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From: Brian Kenny - MCDOT
To: Brian Kenny - MCDOT
Subject: Two SWA Editorials
Date: Wednesday, May 08, 1996 11:10AM
Please Re-distribute via e-mail to bulletin boards and listservs
Two (2) Southwestern Archaeology Editorials for May 1996
<http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/swa/editorials/editorial.html>
A Brief Tour of the Southwestern Archaeology (SWA ) Internet Site (We
describe who we are, what we do, how we've organized the SWA website
and, in general, what type of information we provide.)
The Southwestern Archaeology (SWA) web site was first conceived in February
of 1995 by Brian Kenny and Matthias Giessler. We intitially met over the
Internet exchanging e-mail about a common interest in Southwestern
archaeology. Out of this correspondence grew the idea for a web site that
might serve as an information resource for professional and avocational
archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians working in and studying the
varied aspects of cultures and landscapes in the American Southwest.
During the first year of its existence, the site, which is housed on the
Seamonkey [C-monkey :- )] Server at ASU's College of Education, has been
accessed by over 8000 different IP addresses and is currently receiving
about 40-50 hits a day. As of May 1996, SWA contains 17.8 MB of data with
373 text and 482 graphics files. The site has gone through three different
designs, each time in an attempt to improve its layout and accessibilty.
Although we try hard to make the information on SWA as accessible and
informative as possible, our own sense of organization may not be entirely
transparent to the casual visitor. On SWA's opening page, we briefly state
the scope of our interests and provide a series of links that lead to more
detailed information. Here's a brief tour of our site.
At the top of the opening screen, we link to a page about health and safety
tips for archaeologists and anthropologists working in the Southwest. Among
links to other sites, this page features PDF files on the Hantavirus,
Tick-Borne Diseases, Bats and Public Health, trench safety, etc.
For quite some time, we have offered extensive information on the Annual
Pecos Conference. We publish Pecos Conference papers and talks and house
the Pecos T-Shirt Designs Archive. Recently, we put up Conference and
Registration information for the 1996 Pecos Conference which will be held in
the Coconino National Forest north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Visitors will find
registration forms, maps, as well as information on accomodations, field
reports, tours, brewing contests etc.on the 1996 Pecos Conference page.
About 2 months ago, we put up an Internet survey about Anthropology- or
Archaeology-related World Wide Web sites. We were curious to find out what
type of sites are available, how they are administered, what kind of
information they cover, etc. We asked people who maintain such sites to fill
out a questionnaire we had put up on SWA. So far, we have received about 80
replies and hope for more. We will publish the results soon.
In November, we are going to hold the first SWA sponsored Internet conference i
n Phoenix, Arizona. The conference, entitled 'Totemic Increase
Rites for Internet Archaeology," will focus on how the World-Wide Web may
help to more efficiently establish and disseminate information about
Southwestern Anthropology and Archaeology. The conference's goal is to
promote virtual research, electronic database and information development,
efficient communications exchange, and cost-effective Cultural Resources
Management business practices as they relate to better serving government,
industry, and the public. Detailed Information about this conference,
including maps, conference topics, registration forms as well as a message
board, is available on the SWA site.
Another page we put up, explains at some length what the SWA site is all
about. In general, we try to provide relevant information to and connect
people interested in the archaeology, anthropology and history of the
region. In order to make the site as accessible and informative as possible
we need, of course, input, submissions, data, and criticisms from visitors
to our site. To that end, we publish a page that shows the many ways in
which one can contribute to the SWA site. These contributions are
particularly important because we both live in Arizona, so that in many
instances the SWA site is very Arizona-centric despite the fact that we have
every intention and desire to serve the entire Southwest region.
SWA also mirrors the Southwestern Archaeology Special Interest Group (SASIG)
on AzTeC, a free, community-based, text-only Internet access provider
serving Phoenix, Tucson, and other communities in Arizona. SASIG is an
archive or electronic bulletin board of E-mail messages, and other unique or
pertinent messages not sent via E-mail to those subscribed to the SWA
mailing list. Members of the community, students of prehistory, avocational
archaeologists, and professional archaeologists are encouraged to post
appropriate questions, messages and information about Southwestern
archaeology, prehistory and history. Over the past year, we have posted over
550 messages to the SASIG. Currently, the SWA mailing list has 230 members
and is growing steadily.
Since one of our main goals is to serve as a nexus for professional and
avocational archaeologists, we try to make information available that allows
people in the field to find and contact one another on the Internet. Apart
from our SWA mailing list, which publishes the members' names, professions
and e-mail addresses, we provide useful addresses for Archaeological
Consultants with ASM Permits, the Arizona Archaeology Advisory Commission
Membership List, Archaeological Societies & Newsletters, Legislators, etc.
Frequently, we receive e-mail messages or stumble upon bizarre and esoteric
web sites, so we put up an ecclectic collection of entertaining,
archaeology-related WWW links whose content we find highly questionable
and/or laughable. SWA is dedicated to serious, scientifically-oriented
archeaology and anthropology and has no place for site vandals, adventurers,
and New Age Plastic Shamans.
