Southwest Archaeology Today for August 6, 2007

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

– There is Still Time to Submit Comments on ADOT Plans for I-10 Bypass: The comment period for the Tucson / Phoenix Bypass Study continues. Hundreds of critically important archaeological sites will be impacted by projected plans for a new interstate that will also open the San Pedro Valley to unrestricted development. ADOT will be holding a series of public meetings in the fall 2007 to release their findings.
http://tpd.azdot.gov/planning/i10bypass.php
http://tpd.azdot.gov/planning/Files/i10bypass/I-10_Bypass_Comment_Form.pdf

– Reminder, The Pecos Conference Begins Friday. Conference schedule and other information is available on-line.
http://www.swanet.org/2007_pecos_conference/schedule/index.html

– Historic Native American Cemetery Located in Tucson: The 150- to 300-year-old skeletal remains of one, and possibly two, American Indians were unearthed this week in an area of Downtown Tucson where six others have been found in the last half century. The latest discovery is further evidence there was an Indian cemetery in the area, likely from the Pima or Apache tribe, both of which had settlements in the area, said Homer Thiel, project director for Desert Archaeology Inc.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/metro/194892.php

– Crow Canyon Archaeological Programs: Residents within the Four Corners know about the American Indian ruins secreted within canyons and along riverbeds. The Crow Canyon Archeological Center offers them a chance to dig in, to literally perform archeological research. Many adults enjoy the historical component added into their vacation, said Steve Markle, director of marketing for O.A.R.S, an outdoor adventure company that runs trips in the Four Corners.
http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_6552666

– More Information on the Closure of the Rim Country Archaeological Museum: After five years at the Payson Womans Club, The Museum of Rim Country Archaeology (MRCA) has lost its home. But the Rim Country Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society has not lost its will to continue at another site, when and if one can be found. Society Director Penny Minturn, who has a Ph.D. in physical anthropology from Arizona State University, is enthusiastic and spurred on by a positive attitude, new members, and ongoing work. She has been an archaeologist for 25 years. The current state of affairs, Minturn said, began to unfurl at the end of May when she was asked to attend a Northern Gila County Historical Society board meeting.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/hi07 – Rim Country Gazette

– Utah State Parks Celebrates 50th Anniversary: Imagine Utah without state parks.
No campgrounds and boat ramps at Jordanelle, Quail Creek, Deer Creek, Bear Lake or Rockport. No management at Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Basin or Dead Horse Point. No history interpretation at Anasazi, Edge of the Cedars or Territorial Statehouse. No access to Antelope Island. No snowmobile trail grooming or off-highway vehicle education program. Yet, the Division of Parks and Recreation is celebrating only its 50th year in 2007, making it one of the two youngest in the U.S.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6517966

– Travelogue – A Visit to Aztec Ruins: Aztec Ruins makes you think, as you wander from one tiny room to the next. How did the builders carry so many sandstone blocks from the quarry, several miles away? Why were the windows so tiny and how did the residents get into the rooms without doors? The West Ruin, walled on three sides, felt like a fortress. Was protection important? Yet other evidence — similar building styles and a network of roads — suggests that that the Four Corners people knew their neighbors, and often moved from one pueblo to another.
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/496194,TRA-News-aztec05.article

– Travelogue – Visiting the Ruins of Veracruz: Zempoala (or Cempoala), the archaeological ruins north of Veracruz, Mexico was the Totonac capital and the largest city on the Gulf of Mexico, with a peak population of about 30,000. The name means “place of the 20 waters,” for the several rivers that converge near the site. The city was populated at least 1,500 years before the arrival of the Spanish in 1514. It is believed that the Preclassic town was built on mounds to protect it from floods. The majority of the buildings on the current archaeological site date from the 14th and 15th century.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art52047.asp

– Employment Opportunity: NAGPRA Coordinator. The announcement for the USDA Forest Service NAGPRA Coordinator position in Albuquerque NM is now advertised on USAJobs. This job announcement number is T07-R3RO-RHW-1801DP, and the Area of Consideration for this announcement is all US citizens. Please note that the closing date is August 15. I’ve provided the link to the announcement below. Or, you can access the announcement by going to http://www.usajobs.opm.gov. Click on the “search jobs” tab, and in the basic search enter the announcement number under “keyword search”, and click “no” under applicant eligibility, and then click on “search for jobs” to access the announcement. When you open the announcement, click on the tabs under the Forest Service shield to access the detailed information about the position, eligibility requirements, and information on how to apply.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/fevt – USA Jobs