EPAS Newsletter

EPAS Newsletter

February 14th - 2012

The Doña Ana Archaeological Society will meet at 7 PM Tuesday, 14 February 2012, at the Good Samaritan Auditorium, 3011 Buena Vida Circle, Las Cruces. Dr. David Kirkpatrick, Human Systems Research, will give a presentation �The Ozette Site: Pompeii of the West�. He will discuss aspects of the historic and material culture of the northwest Makah tribe based on the excellent preservation of artifacts and architectural features of a village buried under a clay-based landslide, ca. AD1700, on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State. The meeting is free and open to the public. Info 575-524-9497.

The Ozette Site, Pompeii of the West, Cape Alava, Olympic Peninsula,
Washington State.

The Ozette Site has been called the Pompeii of the West because of the
excellent preservation of baskets, mats, boxes, fishing and whaling
tools, and the architectural features of six long houses buried under a
clay-based landslide that occurred ca. AD 1700. The site was occupied
for over 2000 years by the Makah, a northwest coast tribe who lived off
the resources of the ocean and forests, including whale hunting, a very
prestigious occupation. This slide show will discuss aspects of the
historic Makah culture and the material culture recovered from the
excavations by archaeologists from Washington State University.

Dr. David T. Kirkpatrick is an Associate Director of Research and Public
Education with Human Systems Research. He has conducted research
throughout New Mexico since 1977.

February 19, 2012 -

EPAS & El Paso Museum of Archaeology present:

Diablo Cave

Javier Vasquez

Jose Javier Vasquez, a native of El Paso, Texas, earned his Master's degree from UTEP in 2010. He completed a master's thesis that began archaeological research at Sierra Diablo Cave. This research will be discussed during his presentation. For nearly six years, he has worked in CRM for TRC Environmental out of the El Paso, Texas office. His interests include Paleoindian archaeology, cave sites, the application of GIS in archaeological investigations, and geoarchaeology.

This presentation will bring into focus all of the archaeological investigations that have occured at Sierra Diablo Cave since 2008. The site is located in far eastern Hudspeth County, Texas on private property. This dry cave exhibits stratified deposits to a depth of at least 3.0 m below ground surface in one tested locale. Extensive trenching has revealed continous strata with minimal burrowing or other disturbances. A Paleoindian component has been identified, in addition to the Archaic deposits above it. Excavations have yielded high densities of artifacts throughout the site, suggesting many more lithic and organic artifacts remain to be found in excellent context.

Presentation will start at 2:00pm in the El Paso Museum of Archaeology auditorium. You need not be a member to attend these lectures.

March 18th, 2012
EPAS Speaker

Nina Williams

1) I will be receiving my Masters in Anthropology towards the end of 2012 from New Mexico State University. I have participated in three field schools, the most recent was in Deming, NM on Kipp Ruin with Dr. William Walker. My interests in Central America have led me to study with Dr. Rani Alexander and complete my research in the Yucatan.

2)I will explore the variation among norias (or water wheels) and offer insight into how technology transfer reengineered Yucatán’s landscape. Norias were introduced to Yucatán after the Spanish Invasion (1511-1546). Cenotes (depressions that reach the water table) were a reliable fresh water source and were accessed using the new hydrologic technology. Mechanical and morphological variations of the noria occur throughout the Northern Yucatán peninsula. I provide a timeline for how and when the noria changed.

Art vendors, crafts vendors and educational exhibitors are invited to participate in the 2012 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range. Vendors will be a part of the event on Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Space is limited!

$35.00 Vendor Fee – Applications must be received by Friday, February 24, 2012. Applicants will be notified of their selection by March 5, 2012. Upon approval, vendors will be charged a fee for the rented space in which they can sell their items. Set up may not exceed 10’x10’. Spaces are limited. Vendors must bring their own materials (tent, table, easels, table cloths, chairs, etc). Tent weights are required! Art must be original pieces of work and can be, but are not limited to: paintings, sculptures, wood work, prints (graphic design), professional photographs, arts and crafts, handbags, screened t-shirts, and jewelry. A photo example of your merchandise is required with the application. Booth assignments are final; vendors MAY NOT reassign themselves. Booth fees are non-refundable.

$25.00 Exhibitor Fee - Non-profits and educational booth only. Applications must be received by Friday,

February 24, 2012. Applicants will be notified of their selection by March 5, 2012. (1 table, 2 chairs and shade will be generously provided by the Franklin Mountain State Park). Set up may not exceed 10’x10’. Trailer exhibits are prohibited due to limited space. If your non-profit organization plans to sell anything, you must register as a vendor and pay the art vendor rate of $35. Booth assignments are final; exhibitors MAY NOT reassign themselves. Booth fees are non-refundable.

The University of Missouri (MU) is sponsoring a field school near Deming in southern New Mexico. Research will focus on the excavation of 76 Draw, an important site dating to the Casas Grandes Medio period (AD 1200 through 1450). During the Medio period, an expansive political and religious system united southern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Chihuahua. This site, which is the most northerly known Medio period settlement, includes a pueblo-like adobe structure and a dense artifact scatter. Students participating in the field school will generate data useful for understanding how Medio period people interacted with other Southwestern cultures such as the pueblos in central and northern New Mexico and the Salado settlements of western New Mexico and Arizona, as well as settlements in the Medio period’s heartland in modern day northern Chihuahua.

Field training will focus on learning excavation technique, site survey and mapping procedures, and approaches to artifact analysis in a field laboratory setting under the watchful eye of Dr. Christine VanPool (MU), Dr. Todd L. VanPool (MU), and Dr. Gordon F.M. Rakita (University of North Florida). Students may enroll for 3 to 6 credit hours in Anthropology 4800 (undergraduate credit; $261.60 per credit hour) or Anthropology 7800 (graduate credit; $326.70 per credit hour). Training and opportunities will be the same regardless of the number of credit hours taken, and all students will have the opportunity to participate in all parts of the project.

We will stay in rented houses in Deming, New Mexico. Students need to provide their own sleeping bags, air mattresses, and personal field gear such as trowels (a full list of recommended items is available by contacting us at vanpoolt@missouri.edu). The project will supply all remaining equipment (e.g., shovels), room, and board. Students will need to provide their own transportation to and from Deming, New Mexico, at the start and end of the project. Students living in Columbia, Missouri, can carpool with the project directors and/or other students. Once in the field school starts, the project will provide transportation. You WILL NOT need to use personal vehicles to travel to and from the site.

Costs: Tuition for 3 to 6 credit hours (undergraduate credit—$261.60 + $12.20 student fees per hour; graduate credit—$326.70 + $12.20 student fees per hour) + $1,800 field school fee. The field school fee covers transportation in the field, field equipment, room and board. Students who are not already enrolled at the University of Missouri also need to pay a one-time Visiting Student Application fee of $50. Transportation to and from Deming, your personal equipment/hygiene items and sleeping bags/bedding are not covered.

For more information, please contact Todd L. VanPool, 203 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211. email: vanpoolt@m issouri.edu. Phone: (573)884-8118.