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Knowledge seekers of every kind are welcome at Archaeology Café at The Loft Cinema for a series of programs exploring the deep and diverse history of the Southwest. Join us on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, as R. E. Burrillo discusses Bears Ears in his talk, “The Bears Ears Water Project: What Environmental Chemistry Reveals about Agriculture and Landscape Archaeology in the Greater Cedar Mesa Area.”
Explore what makes this place special, discover what it tells us about life long ago, and learn how you can experience this significant place today by making a visit to Newspaper Rock:
“The Indian Creek corridor has been a thoroughfare and occasional habitation spot for different groups in the Bears Ears region for thousands of years. Archaic period foragers stopped by to hammer their images and symbols into the same patinated sandstone surface as the Basketmaker, Fremont, and Pueblo farmers that succeeded them. Historic Ute and Navajo petroglyphs also adorn the surface, attesting to these cultures’ antiquity in the area. And early Anglo ranchers and wranglers also added their signatures before the site was officially protected against modern vandalism.
The story of Bears Ears as a whole is the story of a place that draws people from all over the place, sometimes acting as a cauldron in which whole new practices and lifeways were forged. Although the archaeological record can be subtle, hidden, and tricky to interpret at times, sites like Newspaper Rock give stark testimony to this variegated human history.”
—R. E. Burrillo
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
R. E. Burrillo is an author and archaeologist with multiple degrees in anthropology and archaeology. His technical work has appeared in Kiva, Southwestern Lore, The Archaeological Record, and Blue Mountain Shadows. His mainstream work appears in Archaeology Southwest, The Salt Lake Tribune, The San Juan County Record, and Cracked. He currently splits his time between Flagstaff, Salt Lake City, and Cortez, Colorado. He is also an author and contributor to two recent issues of Archaeology Southwest Magazine, “Sacred and Threatened: The Cultural Landscapes of Greater Bears Ears,” and “Enigmatic and Endangered: Cultural and Natural Wonders of Greater Grand Staircase-Escalante.”
ABOUT ARCHAEOLOGY CAFÉ
Presented by Archaeology Southwest, a nonprofit organization working across the Southwest to explore and protect the places of our past, Archaeology Café is an informal forum where adults can learn more about the Southwest’s deep history and speak directly to experts. At Archaeology Café, we break down the static, jargon-laden dynamic of traditional lectures, and have an expert share some ideas with the group in ways that get discussion going. (Food and drink make things a little livelier, too.)
WHEN & WHERE
We gather at The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) around 5:30 p.m. to visit and enjoy food and beverages. Programs begin at 6 p.m. in Theatre 1. Seating is open and unreserved. The Loft has plenty of free parking!
COST
Archaeology Café is free. Guests are encouraged to purchase their own refreshments from The Loft’s impressive concession bar. Offerings include tamales, pizza, wraps, sandwiches, snacks, and a great selection of local beers and wines.
CAN’T MAKE IT?
No problem! If you can’t attend in person, join us on Facebook Live that evening. Videos of each Café will also be available at www.archaeologysouthwest.org/video after each event.
This program was made possible by Arizona Humanities and The Smith Living Trust.
