Southwestern Archaeology, Inc. (SWA) " Got CALICHE ? " Newsletter Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of the Greater Southwest! Tuesday October 14, 2003 ***************************************** NEW MEXICO http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/6990229.htm New Mexico is investing in movies -- the state has established a fund of $85 million for the purpose. The money comes in the form of no-interest loans, repayable in two to five years. The state will invest as much as $7.5 million in any movie that passes muster with the New Mexico State Investment Council, as long as filmmakers agree to spend most of their shooting schedule in the state and hire a crew made up of at least 60 percent New Mexico residents. On top of that, New Mexico offers any film, whether financed by the state or not, a 15 percent tax rebate for every dollar spent locally. It also has a mentor program that offers an eye-popping 50 percent salary rebate for advancing the skills of crew members who are either hired for the first time or promoted to higher positions. The law also allows filmmakers to get their tax credits immediately, allowing the money to go directly into the film's production budget. Editor's Note: If they dig up Kate Antrim, it's not going to revive the western movie genre (or western historians for that matter). ARIZONA http://www.azgs.state.az.us/ArizonaGeology.htm http://www.azgs.state.az.us/Fall03.pdf Arizona Geology http://www.swanet.org/zarchives/aahs/ http://www.swanet.org/zarchives/aahs/aahs2003/glfoct03.pdf AAHS GLYPHS, October 2003 (Newsletter of the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society). http://www.azstarnet.com/star/today/31013NATIONALHERITAGEAREA.html A local nonprofit group has embarked on getting a huge swath of Southern Arizona designated as a National Heritage Area. The move would boost tourism and help protect cultural and natural treasures such as missions, American Indian ruins and wetlands, the group said. The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area would encompass 3,325 square miles - an area twice as large as Rhode Island - taking in the Santa Cruz River watershed stretching from the international border to the Pinal County line. UTAH http://www.sierratimes.com/03/10/13/article_tn.htm http://www.sierratimes.com/03/10/03/article_tn.htm National Heritag Areas are a scheme of using preservation and protection to subvert Americans, their rights and property to U.N. mandates. "... heritage areas are part of radical landscape planning to control land use at a higher level, removed from the local population. They're an impressive array of controls over rivers and river valleys." NEVADA http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Oct-13-Mon-2003/news/22333229.html The BLM has hired a consulting firm to conduct a review of cumulative effects from building on lands that Congress has authorized for disposal. Survey work is expected to last through December. Significant paleontological or archaeological finds could launch a consultation process with Nevada's congressional delegation, and eventual public meetings, about how to protect the sites or preserve what is found. REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE From: Gary Wittman In the past I saw a program about an archaeological site that I think was in Arizona. It was a fairly large ancient city that I think was referred to as pre-Anasazi. I think it was discovered by a rancher then lost and discovered again later. As I recall, the local Native Americans referred to it as the city if the ancient ones or something like that. I was intrigued about it at the time, but did not write down any information about it. The name was unusual and I thought I could remember it. Well so much for my memory, I completely forgot it. Does this information sound familiar to anyone and can you give me any information about it: name, location? Thank You, Gary Wittman Editor's Reply: What you describe could describe a number of villages in the prehistoric Southwest. You werent thinking of Mesa Verde or Chaco Canyon? From: Gary Wittman Thank you for responding to my message. As I recall this city was not a cliff dwelling. It was built on a more open space. It was not Tuzigoot because I have been there. I recall it had wall structures similar to the Aztecs or Incas and it was larger than any thing in Mesa Verde. I am not familiar with Chaco Canyon but it does not sound right. Homolovi ruins could be it, but I am having some difficulty finding information on it. If you can't think of any site like this, I will try to seek out more information on Homolovi. Regards, Gary Wittman. Editor's Reply: I am not sure if the program you saw was related to Homolovi. That site is near Winslow AZ. I dont think that it is larger than Chaco, and in fact, it probably is much smaller. You may want to speak with Chuck Adams and Rich Lange at UofA in Tucson: or . TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY http://moral.wjh.harvard.edu The Moral Sense Test is a Web-based study into the nature of moral intuitions. How do humans, throughout the world, decide what is right and wrong? CYBERIA http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20031014/localnews/445988.html Researchers are waiting for permission from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands government and the beginning of the dry season in Tinian to excavate a site on the island that they believe may contain the remains of famed pilot Amelia Earhart. The dig will be put off until early next year. http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?g7225_BC_MI--Soldier'sRemains&&news&newsflash-michigan An amateur French archaeology group named "Thanks GIs" found Alfred Clement's body. He is to be buried next week with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Editor's Note: Interestingly, we have no avocational archaeology society in the United States called "Thanks Native American Indians!" http://www.islam-online.net/English/Science/2003/10/article07.shtml The capacity of archaeology to function as an objective, rationalist exercise, to establish the bottom line truth as a transparent process, is under attack. The contrary view of this science is that it may be mediated activity, where the 'diggers' openly acknowledge their purpose and find the 'facts' to bolster a pre-conceived objective. From all accounts, the ASI's findings fall into the latter category. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20031013/cowpower.html The spread of cattle in Africa caused societies to shift from female to male lines of descent, according to a recent study. Anthropologists charted language, social organization and cultural trends among 68 Bantu-speaking African cultures. They found that when men acquired cows, many matrilineal societies in Africa became patrilineal. When cows came in, many matriarchal societies went out. Pagel said, "There is every reason to believe that this is a general explanation that could and probably does apply elsewhere in the world." http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/pepperberg03/pepperberg_index.html In the late 1960s, a flurry of research on the great apes-chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans-began to challenge our uniqueness, especially our capacity for language and abstract conceptual abilities. Researchers had data supporting the uniquely primate origins of language - a beautiful story. "Except, for that damn bird." ***************************************** Contact the Newsletter Editor: archaeologist@rocketmail.com dogyears@dogyears.com www.swanet.org (url) 602.697.5754 (cellular) 602.372.8539 (digital fax) 603.457.7957 (digital fax) Post letter mail and other media to: Southwestern Archaeology, Inc. P.O. Box 61203 Phoenix AZ, USA 85082-1203 http://www.swanet.org/images/license.pdf SWA invites you to redistribute SWA's "Got CALICHE?" Newsletter. We also request your timely news articles, organizational activities and events, technical and scientific writings, and opinion pieces, to be shared with our digital community. SWA's daily newsletter deals with quotidian issues of anthropology and archaeology -- cultural survival, time and space, material culture, social organization, and commerce, to name just a few. 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