April 2011 Archeology E-Gram
NPS Archeology Program Website has a New Front Page
The NPS Archeology Program has a new front page for the month of April. The
page promotes outdoor archeology activities sure to get you moving! Learn
about sites in three different states that celebrate Archeology Month in
April at www.nps.gov/archeology/.
NPS Awards Cotter Award to Douglas Wilson
The John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in NPS Archeology selection
committee awarded the 2011 award to archeologist Douglas Wilson, Fort
Vancouver NHS, for the Station Camp/Middle Village Archeological Project.
Wilson’s project was commended for its high scientific merit, student
involvement and experiential education, tribal consultation, professional
dissemination, and public outreach.
NPS archeologists created the Cotter Award to honor the long and
distinguished career and pioneering contributions to professional
archeology of Dr. John L. Cotter within the NPS. This unofficial award was
established to inspire student and professional archeologists to continue
Dr. Cotter’s model of excellence in scientific archeology. The award
recognizes the accomplishments of NPS staff or a partnership researcher in
the execution of a specific project within the National Park System. The
next call for submissions will come out winter 2011-2012.
Contact: Pei-Lin Yu (406) 243-2660
Special Agent Todd Swain Represents U.S. at International Conference
NPS Special Agent Todd Swain represented the United States at an
international conference on protecting cultural resources, held in April at
Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education, National
Institute of Anthropology and History; Columbia’s Foundation of
Spanish-American History; and Spain’s Agency for International Development
and Cooperation organized Primero Seminario Iberoamericano de Periodismo y
Patramonio Cultural. The conference was attended by about 100 people from
11 nations.
The wealth of cultural resources in Mexico and other countries in the
Central and South America suffer from ongoing looting and vandalism, and
most of the looted objects are marketed in the United States and Europe.
Swain presented information about the scope of cultural resource looting in
the United States, and the efforts made to combat the trafficking of
domestic and international antiquities. He also spoke in a panel discussion
concerning the trafficking in the western hemisphere of cultural patrimony.
From the questions posed by the audience (many of whom were reporters), it
was clear that the presentations offered new insights about the extent of
the looting problems.
The next conference is tentatively scheduled for 2013 in Spain.
NPS Archeologist Attends Training in Mexico
Between March 27 and April 1, 2011, NPS staff from three national
parks/monuments, including Tumacacori NHP archeologist Jeremy Moss, and US
students participated in a TICRAT (Taller Internacional de Conservacion y
Restauracion de Arquitectura de Tierra). preservation workshop in Baja
California, Mexico. The workshop was an international joint
American/Mexican effort to share traditional preservation techniques
between preservation specialists and students. Workshops focused on
techniques of preserving earthen architecture and using natural materials
such as lime and alum. The workshop was completed through a cooperative
agreement with the University of Arizona called the “Missions Initiative.”
The workshop consisted of two parts: a conference of professional
presentations; and hands-on training sessions at the Spanish Colonial
mission site of San Vicente Ferrer south of Ensenada. Participants included
NPS staff, American and Mexican university students, INAH Mexico, city
government officials, K-12 students, and people from the local community of
San Vicente Ferrer. The level of local participation was impressive.
TICRATs are international preservation workshops that typically involve the
NPS and INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia). Interaction
between American and Mexican preservation specialists during these
workshops facilitate the exchange of knowledge, improved partnerships, and
development of future projects.
Passing of Lewis Roberts Binford
Influential archeologist Lewis Binford has passed away at the age of 80.
Binford died at his home in Kirksville, Missouri, on April 11, 2011. He was
born on November 21, 1930. Binford graduated from the University of North
Carolina (Bachelors), and the University of Michigan (Masters and PhD).
Binford’s academic career was based at the University of New Mexico and,
subsequently, at Southern Methodist University.
Binford brought about a virtual revolution in archeology in the 1960s and
1970s by elevating its status from a descriptive study of antiquities to a
scientific discipline devoted to anthropological understanding of ways of
life of ancient societies. His 'archaeology as anthropology' proposition
emerged as a dominant paradigm in contemporary archeology. This trend,
popularly known as New Archaeology, emphasized a regional approach to
understanding archeological sites, hypothesis testing, and culture as a
system of inter-related components serving as means of human adaptation.
These concepts have now become central tenets of modern archeology.
Binford's field studies covered archeological sites in North America,
Europe, Africa and the Middle East. His contributions include
interpretation of differences in prehistoric stone tool assemblages in
terms of seasonal variations in human activity; and emergence of
agricultural way of life due to innovative initiatives of splinter
hunter-gatherer groups that moved away from their parent communities.
