February 2008, Archeology E-Gram
Application Form for Permit for Archeological Investigations
The Archeology Program, NPS, through the Department of the Interior, has
submitted the application form for a Permit for Archeological
Investigations (OMB #1024-0037; "Archeology Permits and Reports - 43 CFR
Parts 3 & 7") to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval. Although the form expired on January 31, 2008, OMB extends the
expiration date of the application form on a monthly basis until they
review the submission. The form for actually issuing the permit is not
subject to OMB review and approval, as it does not solicit information from
the public. A Permit for Archeological Investigations is required for
archeological activities on Federal lands that are conducted by non-Federal
archeological personnel for parties other than the land managing agency.
The permit is typically issued under the Antiquities Act or the
Archaeological Resource Protection Act. Both the application form and the
permit form are available on the Archeology Program, NPS, web site at
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/permits.htm, are valid, and may be downloaded
and used.
To view the 30 day notice of Submission to OMB: Opportunity for Public
Comment, go to
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/08-406.pdf
Historians Race Vandals to Identify Shipwreck in Cape Cod NS
The remains of a ship washed up or were exposed on Newcomb Hollow Beach in
Cape Cod NS in a late January storm. NPS archeologists, and archeologists
from the University of Connecticut and the Massachusetts Board of
Underwater Archaeology have documented the wreck through photographs and
measured drawings. A researcher from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
is carbon dating a piece of wood to determine the age of the vessel.
Another Woods Hole researcher will use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
to provide a three-dimensional image of the wreck.
Ian Ellison, a specialist in large timber construction methods and building
history from Brewster, MA, believes the ship is from the late 1700s, based
on marks left by shipyard workers. "It would have been a large crew [that
built the ship]," he said. Ellison suggests, based on peculiarities of
scars left from shaping the wood, that one of the workmen was left-handed.
Scar patterns indicate that some of the workmen actually stood on the beam
they were working; others stood to the side as they swung their axes.
The absence of a keel and the fact that the large ribs curve, then
straighten, leads Ellison and schooner expert Douglas Lee from Rockland,
Maine, to think the vessel may have been a flat-bottomed barge. Although
local marine historian Bill Quinn thinks that the ship could be the wreck
of the Logan, a schooner converted into a coal-carrying barge.
"It is amazing to see something like this so completely exposed," said
Nathan Lipfert, Curator, Maine Maritime Museum. Lipfert believes the
vessel is was a coastal schooner, possibly with two or three masts, and a
little over 100 feet long. They were common in Cape Cod waters in the
1800s. Several other features point to a late-1800s vessel, including
grooves in the wood where rock salt would have been poured into the space
between the inner and outer hull as a preservative. "That's typical of
19th-century ship construction of a better quality vessel," said Lipfert.
“This research will help us fully understand the boat and its maritime
context,” said Cape Cod Seashore Superintendent George Price. Many
individuals have suggested that the seashore excavate the wreck and display
it at a seashore visitor center, or permit a maritime institution to
acquire it for preservation and exhibition, or allow local historical
societies to take pieces of the wreck to display in their museums.
“The integrity of this vessel is best preserved exactly where it is,” said
Price. “If this were an intact ship with a significant, unique history in
danger of being destroyed, our options might be different.” Recently, the
seashore restored and placed on display an intact mid-19th century hay
barge that, likely, is the last boat of its kind in New England. “In the
case of the wreck,” Price said, “NPS management policies indicate that the
best option is to leave it in place, provided we can count on the goodwill
of the public to not damage it before it is claimed again by the sea. If
despite our best efforts people damage or destroy the wreck, we will need
to consider other options.”
Despite signs placed by the NPS warning of $10,000 fines for taking
anything, people have removed planking and other pieces of wood from the
wreck. This destruction decreases the amount of information that can be
learned about the ship. Rangers continue to monitor activities at the
wreck. Law enforcement patrols are ongoing, and several citations with
fines or mandatory court appearances have been issued to people damaging
and stealing parts of the wreck, which is protected under federal law.
