*June 2018 Archeology E-Gram*



*NPS NEWS*
 Montezuma Castle and Casa Grande National Monuments Win Heritage
Preservation HonorCooperators from the University of New Mexico (UNM) were
awarded the Arizona Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Award for work
at Montezuma Castle NM and Casa Grande Ruins NM. Both NPS units contain
iconic archeological sites.

Beginning in 2012, Angelyn Bass, an architectural conservator from the UNM,
teamed up with NPS archeologists to study architecture at the Montezuma
Castle cliff dwelling and Casa Grande great house. Bass recruited experts
in structural engineering, archeology, biology, photography and geology
from the private sector, the UNM, the University of Vermont and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Using cutting edge scientific
techniques incorporating microscopy and x-ray spectroscopy, Bass and her
team investigated the condition and structural stability of each site and
conducted stabilization treatments to repair areas of damage and
deterioration.

Bass and her team also studied the architecture for clues related to the
construction of the sites. The information will provide visitors with a
more accurate interpretation of each site and exemplifies good use of
multi-disciplinary research and science to manage important archeological
resources on NPS lands.

*By Matt Guebard, Chief of Resources, SOAR*
*Remains of Civil War Soldiers Found at **Manassas National Battlefield
Park*

Researchers have discovered the remains of two Civil War soldiers buried
among severed limbs in a pit at Manassas National Battlefield Park. It is
the first time that a surgeon’s pit at a Civil War battlefield has been
excavated and studied. The complete remains of two soldiers were found in
the pit, along with 11 partial limbs.



Researchers believe the bodies were those of Union soldiers who died in the
Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Second Battle of Manassas. The
battle was fought in August 1862. The remains are believed to belong to
Union soldiers because buttons from a Union jacket were found in the pit.  In
addition, one of the soldiers had an Enfield bullet lodged in his leg.
Enfields were used almost exclusively by Confederate soldiers.



The Enfield bullets also provide a key clue that the pit is from the second
Bull Run battle, not the first. Those bullets were not yet in use during
the first Bull Run battle, which was the first major battle of the war. The
location of the pit also fits with the battle lines from the second battle.



*By Matthew Barakat, Associated Press*



*FEDERAL NEWS*

*Western Kentucky Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Archeological
Violations*

U.S. District Judge Greg N. Stivers sentenced Gary Womack, age 60, from
Woodburn, Kentucky, to 15 months imprisonment for 3 felony violations of
the federal Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). Womack had
previously pleaded guilty to the violations on March 8, 2018. Womack also
pled guilty to two additional counts of trafficking in archeological
resources from the western United States. The case resulted from a
three-year undercover investigation by NPS, based upon allegations that
Womack possessed human remains which originated from Mammoth Cave NP.



The investigation revealed Womack’s dealings in artifacts removed from
Native American graves in caves and rock shelters in south-central
Kentucky; and burials along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Womack also
dealt in artifacts from the so-called “G.E. Mound” case prosecuted in the
Southern District of Indiana in 1992. Artifacts recovered from that case
were supposed to have been returned and re-buried; however, Womack
purchased artifacts from the previous prosecution in 2015 in Indiana for
$2,500, and transported them to Kentucky, where a portion of them were sold
to the undercover federal agent. All artifacts in the case have been
recovered and will be repatriated according to NAGPRA.



In sentencing, Judge Stivers told Womack that he was disturbed that the
defendant had chosen to dig the graves of the ancestors of Native Americans
for profit and had done so while being fully aware of the laws he had
chosen to violate. A letter from Ben Barnes, Second Chief of the Shawnee
Tribe, of Miami, Oklahoma, was read at the sentencing hearing. The letter
states, in part: “The remains that are within the soils of our original
homelands contains the hallowed remains of human beings, our ancestors. We
would urge the court to send a message to all those what would desecrate a
grave, that ARPA violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law.”



This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ream.
The FBI assisted NPS agents throughout the investigation.
*New Mexico State University Studies Oregon Mountains- Desert Peaks
National Monument*A team of anthropologists, geologists, biologists and
geographers from New Mexico State University (NMSU) is helping the New
Mexico BLM by locating and recording natural and cultural resources on the
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. Archeologists from NMSU’s
Anthropology Department will be studying cave sites and other evidence of
past human habitation in the area. The multi-disciplinary research is
funded through a five-year grant from the BLM, which will use the
information collected by the team to better manage these resources. The
grant results from a memorandum of understanding negotiated between the BLM
and NMSU researchers in 2016. The intent of the MOU is to establish NMSU
faculty as “subject matter experts on call” to conduct research needed to
help BLM develop a Resource Management Plan for the monument.



