December 2006, Archeology E-Gram
NPS Archeologist receives Department of the Interior Meritorious Service
Award
On September 27, 2006, NPS Associate Regional Director Paul Hartwig
presented the DOI Meritorious Service Award to John E. Ehrenhard, Director,
Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC). In a brief ceremony followed by a
traditional Southern brunch of eggs, catfish, sausage, fried pork chops,
grits, and orange juice, Mr. Hartwig summarized John’s outstanding
accomplishments with the NPS. John thanked the SEAC staff and his wife,
Ellen, herself a former NPS employee, for their dedication and efforts that
made the award possible. The citation that accompanied the award read as
follows, and was signed by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne:
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the NPS in the
field of archeology including remote sensing and site stabilization,
cultural resource management, public archeology, heritage education
and public outreach, networking, and diversity.
Mr. Ehrenhard's 34 years in the NPS has resulted in national and
international contributions to the science of archeology, public
understanding and appreciation for the past, and diversity within the
NPS archeology program. Mr. Ehrenhard conducted some of the earliest
work in remote sensing and site stabilization in the Service.
Through his work and publications, he was instrumental in the
development and application of these techniques to cultural resource
management throughout the Service, resulting in more efficient and
cost effective site study and management. He is a pacesetter in
expanding the Service's archeology network to include universities
and organizations world-wide that encourage cooperation in a broad
based program of research, teaching, and professional development.
Mr. Ehrenhard has encouraged diversity to the Service through his
work with historically Black colleges and universities, and his
writings on African Americans in archeology. Mr. Ehrenhard is
internationally recognized for his work in public archeology and
public outreach through professional papers, posters, sessions at
professional meetings, popular book, brochures, paintings, and
interpretative performances. He was elected to the Society of Sigma
Xi in 1976 for his excellence in scientific research. Mr.
Ehrenhard's standing in the national and international archeological
community and his continuing work with historically Black colleges
and universities reflects the professionalism with which he has long
served the Government and the reputation by which he has enhanced
public recognition of the Service's archeological programs. In
recognition of his outstanding contributions, Mr. Ehrenhard is
granted the Department of the Interior, Meritorious Service Award.
John’s colleagues and friends, throughout the archeological profession and
beyond, echo the Secretary’s words and add their own congratulations for a
remarkable set of career achievements.
Archeological Research in the Parks
The Archeology Program has added several new pages detailing archeological
projects in national parks to its website. The pages describe a variety of
projects, including ongoing documentation of ancient village sites along
Alaska's Alagnak and Brooks Rivers, Katmai NP&P and the discovery of a
Tlingit fort built for battle with Russian colonists in Sitka NHP; the
survey and inventory of Indian camp and quarry sites, frontier farm sites,
Civil War fortifications, and 19th century tenant houses in the District of
Columbia's Rock Creek Park; the discovery of several significant Early
Archaic sites along the Potomac floodplain in Maryland's C&O Canal NHP; the
collaborative Chaco Digital Initiative, pulling together much of the widely
dispersed archeological data collected from New Mexico's Chaco Canyon; a
new assessment of previous archeological studies at Franklin Court in
Independence NHP in Philadelphia; a three-year study of Harpers Ferry NHP's
historical U.S. Armory Grounds in West Virginia; a survey for precontact
sites in the high altitude regions of Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North
Cascades NP in Washington; and an underwater study of shipwrecks and other
cultural resources in the waters off Virginia's Jamestown Island. These
studies first appeared in the Projects in Parks feature of the
Archeological E-Gram.
Find all of these studies online at
www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npsites.htm
Cultural Resource Vacancies in NPS advertised
Three cultural resource positions are currently posted on USAJOBS(
www.usajobs.gov):
Chief, Historic Landscapes program, NCPTT.
Vacancy announcement number: NPSWASO-06-114
Closing date: January 12, 2007
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=51392003&AVSDM=2006%2D12%2D12+08%3A56%3A28&Logo=0&q=NPSWASO-06-114+&FedEmp=N&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&SUBMIT1.x=102&SUBMIT1.y=15
Assistant Director, Park Cultural Resources Programs
Vacancy announcement number: NPSWASO-06-133
Closing date: February 5, 2007
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobId=51357906&AVSDM=12%2F15%2F2006+4%3A57%3A11+PM
Chief Historian, NPS
Vacancy announcement number: NPSWASO-06-128
Closing date: January 19, 2007
http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=51347086&AVSDM=2006%2D12%2D11+08%3A19%3A20&Logo=0&q=supervisory+historian&FedEmp=N&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y=0&SUBMIT1=Search+for+Jobs
All positions are open to qualified people inside and outside of the
Federal government.
