Southwestern Archaeology, Inc. (SWA) Southwestern Archaeology Special Interest Group (SASIG) "Got CALICHE?" Newsletter Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of the Greater Southwest! Thursday January 25, 2001 ***************************************** CYBERIA http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200101/16/eng20010116_60588.html Chinese historians confirmed that a copper blunderbuss is the oldest weapon using gunpowder, and dates around 700 years ago approximately during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Historians also found two Chinese characters "Shen Fei," meaning flying magically, carved on its barrel. VANDALS http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/?Jan2001/24-e422794b.html Vandalism and erosion are threatening to destroy a number of ancient rock carvings (petroglyphs) and paintings (pictographs) on boulders, cave walls and rock bluffs. The Alabama Historical Commission and Alabama Preservation Alliance last year placed aboriginal rock art sites across North Alabama on their annual list of Places in Peril. TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY SWA uses a palm pilot [fitted with keyboard and worsmith software] for word processing and wireless message delivery. It is a bit like getting a $1000 basic laptop for $530. The harware runs on a couple AAA batteries, and fits in a shirt pocket or knapsack. Write excavation documentation, edit field survey forms, and beam these (infrared) to another palm pilot, or hotsync your documents to a pc in the office, or e-mail them with the wireless modem. http://www.palm.com/products/viiseries.html http://www.palm.com//products/keyboard/ http://wireless.palm.net/email_solutions/ http://bluenomad.com/ws/prod_wordsmith_details.html TEXAS http://clik.to/museums Symposium for the Museum Interpretation of the Spanish Conquest and Colonial Period (1492-1820). Hosted by Mayborn Museum - Baylor University, 26-29 April, 2001. NEW MEXICO http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/navajohopiobserver/myarticles.asp?P=355442&S=392&PubID=6084&EC=0 The New Mexico State Commission on Indian Affairs wants to know why two state agencies approved a permit for a coal mine that may threaten a Native American shrine (Zuni Salt Lake). http://www.abqjournal.com/news/233305news01-24-01.htm Jemez Pueblo's visitors center will be expanding its offerings as part of a new partnership with the state. http://www.abqjournal.com/news/228524news01-18-01.htm In 1937, Route 66 was redirected to Albuquerque, and Valencia County receded into the background. Now that the Mother Road is celebrating its 75th anniversary, some want to raise awareness about the 11-year period when the road traveled through the Rio Abajo. http://www.daily-times.com/S-ASP-Bin/ReformatSQLIndex.ASP?puid=4292&spuid=4292&Indx=639847&Article=ON&id=40866710&ro=10 The San Juan County Archaeology Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Aztec Ruins. Gary Brown will give a talk about "Mesa Verde Pottery Kilns in the La Plata Valley." The talk will cover the results of excavations in several slab-lined trench kilns where Mesa Verde black-on-white pottery was fired during the Pueblo III period in the La Plata Valley foot hills in New Mexico. The kilns will be described and their implications for prehistoric pottery firing technology and regional resource utilization will be discussed. 505.327.3069. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/NEWS/opinion.las Northern New Mexico should have the strength it needs for a long-overdue investment in history, culture and tourism. http://www.currentargus.com/2001/January/24/c-endangered%20buildings.htm The First National Bank Building of Carlsbad, located at the corner of Fox and Canal streets, was selected as one of the 10 most endangered historic places in New Mexico for 2001. COLORADO http://www.zwire.com/news/newsstory.cfm?newsid=1316086&title=%2415%20million%20in%20projects%20urged%20to%20fly%20in%20formation&BRD=1190&PAG=461&CATNAME=Top%20Stories&CATEGORYID=410 Commissioners heard that a board projecting a $2 million museum and cultural center apparently was spurning the county's generous offer of a free 10 acre parcel. UTAH http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,245016131,00.html? Trotter has two years to attract more than the 10,000 visitors that now visit. If he's successful, the park's budget will be increased and resources expanded. If he isn't, the park could be closed. To help Utahns relive Camp Floyd's colorful history, Trotter is planning a number of innovative programs. NEVADA http://www.tahoe.com/appeal/stories.1.24.01/CARSON/a3brf12424Jan6383.html Native American storytellers will share stories with the audience, along with personal insights about the preservation of tribal literature and language through storytelling. For details, contact . http://www.tahoe.com/appeal/stories.1.24.01/STATE/a3cipcc24Jan9124.html The $233 per square foot cost of remodeling the historic Carson City courthouse raises eyebrows. NEW OPPORTUNITY (AZ) http://www.swanet.org/zarchives/jobs/jobs2001/epa010125.pdf http://www.swanet.org/jobs.html (All Job Opportunities) ARIZONA From: Bill Doelle RIO NUEVO PROJECT - TUCSON ORIGINS PROJECT, SAN AGUSTIN MISSION ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OPEN HOUSE. Saturday, January 27th, 2001 9:00 am to 4:00 p.m. The City of Tucson and Desert Archaeology, Inc invite the public to an open house at the San Agustin Mission site. Two months of archaeological excavations have revealed the long