2022
07
Jun
Register Now for the 2022 Pecos Conference
Dear Friends,
The Cooper’s Hawk—whose silent but powerful blow to the back of my head I described here last week—has not gotten much friendlier. Being a “friend of birds” at heart, I have become aggressively defensive.
I enclose a photo of my protective gear: a hard hat—with enhanc...
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2021
01
Jun
A Public Lands Primer
Dear Friends,
A three-day weekend has given me a respite. A chance to pause and ponder. A chance to consolidate my thoughts.
First: To my surprise, many of you have expressed what I take as gratitude for my brief, usually personal thoughts that introduce this weekly news digest.
Wow. ...
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2020
09
Jun
CyberSW 1.0 Launches
Dear Friends,
These are uncomfortable times. Even deeply discouraging times.
But momentum toward change is palpable.
To minimize discouragement, this week we dropped several links to articles on the business-as-usual of the administration and various federal agencies. And, looking forwa...
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2019
04
Jun
Fingerprints Show Chaco Potters Were Male and Female
New Research: Fingerprints Show Chaco Potters Were Male and Female
In the Pueblo communities of New Mexico and Arizona, pottery is a skill that is traditionally passed down from grandmothers and mothers to younger women of the community. This custom was thought to have ancient origins, and archaeol...
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2018
08
May
BLM Staffers Disallowed from Attending SAAs in DC
BLM Staffers Disallowed from Attending SAAs in DC
The Bureau of Land Management blocked at least 14 of its staff archaeologists and other specialists from attending a major scientific conference this year, at a time when archaeological sites have become a flashpoint in the debate over public lands ...
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2017
23
Jul
The Pace of Vandalism at Our National Parks Continues to Grow - 7/24/17
The Pace of Vandalism at Our National Parks Continues to Grow
What can we do as a culture to cut down on incidences of graffiti at our national parks? That’s the question Mesa Verde National Park officials are asking after the park was the recent target of vandals. In a long message posted on the...
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2016
06
Jun
Negative Propaganda about Proposed Bears Ears Monument Spreading in Southern Utah
Negative Propaganda about Proposed Bears Ears Monument Spreading in Southern Utah
Forged letters and flyers appearing at gas stations and post offices in tribal lands in Utah are spreading false information about a proposal to create a national monument that protects Native American land. The propo...
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2015
07
Jun
The Southwestern Archaeology Community Notes the Passing of Roger Lidman
The Southwestern Archaeology Community Notes the Passing of Roger Lidman
Roger studied public history, public administration, and business administration ultimately graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in anthropology. He started working part time at Pueblo Grande Museum June 1976,...
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2014
03
Aug
Pecos Conference Begins Thursday, August 7
Pecos Conference Begins Thursday, August 7
The Pecos Conference is an annual conference of archaeologists which is held in the southwestern United States or northwestern Mexico. Each August, archaeologists gather under open skies somewhere in the southwestern United States or northwestern Mexico. ht...
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2014
15
Jun
Boom Times for Archaeologists in North Dakota - Is the Four Corners Region Next?
Boom Times for Archaeologists in North Dakota - Is the Four Corners Region Next?
Drilling crews are eager to plunge their equipment into the ground. Road builders are ready to start highway projects, and construction workers need to dig. But across the hyperactive oil fields of North Dakota, these ...
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2014
04
May
Patricia Crown Named to the National Academy of Sciences
Patricia Crown Named to the National Academy of Sciences
University of New Mexico archaeologist Patricia Crown was named Tuesday to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. In an interview, Crown said she was humbled by the surprise announcement. “It’s just an incredible honor,” she said...
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2013
09
Jun
Vandalism in National Parks and the Social Media Effect
Vandalism in National Parks and the Social Media Effect
The cause of this recent spike in graffiti on public lands is unclear, but some park personnel say there is reason to believe that it coincides with the rise of social media. “In the old days,” said Lorna Lange, the spokeswoman for Joshua T...
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