His influential publications span more than four decades; he produced over
150 publications, many of which became seminal papers in archeological
theory and method. He also made pioneering contributions to ethnoarcheology
and conducted longterm investigations of the Nunamiut Eskimos of Alaska. He
published about a dozen major books on archaeology. These include 'New
Perspectives in Archaeology,' 'Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology,' 'Bones; Ancient
Men and Modern Myths' and 'In pursuit of the Past.' Three volumes, 'An
Archaeological Perspective,' 'Working at Archaeology' and 'Debating
Archaeology' are collections of his major research papers. His last major
publication, 'Constructing Frames of Reference,' was published by the
Chicago University Press in 200l.
Junior Ranger Day at Historic Jamestowne
A highlight of National Park Week at Colonial National Historical Park was
Junior Ranger Day at Historic Jamestowne on April 23, 2011. Working with
park interpretive staff, 80 social studies honor students at nearby
Jamestown High School researched, planned, and presented a variety of
special programs for visitors throughout the day. Programs included
walking tours of the site with living history characters, bicycle tours of
Island Drive, hands-on crafts, children’s games, and a mock archeological
dig box. In addition to helping to staff the visitor center, the students
created a special Junior Ranger workbook and awarded 300 National Junior
Ranger patches during the event. The program was well received by the
park’s visitors, who enjoyed interacting with the dedicated group of
“Junior Rangers.”
By James Perry
NPS Archeology Program Updates Distance Learning Courses on Interpreting
Archeology
Does your park have archeological resources? Are you wondering what they
all mean, and how they hang together with the interpretive themes of your
park? Do site reports and collections seem like impenetrable obstacles to
get at the real story behind them? Are you looking to enrich your knowledge
with another perspective, and encourage your audiences in the same? If you
answered yes to even one of these questions, check out the four courses
that support Effective Interpretation of Archeological Resources: The
Archeology-Interpretation Shared Competency Course of Study (Module 440).
The courses were created by the NPS to encourage archeologists and
interpreters to work together to interpret archeological resources to the
public. The courses are particularly useful to volunteers in parks,
interns, archeologists, interpreters and educators, and cultural resource
managers who wish to hone their public interpretation skills. All four
courses are available for credit through DOI Learn – just search by the
course name in italics below.
Archeology for Interpreters is aimed at interpreters and educators. It
outlines the art and science of archeology, its purposes, methods, and
approaches, then puts it all together in a case study. Learn in the process
about sensitive interpretations of cultural heritage, resources for more
information, and more. Online: www.nps.gov/archeology/AforI/index.htm .
Interpretation for Archeologists helps archeologists looking for effective
methods to present their findings in ways that grab attention and cultivate
stewardship. The course explains the Interpretive Equation, methods of
interpretation, and includes case studies and resources. Archeologists will
learn how to weave a story out of archeological resources in engaging ways.
Online: www.nps.gov/archeology/IforA/index.htm .
Study Tour of Archeological Interpretation investigates the
interdisciplinary issues faced by archeologists and interpreters while
working together to provide effective and accurate interpretation of
archeological resources to the public. Each section introduces choices and
strategies for interpreting archeology in parks and historic sites. Take a
self-guided tour in person or on-line with the course in hand to evaluate
the interpretive techniques applied to an archeological resources.
Online: www.nps.gov/archeology/studytour/index.htm .
Assessment of Archeological Interpretation draws from the earlier courses
to create an evaluative framework for your interpretive program. It’s a
handy way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the program, and
develop ways to improve and polish it.
Online: www.nps.gov/archeology/aiassess/index.htm .
For more information, contact Teresa Moyer (202)354-2124
Man Sentenced for Vandalism to Important Petroglyph
Trenton Ganey was sentenced in Federal court on April 4, 2011, to 60 months
supervised probation, $10,000 restitution, and 100 hours of community
service for damaging petroglyphs on the canyon walls along the Colorado
River in Glen Canyon NRA. Ganey, 29, of Carolina Beach, North Carolina,
pleaded guilty last December to a charge of damaging an archeological
resource, a Class E felony.
