Southwest Archaeology Today for February 6, 2009

Southwest Archaeology Today – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

– Homolovi Ruins on List of Recommended Closures: Arizona officials are recommending closures of five state parks immediately and three more in coming months because of midyear budget cuts made to eliminate a revenue shortfall. The parks recommended for closure include the Homolovi Ruins State Park in Winslow.
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2009/02February/020409hopiruins.html

– Cacao at Chaco: For years Patricia Crown puzzled over the cylindrical clay jars found in the ruins at Chaco Canyon, the great complex of multistory masonry dwellings set amid the arid mesas of northwestern New Mexico. They were utterly unlike other pots and pitchers she had seen.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/04cocoa.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/202/3

– Salazar Cancels Drilling Leases: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday canceled leases to drill for gas and oil on 77 parcels of public land in Utah. The leases, which cover more than 100,000 acres, including lands near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, were auctioned in the last weeks of the Bush administration. They were among 11th-hour actions taken by the Bush Interior Department that have been criticized by environmental groups and are being reviewed by Obama officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/05leases.html?scp=6&sq=salazar&st=cse

– Historic Home in Downtown Tucson to Close: The Sosa-Carrillo-Fr