December 2007, Archeology E-Gram
National Monuments to Celebrate Centennials
Grand Canyon, Muir Woods, and Pinnacles NM will celebrate centennials of
national monument designation in January, 2008. All were established by
President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 through the authority of the
Antiquities Act of 1906
Grant Canyon National Monument
Initially protected as a forest preserve in 1893 and as a game reserve
in 1906, President Roosevelt declared the site a national monument as
“an object of unusual scientific interest, being the greatest eroded
canyon within the United States” (Proc. No. 794). The protected area
achieved national park status in 1919 through an act of Congress signed
by President Woodrow Wilson. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a
law doubling the size of Grand Canyon National Park and establishing the
current boundary.
The Colorado River began carving this vast canyon through layers of
Paleozoic rock 5 to 6 million years ago. Today, the Grand Canyon is 277
river miles long, 18 miles wide, and nearly a mile deep. Grand Canyon
NP comprises more than a million acres, with habitats ranging from
coniferous forests on the rims to desert at the bottom of the canyon.
The park hosts an amazing variety of plant and animal life; more than
1,500 species of plants, 89 species of mammals, and 47 species of
reptiles are found in the canyon. Over 355 species of birds build their
nests in the canyon's trees and cliffs.
Archeological sites found on the canyon rim as well as within the
canyon are evidence that ancient people inhabited the Grand Canyon area
some 11,000 years ago. Pit house settlements and apartment-style
masonry structures date to the ninth century AD. Drought may have
driven the Native American settlers away from the canyon by around
A.D.1200-1300. Today, Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, Hopi, and several
Paiute tribes live near the canyon and celebrate their connections to
this natural wonder.
To learn more about Grand Canyon NP and centennial events, go to
www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm.
Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods NM was established through Proclamation 793, the tenth
National Monument designation under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The
monument, a gift of 298 acres by William and Elizabeth Thacher Kent,
preserves the heart of a rare surviving old growth redwood forest in
Marin County, California, a short distance from San Francisco. Today,
Muir Woods NM is administered as part of Golden Gate National
Recreational Area. William Kent, who was also a Congressman from
California, introduced the bill in Congress to establish the National
Park Service in 1916. His first-hand knowledge of the needs of park
management made him a persuasive advocate for the bill.
Muir Woods NM is situated within Redwood Canyon, a deep, forested valley
at the southern foot of Mount Tamalpais, two miles east of the Pacific
Ocean. Redwood Canyon offers a cool microclimate, loamy soils, and
ample moisture to maintain the redwood forest. The extant forest is
dominated by old growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). The coast
redwood is the tallest tree species in North America, reaching mature
heights well over three hundred feet. Muir Woods was the first forest
or biotic resource to be proclaimed a national monument.
The proclamation of Muir Woods as a national monument occurred at the
beginning of the federal government’s proactive role in the preservation
of natural and historic resources. It was the first national monument
created through a donation of private land. The proclamation of Muir
Woods as a national monument established the precedent at the federal
level for private-public partnerships and the land-trust model of
natural resource and open space conservation, a tool that is widely
applied today. In many ways, Muir Woods NM set the foundation for the
land trust model of conservation that is prevalent today, and was cited
as legal precedent for the proclamation in 1916 of Lafayette NM (Acadia
NP), gifted by Hancock County, Maine, trustees to the Federal
government.
To learn more about Muir Woods NM and centennial events, go to
www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm
Pinnacles NM
Pinnacles NM is located in the Gabilan Mountains, California, also near
San Francisco. It was established as a national monument to preserve
the beautiful rock formations that gave the monument its name. These
formations are associated with the remains of the ancient Neenach
volcano. Although known for geological formations, the monument also
preserves numerous archeological sites. The area of Pinnacles NM was
seasonally occupied by the Chalone and Mutsun peoples, who gathered
acorns on the slopes of the rock outcrops in autumn. Pinnacles NM is
also a release area for the endangered California condor, making it one
of three release areas in the National Park System.
