinyurl.com/d2qxl (Tucson Citizen)

– Committee: Albuquerque officials must meet with tribes: Albuquerque city officials have been given 30 days to meet with two northern New Mexico tribes before they can move any petroglyphs to clear way for the proposed Paseo del Norte extension.
http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=3982813

– Interest in our ancient past isn’t always scientific: Why is it that the ancient past fascinates us so much? Whatever the reason, people have tried to get their minds-and sometimes their hands-around Utah’s prehistory for a long time. In 1776, Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante mentioned seeing ruins in the Uinta Basin. In 1849, Robert Campbell described in detail “some characters engraved on stone, plain, visible representation of a man, something
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3122522?rss

– Mesa due to put historic Crismon farm up for sale: It’s hard to put a price on heritage, but a 4-acre piece of it in north Mesa is being sold for more than $500,000. The small acreage is home to a century-old farm built by the Crismons, one of four Mormon families in the “Mesa Party” who uprooted themselves from Idaho and Utah to settle in Arizona territory in the 1870s.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=50745

– New Mexico Archaeology Fair: The 12th annual New Mexico Archaeology Fair will be held in Artesia on November 4 & 5. The New Mexico Archaeology Fair is a production of the Historic Preservation Division, Department of Cultural Affairs, that is realized in concert with a local co-sponsor in a different town each year. The purpose of the Fair is to connect anyone with an interest in the past, however recent, with scientists and specialists who study and preserve that past. The emphasis is on fun, but it is fun in the context of education and preservation.
http://nmhistoricpreservation.org/calendar_archfair.html

– HISTORIC ARTIFACTS WORKSHOP – Metal, Glass, and Other Materials, November 12 and 13, 2005, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum Hill, Santa Fe: NMAC in conjunction with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Bureau of Land Management are sponsoring a historic artifacts workshop on Metal, Glass, and Other Materials. The workshop will be an introduction to these items of material culture commonly found on historic archaeological sites throughout New Mexico. It is often difficult to assign temporal and cultural affiliations to historic sites. This workshop will provide information on how to describe and date artifact assemblages from historic sites. The workshop will consist of a series of lectures illustrated with slides and Power Point presentations, plus handout materials. Examples of diagnostic artifacts from museum collections will be available for examination. Information will be presented on a variety of artifacts including metal cartridges and gunflints, food and beverage cans, nails and screws, soda and beer bottles, canning jars, and a wide variety of 20th Century artifacts. Artifact assemblages from Mescalero Apache sites will be discussed. The use of historic documents, Internet sources, and manufacturing marks will also be presented.

A two-day ceramics workshop is being planned for the future. The 1991 Historic Ceramics workshop covered ceramics from the historic Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and Euro-American sites. The Bureau of Land Management will recognize three (3) days of general experience with the successful completion of the workshop. A certificate will be awarded to each attendee to document your completion of the workshop. NMAC is in negotiation with the Historic Preservation Division for recognition of training credit for the State Permit.

Because of space limitations, the workshop will be limited to 50. The workshop will be held in the classroom at the MIAC. Registration fee for NMAC members is $25.00; for non-members the fee is $45.00 and includes a NMAC membership for 2006. Refreshments will be provided each day (coffee, doughnuts, cookies); meals are on your own at any of the fantastic Santa Fe eateries. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, November 9, 2005. Please contact David T. Kirkpatrick at dtkirkpat@zianet.com for more information and a registration form.