May, 2013 - Colorado Archaeological Society
Transcription
May, 2013 - Colorado Archaeological Society
The Uncompahgre Journal May, 2013 CHIPETA CHAPTER • COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 30, Issue 5 Major Advance in Rock Art Dating The Great Gallery—Horseshoe Canyon, Canyonlands National Park The Uncompahgre Journal Published 8 times annually by the Chipeta Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society. P.O. Box 593 Montrose, CO 81402 Submissions for publication may be emailed to: Robert Dundas [email protected] At the 2013 winter meeting of the Utah Professional Archaeological Council, which was held in Logan, Utah on February 8th, Dr. Joel Pederson, from the Department of Geology at Utah State University, gave a presentation titled: How Old is the Barrier Canyon Style Rock Art? Solving a hot archaeological debate with cool geometric relations and new OSL dating techniques. [The information that was presented is significant and it will certainly come as a surprise to many people. Please note that the presentation lasted for an hour, so this is only a brief synopsis.] First, what is OSL? It is an acronym for Optically Stimulated Luminescence. It works like this. As mineral grains, principally quartz or feldspar, are transported through the environment by wind and water, they are exposed to sunlight and they lose all of their native luminescence. Once these mineral grains are deposited and subsequently buried, they are removed from light and are then exposed to low levels of natural radiation from the surrounding environment, such as naturally occurring radioactive decay and cosmic rays. Through geologic time, these minerals regain luminescence, which is stored when the ionizing radiation excites electrons within nuclei in the crystal lattice. When these crystal grains are collected in total darkness, brought into the laboratory and stimulated with an energy source, such as a laser, they emit the collected energy as light, which can be measured to determine the length of time the mineral was buried (M. J. Aitken, 1998). [For additional information search the internet for; optically stimulated luminescence dating.] Dr. Pederson and his associates have been conducting research at the Great Gallery (42WN418) in Horseshoe Canyon or Barrier Canyon. Both names have been used historically. The canyon was originally called Horseshoe Canyon by the local ranchers because of the massive horseshoe-shaped Rincon at its mouth. The name Barrier Canyon did not exist until Standard Oil attempted to find a route for a road from the west side to the east side to reach an area where they desired to drill an oil well, which they succeeded in doing in 1929. Standard Oil used the name Barrier Canyon because of the difficulty in finding a vehicle route across it. Back in the 70’s we (my family and I) drove down this road into the canyon on a number of occasions and we camped beneath the Cottonwoods while we explored the canyon. Now you have to hike in (and back out) on a steep road, and camping is banned. The “There is no way that these images could be 9,000 years old … and it is improbable that they would even be 7,000 years old”. - Dr. Pederson USGS resolved the name conflict by placing the names Horseshoe Canyon and Barrier Creek on new topographic maps. That certainly cleared up the confusion.] There are major disagreements on the age of the Great Gallery. Some people believe that the, “Barrier Canyon Style rock art is the oldest pictography on the Colorado Plateau.”, which would date them to the Paleo-Indian period, making them over about 9,000 years old. Others believe that they date to the mid-Archaic Period (~4000 B.C. to 2000 B.C.). This classification is based principally on the similarity of clay figures that date to this period that were excavated from nearby Cowboy Cave by Dr. Jesse Jennings. Still others believe that the images are more recent, because the paintings would not survive that long since they have only moderate protection from the elements. Using OSL the geologists first determined the date at which various alluvial terraces formed in the canyon. They found that an alluvial terrace existed at the Great Gallery around 14,000 to 13,000 years ago and that it covered the cliff face where the images exist today. They also learned from a radiocarbon date, taken from a charcoal layer on the opposite side of the canyon, that the cliff face was partly uncovered around 9,000 to 8,000 years ago. It then took thousands of years more for the sediment to erode enough to uncover the cliff face. Concerning the date when the pictographs were created, Dr. Pederson remarked: “There is no way that these images could be 9,000 years old … and it is improbable that they would even be 7,000 years old”. Consequently, these geological studies have shown that the Barrier Canyon Style images in the Great Gallery cannot be older than about 5,000 B.C., because the face of the cliff that they are on Holy Ghost and Attendants Panel would have been buried beneath the stream bed or eroded by stream action. [The geological environment in Horseshoe Canyon is typical of most, if not all of southeastern Utah’s canyons. For example, remnants of ancient alluvial terraces were discovered in Glen Canyon in the 1960’s during geological studies of the Dam. It was the positioning of what Christy Turner named Glen Canyon Style 5 above ancient stream terraces that led him to eventually date the petroglyphs to “…between 4000 to 8000 years ago (or more)…” (Turner 1970). It is not surprising that there are alluvial terraces in both Horseshoe and Glen Canyon that are the same age, since they are not far apart.] The most interesting analysis conducted by the geologists took place near a group of pictographs often called “The Holy Ghost and Attendants”. [Resident rancher Art (Arthur) Eckker, who passed away in 1978, told me that this figure is called “The Great Ghost”. This is most likely the original name and it is, I believe, a more appropriate designation.] At the Great Gallery there is a large roughly broken-out arc in the sandstone cliff. The Great Ghost Panel is in the center of the arc and on both sides of it there are Barrier Canyon Style painted anthropomorphs. Note that on the left side there are several anthropomorphs whose lower bodies are broken off. At this point it gets a little complex. It is easier to explain the dating results if the circumstances that created the environmental situation are discussed first. This is what happened. Picture a long cliff face buried beneath sediment about 14,000 years ago. As the sediment slowly erodes out 2 of the canyon, the cliff face is exposed and smoothed by erosion. Over time cracks appear in one area, probably due to water seepage, and slowly various sandstone slabs break off from the cliff face, thus creating a rough arc. Some of the rubble from these rock falls is visible in the photograph. The cliff now has newly-exposed smooth surfaces that are ideal canvases for painted images. The Barrier Canyon Style artisans then arrive. They