Teaching with Historic Places Posts new Archeological Lesson Plan
The Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) program introduced its 130th
online lesson plan and its 10th on archeology. In New Philadelphia: A
Multiracial Town on the Illinois Frontier, students meet “Free Frank”
McWorter, a formerly enslaved man who founded the town, sold lots, and
farmed to earn money to buy his family out of slavery. Students also learn
how archeological investigations uncover clues about the development, life,
and eventual decline of the town. Charlotte King, an intern with the NPS
Archeology Program, wrote the lesson with the assistance of professors at
the University of Maryland and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign;
the Illinois State Museum; Illinois State Archives; members of the New
Philadelphia Association; descendants of "Free Frank" McWorter; and others.
You can read the lesson plan at
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/130newphila/.
FY2007 Archeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) Grants Program
The NPS Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services is
accepting applications for Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA)
Program Grants for FY2007. These funds are to assist law enforcement in
effectively reducing or eliminating ARPA related criminal activity on NPS
lands. Funding will be allocated to target the highest priority ARPA
crimes system-wide by assisting with investigations, overtime, travel,
training, extension of non-permanent personnel, and equipment.
All parks with ARPA enforcement and investigative issues are strongly
encouraged to apply; the Grants Coordinator should be contacted no later
than January 10, 2007. Future ARPA funding is distributed based on a
year-to-year record of accomplishment of documenting and addressing ARPA
related criminal activity; and on identifying and addressing the emergence
of new and extraordinary ARPA threats. To improve effectiveness in both
securing and efficiently distributing ARPA funds, it is essential to
identify the overall scope of need. Your request for funding will help
identify the needs of the field and address the level of funding available
to the agency in the future.
ARPA funds will be allocated based on the attached project proposal
guidelines. Reports articulating measurable outcomes from funded projects
are required from the grantees by the close of FY 2007. Last year
approximately $60,000 was awarded to the field for ARPA-related activities.
For further information, contact Greg Lawler, WASO Staff Ranger and ARPA
Program Coordinator, (202-513-7125), [log in to unmask]
Discussion of the Value of Public Archeology in the SAA Archaeological
Record
In the November 2006 issue of the Society for American Archaeology’s
newsletter, The SAA Archaeological Record, University of Oklahoma
Professor Paul Minnis notes that there is little professional discussion or
curiosity about public perceptions of the contributions that archeological
research makes. In "Answering the Skeptic's Question," he challenges the
profession to articulate tangible benefits of a public archeology program
that are relevant to the average American. Minnis suggests that an
inability to identify meaningful contributions leaves archeology vulnerable
in an increasingly competitive funding environment. Scott Ingram (ASU,
graduate student), Robert Kelly (UWY, past SAA president), Barbara Little
(NPS), Lynn Sebastian (SRI Foundation, past SAA president), Dean Snow (PA
State, SAA president-elect), and Katherine Spielmann (ASU) responded to the
challenge. Their vigorous responses identified a number of tangible
benefits, including counteracting racism, providing a more accurate picture
of the past, tourism, and assisting in re-invigorating traditional farming
practices in marginal areas. More discussion on this important topic is
anticipated in future issues of The SAA Archaeological Record.
Find the newsletter online at www.saa.org/publications/theSAAarchRec/
(SAA member number and password required for current issue)
Preserve America Summit reports available for comment
The Preserve America Summit was held October 18-20, 2006, in New Orleans to
explore achievements and potential of the national historic preservation
program. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) reports that
recommendations from the summit “will help local communities throughout the
United States take full advantage of existing preservation tools, as well
as identify innovative concepts for future success.” Eleven topical
panels, each with one or more federal and non-federal co-chairs, met during
the summer of 2006 and again at the Summit to develop recommendations.
Each of the following panel reports is now available for comment; comments
are due by January 16, 2007.
· Building a Preservation Ethic and Public Appreciation for History
· Coordinating the Stewardship and Use of Our Cultural Patrimony
· Determining What’s Important
· Protecting Places That Matter
· Improving the Preservation Program Infrastructure
· Dealing With the Unexpected
· Addressing Security
· Using Historic Properties as Economic Assets
· Involving All Cultures
· Fostering Innovation
· Participating in the Global Preservation Community
Details and instructions for submitting comments are available on the
Council’s website: http://www.achp.gov/ . Questions should be directed to
Ron Anzalone, Director, Office of Preservation Initiatives, ACHP,
(202-606-8503) [log in to unmask]
BLM and UAF offer museum research grant
The University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAM) and the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), Fairbanks, have announced a co-sponsored fellowship to
conduct research with archaeological collections at UAM. BLM has more than
1,300 accessioned collections at UAM, containing an estimated 500,000 to
700,000 artifacts from all periods of human occupation of Alaska.
Research projects must focus on UAM collections, although projects may
utilize other collections, including those from other UAM departments.