and complex occupation of the site. Archaeologists have uncovered layers of history including: portions of a prehistoric pithouse village dating between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago; prehistoric and historic irrigation canals; the granary and west wall of the Mission; and, an outhouse pit used by Chinese gardeners between 1880 and 1900. Multiple activities are planned. Archaeologists will lead visitors on tours of the site at 20 minute intervals. Visitors will be able to watch archaeologists at work and view prehistoric and historic structures found at the site. An orientation area will include displays highlighting the mission history, artifacts recovered from the site, and a computer simulation of the mission. An archaeologist will demonstrate how prehistoric Native Americans made arrowheads and other artifacts. Information about the Rio Nuevo project will also be available. Directions: Congress Street west from I-10 to the Grande - Mission Road Light. Turn left (south) on Mission Road and continue past the two traffic islands. Turn left (east) onto Mission Lane. Follow signs to the parking areas. William H. Doelle, Ph.D., President, Desert Archaeology, Inc., 3975 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85716; http://www.cdarc.org/; 520.881.2244, fax 520.881.0325. http://www.azstarnet.com/neighbors/NW/northwest.html Stone foundations of a 1930s-era farm home and the remains of an Indian pit house were discovered on the property. The farm home and archaeological finds may be incorporated into the park, which is at least four years away from opening. http://www.azstarnet.com/neighbors/DT/downtown.html Pupils at Carrillo School have starting using the La Pilita building. The location, next to the historic El Tiradito wishing shrine and sandwiched between two of Tucson's oldest neighborhoods, makes it a near-perfect spot for teachers and neighborhood volunteers to hand down the lessons of Tucson's past. El Tiradito is believed to be the burial place of a Mexican herder named Juan Oliveras. According to legend, those who light candles for the expiation of his soul will have their prayers and wishes granted if the candle stays lighted all night. RE: WHAT SAY THE REGS? FROM: Allen Dart RE: Brian Koelling wrote ("Got CALICHE?" Newsletter, Wednesday January 24, 2001): I have been unable to settle a discussion at work regarding cultural artifact collection on private land in Colorado and Utah. Of course these sites are protected on federal land, but what about sites on private land? Can a person still dig up pots or whatever on their own property? If you could help us with this it would be much appreciated. Thank you. Dear Mr. Koelling, Although collecting ancient artifacts can make for some very beautiful personal collection displays and is usually not illegal, I find it rather disheartening whenever I see ancient artifacts collected for people's personal collections or for resale. Please let me try to explain why. Most people don't realize that the piece of painted pottery, the stone projectile point, the glass bottle, or the coin or other metal object that they've discovered somewhere outdoors, is part of a cultural context -- an association of several items that all date to about the same time period. Though these outdoor scatters of artifacts are usually not very noticeable and may not seem to be significant, they represent places where people conducted activities long ago, and as such they are sites of ancient human activity, also known as "archaeological sites." Any concentration of artifacts in which many of the items present are more than 50 years old is considered an archaeological site under federal and local government regulations. Removal of artifacts from archaeological sites -- whether prehistoric items or historical glass and metal objects -- literally removes pieces of history. Relic collecting, from simple gathering of a few pot sherds to organized pot hunting and other unauthorized commerce in antiquities, is one of the most destructive forces decimating our nation's and the world's cultural heritage. This fact has been recognized internationally by the enactment of restrictions and severe penalties for trafficking in archaeological artifacts. These actions against trafficking in artifacts have been taken by many local, state, federal, and international governments because rather than occurring alone, most ancient artifacts are associated with other artifacts strewn over the ground, even if there is no architecture visible. Even though a relic collector might not see ancient structures or other cultural features in the vicinity of artifacts that catch one's eyes, surface artifacts often indicate locations where prehistoric people built houses, or conducted activities centered around outdoor fireplaces, storage pits, or agricultural works, or where they killed game, or collected wild natural resources, or buried their dead, or participated in historical battles. Taking artifacts away from one of these sites not only removes clues to what was going on there, it also removes the best information available for identifying the site's age, because many ancient artifact styles were only used during particular eras. Therefore, that collected artifact could have been used to help determine the approximate age of archaeological features still buried in its immediate vicinity if it had been left in place for archaeologists to study and to plot on an accurate map. Artifacts and other cultural materials found on and below the ground at archaeological