paint images on the exposed surfaces. The similarity in form and consistency of pigments used suggests that all the images in the panel were created at about the same time. Sometime later, the lower part of several of the images on the left side of the arc are lost when another crack forms and a slab breaks off. Apparently when the slab falls it breaks into several pieces. Now the Geologists enter the scene. Dr. Pederson’s group hiked into the site in the dark to avoid sunlight interfering with the OSL dating. Near midnight they turned over one of the pieces that appeared to have broken off when the lower parts of the painted figures were lost. On the surface that was facedown and buried in the sediment was pigment from one of the figures. They collected samples of the rock for analysis. The date sunlight ceased to shine on the rock’s surface (i.e., when it broke off) was obtained. The date was about 820 years ago, or about A.D. 1100*. For comparison, a sample of the surface of the sandy sediment that the rock fell onto was also collected. It dated to about 890 years ago. The similarity of the date is remarkable considering that it was obtained by collecting a consistent 1 mm thick layer of the sediment. When the rock was turned over an additional discovery was made, which was totally unexpected and quite amazing. Plastered to the unHorseshoe Canyon derside were several Cottonwood leaves. Cottonwoods were apparently growing along the streamside then as they are today. The leaves Vestiges 5 April 2013 were radiocarbon dated to about 930 years old. All three of these dates fall within experimental error to about A.D. 1100. It is important to emphasize that the radiocarbon date verifies that the OSL dates are accurate. Dr. Pederson additionally noted that this is the first time the date of a rock fall has been determined so accurately. The significance of these dates is that they demonstrate that these Barrier Canyon Style figures were painted before about A.D. 1100, since they were on the surface of the rock before it fell from the cliff. The images, therefore, cannot be newer than this date. If they were painted shortly before the rock fell, the date would have some exceptional significance. It would have fallen at the time when the Fremont Culture was about at its apex. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that the images at this site are also advanced artistically, as David Sucec has pointed out on many occasions. Now it gets even more interesting. Random rock falls have been occurring at this site for a long time, as is evident from the photograph. Dr. Pederson’s group wondered if the rock surface from which the rock fell was itself created when a section of the cliff broke off that was in front of it. So they took additional samples from the buried surface of the fallen slab and they obtained a date for the length of time the surface was exposed to sunlight while it was part of the cliff. That period of time was determined to be 3 “When the rock was turned over an additional discovery was made, which was totally unexpected and quite amazing. Plastered to the underside were several Cottonwood leaves. Cottonwoods were apparently growing along the streamside then as they are today.” Dr. Joel Pederson Associate Professor Geomorphology Graduate Director (435) 797-7097 email about 700 years. Therefore, since the rock surface was exposed to sunlight for 700 years before it fell to the ground, and it laid there for an additional 900 years, the images had to have been painted after about 1,600 years ago, which is after about A.D. 400. Consequently the Barrier Canyon Style images in the Great Gallery were created between about A.D. 400 and A.D. 1100. [Are you surprised?] These Barrier Canyon Style images, then, are not Paleo-Indian; they are also not Archaic; and they may partially parallel the existence of the Fremont; in fact, they may even be Fremont. [Now, a brief note of caution. When these dates are published, the tendency will be for people to believe that they apply to all Barrier Canyon Style images. This may appear logical, since everyone who is knowledgeable about rock art recognizes these images as Barrier Canyon Style. Furthermore, the panel is also acknowledged as the type site for the Barrier Canyon Style. However, the belief that these dates apply to all Barrier Canyon Style images is not necessarily correct. These dates come from only one site. It is entirely possible, given the variations in Barrier Canyon Style imagery from the many sites that are known to exist (Manning 1984), that some Barrier Canyon Style images were created before this period and likely there are others that were created after it (Manning 1982, 1990), which is what repatination levels on Barrier Canyon Style petroglyphs suggest Another significant problem in arriving at a concise date for the existence of the Barrier Canyon Style is the determination of exactly Early Days in Horseshoe Canyon what is (or is not) Barrier Canyon Style. It is actually not well defined and the question is constantly debated. Pinning down an exact date is nearly impossible because the dates for Barrier Canyon Style are dependent on the definition, and everyone has their own definition. For example, if a panel of what is actually Glen Canyon Style 5 is included in the definition, then the style, when dated, will indeed be 8,000 years old. Similarly if Fremont images are included, then the date could be as late as A.D. 1250. The broader the definition of Barrier Canyon Style, the broader will be the period of time it covers. Furthermore, the distinct regional differences and the extremely different figure types complicate dating conclusions. Regardless of the limitations, these new analytical dates are extremely exciting and enormously informative. If additional OSL dating can be done at other sites, the dates will prove equally as enlightening. One of the best things about these dates is that they substantiate what I have been saying for many years.] *The dates quoted here do not have ± values since I do not have access to the data tables. Dr. Pederson’s presentation is currently being prepared for publication. P. S. If you are interested in more detail, some of the data discussed above has recently been published; see: M.S. Chapot, et al., Constraining the Age of Rock Art by Dating a Rockfall Event Using Sediment and Rock Surface Luminescence Dating Techniques. Quaternary Geochronology, Volume 13, December 2012, Pages 18–25. Additionally, another article currently In Press will soon appear in the Journal of Geophysical Research. It will be titled, Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) as a Chronometer for Surface Exposure Dating. - Steven Manning 4 Help Wanted! Neosho Mine Neosho Mine Reconstruction Help Wanted! July 6-11, 2013 (including weekend) Must commit to entire session! Join us this summer as we reconstruct a bit of Colorado's mining history on the GMUG! Perched on a black, rocky cliff overlooking the Million Dollar Highway near Ouray are the site and associated buildings