HISATSINOM

Monthly Ne wslette r of the Montezuma Va lley C hapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society

P.O. Box 1524, Cortez Colorado 81321-1524 Website: www.coloradoarchaeology.org/Hisatsinom E-Mail Address: [email protected]

VOLUME 24

APRIL

2012

ISSUE 4

APRIL MEETING 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 3 at the Cortez Cultural Center

The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society is pleased to present Tim Kearns to discuss Basketmaker III in the Southern Chuska Valley, Northwest New Mexico on Tuesday, April 3 at 7:00 PM at the Cortez Cultural Center. In his presentation, Tim will highlight the Basketmaker III settlement, architecture, subsistence and material culture of the southern Chuska Valley area with a focus on the population movement and settlement dynamics of the period AD 500 to AD 725. His remarks will address questions that complement the current Basketmaker III research project being conducted by the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Much of the material for this presentation is drawn from his experience in directing survey and excavation for a natural gas pipeline project in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and as general editor of that investigation report. The project resulted in the excavation of forty-one archaeological sites dating from the Archaic periods and later. As a result of this project, Tim has maintained his research interest in the southern Chuska Valley area.

Tim Kearns is a professional archaeologist currently associated with Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants. During his 37 years of experience in the Southwest, Tim has worked for various museums, universities and private consulting firms. He has planned and directed a variety of archaeological projects which have provided him with a wealth of experience among the peoples of northwest New Mexico including the southern Chuska Valley area. Tim has authored articles for Southwest Lore on the Basketmaker II culture and coauthored a chapter on the Basketmaker III period in the book Foundations of Anasazi Culture. In addition, he has written or coauthored over 150 archaeological reports and has presented his research at over 40 professional meetings.

Future Speakers: Tuesday, May 1 - Scott Ortman Sunday, June 3 - Donna Glowacki: Mesa Verde, Religion and Change (this is the chapter-sponsored event as part of the annual Four Corners Lecture Series) Tuesday, June 5 - Jonathan Till Tuesday, July 3 – Dale Davidson

March Hisatsinom Meeting Minutes: March 6, 2012 Chapter Business: The meeting was brought to order by President Dave Dove at approximately 7:00 p.m. Fifty-eight people attended. Sandy Tradlener read the Treasurer’s Report (details below) and reminded members about her annual Chili Party on April 14. (This date has since been changed to April 21 to accommodate the many volunteers for the Utah Site Stewardship Program who have training that weekend.) The next PAAC class will be held April 20 – 22 and sponsored by the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society. Interested people should contact them. The Colorado Council for Professional Archaeologists will be held March 23 – 24 at the Strater Hotel in Durango. The C.A.S. quarterly meeting will be held at the same location on March 24. We took a moment to remember Dave Breternitz, longtime southwestern archaeologist. Upcoming field trips will include the Ute Mountain workday and field trip in conjunction with the Durango chapter as well as a combined trip with them, dates unknown, with Jerry Fetterman. Contact Jane Williams, Field Trip Coordinator, for details. Additionally, we will tour the Bolack Ranch sometime this fall. Details are forthcoming. Future talks will be: in April, Tim Kearns, and in May, Scott Ortman.

Our speaker tonight was Laurie Webster. Laurie has long wanted to compare the perishable materials of Chaco and Aztec with those found in the late 1890s in Southeast Utah. Over 10,000 artifacts were recovered by several expeditions. These included McLoyd and Graham, Ryerson and Lang, Kuntz and Hyde, and Lang’s collection sold to Reverend Green. These collections were subsequently sold to various sources including the World Columbian Expedition of 1893 and the Field Museum. In 1997, Fred Blackburn and Ray Williamson applied reverse archaeology to locate a number of these artifacts and their original resting places in Cowboys and Cave Dwellers. Enter Laurie Webster, archaeological specialist in perishables. Through grants provided by the State of Utah and Canyonlands Natural History Association, she was able to begin a ten-year process of photo-documentation of these artifacts to make them available for future research. In this initial season, she was able to spend three weeks at the Field Museum to take over 1100 digital photos of 400 perishable items. Many of these perishables dated to the Basketmaker II time period (1500 BC – AD 500). She shared numerous photos of these artifacts with us. Items were as pedestrian as yucca sandals and crutches and as unique as feather blankets and sandals made from mountain lion feet. All items were exquisite; they gave us rare glimpses of the lives of people who lived so long ago. Laurie plans to spend three weeks at the Field Museum in May, 2013. She will photograph the remaining 300 artifacts in that repository. Wildlife biologist Chuck LaRue will work with Laurie to try to determine bird species of the many feathers and bird pelts used to create items. She will also, with further funding, be able to acquire AMS dates for ten Basketmaker II artifacts. These dates will help segment this long time period by establishing when specific artifacts appear in the record. Finally, Laurie wants this information to be available on tDAR (The Digital Archive Record) that will be accessible at the Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding. After a question and answer period, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Diane McBride, Secretary