sites are often the only source of information that we have to answer questions about an ancient people's way of life -- to make scientific interpretations about what they looked like, what they ate, how they constructed their houses, what language they spoke, what they believed in, and how they created beauty in their lives. When an artifact is removed from its original context in an archaeological site without carefully recording where it was found and what other kinds of items were associated with it, the artifact is lost to scientific study, and the positions of other things with which it was associated are usually disturbed too badly to recover any additional useful information. The loss of individual artifacts from archaeological sites is compounded when the collected artifacts are introduced to the marketplace. News about the sale of antiquities, especially when the items fetch high prices, only encourages members of the public who are unaware of the destruction caused by artifact removal from archaeological sites, or who don't care about such destruction, to go out and collect more relics from archaeological sites. Regardless of whether the items they collect are for their private enjoyment, art projects, commercial gain, or other purposes, the practice of artifact collection without proper scientific documentation destroys more and more of our cultural resources. Giving, trading, or selling the artifacts to other private collectors further compounds the problem by making those relics unavailable for scientific study. For these reasons I always try to discourage individuals for collecting ancient artifacts for their own use, and that they not buy jewelry or other art items that includes pieces of prehistoric pottery, arrowheads, or other ancient artifacts. As a possible alternative, there are many modern artisans who make replicas of ancient pottery. Persons interested in finding jewelry or other art that looks just like it contains real, ancient artifacts, are encouraged to find some artisans who make replicas of such artifacts and ask them to use some of their broken pieces in new art creations. However, if you do this, please advise potential buyers, gift recipients, and other users of these artworks that your creations use modern replicas of ancient pottery, because to use real ancient artifacts might give someone the idea that it is okay to collect such items, and that such collections destroy priceless information about our cultural heritage. Incidentally, it is illegal to collect artifacts from any federal property, and many states and cities have laws and ordinances that also make collection of artifacts from their properties illegal. On federally administered land such as national forests, national parks, monuments, and recreation areas, military and Indian reservations, national wildlife refuges, and land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, it is considered theft of government property to collect artifacts from the land. Also, some states, including Arizona and New Mexico, have laws that make it illegal to disturb ancient human burials within their boundaries, even if the burials are on private property. Therefore, if any artifacts you find might have come from an ancient grave, you could be prosecuted for possessing them. For information on the laws in Colorado and Utah I'd suggest you contact the State Historic Preservation Officers in those states: Ms. Georgianna Contiguglia, SHPO Colorado Historical Society 1300 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 303.866.3395, fax 303.866.4464 Mr. Max Evans, State Historic Preservation Officer Utah State Historical Society 300 Rio Grande, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 801.533.3500, fax 801.533.3503 These sources should also be able to provide you with names of archaeologists or institutions in their states that you can contact to report finds of artifacts that you think may have historical or archaeological significance. If you do find such items please make a note of their exact locations (archaeologists prefer that you leave them there!) and call an archaeologist so the find can be located on a map and a record can be made of it. I always welcome people to contact me if they have questions about whether or not to collect relics. Allen Dart, Executive Director Old Pueblo Archaeology Center PO Box 40577, Tucson AZ 85717-0577 520.798.1201 office, 798.1966 fax http://www.azstarnet.com/nonprofit/oldpueblo aldart@azstarnet.com ***************************************** Contact the Editor @ or 602.882.8025 Send books, letter mail, and other media to: Southwestern Archaeology, Inc. PO Box 61203, Phoenix AZ, USA 85082-1203 Please pass along technical and scientific writings, opinion pieces, timely news articles, and organizational information, activities and events that can be shared with our digital community. SWA invites you to redistribute SWA's "Got CALICHE?" Newsletter. Please redistribute " Got CALICHE ? " in it's entirety, or note that you have edited or clipped articles for retransmission. Free subscription @ . Thanks for reading today's edition! Southwestern Archaeology, Inc. (SWA) - A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation dedicated to electronic potlatch and digital totemic increase rites that focus and multiply historic preservation activities in the Greater Southwest. Our goal is to create and promote the diverse micro-environments in which archaeologists can develop their talents and take the risks from which innovation and productivity arise.