Feds Recover Ancient Inscriptions Stolen from BLM Land

Feds Recover Ancient Inscriptions
Petroglyph panels cut and chiseled off an eastern Sierra rock art site sacred to Native Americans have been recovered by federal investigators, U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials announced Thursday.The suspected thieves have not been identified and the investigation is continuing into one of the worst acts of vandalism ever committed on the 750,000 acres of public land managed by the BLM field office in Bishop. http://lat.ms/Y3DVfK

Study Finds No Evidence for a Clovis-Era Comet Impact
Comet explosions did not end the prehistoric human culture, known as Clovis, in North America 13,000 years ago, according to research published in the journal Geophysical Monograph Series. Researchers from Royal Holloway, together with Sandia National Laboratories and 13 other universities across the United States and Europe, have found evidence which rebuts the belief that a large impact or airburst caused a significant and abrupt change to the Earth’s climate and terminated the Clovis culture. They argue that other explanations must be found for the apparent disappearance. http://bit.ly/UQn7LK

National Park Service Retirees Claim Budget Sequestration Will Turn Our National Parks into “Ghost Towns”
A National Park Service (NPS) memo and related budget documents independently acquired by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR) show that planning is underway for sequestration-related budget cuts that would sharply reduce the ranks of Park Rangers and also result in deep cuts in park hours and a host of other key services that park visitors expect to receive. “This is very troubling and it has the potential to turn already budget–strapped national parks into ghost towns,” warned CNPSR Chair Maureen Finnerty, former superintendent of Everglades National Park. http://bit.ly/XC4Jol

Monument vs. Historic Site – What’s in a Name?
Blaming the nomenclature of “state monuments” for the lack of visitors to our seven state monuments, the Department of Cultural Affairs is proposing a name change as the solution. Senate Bill 70, introduced by Sen. Pete Campos in the 51st Legislature, proposes to rename New Mexico State Monuments as the State Historic Sites Division. The rationale for the proposed change stems from a recent marketing study that concluded that the word monument does not describe the history or prehistoric resources available at the state monuments, and therefore a name change would attract more visitors.  The study claims that monument implies a stone-like, motionless entity whereas historic site implies a multifaceted and active adventure in the past that would be more attractive to visitors. The study added that since one of the primary goals of tourism in New Mexico is to visit historic sites, changing the name of the state monuments to “historic sites” would result in higher visitation by the heritage tourist. http://bit.ly/YNdQYm

Registration Opens for the Arizona Historic Preservation Conference
Take advantage of Early Registration Discounts and visit the website today. If you are a member in good standing of the Arizona Preservation Foundation, the Arizona Archaeological Council or the Arizona Historical Society, you will enjoy additional discounts. Early registration discounts end February 28, 2013, so please register soon. http://bit.ly/12lzi7B

(Reminder) Explore Placemaking and Displacement at Fort Apache at the Next Archaeology Café – Tucson
Join Archaeology Southwest, Tuesday, Feb. 5, as John Welch (Simon Fraser University) discusses the history of the White Mountain Apache Tribe‘s collaborative efforts to restore the Fort Apache and TR School National Historic District. We gather after 5:00 p.m., and presentations begin by 6:15 p.m. Outdoor seating is open and unreserved, but limited. Share tables and make new friends!  The event is free. Please support our hosts at Casa Vicente by ordering refreshments from the menu. http://bit.ly/Yxs7Z7

Celebrate Fort Lowell Day – Tucson
Saturday, February 9 from 10 am – 4 pm. Start the day at 10 AM with an Arizona Territories Vintage Baseball League game between the Bisbee Black Sox and the Tucson Sahuaros on the baseball field at Fort Lowell Park. 12 Noon – 4 pm – Enjoy the 32nd celebration of the neighborhood’s historic sites walking tour, which travels from Fort Lowell Park westward along Fort Lowell Road to the San Pedro Chapel, through the historic neighborhood known as El Fuerte (The Fort). You’ll find education and entertainment along the route lined with food booths, music and hands-on activities. Highlights include cavalry drills, living history reenactments, a regimental band concert, adobe-brick making and docents stationed at every historic site. All Activities are FREE & Open to the Public. http://bit.ly/VDAgu4