(from story by Doug Fraser, Staff Writer, Cape Cod Times; and Cape Cod NS
press release)
To learn more about Cape Cod NS, go to http://www.nps.gov/caco
University of New Mexico hosts NPS Hibben Center for Archeological Research
Last October, Chaco Culture NHP opened its new museum collection facility
in the University of New Mexico’s Hibben Center for Archaeological Research
in Albuquerque. About 95 percent of the NPS Chaco archeological collection
is now housed in the Hibben Center repository. The collection consists of
approximately 1 million artifacts and half a million archival records
resulting from archeological projects in Chaco Canyon.
The opening reception celebrated the culmination of six years of planning,
design, and construction of the space. The event opened with a blessing by
Larry Lente, Laguna Pueblo. Superintendent Barbara West welcomed
Congresswoman Heather Wilson, who sponsored the Hibben Center Act
legislation. The park presented awards to Maxwell Museum of Anthropology’s
Bruce Huckell, Dave Phillips, and Catherine Baudoin in appreciation for
their patience and endurance during the eight months of construction.
Over 125 people attended the reception. Tours of the new repositories were
given, and guest speakers presented reports on Chaco archaeology. Lynn
Sebastian, Joan Mathien, Catherine Baudoin, Wendy Bustard, Steve Lekson,
Chip Wills, and Michael Graves were among the speakers. June-el Piper
represented the Navajo Nation Chaco Project Sites program, and Adam Watson
represented the University of Virginia’s Chaco Digital Initiative. Cel
Gachupin of Zia Pueblo provided closing remarks.
Read about the Chaco Digital Initiative in the April 2006 Archeology E-Gram
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/chaco.htm and about stabilization
efforts at Chaco sites in the January 2007 Archeology E-Gram
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/chacoReburial.htm
Independence NHP Achieves Re-Accreditation by the American Association of
Museums Independence NHP has achieved re-accreditation by the American
Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a
museum. Originally accredited in 1985, the park recently underwent a
re-accreditation review, which is required every ten years. Independence
NHP is one of only nine AAM-accredited sites in the NPS and one of two in
the northeast region; the other is Statue of Liberty NM.
AAM’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for
quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. The
accreditation process, which may take as long as three years to complete,
examines all aspects of a museum’s operations from collections management,
exhibits, and educational programming to financial operations, staffing,
safety and emergency preparedness, and maintenance. AAM accreditation
strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable
leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain
financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible
service to the public.
Of the nation’s nearly 17,500 museums, about 775 are currently accredited
by the AAM. It is the only national organization that serves the entire
scope of the museum community from art, history, and science museums, to
national parks, zoos, arboretums, and planetariums. Only 8 percent of
AAM-accredited museums are historical sites, such as Independence NHP.
Archeological investigations at Independence NHP were featured in the April
2007 and May 2006 Archeology E-Gram.
To learn more about Independence NHP, go to http://www.nps.gov/inde/
Richard Sellars Retires
NPS historian Richard Sellars retired on February 29, 2008. Sellars began
his career with the NPS in the mid-1960s as a seasonal naturalist in Grand
Teton NP. In January 1973, after earning his doctorate in American history
and literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia, he accepted a
position as a historian in the NPS Denver Service Center. In October of
the same year Sellars transferred to the Southwest Regional Office in Santa
Fe. He has spent the remainder of his Park Service career in Santa Fe,
although his research, writing, teaching, and other work have, in one way
or another, involved virtually the entire National Park System. From 1979
to 1988, Sellars headed the Southwest Cultural Resources Center, overseeing
programs in history, archeology, and historic architecture for the
Southwest Region, and the service-wide program in underwater archeology.
Special assignments included acting superintendencies at national park
units, and a liaison consultancy with the Dallas County Historical
Foundation on preservation and interpretation of the Texas School Book
Depository and Dealey Plaza, in Dallas, TX.