of the Neosho Mine, viewed by thousands every year but visited by very few! The complex consists of a bunkhouse, a blacksmith shop, and several small outbuildings in addition to the mine itself. Neosho was never a big payer, and it was bought and sold many times between 1908, when the bunkhouse and blacksmith shop were constructed, and sometime around 1930, when the last owners finally gave up on it. The bunkhouse could accommodate six men, and is nestled in the spruce atop a narrow bench on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Uncompahgre River Gorge - no place for sleepwalkers! The blacksmith shop, with its cupola and forge, sits right next to the tunnel entrance - where the bench is only a little wider than the building! The structures still stand (the bunkhouse even still has pictures of ladies - in long skirts, of course! - pasted to the walls), but, as is the case with many historic buildings, time, the elements, and lack of use have taken their toll. So, we need your help to revive and revitalize the Neosho complex! To Register and for additional information visit the website at: http://www.passportintime.com/currentprojects/Colorado.html#CO_neosho 5 “The bunkhouse even still has pictures of ladies - in long skirts, of course! - pasted to the walls.” It’s Coming It's time to get involved with Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month! May is Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, and it's time to get ready. This year's theme is Building Communities: Celebrating 20 Years of the State Historical Fund. How has archaeology, historic preservation, or the State Historical Fund shaped your community? To celebrate AHPM, we're hosting a two-day extravaganza from May 18 to19 of archaeology and historic preservation activities, both inside and out of the History Colorado Center in Denver. “It will be a weekend of fun, hands-on archaeology and preservation activities, such as adobe brick making, traditional foodway rituals, historic homes scavenger hunts...or whatever else you come up with! “ It will be a weekend of fun, hands-on archaeology and preservation activities, such as adobe brick making, traditional foodway rituals, historic homes scavenger hunts...or whatever else you come up with! . What else is your community doing to celebrate Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month? We're compiling a statewide Calendar of Events on our website—submit your event or special deal through our online Event Submission Form, then check back soon to see what other events are happening throughout the state. Have more questions? Don't forget to check www.AHPM-Colorado.org for more on the month's events, or contact Claire Lanier at [email protected] 6 The President’s Corner Fellow Members: We had an amazing board meeting in April. The conversation raged over our lack of applications for the Moore Scholarship Fund, the Cerro Summit clearance, trips to Eagle Rock, which hotel speakers stay at, how we archive our news letters, our participation in the management plan for the Shavano site and even a potential dues “adjustment” next year. We weren’t even sure if Katherine Wells, our speaker, was going to make the general meeting due to the snow. I came out with the impression that we were juggling too many balls. Then at the general meeting mysteriously everything worked out just fine. Steve Gray our technical specialist fixed a mysterious computer/projector glitch, Katherine’s talk was excellent and we even got a good response to my plea to put money in the cash midden. My realization was that everything is in fact going really well. That dizzy, juggling to many balls feeling is what it’s like when things are really happening. They are! Spring is in full bloom, summer is coming and the Chipeta Chapter of CAS is alive and well. - Chuck Romaniello / [email protected] Chuck’s A Little Dizzy! Call for Chipeta Field Trip Leaders Chipeta needs volunteers to lead field trips during the year. Field trips typically last one or two days over a weekend but may be up to five days in length, and involve day hiking or backpacking. If you are interested in leading a Chipeta field trip at any time during the year, please contact Field Trip coordinator Karen Dundas at [email protected] or (970) 361-0311 “My realization was that everything is in fact going really well. That dizzy, juggling to many balls feeling is what it’s like when things are really happening.” - Chuck Romaniello 7 May Lecture Presentation Conservation Areas Rock Art Topic: Speaker: Date: Time: Place: “This presentation will explore the known rock art sites within DominguezEscalante, McGinnis and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Areas. The documentation has taken place over a decade, recording and photographing every panel.” - Carol Patterson Rock Art of Western Colorado’s National Conservation Areas Dr. Carol Patterson Wednesday, May 15th. 7:00 PM Montrose United Methodist Church, S. 1st. & Park Avenue Montrose, CO The Chipeta Chapter, Colorado Archaeological Society and the Colorado Canyons Association will sponsor a lecture “Rock Art of Western Colorado’s National Conservation Areas”. Dr. Carol Patterson, cultural anthropologist and archaeologist, will give an illustrated lecture about the various Native American rock art styles and their meaning. The Gunnison Gorge, Dominguez – Escalante, and McInnis Canyons National Conservation Areas are the crowned jewels of our public lands in western Colorado, and they host a wonderful array of rock paintings and petroglyphs left behind by Native Americans. Dr. Carol Patterson specializes in the recording and interpretation of regional rock art. She received her PhD. from James Cook University and has collaborated with Dr. Alfonso Ortiz, Dr. Greg Cajete and Clifford Duncan, among others during her career. Dr. Patterson has documented and interpreted many of the major rock art sites in western Colorado including the Shavano Valley Rock Art Site, and is the author of “On the Trail of Spider Woman: Petroglyphs, Pictographs and Myths of the Southwest”. This presentation will explore the known rock art sites within DominguezEscalante, McGinnis and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Areas. The documentation has taken place over a decade, recording and photographing every panel. Consultation with the Northern Utes with interpretations by Clifford Duncan, Ute spiritual leader as provided a different perspective. Several panels represent maps of the local region, and hunting strategies for specific locations. Some panels are considered political comments and accounts of tragic events between the Utes and white settlers. Other panels are believed to be spiritual and sacred sites because of their association with doctoring Dr. Carol Patterson at Shavano Site and medicine. Dr. Patterson moved to Montrose in 2004 after completing her PhD in rock art from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. She has worked as a seasonal and term archaeologist for the Bureau of Land Management. She owns Urraca