Continuing Lecture Opportunity – Sun City West
On each Tuesday evening in February from 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Recreation Centers of Sun City West organizaton offers a new, 4-session, adult education class, “Archaeology, Cultures, and Ancient Arts of Southern Arizona” taught by archaeologist Allen Dart. The sessions to be held at 19803 R. H. Johnson Blvd. in Sun City West, Arizona, include “Archaeology and Cultures of Arizona” on February 5, “Arts and Culture of Ancient Southern Arizona Hohokam Indians” February 12, “Ancient Native American Pottery of Southern Arizona” on the 19th, and “Southwestern Indian Rock Art” on February 26. Fee is $40 for all four sessions. For details or to register contact Marie McIntire in Sun City West at 623-544-6194 or marie.mcintire@rcscw.com.

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Jason Chuipka, M.A. R.P.A. and Archaeologist for PaleoWest Archaeological Consultants, who will give a lecture on February 18 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe, Chimney Rock: The Ultimate Chaco Outlier: New Insights Into Form, Function, Time as part of the annual Ancient Sites Ancient Stories Lecture Series.  Admission is $12 at the door or by subscription. Refreshments are provided and no reservations are necessary.  Contact Connie Eichstaedt, Southwest Seminars, for information. 505 466-2775. Email: southwest seminar@aol.com or website:southwestseminars.org

Training Opportunites – El Paso
The Texas Archeological Society (TAS) is sponsoring two Academy sessions this spring – Mar. 1-3.  Archeology 101 at Victoria College: Two days with talks and hands-on activities; one day in the field at the Mc Neill site. The 101 will be lead by Dr. Harry Shafer and Dr. Jon Lohse.  Also Archeobotany  on April 6-7 at Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville. A host of archeologists will join Dr. Leslie Bush to present ethnobotany, plant dyes, grocery store botany, fire making and emerging technologies. Registration required two weeks in advance at www.txarch.org.  For more information call 800 377-7240.

Tour Opportunity – Southwestern Missions
The Southwestern Mission Research Center is planning a spring trip to the missions and a presidio chapel near El Paso Texas leaving Tucson April 5, returning April 8. The tour will include  the Tigua Indian Cultural Center where there will be native dances, a day in Mesilla NM with tours of the historic adobe Taylor House, a tour of the Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces, and  a visit to the El Paso Museum of  History. The missions Ysleta and Socorro were established  by Tiwa and Piro peoples who fled Northern New Mexico after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. The  Presidio San Elizario was established in 1789. The rebuilt chapel still stands. Our  guides will include Gayle and Bill Hartmann, experts on the Coronado Entrada  $600 fee includes transportation, motel rooms (double occupancy), dinners, entrance fees, drinks and snacks.  Single occupancy option is available for an additional $100.  A $50 refundable registration fee is required to hold your place. For reservations please contact Gail Bornfield 520 797 8825 or email: gbornfie@comcast.net

Volunteer Opportunity – Phoenix
Pueblo Grande Museum is seeking volunteers to help provide visitors the best historical experience possible. A variety of volunteering positions are available. Depending on skills and personal interests, volunteers can become a docent, gift shop attendant, or work in collections and exhibits.  http://bit.ly/YNgn4J

Volunteer Opportunity – Tucson
Volunteer to assist the Arizona State Museum’s annual Southwest Indian Art Fair on Feb 23 and 24.  The museum relys upon dedicated and hard-working volunteers to make the art fair a success. A variety of positions are available with flexible time slots. Sign up at http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/events/swiaf/swiaf_volunteer_reg.shtml