To learn more about Pinnacles NM and centennial events go to
www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm
To learn more about the Antiquities Act, go to
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/Antiquities/index.htm.
NPS to Renew Archeology Investigation Permit forms with OMB
A Permit for Archeological Investigations is needed whenever
archeological investigations are carried out on Federal lands by
non-Federal personnel, either as part of a development project or for
research. Within the Department of the Interior, the Departmental
Consulting Archeologist oversees the updating and regular review of the
application form and the permit form. These forms require OMB approval,
because the forms solicit information from the public. In preparation
for renewal of OMB approval, the NPS Archeology Program published a 60
day notice of intent to renew both of the forms in the Federal Register
in August and invited comments from the public. No comments were
received about the forms. The NPS anticipates publishing a 30 day
notice of intent to renew the forms in January 2008, in the Federal
Register. Anyone wishing to comment on the forms should watch the
Federal Register for publication of the notice, and send comments to the
addresses within the notice.
To view the 60-day notice of intent to renew approval for the forms, go
to
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-3741.pdf
Contact: Karen Mudar, [log in to unmask]
NPS 2008 Archeological Prospection Workshop
The NPS 2008 workshop on archaeological prospection techniques “Current
Archaeological Prospection Advances for Non-Destructive Investigations
in the 21st Century” will be held May 19-23, in Fargo, ND. The workshop
will focus on soil magnetism and the effects of plowing on geophysical
signatures and site integrity. The workshop will include lectures on the
theory of operation, methodology, processing, and interpretation of
remote sensing equipment. The field exercises will take place at the
Biesterfeldt Site (a proto-historic village site on the Sheyenne River).
This will be the eighteenth year of a workshop dedicated to the use of
geophysical, aerial photography, and other remote sensing methods as
they apply to the identification, evaluation, conservation, and
protection of archeological resources across this nation.
Co-sponsors for the workshop include the NPS, the Archaeological
Conservancy, Minnesota State University-Moorhead, and the State
Historical Society of North Dakota. There is a tuition charge of
$475.00. Application forms and additional information are available at
www.cr.nps.gov/ mwac.
Contact: Steven L. DeVore, NPS Midwest Archeological Center, Federal
Building, Room 474, 100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508-3873:
tel: (402) 437-5392, ext. 141; fax: (402) 437-5098
Summer NPS Jobs with HABS/HAER/HALS
The NPS Heritage Documentation Programs (Historic American Buildings
Survey/Historic American
Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey), seeks
applications from qualified individuals for summer employment
documenting historic sites and structures of architectural, engineering
and landscape significance throughout the country. Some of these
historic sites and structures may be archeological in nature. Duties
involve on-site field work and the preparation of measured and
interpretive drawings and written historical reports for the
HABS/HAER/HALS Collection at the Prints
and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. You may view
examples of HDP documentation on the Library of Congress web site at
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/hhhtml/hhhome.html
Projects last twelve weeks, beginning in May/June. Salaries range from
approximately $6,000 to approximately $11,000 for the summer, depending
on job responsibility, locality of the project, and level of experience.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Application forms and detailed
information can be found at www.nps.gov/history/hdp/jobs/summer.htm
Applications are due by February 4, 2008 (postmark date).
HAER Maritime Documentation Internship
The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and the Council of
American Maritime
Museums (CAMM) announce the Maritime Documentation Internship 2008. The
internship will permit a student or recent graduate of an architecture
or history program, interested in maritime preservation, to work on a
HAER maritime documentation project. The intern must be a U.S. citizen.
The selected recipient will receive a stipend of approximately $6,000
and will work with a HAER team for 12 weeks during the summer. The
internship will require research, writing, measuring, or drafting of
information about historic maritime resources. Application forms and
detailed information can be found at
www.nps.gov/history/hdp/jobs/maritime.htm Applications are due by
February 1, 2008 (postmark date).
Contact: Todd Croteau [log in to unmask] (202) 354-2167.
