Archeology E-Gram February 2023

Departmental Consulting Archeologist and Archeological Organizations Collaborate on Project about Future of American Archeology

The discipline of archeology is facing new challenges as we enter the third decade of the 21st century. To address such issues as improving engagement and partnerships with descendant communities, climate change impacts, decolonizing archeology, and academic training that supports and advances compliance with our nation’s historic preservation laws, the Departmental Consulting Archeologist (DCA, who is also the NPS Bureau Archeologist) is working with professional archeological organizations to define priorities and new directions for the discipline.

In Spring 1974 then SAA President Charles McGimsey requested that NPS Chief of Interagency Archeological Services fund six seminars. “Six Seminars on the Future Direction of Archeology” allowed federal, academic, and industry archeologists to assess their responsibilities and to become vitally concerned in the future directions of archeological research. The report from the conference, The Management of Archeological Resources, the Airlie House Report, a 1977 Special Publication of the Society for American Archaeology, helped shape federal archeology and cultural resource management over the next four decades.

Almost 50 years later, the DCA, Society for American Archelogy (SAA), Society for Historical Archeology, American Anthropological Society, American Cultural Resources Association, academic institutions and Federal Agencies are cooperating on initiatives to prepare American cultural resource management for future challenges. These initiatives include:

• An online survey to prioritize nine preliminary topics of concern for American archeologists. The survey was widely distributed October 16-28, 2022.
• A webinar held on February 8, 2023, to discuss results of the survey.
• A forum at the SAA 2023 annual meeting in Portland, OR. The forum, “Back to the Future: The National Historic Preservation Act and the SAA/NPS Airlie House Seminars Revisited,” will be held on March 30.
• A workshop, to be held in August 2023, for archeologists in academia, Federal service, and industry to develop recommendations to address identified and agreed upon priorities.

To review results of the survey, listen to a recording of the webinar, read reminiscences of Airlie House Report authors, and learn more about these initiatives, go to The Future of Cultural Resource Management Archaeology in the United States (saa.org)

National Park Service Lesson Plan Dedicated to the Indigenous Kecoughtan People

In 1607, the Kecoughtan people lived on the shore of the James River near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. They were part of a regional alliance of tribes under the leadership of Powhatan. Shortly after the English arrived and built their fort at Jamestown, they forcibly removed the Kecoughtan from their nearby town, where Fort Monroe NM is now located.

A lesson plan developed by staff at the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT and Fort Monroe NM provides teachers with materials about the Kecoughtan people.  Ashley Ranalli authored the lesson plan while working as a seasonal park guide with the trail in 2022. When not serving as an NPS park guide, Ranalli works as a teacher in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Ranalli consulted with fellow teachers and collaborated with Autumn Fortune-Dueber, a citizen of the Chickahominy Tribe. She was inspired by a lesson plan that Fortune-Dueber wrote on the history of the Rappahannock people.

The lesson plan introduces the Kecoughtan people to students through the lens of "home." Ranalli said, "I want students to understand that the historical Native Americans who lived on our trail had culturally rich lives and homes well-built to suit their environment."

See the lesson plan at https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/kecoughtan-lesson-plan.htm

Crow Canyon Hosts Webinar about Early Footprints at White Sands National Park

The discovery of human footprints at White Sands National Park has opened a new archive of evidence on past behaviors and human presence. In a webinar hosted by Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Matthew Bennett reviewed some of this new evidence, created a "snap-shot" into the past, and discussed the controversial dating of these footprints before exploring their potential implications for the peopling of the Americas.

To view the webinar, Footsteps into the Past at White Sands National Park go to Footsteps into the Past at White Sands National Park with Dr. Matthew Bennett - YouTube

To view the many recordings sponsored by Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, go to Archaeology Webinars – Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

The Federal Archeologist’s Bookshelf: The Management of Archeological Resources, the Airlie House Report,by Charles McGimsey and Hester Davis, Special Publication of the Society for American Archaeology (1977)

In 1974, a series of seminars about the management of archeological resources focused on interpretations of new laws and regulations affecting archeological resources and the anticipated changes in the practice of archeology that would be necessary to address environmental and historic preservation requirements. Gathered at these meetings were archeologists, resource managers, and experts from government agencies and academic institutions who developed the concepts, methods, and procedures of the sub-discipline of cultural resource management.