Sellars' articles on American history and on cultural and natural resource
preservation have appeared in numerous publications. He has lectured on
preservation philosophy, policy, and practice at many universities and
conferences, and for more than a decade conducted two-week NPS courses in
historic preservation. In 1999 and 2000, Sellars served as president of
The George Wright Society. For two years he was a member of the NPS
National Wilderness Steering Committee. He also spent two terms on the
board of the Forest History Society, and served on the Historic Design
Review Board for Santa Fe city.
Sellars is the author of Preserving Nature in the National Parks: A History
, a critical study of the conflicts between traditional scenery-and-tourism
management and emerging ecological concepts in the national parks, spanning
the period from the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 to the
late 20th century. The study became the catalyst for the Natural Resource
Challenge, a multi-year budget initiative by Congress to revitalize natural
resource management and science in the national parks. The initiative is
currently funded at about $80 million per year, and has reached a
cumulative total of more than $500 million.
Currently, Sellars is preparing a companion study to Preserving Nature, a
history of evolving policies and practices in the management of historic
and archeological sites in the National Park System. He will continue to
reside in Santa Fe. Richard’s friends and colleagues look forward to
reading the fruits of his retirement!
Richard Sellars was also mentioned in the October 2007 Archeology E-Gram in
the news item George Wright Forum Challenges NPS in Essay Series. To read
his essay “The National Park System and the Historic American Past: A Brief
Overview and Reflection” in the George Wright Forum (Volume 24:1 (2007), go
to www.georgewright.org/backlist_forum.html.
Mark Barnes Retires
Mark Barnes retired from the NPS Southeast Regional Office (SERO) on July
27, 2007. Barnes’s career with the Federal Government began in 1972 in the
U.S. Army. In 1974, Barnes began his career with the NPS in a temporary
position with SEAC. In the same year, he moved to Washington, D.C. to
assume a permanent position as an archeologist with the National Register
of Historic Places program. In 1981, he transferred to Albuquerque, NM, to
work for the newly created, but short-lived, Heritage Conservation and
Recreation Service (HCRS). In 1983, when HCRS was disbanded and its
programs were re-absorbed into the NPS, Barnes transferred to Atlanta to
SERO. He continued to administer archeological contracts, and was also
charged with administering the Comprehensive State Planning Programs for
Southeastern SHPOS, a job he performed until 1990. In 1989, he began
working for the National Register Programs Division. He authored more than
38 landmark nominations, many of which have been designated as NHLs by the
Secretary of the Interior.
Mark’s friends and colleagues wish him the best in his retirement.
NPS Special Agent Part of Raid on Museums
On January 24 Federal agents carried out raids on four Southern California
museums and an art gallery. This is the first public move in a five-year
investigation of an alleged smuggling pipeline that funneled looted
Southeast Asian and Native American artifacts into local museums. Search
warrants were served on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena's
Pacific Asia Museum, the Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, and the Mingei
International Museum, San Diego. The primary targets of the investigation
were Robert Olson, an alleged art smuggler; and Jonathan Markell, owner of
a Los Angeles Asian art gallery.
The warrants are based on an undercover investigation by a special agent
with the NPS, who presented himself as a new collector to Olson and
Markell. The investigation began in 2003, when the undercover agent with
the NPS posed as a buyer and began purchasing looted art from Olson. Both
men allegedly admitted their illegal activities to the agent and sold him
recently looted objects. The warrants claim the men also introduced the
agent to museum officials who, in dozens of secretly tape-recorded
meetings, accepted donations of looted art with values inflated to help the
sellers obtain tax write-offs.
Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the IRS and other federal
agencies were involved in the investigation, which is being guided by the
Assistant U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles. The investigation targets
ancient art allegedly stolen from Thailand, China, Myanmar, and Native
American archeological sites. It is alleged that a senior curator at the
Bowers Museum, now deceased, regularly accepted loans of objects he knew
were looted from Thailand and Native American graves.