************************************************ CHAPTER PARTY!! 2012 CHILI PARTY Sorry to have rescheduled the chili party once again. We did not realize that some of our generous members will be in Utah for site steward training, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to join the rest of us. WHEN: WHERE:

Saturday, April 21 at 4:30 PM Larry & Sandy Tradlener’s house 17989 County Road G, Cortez

Fix a pot of your favorite chili (red, green, white, or veggie) and join the fun in McElmo Canyon. If you’re not up to cooking chili, come with some snacks, salad, corn bread, or dessert. There will be stove space to warm up your creations and plugs if you bring a crock pot. Larry and Sandy will provide bowls, utensils, glasses, iced tea, and margaritas. Bring any other kind of liquid refreshment you want and your favorite outdoor chairs. Please RSVP by phone (565-7804) or you can e-mail us at [email protected]. **********************************************************************************************

***********8F**ree Entrance Day**s

Do you have bottles of fingernail polish you no longer want? Bring them to Diane McBride at the next Hisatsinom meeting! As Lead Educator for the Anasazi Heritage Center, Diane has developed a lesson for schoolchildren on Hohokam shell ornament etching. This lesson is designed for AHC’s Special Exhibit: Pieces of the Puzzle: New Perspectives on the Hohokam. This activity can use any color of nail polish, so bring all of those greens and purples and blacks you no longer need! Diane thanks you!

******************************************* FIELD TRIP! April 28 and 29 We will join the Durango chapter for a two-day Ute Mountain Tribal Park work trip on April 28--29. Saturday we will assist the Utes on a project to be determined. In the past the project has involved clearing and/or improving trails to sites. All participants are asked to bring a few basic tools including shovels, Pulaski’s, iron rakes, hedge clippers etc. On Sunday we will join Ute guides to visit backcountry sites normally not open to public visitation. These usually involve uphill hiking which is moderate to strenuous. Camping will be available at no cost in the tribal park campground Friday and Saturday nights. The campground is primitive with basic pit toilets, picnic tables, and adequate space for tents or trailers. Commuting from Cortez is an option, but it will require arriving at the campground by 10AM. High-clearance/4WD vehicles are preferred. Please respond by March 31st. Participation will be limited, possibly requiring a lottery. To register, contact trip leaders Tom and Terri Hoff at 882-2191 or [email protected]

If you have an idea for a chapter field trip, contact Jane Williams (phone number/email at end of newsletter) ************************************************ National Parks Offer a Week of Free Admission The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, invite people everywhere to enjoy, explore, learn, share, and give back to America’s nearly 400 national parks during National Park Week 2012. Celebrating the theme, “Picture Yourself in a National Park,” National Park Week will run from Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, April 29. Throughout the country, visitors can enjoy the beauty and wonder of 84 million acres of the world’s most spectacular scenery, historic places and cultural treasures for FREE! National parks will mark the annual celebration with special events and activities including Volunteer Day on April 21, Earth Day on April 22, and Junior Ranger Day on April 28. From ranger-led hikes and kayak trips to camping and exploring, park visitors can plan their National Park Week at www.nationalparkweek.org. Discover information about events, special activities for visitors of all ages, how to share your park adventure with other travelers, and how to support the parks.

******************************************* IN THE NEWS (Thanks to Southwest Archaeology Today for the following links) Archaeological Community Protests Looting as Televised Entertainment Programs Archaeologists are mounting a campaign against two new cable TV shows that they say encourage and glamorize looting of American archaeological sites. On 20 March, Spike TV will premiere a new show called American Digger, while a show called Diggers on the National Geographic Channel made its debut 28 Februar y. Both shows “promote and glorify the looting and destruction of archaeological sites,” Society for American Archaeology (SAA) President William F. Limp wrote in a message posted earlier this week to the SAA listserv. http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/03/archaeologists-protestglamorizan.html Response to Looting Television from Archaeology Southwest The story of our shared past is best told not by individual objects, but through the