Ganey was on a guided fishing trip on the Colorado River last June. When
the group stopped at a beach below Glen Canyon Dam, Ganey hiked up a short
distance to a famous petroglyph known as the “Descending Sheep Panel” and
scratched “TRENT” into the petroglyph panel with a rock. His actions were
discovered by rangers shortly after the group departed. They confronted him
when the group disembarked at Lee’s Ferry. Ganey immediately admitted his
actions to the rangers, and upon learning the age and significance of the
petroglyph panel, expressed remorse for his actions. He later agreed to be
interviewed for an article which appeared in the Arizona Daily Sun in an
effort to deter others from similar acts.
At his sentencing, Ganey told the court that he was profoundly sorry for
the damage that he had caused to the panel, which has great significance to
Native Americans in Northern Arizona, and that he was sorry for the shame
that he had brought upon himself and his family. The Descending Sheep Panel
contains elements of rock art interpreted to represent three separate
temporal and cultural periods dating in age from about 1,000 years ago to
somewhere between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago.
By Office of the United States Attorney, District of Arizona
Hiker Pleads Guilty To ARPA Violation
Ranger Mike Nattrass was contacted on March 10, 2007, regarding an overdue
hiker in the Saline Valley area. He soon located and contacted the hiker, a
65-year-old man from Carpinteria, California. During the ensuing
conversation, the hiker admitted that he had just collected 272 artifacts
from an archeological site within the park. Archeological field work was
done by Joshua Tree NP archeologist Jan Keswick shortly thereafter and an
ARPA damage assessment report was subsequently completed. Additional
investigative work was done by Rangers John Fish, Jason Flood, Don Whyte,
and a Special Agent. On March 9, 2011, the man pled guilty to one
misdemeanor ARPA count. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised
probation, payment of $600 in restitution to the park, and payment of a $25
penalty assessment.
FCC Offers Training on Historic Preservation Compliance
The FCC will offer training on communications towers and
environmental/historic preservation compliance on June 21, 2011. Staff from
the FCC, USDA Rural Utilities Service, FEMA, DOC, and ACHP will carry out
the training, which will be held at the FCC, 445 12the Street, SW,
Washington, DC, 20554. To attend, pre-registration is required. Contact
James Swartz at [log in to unmask] to register.
2011 Pecos Conference
The 2011 Pecos Conference will be held on August 11-14 at the Arizona Strip
(Mile-and-a-Half Lake, Arizona). First inspired and organized by A.V.
Kidder in 1927, the Pecos Conference has no formal organization or
permanent leadership. Somehow, professional archaeologists find ways to
organize themselves to meet at a new conference location each summer,
mostly because they understand the problems of working in isolation in the
field and the importance of direct face time with colleagues. To make
progress with objective science and with other cultural matters, books and
journal articles are important, but one still must look colleagues in the
eye and work out the details of one's research in cooperative and
contentious forums.
Open to all, the Pecos Conference remains an important and superlative
opportunity for students and students of prehistory to meet with
professional archaeologists on a one-on-one informal basis to learn about
the profession, gain access to resources and to new research opportunities,
and to test new methods and theories related to archaeology.
Information and registration can be found at
www.swanet.org/2011_pecos_conference/
The Archaeology Channel Offers News Stories
A video tribute to archeologist Donny George are among the latest offerings
of a new online and TV program offered to you in the April 2011 edition of
the Video News from TAC, available now on The Archaeology Channel (
www.archaeologychannel.org) and cable TV in cities across the US.
Launched in October 2010, the Video News from TAC is a monthly half-hour
studio-produced program designed for both online streaming and cable TV
distribution. Other subjects covered so far in the series include a tour of
Thailand’s cultural heritage, an interview with Dr. Tom King, a joint Hopi
Tribe-USDA FS effort to save ancient rock art panels, archeologists and
natives learning from each other on a Polynesian island, recording cultural
heritage on the foreshore of the Thames River in London, ongoing
excavations at a long-inhabited site in Jordan, a tour of Classical sites
in Italy, and the Terracotta Army exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine
Arts.
Video News program details can be found at
www.archaeologychannel.org/VideoNews.html. The growing list of cable TV
stations carrying the show is posted at
www.archaeologychannel.org/VideoNewscabletv.htm.