Archeological Resources in the NPS “Travel Itinerary Series”
Since 1995, the National Park Service has developed and published a
series of travel itineraries to places in the United States, in
collaboration with many public and private partners. These travel
itineraries highlight thousands of sites that are listed in the National
Register of Historic Places and bring them to the attention of anyone
interested in learning more about American history, architecture,
archeology, engineering, and culture. Many of the travel itineraries
were first proposed by local preservation organizations, historical
societies, chambers of commerce, city governments, and regional or
statewide groups. The organization then worked in partnership with the
National Park Service to develop the itinerary.
Each itinerary provides:
· Descriptions of each historic place and its importance in American
history;
· Tourist information for historic places open to the public;
· Interactive maps;
· Color and vintage photographs;
· Links to related preservation and tourism web sites.
To date, a total of 45 travel itineraries have been developed. At least
five of these contain archeological destinations. The “American
Southwest” travel itinerary contains a wealth of information about
Native American pueblos, while the “Florida Shipwrecks” itinerary
introduces the traveler to the excitement of maritime archeology. The
“James River Plantations” itinerary invites visitors to consider the
challenges facing colonists and early settlers in the New World. Lewis
and Clark visited Knife River Indian villages in 1804; you can, too, if
you follow the “Lewis and Clark Expedition” itinerary. The “Indian
Mounds of Mississippi” itinerary is also archeological in nature.
Learn more about The Travel Itinerary Series on the National Register of
Historic Places website by going to
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/index.htm.
Message from Editorial and Production Staff of Archeology E-Gram
The Archeology E-Gram endeavors to provide timely and useful information
about archeological training, educational resources, and events related
to the Federal government. This year the editorial staff developed an
informal feature about archeological resources in other programs in the
NPS, and “published” news items about archeological resources on the
History Program website (June); in HABS/HAER/HALS collections (July);
Teaching with Historic Places (September); Teaching with Museum
Collections (October); and the Travel Itinerary Series (this issue).
We’ve also started a series of profiles of national monuments
celebrating their centennials. If readers have suggestions about other
topics or resources to feature please let us know! Contact the editor,
Karen Mudar, with your suggestions.
The Archeology E-gram went on the web in 2007! All current and back
issues of the E-Gram are posted on the Archeology Program website
through the “What’s New” page at www.nps.gov/archeology/NEW.HTM. Many
reports about archeological research in national park units have been
incorporated in the “Research in the Parks” web pages (see below).
We have thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone who contributed to the
Archeology E-Gram. The
production and editorial staff of the Archeology E-Gram hope that you
have found the newsletter useful,
and wish you and your families all the best for the holidays and for the
coming year. Be safe, and don’t drive while using a cell phone!
Projects in Parks: List of all PiP Reports
“Projects in Parks” was inaugurated in the Archeology E-Gram in July,
2005. Since then, more than 30 authors have taken E-Gram readers from
Alaska to the Virgin Islands as they explore archeological resources in
our national parks. A total of 27 “Projects in Parks” reports have been
presented through the E-Gram and, in the past year, were posted on the
NPS Archeology Program website. We present here a list of 23 reports
about projects that took place in national parks, and the newly created
URLS. They are also available through the “Research in the Parks”
webpage at www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npsites.htm
Congratulations and thanks to the many authors who worked with us to
bring information about NPS archeology projects to our readers!