understanding that comes from examining these objects in the context of their specific find locations, their relationship to surrounding objects and built environments, and their meaning within a much larger physical and cultural landscape. We believe that removing any ancient or historical object from its resting place must be a carefully considered act—even among archaeologists—and not one done for personal gain or private ownership. The past is not owned; it is shared. http://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/2012/03/01/statement/ Response to Looting Television from the Society for American Archaeology SAA and other groups, such as SHA, have already prepared and sent strong letters condemning both of these programs to the production companies, networks, and others. Copies of the SAA letters can be found on the SAA website (http://bit.ly/w2MHJM, and http://bit.ly/wzT7IA). The letters provide details on why we are so concerned. Up to this point Spike TV has not responded to the public outcry. Leadership of National Geographic, however, has indicated that, while they are unable to stop the showing tomorrow on such short notice, they will place a disclaimer into the show that speaks to laws protecting archaeological and historic sites. They are also willing to enter into discussions with the archaeological community to determine how to raise awareness of the impacts of the use of metal detectors for treasure hunting. Response to Looting TV from the Archaeological Insitute of America Elizabeth Bartman, AIA President, sent letters to executives at National Geographic and Spike TV to express concern over the content of two new TV shows–Diggers (National Geographic) and American Digger (Spike TV)–that promote treasure-hunting and the unethical digging of archaeological sites. Below are the letters that were sent to the two organizations. http://www.archaeological.org/news/aianews/8256 Florida Public Archaeology Program Provides an Educated Alternative to Reality Television Their goal is to help our citizens become advocates for the heritage sites and the artifacts collected from them. In recent weeks, the city’s heritage has been threatened, and perhaps damaged forever, by treasure hunters and reality TV programs where artifacts become bounty in negotiations with land owners willing to sell these treasures to private interests. The issue of digging historic sites for other than a public purpose has caused a stir on both sides: Property rights versus protection of a community’s history

through its artifacts. While no one can tell a private land owner what he/she can do with their land or its contents, it is sad that some of our story is lost forever in these type of arrangements. http://staugustine.com/opinions/2012-03-01/our-view-be-advocatessaving-our-heritage-artifacts#.T1QbHfEgeQm Ritual and Politics in Chaco Canyon Steve Lekson’s “Southwest in the World” blog drops the book chapter preview format to challenge ideas about ritual and political organization in ancient Chaco Canyon. “Ritual is solidly mainstream in Southwestern archaeology… For almost two decades we’ve drummed it into students’ heads: ritual, ritual, ritual.” http://stevelekson.com/ Fallout from Televised Treasure Hunting Programs Continues, American Anthropology Association Publishes Letter to National Geographic The American Anthropological Association (AAA) and its more than 11,000 members worldwide join other professional organizations and concerned communities everywhere in urging you to withdraw support or modify the contents of the new reality television show, “Diggers,” which recently premiered on the National Geographic Channel. This program wrongly represents archaeology as a treasure-seeking adventure, in which our collective heritage is dug up and sold for monetary gain. http://www.aaanet.org/issues/policy-advocacy/upload/NG-Diggers-letter.PDF Public Participation Can Help Preserve Our National Parks You might call it a sort of “neighborhood watch” program for four national parks and monuments in southeastern Utah. You too could be a “guardian angel” of archaeology, but you have to be willing to invest the time — and the shoe leather. While her appearance resembles that of any hiker in Arches National Park, Joette Langianese, executive director of Friends of Arches & Canyonlands National Parks, has a special mission. ”In the long run, our goal is to preserve and protect the national parks,” she told KSL News in a recent interview. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=19500144&s_cid=rss-148 Chaco Canyon Kivas Will Be Featured on U.S. Quarter Dollars The iconic images of Chaco Culture National Historical Park have appeared on post cards, calendars and the fine arts for decades. The park’s latest debut will be its most ubiquitous. It will appear in solid metal, and it will be found in pockets and purses across

