Southwest Archaeology Today for June 21, 2007

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

– Payson Archaeology Musuem Threatened With Closure: The Payson Archaeology Museum will need to unearth some funds if it is to remain on Main Street at its current location. The museum has cohabited a building on Main Street, owned by the Payson Womans Club for the past five years. The Womans Club, in an effort to raise funds for building maintenance and improvements, will soon begin seeking rent from the nonprofit museum, said Anita White, president of the PWC.
http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/frontpage_lead/story/29251

– Summer Solstice Observations at Papago Park (Phoenix): Just like people around the globe – at Stonehenge and other sun markers – Hathaway and his group will watch the sun’s rays form a line across a five-column stone monument near Galvin Parkway and McDowell Road designed just for that purpose.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/1dsm – Arizona Republic

– Summer Solstice Observations at Aztec Ruins: At the Aztec Ruins, it is still unknown to just what extent the seasons and the sunrise and sunset were monitored. The rock is much softer at the Aztec site than at Chaco Canyon and if there was architecture that was designed to highlight the solstice, it may have succumbed to the erosion of time and crumbled. If it was here, “we lost it,” Herring said. At 7 p.m. Thursday, which is the beginning of the summer solstice, Herring will lead a one-and-a-half hour tour that will give visitors a chance to really draw their own conclusions about the sky-monitoring done at the ruins.
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_6181908?source=most_viewed

– Native American Leaders Make Case for the Preservation of Sacred Sites: American Indian officials spoke at the State Historic Preservation Conference here Thursday about their efforts to save their holy sites such as the San Francisco Peaks, Fossil Creek and Apache Leap.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/cf4v – Camp Verde Bugle

– Heard Museum Branch Celebrates First Year in Surprise: Did you know six American Indians received the Medal of Honor in the 20th Century? Or that the Quechan tribe’s traditional colors are red, white and black? Or that a Hopi ogre’s favorite food is either apple dumplings or children? If not, you probably were not among the nearly 17,000 people who visited the Heard Museum West in the last year. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn more about Southwestern Native American cultures.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ekjp – Arizona Republic

– Musuem of Northern Arizona Hopi Festival Starts this Weekend: The Museum’s historic buildings and grounds once again come alive with the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Hopi people-evoking the very spirit of this Colorado Plateau culture. Hopis of all ages gather at “the oldest Hopi art show in the world” to bring their art to market. 74th Annual Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture in Flagstaff on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. more info: 928.774.5213
http://www.musnaz.org/Heritage%20Program/hopi_fest_2007.html

– Homol’ovi Ruins State Park and the Hopi Tribe Present Suvoyuki Day, July 7, 2007: “Suvoyuki” translated in the Hopi language is joint effort. “Suvoyuki Day” is an open house at Homolovi Ruins State Park that celebrates the partners who have helped to protect and save Homolovi from destruction. The event begins on Friday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m., with a lecture about the important role of corn in Hopi culture. This lecture is tied to the Hopi sweet corn roast that will begin on Saturday at the park
http://www.gatewaytosedona.com/article/id/1364/page/1

– The Story of the Discovery of the Yarmony Pit Houses in Colorado: One of the oldest archaeological sites ever unearthed in Colorado was discovered on a sagebrush plateau in northern Eagle County 20 years ago this summer. A crew from Eagle-based Metcalf Archaeological Consultants discovered the Yarmony Pit House – a 6,000 year old, well preserved artifact treasure trove in the ranch country north of State Bridge.
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20070618/NEWS/70618018

– Lecture on Time, Trees and Prehistory to be Presented at the Anasazi Heritage Center (Delores, Co): Stephen Nash, curator of Anthropology and Archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, will talk about the curious history of tree ring dating during a presentation at the Anasazi Heritage Center on Sunday, June 24 at 2:00 p.m. Tree-ring dating or dendrochronology is a way to find the exact age of a piece of wood. It is considered by some to be the single most important advance in 20th century archaeology. The discovery was not made by an archaeologist but by an astronomer, Andrew E. Douglass, founder of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

– Lecture on the Development of Tohono O’odham Heritage Center (Tucson): This evening, June 21, Dr. Eric J. Kaldahl, Curator of Education for the new Tohono O’odham Nation Cultural Center & Museum that recently opened south of Sells in the Tohono O’odham Reservation community of Topawa, will discuss the Tohono O’odham Nation’s rich history and vibrant artists at the heart of the Nation’s new Museum, whose official name is “Himdag (‘Way of Life’) Ki: (‘House’) Hekihu (‘Past’), Hemu (‘Present’), Im B I-Ha’ap (‘Toward the Future).” This presentation discusses the unique role of the Himdag Ki: in the O’odham community and traces the development of its exhibits in consultation with community members. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s monthly “Third Thursdays” lecture programs are held on the third Thursday of each month, free, no advance reservations required. Contact Old Pueblo at 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org for more information. Time 7:30 p.m. Place: Old Pueblo auditorium, 5100 W. Ina Road Bldg. 8.

– American Troops Given Archaeological Identification Playing Cards: US soldiers and airmen fighting in Iraq are to receive a new weapon in their arsenal: a pack of playing cards to help them identify ancient ruins before creating new ones. The Pentagon’s move, echoing its post-invasion production of a deck of cards depicting “Iraq’s most wanted”, is part of a belated Pentagon scheme to prevent further war damage to the country’s 11,000 archaeological sites.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2106988,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

– Earliest Known New World Gunshot Victim Found in Peru: “We all thought it was a million-to-one chance that we would find any traces of metal on a skull that old, but it was worth a try,” Harper said in a statement. There they were: Fragments of metal from a musket ball impregnated the area surrounding the hole. Cock and archaeologist Elena Goycochea discovered the graves in a Lima suburb in 2004 and have since recovered 72 apparent victims of violence from the site.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/izgb – USA Today

Employment Opportunity: AZTEC Engineering is a fast paced, employee-owned, multi-disciplined civil engineering firm with offices in the Southwestern United States. AZTEC Engineering is currently seeking three field archaeologists and one or two field technicians for an excavation project in Phoenix beginning early July. At a minimum, the project will last 3.5 months. Applicants for field archaeologist position must have a BA in Anthropology and at least two years of field experience, preferably in the Southwest. The field technician applicants should be in an anthropology program and have completed a field school or equivalent experience. These are temporary salaried positions. AZTEC Engineering offers a competitive salary, stock ownership, medical/dental coverage and a 401K program as part of our benefit package. Only applicants who meet the qualifications will be considered. Please e-mail your resume and at least three references. BMacnider@aztec.us