Archaeological Services and does small projects, including rock art documentation and trail guides. Her association with Clifford Duncan, Ute elder over the past 8 years has culminated with a full interpretation of Shavano Valley petroglyphs and two co-authored articles on Ute Rock Art Maps and Ute Spiritualism in Rock Art. She hopes to produce a publication on the rock art of the Ute and Paiute soon. The lecture will take place on May 15, 2013 at the Montrose Methodist Church Meeting Room, 7 PM, 19 S. Park Ave. The lecture is part of Colorado’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month celebration and is free to the public - Carol Patterson / [email protected] 8 April Lecture Report Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project Today Native Americans bring cornmeal to sustain the spirits of the petroglyph images on this mesa. The April 2013 program of Chipeta Chapter was titled The care and feeding of the petroglyphs of Mesa Prieta. Our presenters Katherine Wells and Janet MacKenzie described the rock art and the Mesa Prieta Preservation Project. Mesa Prieta rises 1000 feet above the Rio Grande Valley of northern New Mexico. This volcanic landform of 36 square miles contains an astonishing 60,000 petroglyphs. Mesa Prieta lies between Santa Fe and Taos near the town of Velarde. In 2009 a group from Chipeta Chapter toured the From the mesa slopes, we could see the distant blue line Mesa Prieta Petroglyph mesa. of the Truches Mountains and below us the shimmering golden cottonwoods of the Rio Grande valley. The area’s mild climate attracted Paleo-Indian and Archaic hunter-gatherers, then Tewah-speaking puebloan farmers. After 1598 AD, Spain, then Mexico, then the United States each brought their own governance and cultural overlay to the area. Artifacts and features discovered on the mesa include stone tools and check dams. Folsom point fragments and a paleo-style biface indicate human activity for at least 10,000 years. About five percent of Mesa Prieta petroglyphs are archaic style, from 2000 to 7500 years ago. These mostly clustered images include abstract patterns, hand and foot prints and animal tracks. About 1200 AD, Puebloan people came into the Rio Grande Valley from the Mesa Verde area. More than eighty percent of Mesa Prieta petroglyphs are of the Rio Grande classic style. These images were created between 1300 and 1600 AD by the ancestors of present day puebloans. There are human figures, shields and solar markers. “Some of the animal flute player images are unique in North America.” An upside down life -size figure may represent a shaman’s death trance. Animal figures include a majestic lion with sun head that may have several interpretations. MacKenzie described puebloan petroglyph themes of love and preservation of tribe. There are sexual and birthing scenes. “We think women were making images too.” There are petroglyphs of costumed dancers such as snake dancers, a central element in Hopi ceremonies. MacKenzie thinks about the acoustics of an area and sounds that might be associated with petroglyphs. “Natural open spaces in front of panels may be teaching areas. Pueblo ceremony is still being done on the mesa.” Mesa Prieta historic period began in 1598 when the Spanish arrived. Spanish colonial images include over 1200 crosses, some added to the side of “heathen images.” There are priests, horses, churches and the heraldic lion of the King of Spain. The mesa is near the colonial Camino Real, a trail from Mexico City to Taos. “We believe there are more Spanish culture images here than anywhere else in America.” When Katherine Wells moved to Mesa Prieta in the early 1990s, she was told there may be some rock art on the property. “I was like a kid in a candy store exploring the land.” She soon realized the archaeological significance of the mesa as a whole, and became its self-appointed steward. In 1999 Wells started the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project (MPPP) to record the estimated 60,000 petroglyphs and other features on the mesa. Field work with 40 trained volunteers began 2002. By 2012, nearly 35,000 petroglyphs had been recorded in a GPS-linked database. Mesa Prieta is now listed on state and national historic registries. The project has received numerous awards and honors. In 2007 Wells donated to The Archaeological Conservancy her Mesa Prieta site of 9000 petroglyphs on 156 acres. The site, now called the Wells Petroglyph Preserve, was proposed in 2012 for nomination to National Monument status. Katherine Wells’ memoir Life on the Rocks was published in 2009. Archaeologist Janet MacKenzie has been Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project coordinator since 2010. McKenzie works with volunteers, archaeologists, agencies, financial supporters and mesa landowners. The project website is www.mesaprietapetroglyphs.org. Chipeta Chapter’s October 2009 field trip to Mesa Prieta was led by Carol Patterson, Ed Horton and David Casey. Their tour included Mesa Prieta, La Cienega and Largo Canyon. Dr. Carol Patterson has extensively studied puebloan culture, mythology and petroglyphs. From her book Petroglyphs and Pueblo Myths of the Rio Grande: “The myths are written on the rocks.” The Wells/MacKenzie program on Mesa Prieta was arranged by Chipeta program coordinators Carol Patterson and Trish Winslow - Laurie Labak / [email protected] 9 “There are human figures, shields and solar markers. “Some of the animal flute player images are unique in North America.” - Laurie Labak Both Sides Now The Hopi and eagle share a long relationship... By Peter Whiteley Understanding another religion is no easy business. Americans nowadays often fool ourselves that religions can be put on or off like a suit of clothes, and that our own world-view is not religious unless we say so. We -- especially secular humanists -- also claim superiority for our idea of “nature,” an abstract space separate from everyday life, for leisure, imagination, or scientific observation. Here, we can safely root for our favorite charismatic species, while ignoring the destruction of others. http://www.hcn.org/wotr/the-hopi-and-eagle-share-a-long-relationship • • • Citing religious freedom is no excuse ... By Ted Williams Among the “cool facts” about golden eagles listed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is this: “Members of the Hopi tribe remove nestlings, raise them in captivity, and sacrifice them.” http://www.hcn.org/wotr/citing-religious-freedom-is-no-excuse “Among the “cool facts” about golden eagles listed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is this: “Members of the Hopi tribe remove nestlings, raise them in captivity, and sacrifice them.” - Ted Williams Golden Eagle 10 Upcoming Events 2013 International Rock Art Congress Conference May 26 through May 31, 2013 Albuquerque, New Mexico http://www.arara.org/2013_ifrao_conference.html The American Rock Art Research Association will host the 2013 International Rock Art Congress in Albuquerque, New Mexico from May 26 through May 31, 2013. There will be four days of presentations and one day of field trips. The theme “Ancient Hands Around the World” is designed to bring together the diverse interests of the many people who study and work to conserve pictographs and petroglyphs throughout the world. About a thousand people are expected to attend. There will be special cultural events throughout the week including evening lectures, dances by Pueblo groups, and vendor offerings of rock art related merchandise. Pecos Conference August 8 through August 11, 2013 Flagstaff, Arizona http://www.swanet.org/2013_pecos_conference/ This year’s Pecos Conference is in Flagstaff. Put it on your calendar. First inspired and organized by A.V. Kidder in 1927, the Pecos Conference has no formal organization or permanent leadership. It is run much like the mountain man rendezvous of old, for archaeologists to knock the dust off their fedoras at the end of the field season, sit around the campfire, review their work and swap stories. 