Olson also claimed to have the largest collection of Native American ladles
anywhere in the world, including seven from Chaco Cultural NHP, and
admitted he had dug for artifacts on public land in New Mexico without
authorization. A ceramic pot and a 1,000 year old ladle from El Malpais NM
were among the artifacts identified during the investigation.
(from story by Jason Felch, staff writer, Los Angeles Times; and staff
writer, Santa Fe New Mexican)
3D radar-computer 'digs' for Lost Colony in Fort Raleigh NHP
An archaeologist with the First Colony Foundation and Witten Technologies,
Inc. engineers tested an advanced ground penetrating system at Fort Raleigh
NHP in late January. When archaeologists want to see what's below the
surface of the earth they are now beginning to use a technology called
Computer-Assisted Radar Tomography (CART). The technology is similar to
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) used to create pictures of human organs.
Their hope is that CART will prove to be a viable tool to help find
artifacts from Sir Walter Raleigh's sixteenth century colonies.
"The search continues," said NPS historian Rob Bolling, as the CART rolled
along. Only this time, nobody's hands were getting dirty. "It looks like
a lawn mower," said Eric Klingelhofer, the foundation's vice president of
research, who set up the project. In fact, it partially is a lawn mower.
The system uses a fixed array of radar transmitters and receivers on a
rolling cart. A modified commercial lawn mower pushes the device while its
radar transmitters fire into the ground. Receivers then pick up signals
reflected back by subsurface objects. The data are stored in a computer
located near the lawn mower's driver seat.
Witten field engineer Mike Meide operated the CART vehicle while co-worker
John Krause managed the laser-tracking machine, which resembled a
surveyor's tripod. The laser-tracker robotically followed and marked the
location of the CART every six feet. Witten's proprietary software will
create a map showing what the CART found, and where. The software will
pinpoint where the reflections took place, and convert the signals into
three-dimensional pictures of the underground objects.
Meide seemed confident that the sandy soil in the test area would prove
satisfactory. "The worst soil is clay, which absorbs radar energy. Sand
lets the energy pass through it," he said. A ground radar scan in the
1980s picked up at least one rectangular-shaped anomaly, consistent with a
grave. Bolling said that many people in the region died during a 1918
influenza epidemic, but park officials have not found any graves in the
area they thought would be a cemetery. The CART tests might help resolve
the location of the cemetery. The NPS is working to locate the sites of
the Raleigh colonies in the park and any CART results will provide valuable
information, even if the wished-for colonial remnants do not materialize.
The First Colony Foundation comprises a team of archaeologists who, in
recent years, discovered the portions of Jamestown, Virginia, settlement.
The foundation is a partner with the NPS in search of the first European
colony on Roanoke Island. The First Colony Foundation plans to continue
its search for the colony on the south end of Roanoke Island.
(from story by Ed Beckley, staff writer, Outer Banks Sentinel)
To learn more about Fort Raleigh NHP, go to http://www.nps.gov/fora/
Haleakala National Park acquires 4,100 acres of Campbell land
One of Maui’s largest undeveloped tracts of land, which has been under
Campbell ownership for more than a century, is now part of Haleakala NP,
thanks to Hawaii’s congressional delegation, the James Campbell Company and
The Conservation Fund. The acquisition expands the park by more than 4,100
acres from the rim of Haleakala Crater to the south coast of Kaupo, Maui.
The land, known as Nu’u Ranch, includes several significant Hawaiian
cultural sites, which are named in Hawaiian mele (songs/chants) and
legends. The newly-protected cultural sites include heiau or ancient
Hawaiian temples. Portions of the property contain remnants of the native
koa forest ecosystem that once dominated the island, providing critical
habitat for rare native bird species. Lower elevations have intact, dry
wiliwili forests, habitat for the endangered Blackburn’s sphinx moth and
Hawaiian hoary bat.
“We are very excited about this new addition to Haleakala National Park,”
said park superintendent Marilyn H. Parris. “This new addition ensures
these critical cultural and natural resources will be preserved and
protected for our future generations. We also appreciate the support of
Senator Inouye and the partnership alliances necessary to make this land
acquisition happen for the park.”