*From story by Billy Huntsman, Sun-News*
 US Tribe Displays Artifacts Loaned from London

Tribal artifacts held by the British Museum in London for nearly 120 years
are being returned to a Native American tribe for an exhibit at its own
museum — a facility the tribe expanded and upgraded in part to reclaim
these pieces central to its heritage. The 16 objects will go on display in
the "Rise of the Collectors " exhibit at the Chachalu Tribal Museum &
Cultural Center, after a decades-long campaign by the Confederated Tribes
of the Grand Ronde to bring them back from Europe.



The artifacts were collected by the Reverend Robert W. Summers, an
Episcopal minister who bought them from tribal members in the 1870s and
sold them to a colleague. The colleague later gifted the objects to the
British institution. The exhibit also includes basketry collected by Andrew
Kershaw, who worked on the reservation in the 1890s as a doctor and agent
for the BIA.



The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde wanted the objects back
permanently but worked out an initial yearlong loan because a full return
of items from the British Museum requires parliamentary action.

The exhibit is a first step to more collaboration between the Grand Ronde
and the British Museum.



*From story by Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press*



*The Federal Archeologist’s Bookshelf*

Climate change and the deteriorating archaeological and environmental
archives of the Arctic

Jorgen Hollesen, Martin Callanan, Tom Dawson, Rasmus Fenger-Nielsen, T. Max
Friersen, Anne M. Jensen, Adam Markham, Vibeke V. Martens, Vladimir V.
Pitulko & Marcy Rockman *Antiquity* Vol. 92: 573-586.



The cold, wet climate and remoteness of the Arctic has led to extraordinary
preservation of archeological sites and materials. Since the 1980s,
however, the Arctic has warmed at a rate of more than twice the global
average, threatening the integrity of these sites. Rising air temperatures,
permafrost thaw, fluctuations in precipitation, melting glaciers and rising
sea levels are just some of the changes affecting the natural system and
causing physical and chemical damage to archeological resources.



To this list, the authors add coastal erosion caused by the lengthening of
open-water periods from sea-ice decline and increase in the frequency of
major storms. Coastal erosion is a wide-spread threat to sites, as
prehistoric Arctic lifeways were predominantly coastal. Permafrost thaw
promotes microbial activity which can actually raise soil temperatures and
accelerate decomposition triggered by thawing. Vegetation increase as
boreal forests expand into the Arctic challenge identification of new
sites, while increased accessibility to Arctic areas promotes both tourism
and exploitation, both with potential negative impacts on archeological
sites.



The authors suggest that new methods to detect and quantify site changes on
a regional scale must be developed, and point to the use of drones as a
potential avenue for data collection. They also note that the existing
mechanisms for response to climate change are inadequate and that
conventional science funding models are insensitive to the rate at which
sites in the Arctic are being destroyed. Effective methods of evaluating
the significance and potential of sites in order to prioritize needs is a
critical tool to be developed.



The NPS Climate Change Response Program is cited as one initiative to
address the effects of climate change on cultural resources. The authors
argue, however, that no single regional or national agency can marshal the
resources to support a large scale sustained response to the threats that
climate change poses to archeological sites in the Arctic and other areas.
International and inter-agency coordination will be needed to share
expertise and resources.



*GRANTS AND TRAINING*



*Two Internships at Chaco Culture National Historical Park*
Chaco Culture NHP is accepting applications for two internship positions.
The selected applicants will work two separate three month appointments
from November 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019 and February 1, 2019 through
April 30, 2019. The intern’s primary role will be with the interpretation
division. Duties will include fee collection and interpretive program
development. The intern will also help the park look for opportunities to
reach Native communities either through park based or outreach programs.
Upon completion of the internship, the candidate will be required to
present a synopsis of their experience to youth groups within their own
community. This could include a Power Point or other type of multi-media
public presentation.



The park is seeking applications from Native youths. The candidates must
have a high school diploma.  The selected candidate must pass a federal
background investigation. The candidate will be required to work weekends
and holidays. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New
Year’s Day. The intern must possess a valid driver’s license. Having a
personal vehicle is not required but highly recommended.



These internships are being funded by the Friends of Chaco. Applicants will
need to identify the three month appointment of their preference. Each
intern will receive housing, a uniform allowance, and a $150 a week
stipend. Please note that the interns are not Friends of Chaco employees;
stipends are awards rather than wages. Taxes are not withheld, nor are
social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be
taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have
questions.