At present, SWA also provides links to over 700 other WWW sites, most of
them relevant to Southwestern archaeology and a few dealing with broader
archaeological topics. We have subdivided SWA information according to
geographic and political regions: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Lower
Colorado River (CA/AZ/NV), Trans-Pecos (Texas) and Mexico
(Sonora/Chihuahua). Pages for each region list a great number of links, both
primary data (which reside on our server) as well as relevant off-site
links. Among the primary data we provide for these regions are:
Conference and Symposium information
Information on Archaeological Societies Tourist Information
Federal Archaeology Laws and Regulations
Indian Ruins of the Southwest
Newsletters, Brochures and Catalogues
Southwestern Archaeology Reading List
Selected articles
Archaeological Site Vandalism Information
Annotated Bibliographies
Book Reviews
Guide To Cultural Resource Compliance
We think the Internet will be a most useful medium for communication and
information exchange among professional and avocational archaeologists. We
always welcome substantive contributions of information that can be shared
with the public. If you need help with formatting data for the web, SWA
offers some advice for HTML (web page) authors on the 'Contribute
Information' page. Finally, if for some reason you find our organization of
Southwestern materials remiss, please let us know so we can improve the
function and layout
of the site.
Thanks!
Matthias Giessler
Director of Internet/Multimedia Services
Technology Based Learning and Research
Arizona State University
200 E. Curry Rd.
P.O. Box 870908
Tempe, AZ 85287-0908
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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How To Turn A Virtual Tour (Or Your Summer Vacation) into a Profession or
Avocation (An Editorial and a Primer for High School and College Students)
School is nearly over and you'll be heading somewhere in the next few weeks.
Perhaps you have a summer job lined up, plans for an exciting trip to a new
destination, or, a need for more schooling through a summer curriculum
program. Chances are you'll get home to hang with friends, and see mom and
dad. As you head off in a new direction, think how the world around you and
exciting new experiences can fling you into a career.
I was reading about Bruce Babbitt, the Secretary of the Interior, out
fighting forest fires in Arizona. His family traded with Native Americans
and established a business and ranching empire in northern Arizona. Babbitt
studied geology as an undergraduate, and worked as a hotshot during the
summer fire season. He then studied law, worked as a lawyer, and eventually,
was elected as the Attorney General of Arizona. Soon, circumstances found
him filling the role as the Governor of Arizona. Some time later, he left
the office of Governor to take on new goals. Prior to the last national
election, he ran in primaries for Presidency of the United States. He's the
Secretary of the Interior, an extremely important job, and he's come full
circle, wearing the nomex pants and yellow fire shirt of a fire fighter. Who
could have predicted this route? Probably no one.
As you surf the Southwestern Archaeology (SWA) website, you can take a route an
ywhere in the Southwest. Your path will be unique and completely unlike
the journey of others. Perhaps you'll link up to a federal site to obtain
job announcements to get that summer, temporary, or permanent job as a fire
fighter or an archaeologist. Maybe you'll find a field school where you can
stay out west for the summer, work hard and maybe earn some bucks, get
college credit, and, find true love in a summer romance (and you thought
archaeology field school was about dead culture! Ha!). Maybe you'll find a
clue to help you put together better research skills in science and
mathematics, or better business skills. Don't laugh. As much as they
logically seem to be about discarded material culture and societies long
past, archaeology and anthropology are also about the living, ourselves, our
society, and our need to integrate life skills to better solve problems and
find satisfaction.
OK, the truth is that mom and dad plan to take you on a cross-country this
summer (with your younger siblings), and you're absolutely dreading the end
of school. We can't help you unless you help yourself. Tell your family that
you wish to become a geologist and watch their eyes roll! Then tell them
about Bruce Babbitt, and how you really want to visit the prehistoric and
historic ruins of the Southwest. Show them the SWA Internet site and all the
cool places you can visit. Plan an itinerary and use links on SWA to print
out maps. E- mail archaeologists and arrange to meet them in the field at
each stop along the way. Ask the pros for personalized tours and site
visits. Tell mom and dad that you absolutely would love to camp out at the
Pecos Conference (don't mention all the inexpensive beer available at the
conference). When you get back to school in the Fall, you'll be much better
off for all the wear n' tear -- and who knows -- perhaps the circle will
turn back to you somewhere down the road. Let us know how if we can help.
Thanks!
Brian Kenny
Environmental Program Manager / Anthropologist
MCDOT Transportation Planning Division
2901 West Durango St, Phoenix AZ 85009
W (602) 506-8082 / FAX (602) 506-4882
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
P.O. Box 61203 , Phoenix AZ 85082-1203
H (602) 962-5335 / (602) 227-3154 voice msg pager
E-mail: [log in to unmask] / [log in to unmask]
URL: <http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/swa/>
<http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/swa/bkenny.html>
Copyright ? 1996 by Brian Kenny & Matthias Giessler. A netzWERK Production.
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