Hawaii’s congressional delegation led by U.S. Senator Dan Inouye secured
$3.3 million from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire
the property on behalf of the NPS. The James Campbell Company’s commitment
to the acquisition was made possible by bridge financing support from The
Conservation Fund, which also negotiated the purchase of the property.
The James Campbell Company LLC is a private, Hawaii-based, and nationally
diversified real estate company. In 2007, the James Campbell Company
succeeded the Estate of James Campbell, a 107-year-old private trust that
was the legacy of one of Hawaii's foremost business pioneers. As
co-founder of the Pioneer Sugar Mill, James Campbell played an important
role in Maui’s economy in the late 19th century.
The Conservation Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting
America's land and water legacy for current and future generations. Seeking
innovative conservation solutions for the 21st century, the Fund works to
integrate economic and environmental goals. Since 1985, the Fund has
helped its partners safeguard wildlife habitat, working landscapes,
community "greenspace," and historic sites totaling nearly 6 million acres.
To learn more about Haleakala NP, go to http://www.nps.gov/hale/
Federal Student Curation Internships Available
Applications are being accepted for three internships as curatorial
assistants at the Billings Curation Center. The center is a principal
repository for archeological and ethnographic collections from lands
administered by the BLM, BOR, BIA in Montana, North Dakota, and South
Dakota; and Custer National Forest. The purpose of the repository is to
properly store the collections and make them accessible for future
research. The center is operated by the Montana State Office of the BLM.
Each intern will be expected to take one or more collections through all
phases of the curation process. The intern will be expected to complete
registration, cataloging, record searches, lithic identification, and
archiving photographic media and grey literature. Interns should have
background coursework in North American archeology, Plains archeology,
lithic technology, museology and/or laboratory or collections management
experience. Digital imaging; research and development of educational
products; lithic identification; and archival skills are highly desirable.
Candidates should be able to work independently.
Reimbursement for meals and lodging will be provided ($1000.00 per month).
The work schedule is 40 hours per week. The term of the position is 2-4
months, and starting and ending dates can be negotiated. Applications will
be accepted from currently enrolled graduate and upper-level undergraduate
students, as well as from recent (within 2 years) graduates. To apply,
submit a cover letter and current resume highlighting courses and work
experience, along with three references to:
David K. Wade
Billings Curation Center, BLM
5001 Southgate
Billings, Montana 59101
(406)896-5213
Projects in Parks: Thirty Years of Historical Archeology in Skagway, Alaska
by Becky M. Saleeby
Klondike Gold Rush NHP, in Skagway, is one of the most popular attractions
in Alaska, offering tourists a chance to see restored Gold Rush era
buildings and exhibits. Even though archeological testing has regularly
been associated with the preservation and restoration of historic buildings
since 1978, the role of archeology in the development of the park is not
widely known. Among the major results of thirty years of historical
archeology in Skagway is a ten-volume series of reports that document the
town’s colorful past. They serve as an example of how historic
preservation laws and regulations can be a driving force and, together with
good historic archeology, can result in the enrichment of our knowledge
about the Gold Rush era and its aftermath for the benefit of scholars and
park visitors alike.
Archeology E-Gram readers can access the full report through the News and
Links page www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm on the Archeology Program
web site. NPS employees who can access the NPS intranet can read the full
report by going to Projects in Parks
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=279&id=3670 on
InsideNPS.
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. The Archeology E-Gram is available on the News and
Links page www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm on the Archeology Program
web site.
Projects in Parks is a feature of the Archeology E-Gram that informs others
about archeology-related projects in national parks. Prospective authors
should review information about submitting photographs on the Projects in
Parks webpage on InsideNPS. The full reports are available on the Projects
in Parks web page inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=279&id=3670
on InsideNPS or through individual issues of the Archeology E-Gram on the
on the News and Links page http://www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm on
the Archeology Program web site.
Contact: [log in to unmask] to contribute news items, stories for “Projects in
Parks,” and to subscribe.
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