To apply, submit a resume and cover letter by email directly to Hilary
Grabowska at  [log in to unmask] Applicants can also send materials
to Chaco Culture NHP, ATTN: Friends of Chaco Internship, PO Box 220,
Nageezi NM 87037. Applications must be received by July 31, 2018.



*Contact:*  Hilary Grabowska, 505 786-7014 ext. 261; Nathan Hatfield at 505
786-7014 ext. 263.



*New Database on Archeological Ethics Available*

Archaeologicalethics.org is a comprehensive, searchable database of
resources on ethics in archeology. It includes published literature, course
descriptions and syllabi, blogs and blog posts, organizational ethical
statements, and other online resources. The database is provided to the
archeological community by the Register of Professional Archaeologists (the
Register) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) to
proactively strengthen ethical behavior in professional practice.



This database is an ongoing project by the Register and CIfA. The goal of
the database is to bring together sources on archeological ethics in a
single place for the use of students, researchers, and professional
archeologists. The archeological ethics database includes over five hundred
sources relating to ethics in archeology.



To access the database, go to http://archaeologicalethics.org/


*SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC:**  Scholars Solve Mystery of Oregon Coast's 'Beeswax
Wreck'*For centuries, beeswax and Chinese porcelain have washed ashore on
Nehalem Spit, on the north Oregon Coast. Now, archival and archeological
evidence point to the *Santo Cristo de Burgos*, a 17th-century Manila
galleon owned by the kingdom of Spain, as the mysterious vessel commonly
known today as the “Beeswax Wreck.”

Stories of a shipwreck are known from the earliest days of Euroamerican
presence in the Pacific Northwest, as fur traders and explorers learned
from American Indians that a large ship had wrecked on Nehalem Spit, with
survivors and cargo that included beeswax. The stories captivated
treasure-hunters who searched for a century and a half on nearby Neahkahnie
Mountain and the adjacent beaches.

 But which ship was it? The archeologist-led team of the Beeswax Wreck
Project used geology, archeology, porcelain analysis, and documentation
from Spanish archives to pinpoint the ship’s likely identity. Beeswax
stamped with Spanish shippers’ marks confirmed the wreck’s origin, and
patterns on Chinese porcelain sherds allowed researchers to narrow the date
range.

The Spanish Manila galleon trade was the first global network, and close to
300 galleons left the Philippines for Acapulco carrying Asian goods during
its 250-year span. The Project determined that the Beeswax Wreck was one of
two galleons that vanished without a trace: the *Santo Cristo de Burgos*,
which sailed in 1693, or the *San Francisco Xavier*, which left Manila in
1705. Mapping the location of beeswax deposits allowed Project members to
assert with confidence that the ship almost certainly wrecked before the
1700 Cascadia earthquake and tsunami.

Cameron La Follette and her team of archivists then undertook wide-ranging
research in the archives of Spain, the Philippines, and Mexico to locate
all available information about the *Santo Cristo de Burgos* of 1693. They
discovered the history of the ship’s captain, Don Bernardo Iñiguez del
Bayo; a complete crew and passenger list; and important facts about the
cargo. Researchers now know that the *Santo Cristo de Burgos *was carrying
2.5 tons of liquid mercury. If the wreck is located, testing for mercury
will provide confirmation of the ship’s identity.

After years of work to solve this multi-century mystery, La Follette’s
research team and the Beeswax Wreck Project group have recently published
their findings in a special issue of the *Oregon Historical Quarterly* *OHQ.
 *The Summer 2018 issue is now available for purchase in the Oregon
Historical Society’s Museum Store for $10, and a subscription to *OHQ *is a
benefit of Oregon Historical Society membership. Abstracts for the articles
featured in this special issue are available online
<http://ohs.org/research-and-library/oregon-historical-quarterly/current-issue.cfm>
.

*By KTVZ.com news sources*

*Archeology E-Gram*, distributed via e-mail on a regular basis, includes
announcements about news, new publications, training opportunities,
national and regional meetings, and other important goings-on related to
public archeology in the NPS and other public agencies. Recipients are
encouraged to forward *Archeology E-Grams* to colleagues and relevant
mailing lists. The *Archeology E-Gram* is available on the *News and
Links *page
at www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm
<http://www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm_> on the NPS Archeology
Program website.



*Contact*: Karen Mudar at [log in to unmask] to contribute news items and
to subscribe.

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