Southwest Archaeology Today for Dec. 23, 2005

Archaeology Making the News – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

Old Pueblo Archaeology Open’s New Mock Excavation Site: In 2004, Old Pueblo Archaeology Center took up new digs in Marana after nine years in Tucson. Their new facility allows for additional educational space and the expanded “Old Pueblo Educational Neighborhood” (OPEN) program. The original OPEN1 site in Tucson proved a successful program that teaches children to understand, preserve, and study the history of ancient people through the hands-on application of archeological interpretive methods. OPEN2 in Marana, like its predecessor, allows classrooms of students to excavate a full-scale model of an archaeological site. The site is a “mock dig” that archaeologists have constructed to resemble a southern Arizona Hohokam village ruin. Archaeologists have buried thousands of artifacts at the dig site, including authentic prehistoric pottery, stone tools, and seashell jewelry.
http://www.azhumanities.org/hp-12-05-3.html

Internet Broadcast of Native American Music Scheduled for Dec 24: December 14,2005, Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. Dr. Louis W. Ballard, noted composer, music educator and award winning music journalist will be the special guest on “Native American Radio Live,” at Santa Fe Public Radio, KSFR 90.7 FM, Saturday, December 24th, Christmas Eve from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (MST). He has devoted his professional career to maintaining and keeping alive the values of Native American culture. Dr. Ballard’s tribal heritage is Quapaw and Cherokee Nations of Oklahoma. He was the former Music Director at The Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, and in summary he states, “it is not enough to acknowledge that American Indian music is different from other music…what is needed in America is an awakening and reorienting of our total spiritual and cultural perspective to embrace, understand and learn from the Aboriginal American what motivated his musical and artistic impulses.”
http://www.ksfr.org

Museum of Northern Arizona Settles Lawsuit over Art Sale: The Museum of Northern Arizona settled a lawsuit that it filed against an art dealer who helped it sell parts of its collection, an act that ultimately led to the resignations of the entire board of trustees and director. An attorney for the museum, Richard Kasper, said it doesn’t appear any of the sold items will be returned to the museum. Museum spokeswoman Michelle Mountain said terms of the settlement with art dealer Steve Diamant and his Fine Arts of the Southwest Inc., formerly known as Direct Art Inc., will not be released publicly.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/breakingnews/122205museumnorthernarizona