11 “First inspired and organized by A.V. Kidder in 1927, the Pecos Conference has no formal organization or permanent leadership. It is run much like the mountain man rendezvous of old, for archaeologists to knock the dust off their fedoras at the end of the field season, sit around the campfire, review their work and swap stories.” Summer Fieldwork 1 PALEOINDIAN RESEARCH LAB 2013 FIELD OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ROCKIES From Clovis Points to Steatite Bowls and from Rock Images to Wickiups volunteer opportunities and crew positions are available for the 2013 field season. We expect continuous 10 day field sessions from May to mid-August, including July at the Hell Gap Site. Contact Marcel Kornfeld, PIRL, Dept. 3431, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming 82071 For additional information: http://www.uwyo.edu/pirl/ Email: [email protected] (307) 766-5136 Information on the Hell Gap site, the main summer project, can be found at the following web site: http://www.uwyo.edu/anthropology/field-school/advancedfieldschool2013.html Steatite Bowl “From Clovis Points to Steatite Bowls and from Rock Images to Wickiups volunteer opportunities and crew positions are available for the 2013 field season.” 12 Summer Fieldwork 2 2013 Paleo Cultural Resource Group Summer Fieldwork Opportunities PCRG currently is planning three volunteer field projects for this summer. There is no charge for participation and PCRG will provide all meals and field equipment. If you would like to participate please send an e-mail indicating your interest to: [email protected] or call (303) 439-4098 San Luis Valley Stone Enclosure Survey and Mapping (June 8—June 13) This year PCRG will extend its study of Late Prehistoric stone enclosures to a site located on the east side of the San Luis Valley, roughly 80 km southeast of the enclosures we mapped in the Middle Saguache Creek valley. Known as the “Indian Palisades,” the site we will focus on this year contains at least nine structures likely dating to the A.D. 1000s. The crew will describe and map the known structures and carry out a targeted survey of the surrounding area to search for additional, previously unrecognized structures. Participants will camp adjacent to a reconstructed historic cabin at the nearby Duncan Townsite. Participants should plan to arrive on the afternoon of June 8 and depart after work on June 12 or after breakfast on June 13. Revisiting Renaud: Spanish Peaks Archaeology on the San Isabel National Forest (Tentatively scheduled for July 9—July 14; project dates confirmed by May 15) In mid-July, PCRG volunteers will investigate a series of sites in the upper Cuchara River valley that iconic Colorado archaeologist Etienne B. Renaud originally recorded more than 70 years ago. The sites include both rockshelters and stone enclosures. Participants will map the sites and features and conduct exploratory test excavations. The project’s field camp will be located near the small town of Cuchara, Colorado. Additional project details will be distributed by mid-May. Dendrochronology at Timberline: Windy Ridge Culturally Modified Tree Study (August 9—August 13) In August, PCRG will continue its study of culturally modified trees (CMTs) in the Colorado high country. This year’s project will investigate a unique bristlecone pine grove located at timberline in the Mosquito Range, north of the small town of Alma, Colorado. By extending the geographical range of the regional CMT database and by documenting the use of a new tree species, this project will add significantly to an emerging understanding of why and when Native Americans harvested tree bark and bark substances. A cabin in Alma will be used as a project base camp. Participants should plan to arrive before supper on August 9. Fieldwork will occur over a four day period, ending before supper on August 13. The project area is located above 11,000 ft. and so fieldwork will be physically demanding. 13 PCRG currently is planning three volunteer field projects for this summer. There is no charge for participation and PCRG will provide all meals and field equipment. If you would like to participate please send an e-mail indicating your interest to: Mark.Mitchell@Paleocu ltural.org Technology, for Better or Worse “One website offers a $40 annual subscription to a list of sites, including directions; elsewhere, detailed travelogues come with GPS coordinates.” - Neil LaRubbio My archaeological quest began in an SUV near Blanding Elementary School, where screaming children played kickball with a potato-shaped P.E. teacher. Winsten Dan, my cattle dog, slept on the backseat as I thumbed my smartphone; I had downloaded an app that saves PDFs from Web pages so they're accessible outside cell reception. I used it to view a topographic map, complete with GPS coordinates. Then, like many other tech-savvy archaeology nuts, I punched those coordinates into my GPS unit. In seconds, I knew the route to a secret ruin I'd never have found on my own. Google "Cedar Mesa," and you'll retrieve at least 13 million hits. The southeast Utah area is home to the country's highest concentration of archaeological sites: Ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings and pottery, along with baskets, weapons and pit houses from even older cultures. No interpretative signs or barricades dim the sense of discovery, as at Mesa Verde or Chaco Canyon. But there's also little to shield artifacts from vandalism or theft. The Bureau of Land Management doesn't reveal site locations, but BLM archaeologist Don Simonis says enthusiasts post them online. One website offers a $40 annual subscription to a list of sites, including directions; elsewhere, detailed travelogues come with GPS coordinates. Simonis, who's based in Monticello, Utah, compiled his own bucket list of 117 sites partly via the Internet. Anyone with a GPS can find them, he says. "Over the course of a year, if you've got 100 people or 1,000 people going up to a site, it's got to have an impact." It's hard to quantify the severity. But Simonis says many visitors