the country. The U.S. Mint next month will launch a quarter that, on the flip side, features etchings of two elevated kivas that are part of the Chetro Ketl Complex, along with the north wall of the canyon. The quarter is part of the U.S. Mint’s “America the Beautiful” program. http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_20149035/coining-chacoculture-national-historical-park?source=rss Publication Announcement - Southwestern Pithouse Communities, AD 200-900 Pithouses are the earliest identifiable domestic architecture in many areas of the world, and can provide insights into the origins of communities—a fundamental component of past and present societies. In this book, Lisa Young and Sarah Herr invite archaeologists to explore the development of communities using information from pithouse sites in the American Southwest. http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/Books/bid2355.htm Crow Canyon Presents an Interactive Presentation of Pueblo History for Kids The story of how Pueblo Indian culture developed from its ancient roots is an amazing story of adaptation, ingenuity and resilience. Now children can learn about this incredible chronicle in an engaging educational resource on the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center’s Web site—Pueblo Indian History for Kids. Pueblo Indian History for Kids teaches students about a part of history that is overlooked in too many textbooks: the thousands of years that indigenous peoples thrived in North America before Europeans even knew that the continent existed. http://www.crowcanyon.org/EducationProducts/pueblo_history_kids/introduction.asp***** Televised Looters Accused of Illegal Excavations Montana’s state archaeologist said a Montana duo of metal detector artifact hunters featured in a new National Geographic television program appear to have violated state law. He isn’t the only one upset by the content of the show “Diggers,” which featured Anaconda-area residents Tim Saylor and George Wyant. The show has also become the focus of Facebook petitions and write-in campaigns to the channel criticizing the show’s content. http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/diggers-tv-

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Free Image Processing Tool Highlights “Lost” Pictographs Rock art had long fascinated Jon Harman. The American mathematician sought out pictographs on vacations, snapping pictures of stones and caves even when all that remained were indecipherable red blotches. Photo-editing programs improved the images, but not by much. A friend pointed Mr. Harman to an image-enhancement technique known as decorrelation stretch. Developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it has been used to enhance photos of Mars. Perhaps the technique would work for faded pictographs, his friend suggested. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/once-thought-lost-the-rock-art-imagesof-ancient-peoples-are-seenagain/article2370923/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home &utm_content=2370923

**********8*********************************************in t P.A.A.C. Schedule: Please contact Terry Woodrow for info regarding upcoming PAAC classes out of our area: 560-1318 or [email protected] Here is the new PAAC class schedule for the first half of 2012. Due to budget constraints, fewer classes are being offered this spring. All courses will be held in the weekend format, meeting on Saturday and Sunday only. Please contact Terry Woodrow, [email protected], with questions.

PAAC Schedule April - June 2012 April 20–22 .......... Durango ...........................Perishable Materials May No PAAC activities scheduled June 1–3 .............. Craig ..................................Rock Art Studies ??? ........... ?????? .................................Summer Training Survey

*Lab project occurs on intermittent dates in central Denver; call or e-mail for information; on-line at www.historycolorado.org/oahp/additional-laboratory-credit Dates and location for the Summer Training Survey TBD Conferences and Meetings: Society for American Archaeology (SAA) annual meeting, April 18–22 in Memphis, TN For more information visit the PAAC web site at http://www.historycolorado.org/oahp/program-avocational-archaeologicalcertification-paac

COLLEGE CREDIT FOR P.A.A.C. CLASSES Adams State College's Extended Studies Program (http://www2.adams.edu/extended_studies/) will now offer credit for PAAC classes. In particular, K-12 teachers may be interested in this program. It is up to those wanting college credit to register with Adams State College in addition to enrolling through Terry Woodrow, Cortez P.A.A.C. Coordinator. **************************************************************************************************** FINANCES Treasurer's Report as of March 15, 2012: The chapter has a balance of $2,489.70 in the checking account and $1,051.31 in the CD, for total assets of $3,541.01. Activity 2/15 - 3/15 Expenses - $28 (dues to state) Income - $28 MEMBERSHIP State Membership Type Student $8.00 (No SW Lore) Individual $16.00 Family $20.00 Senior (over 55) Half of Above Category (No SW Lore) Plus Local Membership $10 New members joining between May 1st and September 30th should pay HALF the total dues amount, as membership renews in October of each year.

2012 Executive Board President David Dove…………………….. 565-8758 Vice President Bob Bernhart…………………… 565-0980 Treasurer Marcie Ryan .............................. 882-3391 Recording Secretary Diane McBride ……………….. 560-1693 C.A.S. Representative Terri Hoff.................................... 882-2191 P.A.A.C Coordinator Terry Woodrow ......................... 560-1318 Field Trip Coordinator Jane Williams…………………. 565-8867 Newsletter Editor Nancy Evans … ……………… 564-1461 Assistant Patricia Lacey ........................... 570-1690 Assistant (in charge of snail-mail) Marcie Ryan…………………..… 882-3391 Webmaster Terri Hoff…………………………882-2191

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Please contact the newsletter editor with suggestions for content. Copy for the newsletter should reach the editor by the 20th of each month. Hisatsinom Chapter Colorado Archaeological Society PO Box 1524 Cortez CO 81321