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Assateague NS |Spain loans artifacts to Assateague Island National Seashore |
| Virginia |by Karen Mudar |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/assateague.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Buffalo NR |Archeological Resource Protection at Buffalo National River |
| Arkansas |by Cavin Clark |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/pubs/egrams/0708.pdf |
| |Scroll down to find story. |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| C&O Canal NHP |Stratified Prehistoric Archeological sites in C&O Canal NHP |
| Maryland | by Stuart J. Fiedel and Stephen R. Potter |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/cnoCanal.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Canaveral NS |In Search of Lost Frenchmen: Archaeological Investigations at |
| Florida |Canaveral NS |
| |by David M. Brewer and Elizabeth Horvath |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/canaveral.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Cape Krusenstern|Cape Krusenstern Beach Ridge Complex Survey |
| NHP |by Christopher Young |
| Alaska | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/capeKrusenstern.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Chaco Culture |Chaco Culture NHP Intentional Site Reburial Program |
| NHP |by Dabney Ford, Martha Demas, Neville Agnew, Robert Blanchette,|
| New Mexico |Shin Maekawa, Michael Romero Taylor, and Katherine Dowdy |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/chacoReburial.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| |Chaco Culture NHP and University of Virginia collaborate on the|
| |Chaco Digital Initiative |
| | by Karen Mudar, with contributions from the Chaco Digital |
| | Initiative website |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/chaco.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Colonial NHP |Underwater Survey at Colonial NHP |
| Virginia | by Andrew Veech |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/jamestown.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Fort Vancouver |Ceramic Analysis at Fort Vancouver NHS |
| NHS |by Robert J. Cromwell |
| Washington | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/FOVACeramics.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Harpers Ferry |Archeology at the U.S. Armory, Harpers Ferry NHP |
| NHP | by Andrew Lee |
| West Virginia |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/harpersFerry.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Independence NHP|Independence NHP Archeology at Franklin Court |
| Pennsylvania | by Patrice L. Jeppson |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/franklinCourt.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Katmai NH&P |Brooks River Cutbank Project |
| Alaska | by Barbara Bundy |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/brooksRiverCutbank.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| |Katmai NP&P Archeologists Excavate Alagnak Village |
| |by Barbara Bundy |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/alagnak.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Kings Mountain |Battlefield Archeology at Kings Mountain NMP, South Carolina |
| NMP |by John E. Cornelison Jr. and George S. Smith |
| South Carolina | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/kingsMtn.htm |
| | |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Monocacy NB |The Middle Ford Ferry Tavern Project, Monocacy NB |
| |by Joy Beasley |
| Maryland | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/monocacyTavern.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Nicodemus NHS |“Wake Nicodemus:” African American Settlement on the Plains of |
| Kansas |Kansas |
| |by Margaret Wood |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/nicodemus.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| North Cascades |High Elevation Archeological Survey in Pacific Northwest |
| NP |Mountain Ranges |
| Washington | by Greg Burtchard Bob Mierendorf, and Dave Conca |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/highElevationSurvey.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Rock Creek |Archeology and History in Rock Creek Park |
| Park NP |by John Bedell |
| Washington, DC |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/rockCreek.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sitka NHP |Sitka National Historical Park Survey |
| Alaska | by Kristen and Gene Griffin |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/sitka.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Virgin Islands |Making Contact with the Archeological Record: Identifying |
| HP |Contact Period Sites on St. John USVI |
| Virgin Islands |by Holly Norton and Ken Wild |
| |www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/stJohn.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| |Virgin Islands HP Hosts International Internship Program |
| |by Ken Wild |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/pubs/egrams/0704.pdf |
| |Scroll down to find story. |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
| Yellowstone NP |The Montana-Yellowstone Archeological Project: 2007 Field |
| Montana |Season |
| |by Douglas McDonald |
| | www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/yellowstone.htm |
|-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------|
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 National Park Service and other public
agencies. Recipients are encouraged to forward Archeology E-Grams to
colleagues and relevant mailing lists. Current and past issues of the
Archeology E-Gram are available on the Archeology Program website at
www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm.
Projects in Parks is a feature of the Archeology E-Gram that informs
others about archeology-related projects in a national park.
Prospective authors should review information about submitting
photographs on the Projects in Parks webpage. The full reports are
available on the Projects in Parks webpage
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=279&id=3670 on
InsideNPS; and through individual issues of the Archeology E-Gram on the
Archeology Program website.
Contact Karen Mudar, Archeology Program, NPS, (202) 354-2103,
[log in to unmask] to contribute news items, stories for “Projects in
Parks,” and to subscribe.
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