climb on cliff dwellings, break off plaster and gather artifacts into mounds, sometimes pocketing them. Only two archaeologists, including Simonis, oversee 1.8 million acres of BLM land in this corner of southeast Utah, and they've inventoried less than 13 percent of an estimated 300,000 sites. Now, they say, even the most remote sites receive more traffic than ever before. When people remove artifacts from these places without careful documentation, their context is destroyed. Turning east toward Cedar Mesa, I left Blanding's pinto bean farms for copper-toned cliffs and waves of juniper and sage. I paused at a BLM sign outlining rules for viewing ruins. Other than the ranger station I passed a few miles back, signs like this are about the extent of onsite information. A local advocacy group -- Friends of Cedar Mesa -- wants the area to be designated a national monument or conservation area, which would provide more money for education, preservation and extra rangers. As I drove over slickrock sinkholes and through crusty golden hills, the arrow on my GPS inched closer to my destination. About 700 meters short, I got out and tiptoed 14 up sandstone blocks, dove through a crown of piñons and found a circular rock wall saturated in waning sunlight. Ivory stone flakes and black potsherds poked through the sand. I tied Winsten to a tree and scanned the craggy landscape. I had been told this was a place of worship, or a defensive post, or both. A cool November wind blew, and I suddenly felt I was sharing the view with the structure's former residents. Without these artifacts, I was only standing on a hill. "We need this information to understand ourselves better," Simonis had told me. "We've got all these problems. Maybe archaeology can help by teaching about what happened to these people." The next morning, I hiked on with Winsten Dan and a plastic bag of hard-boiled eggs. A faint moon spied on us from above as I entered more coordinates into my GPS. I followed its lead down a cottonwood-shaded wash. My adrenaline pumped as if I were hunting elk, and I understood how "site baggers" get addicted. Within an hour, I stood at a ruined dwelling, whose inhabitants had lived in the shade of a great stone amphitheater. Their ancient hearth burned in a room with a balcony view onto a wooded creek. Four mule deer jumped from a shrub as I approached. The stones lining the path looked newly placed -- but were they? I couldn't tell if the scattered corncobs were genuine artifacts, jokes or offerings from Native American descendents. Shoeprints pockmarked the sand. I felt childish, studious and sly -- sitting in someone else's vacated home. In another time, I thought, this would have been a good place to raise my son -- harsh, sure, but one we would have cherished. Just then the GPS beeped, informing me that I was here. - Neil LaRubbio “About 700 meters short, I got out and tiptoed up sandstone blocks, dove through a crown of piñons and found a circular rock wall saturated in waning sunlight. Ivory stone flakes and black potsherds poked through the sand.” - Neil LaRubbio 15 Camp Cookie Needed Summer Camp Cook and "Mini Camp Counselor" needed for Gunnison Basin Field School Bonnie Pitblado, CAS member and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma sent this request: I need to hire a camp cook and a "mini camp counselor" for my 10 year-old boy and a friend or two for a month this summer. Gorgeous back-country spot in the Colorado Rockies (about halfway between Gunnison and Lake City) and an archaeology crew of about 30 who need to be fed. I have all the supplies a cook might need (and boys who need to weaned from video games). These are paid jobs! May 27 - July 3 (10 days on/4 day-off schedule; pay rate DOE). If you are interested or know someone who might be, please have them email me: [email protected] Could be perfect for a couple (retired, young, whatever) or a couple of friends wanting to escape, relax and make some money. Bonnie Pitblado, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology University of Oklahoma 455 West Lindsey Dale Hall Tower 521 Norman, OK 73019 Phone: (405) 325-2490 “I need to hire a camp cook and a "mini camp counselor" for my 10 year-old boy and a friend or two for a month this summer. Gorgeous back-country spot in the Colorado Rockies (about half-way between Gunnison and Lake City) and an archaeology crew of about 30 who need to be fed.” - Bonnie Pitblado 16 See You In September Well it is time for the staff of the “Uncompahgre Journal” to take a breather! We will be taking our annual Summer vacation away from all the reports, stories, photographs, events and hub-bub that makes up our newsletter for the Chipeta Chapter. So . . . we’re out to explore some special place! Have a great summer and we look forward to publishing your next issue in September. - Robert Dundas / Editor “The Uncompahgre Journal” 2013 RAFFLE For additional information or to purchase tickets, contact Terri Hoff 970-882-2191 [email protected] or www.coloradoarchaeolo gy.org 17 2013 CAS Board Meetings 2013 Colorado Archaeological Society Quarterly Board Meetings July 27 Cortez October 4 Loveland (Plains Conference) BUSINESS SPONSOR The “Uncompahgre Journal” Link of the Month http:// rockartblog.blogspot.com “Providing professional archaeological assistance and consulting” 900 South Townsend Avenue P.O. Box 2075 Montrose, CO 81402 970.249.6761 • www.alpinearchaeology.com 18 PAAC 2013 PAAC Schedule Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) May 2,9 4-8 16,18 21-24 23,30 Denver Pawnee Buttes Denver Pawnee Buttes Denver Basic Site Surveying Techniques (3 & 4) Summer Training Survey Basic Site Surveying Techniques (5 & 6) Summer Training Survey Basic Site Surveying Techniques (7 & 8) June 7-9 21-23 Fountain Alamosa Rock Art Studies Historical Archaeology Where Did Humans Come From ? For much of its length, the slow-moving Aucilla River in northern Florida flows underground, tunneling through bedrock limestone. But here and there it surfaces, and preserved in those inky ponds lie secrets of the first Americans. For years adventurous divers had hunted fossils and artifacts in the sinkholes of the Aucilla about an hour east of Tallahassee. They found stone arrowheads and the bones of extinct mammals such as mammoth, mastodon and the American ice age horse. Then, in the 1980s, archaeologists from the Florida Museum of Natural History opened a formal excavation in one particular sink. Below a layer of undisturbed sediment they found nine stone flakes that a person must have chipped from a larger stone, most likely to make tools and projectile points. They also found a mastodon tusk, scarred by circular cut marks from a knife. The tusk was 14,500 years old. When Did Humans Come to the Americas 19 PAAC CONTACTS Kevin Black [email protected] Assistant State Archaeologist / PAAC Co-ordinator 303.866.4671 Connee Moffatt [email protected] Chipeta PAAC Coordinator 970.243.8066 Archaeology Southwest Links Paris Auction House Sells Contested Objects Sacred to Hopi Tribe A contested