Southwest Archaeology Today for July 23, 2007

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

– Excavations At the Pigg Site: A small group of Fort Lewis College students has been living and breathing archaeology for the past month in the dry, hot sun west of Pleasant View. For what will be six weeks, about 10 students are excavating the Pigg archaeology site located near Lowry Ruins to learn about the people who lived there nearly 800 years ago. To Chuck Riggs, an assistant Fort Lewis College professor of archaeology and anthropology, the late Pueblo II or early Pueblo III structure itself tells the story.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/3dbr – The Cortez Journal

– Assessing the Impacts of the 1996 Chapin Mesa Fire: The Chapin Mesa fire started in August 1996 and consumed 4,781 acres before it was suppressed. On Thursday, two archaeologists with Mesa Verde hiked down through the recovering terrain, past the charred remains of hundred-year-old juniper forests, looking for signs of recovery among the backcountry ruins, which are not open to the public. Liz Francisco, the condition assessment project director at Mesa Verde National Park, was looking for signs of erosion and spalling, when slabs of rock break off.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/ffs3 – The Cortez Journal

– Planned South Mountain Freeway Will Probably Impact Ancient Sites: Ancient Native American artifacts likely are buried under the path of the proposed South Mountain Freeway, Phoenix’s lead archaeologist and freeway planners agree. But unlike the now-U.S. 60 built in the early 1970s, construction crews won’t be allowed to encase the ruins in asphalt. “That’s an old saw,” said Todd Bostwick, who has studied the Hohokam people for more than 25 years. “They (crews) have to dig them now.” Bostwick said he is virtually sure of Hohokam villages along the proposed 22-mile path for the South Mountain Freeway, which would run west along Pecos Road through part of the South Mountain Preserve and north to 55th Avenue.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/57836.php
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0718ar-indianruins0719.html

– Mary Jane Coulter; Extraordinary Interpreter: At a time when the stylistic vogue in Europe was moving from Arts and Crafts into what became known as Modernism, out in the far West of America a talented and remarkable architect was expressing a special regional style that also continues to resonate strongly. And her name was not Frank. In particular, the buildings Mary Jane Colter created at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from 1905 to 1937 stand today as a magnificent suite of place and culture-specific architectural iconography – while each is a beautiful structure in its own right.
http://www.architectureweek.com/2007/0718/culture_2-1.html

– Native American Dances Celebrated at Chimney Rock Archaeological Area: History came to life in full color Saturday at the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area, as 160 dancers from the Hopi, Zuni, Aztec and Pueblo tribes arrived to participate in the Native American Cultural Gathering and Dances.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/74l1 (Durango Herald)

– Volunteer Opportunities in Dolores: The Anasazi Heritage Center, located 3 miles west of Dolores, needs volunteers to provide visitor information and to help maintain the museum’s grounds. Volunteers usually work one four-hour shift a week in the morning or afternoon. Benefits include attending field trips, special programs, events and workshops. For information, contact Victoria Atkins at 970-882-5610. (Denver Post)

– Native Groups Joining to Fight Mining on Traditional Landscapes: A petition has been created to encourage people join Native Americans efforts to save their traditional lands from mining. Six Arizona Tribes sign letter to President Bush to save Apache Leap, Oak Flat and Devil’s Canyon.
http://www.mining-law-reform.info/

– Ann Howard is Collecting Archaeological Lesson Plans from Arizona: Maureen Malloy, SAA, has asked for assistance from the state network coordinators for input into the SAA Public Education Committee web page. She states: “We are collecting and posting lesson plans for Archaeology for the public pages of the web and would like to be able to cross index them by state, when appropriate, so teachers can more easily find lessons and activities for their state. I would greatly appreciate it if you would please provide me with any lessons that you have developed for Arizona so that I can begin compiling a list for our state.
Thanks!, Ann Howard, State Network Coordinator for Arizona, SAA Public Education Committee.
Send you rplans to Ann Valdo Howard, Public Archaeology Programs Manager and Archaeological Compliance Specialist. State Historic Preservation Office. Arizona State Parks
1300 W. Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-7138 (work)
(602) 542-4180 (fax)