Civil War Commemorations
In March 2010 the NPS began celebrations to commemorate the 150th
anniversary of the Civil War. We have established a new feature in the
Archeology E-Gram to provide information and links about activities to
commemorate the Civil War. Each month, the E-Gram will feature information
about activities such as exhibits, re-enactments, and lectures taking
place. Here are some events that will take place in May:
Special Exhibit “Hoofbeats in the Heartlands”
Stewart County, Tennessee, Visitor Center, with Fort Donelson NB and the
Tennessee State Museum
Photographs, artifacts, and stories explain the role of mounted warfare
during the Civil War. (The Stewart County Visitor Center is located nearly
across the street from the Fort Donelson NB Visitor Center.)
www.nps.gov/fodo/planyourvisit/events.htm
Living History Weekend
Gettysburg NMP, Gettysburg, MD, May 2011
Volunteer groups representing Union and Confederate troops provide weekends
of "living history.” April 30-May 1, it's the National Regiment camp and
programs at the Pennsylvania Monument, Auto Tour Stop 12. On May 7-8, the
4th Maryland Artillery camp and programs at Pitzer Woods, Auto Tour Stop 6,
Battery M, 2nd US Artillery camp and programs at the Pennsylvania Monument,
Auto Tour Stop 12, and the US Sharpshooters with programs on Little Round
Top, Auto Tour Stop 8. www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/events.htm
Re-enactor Program
Kennesay Mountain NHP, GA, April 30
Members of the 54 Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, K Company
re-enactors at the park visitor center will give programs at 10:00, 12:30,
and 2:00 on the contribution of African American troops during the Civil
War. Akbar Imhotep will retell several of Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus
Stories at 11:00 and Ernestine Brown will tell the story of a slave buried
at Mable House cemetery at 11:30. www.nps.gov/kemo/planyourvisit/events.htm
Living History Day
Manassas NBP, Manassas, VA, April 30 _May 1
Confederate encampment and infantry demonstrations, Henry Hill from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.(April 30); 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (May 1) that include musketry firing
by the 27th Virginia and Stonewall Brigade.
www.nps.gov/mana/planyourvisit/events.htm
Cannon Firing Demonstration
Shiloh NMP, TN, April 30-May 1
Volunteers dressed in period uniforms will display artillery projectiles of
the war and fire the cannon. Demonstration times: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m.,
and 3:00 p.m. (April 30); 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. (May 1)
School Days in May
Shiloh NMP, TN, May 3-5.
Grade school classes are invited to attend and visit five stations offering
receiving new interpretive information on the Civil War and Shiloh NHP.
Teachers must register in advance, at 731-689-5696.
www.nps.gov/shil/planyourvisit/events.htm
Civil War Activities
Stones River NB, TN, May-June
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from May 2 to June 10, 2011, visitors
can follow a ranger in their vehicles and stop at four sites to learn about
the Battle of Stones River. Every Monday-Friday until May 27, Visitors can
join a ranger or volunteer as they tell the story of a soldier who fought
in the Battle of Stones River. Program starts at the visitor center at 2
PM. Experience the Battle of Stones River by listening to the experiences
of a Union or Confederate unit. Program starts at the visitor center at 2
PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 11 AM on Saturdays. On May 7-8, join
living history volunteers as they present programs and demonstrations on
civilian and military life during the Civil War.
www.nps.gov/stri/planyourvisit/events.htm
Civil War Living History Days
Hot Springs NP, AR, May 6-7
School groups are especially invited to come May 6, from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.;
contact Park Ranger Gail Sears for a reservation. May 7, living historians
will be available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Musician Adam Miller will present music of
the time. www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/events.htm
More information about Civil War commemorations can be found on the NPS 150
th website http://nps.gov/civilwar150.
Projects in Parks: Thomas Cresap and Maryland’s Colonial Frontier
By John Bedell
One of the most famous figures in the history of colonial Maryland is
frontiersman Thomas Cresap. Cresap was a hired ruffian, an Indian trader, a
land speculator, a farmer, and a soldier. During the French and Indian War
his house was, for a time, the furthest westward point of British control
in the Middle Atlantic region. Archeologists recently discovered the site
of his home in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and
have carried out preliminary excavations. The archeological deposits
provide another source of information about this fascinating figure and the
world he lived in.
To access this and other Projects in Parks, go to
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/cnoCresap.htm
Projects in Parks is a feature of the Archeology E-Gram that informs others
about archeology-related projects in national parks. The full reports are
available on the Research in the Parks web page
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/index.htm or through individual issues
of the Archeology E-Gram. Prospective authors should review information
about submitting photographs on the Projects in Parks web page 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 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
www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm on the NPS Archeology Program web
site.
Contact: Karen Mudar at [log in to unmask] to contribute news items, stories for
Projects in Parks, submit citations and a brief abstract for your
peer-reviewed publications, and to subscribe.
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