auction of sacred Hopi Indian artifacts went forward on Friday in Paris and generated more than $1 million in sales, despite the presence of protesters inside and outside the auction house who urged patrons not to take part. One featured item, a headdress known as the Crow Mother, drew intense interest. Bidding on this 1880s artifact, which had a high estimate of $80,000, soared to $210,000, drawing applause from a crowd of some 200 people in the sales room and protest from a woman who stood up and shouted: “Don’t purchase that. It is a sacred being.” http:// nyti.ms/15dMAoB - New York Times. Did Protesting the Sale of Sacred Objects Compound the Sacrilege and Increase Auction Profits? I used to work in a Native arts gallery in Tucson. I quickly learned potential buyers of Native art want a story to go with their purchase. The better the story, the quicker the sale. The articulate pleas to stop the auction and return the kokko friends created a dramatic stage for the auction. The kokko friends sold in the auction have tribal, museum professional and legal protests, Hollywood big-wigs, and the international press telling a passionate story. It’s a disgusting and disturbing realization that our collective efforts to stop the auction increased the visibility of the kokko friends and most likely contributed to their swift sale at higher-than-expected prices. http://bit.ly/151QNfR – Indian Country Today Canyon of the Ancients Selects Two Artists in Residence Today, the Bureau of Land Management selected Jeff Potter of Alameda, N.M., and Lewis Williams of Montrose, Colo., to share their artistic vision of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument through the 2013 Artist in Residence program. Each artist spends a weeklong residency absorbing and experiencing the monument’s landscape, creating a work of art in response to the experience and then sharing their vision and techniques with visitors. http://on.doi.gov/10LTals BLM’s Canyon of the Ancients “Today, the Bureau of Land Management selected Jeff Potter of Alameda, N.M., and Lewis Williams of Montrose, Colo., to share their artistic vision of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument through the 2013 Artist in Residence program.” Obituary for Linda Cordell Linda S. Cordell, former longtime director of the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and a preeminent archaeologist of the American Southwest, died last week in Santa Fe, N.M. The reported cause of her March 29 death was a heart attack. She was 69.http:// bit.ly/100wLAC - Colorado Daily Curation Challenges and the Future of the Arizona State Museum The museum is, by law, the repository for all archaeological material gathered on state, federal and municipal land in Arizona, and it must curate that material “in perpetuity.” State and federal laws requiring construction sites to be surveyed before building produced a flood of material in the latter part of the 20th Century, leading to a bigger curation burden for the museum and a reduced role in archaeology itself. At one point, the museum rented warehouse space downtown to shelve its treasures, but had to give that up during the recent construction slowdown. Fewer projects meant less income for the museum, which charges firms for storing and curating. http://bit.ly/11uzPAL - Arizona Daily Star Malicious Desecration of Petroglyphs at Joshua Tree National Park More Joshua Tree closures have been announced by the National Park Service, and it isn’t because of budget cuts or the sequester. Instead, it’s the work of vandals engaged in a campaign of what the park service has called “continued malicious desecration” of both the scenic canyons and ancient 20 archeological ruins. The graffiti campaign started in January and has only gotten worse. Rattlesnake Canyon will be closed through the end of April for the emergency clean-up. On April 30, officials will reassess the closure. For now, the public is absolutely forbidden to enter the Rattlesnake Canyon area. http://bit.ly/1297QJ2 – The Inquisitr Forrest Fenn’s Treasure Hunt Leading People to Serious Legal Problems A collection of gold and jewels that a retired Santa Fe art dealer says he stashed in the mountains north of Santa Fe has generated so much interest from amateur treasure hunters that some have put their lives in jeopardy or been cited for illegally digging on public lands. http:// bit.ly/14nLVl3 Video Presentation – Mesa Grande and the Hohokam of the Salt River Valley Explore the Mesa Grande Ruins and the Hohokam Civilization and hear about how they thrived in the lands of what is now Arizona. See the massive ruin of adobe walls and platforms as we explore the mound built by the ancient civilization that lived in the area from AD 1100 to AD 1400. http://youtu.be/rpdZBKqoC8A - C SPAN via YouTube “A collection of gold and jewels that a retired Santa Fe art dealer says he stashed in the mountains north of Santa Fe has generated so much interest from amateur treasure hunters that some have put their lives in jeopardy or been cited for illegally digging on public lands. “ CHIPETA CHAPTER BOARD MEMBERS President Vice President / Programs Secretary Treasurer Membership CAS Representative Chuck Romaniello Carol Patterson Annette Butts Beverly Kolkman Dennis DeVore Karen Dundas 720.939.1845 970.252.8679 970.318.0128 970.835.4109 970.256.7887 970.361.0311 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] STANDING COMMITTEES Newsletter Library Field Trip Leader Field Trip Coordinator Bob Dundas Linda Manske Bill Harris Karen Dundas 970.216.5299 970.209.6232 970.249.8055 970.361.0311 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] OTHER COMMITTEES AND POSTS Scholarship PAAC Coordinator Technical Support Hal Manhart / Jon Horn / Bill Harris Connee Moffatt 970.243.8066 Steve Gray 970.209.8875 21 [email protected] jcmoffatt [email protected] [email protected] URARA Utah Rock Art Research Association Mansard Site Documentation May 6 – 9, 2013 Vermillion Cliffs near Kanab, UT Leader: Paula Reynosa [email protected] or 818-256-4824. The Field Manager in the Kanab BLM office has set a date to remove the sand and dirt from the floor of the Mansard site. We are returning to record currently buried under the sand at this site. Paula Reynosa described this site in the February/March Vestiges. Paula needs team members to help her record the balance of the soon-to-be exposed petroglyphs. The sand will be removed in advance under the supervision of the BLM. The BLM will transport the URARA recording team and gear by truck and ATV to the site. Team members will camp at this remote site for three nights (one day traveling up, two days recording, one day going down). Bare feet will be needed for walking on the floor to measure, draw and/or photograph. You supply your own food and equipment. Limit 6 persons. Contact Paula for details. Rock Art Talks—Moab, Utah The Moab Information Center has a monthly lecture series. Rock art is the subject of talks in June and July at the Moab Information Center. On June 20, Leigh Grench will discuss the