Applicants must be currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate students at
a U.S. institution. Proposals will be reviewed by UAM and BLM staff based
on academic quality and feasibility. The maximum award is $3,000 USD
including travel, lodging, and per diem. Notification of grant awards will
occur by February 7, 2007.
For information about UAM archeology collections, contact Archaeology
Collections Manager, James Whitney, (907-474-6943), [log in to unmask] For
information about proposal submission, contact Archeology Curator, Dr.
Daniel Odess, [log in to unmask]
U.S. World Heritage Tentative List Project
On behalf of the Department of the Interior, the NPS Office of
International Affairs invites qualified property owners to submit
applications for inclusion in a new “U.S. Tentative List,” a list of
candidate sites that may qualify for nomination to the World Heritage List.
The applications must be completed and returned by April 1, 2007. The
Department will then consider those sites for nomination over the ensuing
decade (2009-19).
Any property for which an application is filed must satisfy at least one of
the World Heritage Criteria, among other requirements. U.S. law also
requires that the property be nationally significant (i.e., formally
designated as a National Historic Landmark or a National Natural Landmark
or be a federal reserve of national importance, such as a national park,
national monument, or wildlife refuge) and that all owners consent to the
proposal and be willing to agree to protective measures for the property.
For more information visit:
http://www.nps.gov/oia/topics/worldheritage/tentativelist.htm
A copy of the application may be obtained by writing to U.S. World Heritage
Tentative List Project, Office of International Affairs, NPS, 1201 Eye
Street NW (0050), Washington, DC 20005
Federal Archeologists Testify in Trial of Saddam Hussein
Two Federal archeologists provided evidence of war crimes in the trial of
former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Retired National Park Service
archaeologist Doug Scott of Lincoln, Nebraska, an expert witness in
forensic archaeology of battlefields, presented his analysis of a 1988
death scene in the Kurdish village of Koreme.
Based on the way bullet casings fell and the fact that the remains of 27
people had bullet wounds in the back of the head, Scott’s experience led
him to testify under oath that the human remains from the Anfal Campaign
were not the result of a combat action but an execution.
Scott spent nearly 23 years with the NPS, retiring in January from the
Midwest Archaeology Center in Lincoln. Scott also spent more than eight
years with the Bureau of Land Management for a 30-plus year career with the
Department of Interior.
Forensic archaeologist Michael "Sonny" Trimble, Director of the COE
Curation Center of Expertise, also served as an expert witness in Saddam
Hussein's trial. Trimble leads the Iraq Mass Graves Investigation Team, an
international group of forensic anthropologists whose job is to assemble
evidence of Saddam's alleged genocides.
The team has worked under stressful conditions in Iraq since July 2004,
excavating and analyzing the remains of hundreds of Iraqis thought to have
been killed during two campaigns by Hussain’s government in 1988 and 1991.
In more than five hours of testimony at the Iraqi High Tribunal in
Baghdad's Green Zone, Trimble described the deaths of 301 Kurds found by
his team in three mass graves.
From articles by Jeffrey G. Olson, NPS Public Affairs; and by Kristen
Hinman, New York Times.
See January 2006 Archeological E-gram for more information about the Mass
Graves Investigation Team and about Doug Scott.
Message from Editorial and Production Staff of Archeology E-Gram
This past year Archeology Program staff distributed 12 monthly issues of
the Archeology E-Gram to all NPS archeologists; four electronic mailing
lists; and many NPS park superintendents, cultural resource managers, and
others interested in Federal and public archeology. In addition to
electronic distribution of current issues, previous issues are now
available on InsideNPS, and will soon be available on the Archeology
Program website through the “What’s New” page at
http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/NEW.HTM. Nine of the Projects in Parks
features have been posted to “Archeology in the Parks” at
www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npsites.htm as well.
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.
Projects in Parks: Cultural Resource Survey and Inventory of the Cape
Krusenstern Beach Ridge Complex, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, AK
The Cape Krusenstern beach ridge complex is one of the premier
archaeological sites in the North American Arctic. It is the focal point
of the Cape Krusenstern NHL, which encompasses the entire 560,000 acre Cape
Krusenstern NM. The beach ridge complex is composed of 114 ancient beach
ridges containing every known cultural tradition in northwest Alaska from
the last 5,500 years and was first investigated in the 1950s and 1960s by
pioneering Arctic archeologist J. Louis Giddings, Jr. and his student,
Douglas Anderson. This year, the monument began a four year project to
survey and evaluate the archeological sites on the beach ridges. This is a
2007-2009 International Polar Year project.
(Report contributed by Chris Young.)
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 and new subscribers are accepted. Past issues of
the Archeology E-Gram are available on the Archeology E-Gram webpage
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=279&id=3867 on
InsideNPS; and on the What’s New page
http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/NEW.HTM on the Archeology Program website.
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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