report on the Sand island documentation project, and the subject of Sally Cole's talk on July 11 is "Rock Art". Check the schedule at: http://www.cnha.org/mic.cfm. “The symposium program committee announces a call for presentations and papers for the Utah Rock Art Research Association’s 33rd Annual symposium, October 11-14, 2013 in Moab, Utah. ” Call for Symposium Papers and Fieldtrip Leaders 33rd Annual Symposium, Moab, Utah October 11–14, 2013 The symposium program committee announces a call for presentations and papers for the Utah Rock Art Research Association’s 33rd Annual symposium, October 11-14, 2013. Papers will be delivered on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday October 13. We are particularly interested in papers relating to the Moab area and southeastern Utah, and the Barrier Canyon Style. We are interested in a broad range of presentations, including those, which bring historical understanding to rock art studies, heighten the experience of visiting rock art both culturally and aesthetically, and rock art preservation projects, issues, or current threats. Please submit abstracts to Nina Bowen by July 1, 2013. Email [email protected] or phone 801-499-0585 http://www.utahrockart.org/ 22 Blast From The Past 1965 Membership List It was a dusty old notebook lying in the bottom of an antique filing cabinet in the Chipeta Chapter archives at Alpine Archaeological Consultants. What it holds tells our story! The story of our Chapter over half a century ago… amazing! A lot has changed in Southwestern Archaeology since it’s recorder outlined meetings, membership lists, names, events, artifacts and field trips in the little brown spiral notebook. In this space each month I will share it’s contents. As a reminder of our chapters history and a tribute to the early members of the Chipeta Archaeological Society! - Robert Dundas [email protected] 23 “It was a dusty old notebook lying in the bottom of an antique filing cabinet in the Chipeta Chapter archives at Alpine Archaeological Consultants. What it holds tells our story! The story of our Chapter over half a century ago… amazing!” - Robert Dundas Tuition Help! Editors Note: We all know how expensive it is for a family to send a child to college these days. If you know anyone who is struggling with this expense you may find the letter from Bill Harris a little ray of sunshine! There is a scholarship out there waiting for the right student! Hi All, Received a call from Melanie Hall, Montrose Community Foundation, re: the Moore Scholarship. Seems no one applied for the scholarship this year. Apparently, the foundation has experienced a dramatic decrease in applications for all their scholarship applications. In the past we’ve had 4-6 applications each year. The foundation is at a loss regarding why the dramatic decrease in applications. Melanie has heard that a lot of high school students are deferring their education due to the economy. Not knowing how the foundation works their announcements about scholarships, I asked if there has been a change in personnel within the system, or if the process for getting the word out about the scholarships has changed. She said she isn’t aware of any. What I asked her to do is gather the names and contact information of the recent recipients of the scholarship with the thought of contacting them that the scholarship is available. She will wait for Chipeta, CAS to discuss this issue at our April 17th board meeting, then get back to her. - Bill Harris For additional information on the requirements and how to apply contact Bill Harris: [email protected] 970.249.8055 SHARE YOUR PHOTOS ! “Lots of Links” Do you have a picture you took relating to the field of archaeology that others would enjoy seeing in the Uncompahgre Journal??? BLM Uncompahgre Field Office - Cultural & Paleontological Resources Email your pics with your name and picture location to: Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) [email protected] Colorado Archaeological Society History Colorado Colorado Rock Art Association Ute Indian Museum Utah Rock Art Association Colorado Archaeology Events Land Use History of the Colorado Plateau Colorado Plateau Archaeological Alliance 24 Membership /Renewal Form Chipeta Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society Payment of dues is considered affirmation of consent to abide by the Code of Ethics of CAS. Date:___________________. Name(s):____________________________________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________ City: ____________________ State:________ Zip:__________-______ Phone:_________________ E-mail ___Renewal ____New Member ( Used only by Chipeta & CAS) Are you a member of another CAS chapter? Yes____ No____ Annual dues include membership in Colorado Archaeological Society (CAS). ____Individual* ( $23) ____Individual--No SW Lore ( $15) ____Family* ( $30) *Receives Southwestern Lore, the CAS journal ____Family--No SW Lore ( $20) ____Supporting Contribution - Amount_______ I want to receive The Surveyor, the state newsletter via Email ____ Contact information about our members is never disclosed unless approved in advance by members. I(We) give CAS permission to : Yes____ No____ disclose my/our phone number(s) to other CAS members Yes____ No____ publish my/our name(s)/contact information in a chapter directory Yes____ No____ publish my/our name(s) in a newsletters (which may be sent to other chapters, etc.) As a member of the Colorado Archaeological Society, I pledge: • To uphold state and federal antiquities laws. • To support policies and educational programs designed to protect our cultural heritage and our state’s antiquities. • To encourage protection and discourage exploitation of archaeological resources. • To encourage the study and recording of Colorado’s archaeology and cultural history. • To take an active part by participating in field and laboratory work for the purpose of developing new and significant information about the past. • To respect the property rights of landowners. • To assist whenever possible in locating, mapping, and recording archaeological sites within Colorado, using State Site Survey Forms. • To respect the dignity of peoples whose cultural histories and spiritual practices are the subject of any investigation. • To support only scientifically conducted activities and never participate in conduct involving dishonesty, deceit, or misrepresentation about archaeological matters. • To report vandalism. • To remember that cultural resources are non-renewable and do not belong to you or me, but are ours to respect, to study, and to enjoy. Signature:______________________________ Signature:______________________________ Mail this page, with signature(s) to: Chipeta Chapter of CAS, P.O. Box 593 Montrose, CO 81402 25 Parting Shot . . . Benedicto: “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets’ towers into dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you - beyond that next turning of the canyon walls. So Long!” -Edward Abbey Colorado River, Canyonlands National Park, Utah 26