The attendees were directed to consider a specific set of questions:

• How can federal and other agencies who have a responsibility for this Nation's archeological resources identify qualified individuals or institutions with whom they can cooperate or contract in meeting these new responsibilities?
• How can these agencies review the product of an individual archeological investigation to determine if they have a report which will enable them to plan effectively as well as one which will contribute meaningfully to the basic store of archeological data?
• How can the Nation's continuing need for information about its past best be coordinated with its needs with respect to present and future growth or development?
• How can information resulting from archeological research best be disseminated to various interested audiences (federal, state, and other planners, archeologists, schools, the general public) in the most effective manner?
• How do publicly funded efforts to protect and recover archeological data affect the rights of private citizens?
• How does the scientific investigation of America's prehistoric past affect, and how is it affected by, the American Indian, the physical and cultural descendants of that past?

These questions are as pertinent now as they were 50 years ago. As members of the CRM community, academic institutions, and Federal agencies prepare to conduct a similar assessment, the Airlie House report provides a model and a yardstick to gauge the success of efforts to direct the profession.

To read the Airlie House report, go to airlie_house.pdf (saa.org)

GRANTS AND TRAINING

National Park Service Offers Tribal Consultation Training
The NPS Office of Native American Affairs and the Resources Training Program are accepting applications for Pathways to Confidence: Engaging in Effective NPS Tribal Consultation May 16-18, 2023, in Seward, AK. This class is for NPS managers with tribal consultation among their job responsibilities. Although this is an intermediate-level class, employees with all levels of consultation experience are encouraged to apply and attend. The class provides an introduction to developing a tribal consultation program at a park, proceeding through more advanced topics and case studies. The class builds the confidence to engage in successful tribal consultation in your park or office.

What you will learn

• The tribal significance of park lands and resources
• How to develop collaborative relationships with Federally Recognized Tribes, Tribal Organizations, ANCSA corporations and Native Hawaiian Organizations, recognizing their subject matter expertise
• Awareness of Indigenous cultures, past, present and future
• How to flexibly and mutually plan, coordinate, and successfully execute tribal consultations
• The commonality of priorities in Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the NPS mission to preserve and protect cultural and natural resources
• How to create a personalized Tribal Consultation Guidebook on best practices, funding strategies, consultation timelines, and building relationships with your tribal partners

Contact: e-mail us

Internship at Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory
The Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, MD, is seeking a student for a paid internship to work on the park’s Public Archaeology program, assisting staff archeologists to work with the public to excavate a 17th-century site. The fieldwork portion of this program will be held in May/early June 2023. After completion of the fieldwork, the intern will process artifacts excavated during the field session.

The internship pays $15/hour for 400 hours of work. It will run from late Spring to early Fall of 2023, but the schedule can be flexible once the May/early June fieldwork has been completed. Class credit for the internship may be possible.

To apply, submit a resume to Scott Strickland at [e-mail] or call 410-586-8554 for more information. Applications will be accepted until March 10, 2023.

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Section 106 Webinar Series (Virtual)
The ACHP is hosting a Winter 2023 Section 106 Webinar Series. Staff members will be presenting on four topics: Section 106 Program Alternatives, Implementing Section 106 Program Comments, So You Think You Need a PA, and Coordinating CERCLA and Section 106.

For the full schedule, a synopsis of each topic, and registration instructions, go to https://www.achp.gov/training/webinars

Implementing a Successful Citizen Science Effort
The FWS will offer a distance learning course about implementing citizen science projects. Regardless of where you are in your citizen science efforts – planning your first project, expanding an existing program, using citizen science data – this course has much to offer. Federal scientists working with visitor services and outreach staff to implement a citizen science program or project will especially benefit.

Participants progress through the course together and with course instructors. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of citizen science to accomplish your Agency's mission
• Identify a resource management issue and a target audience for your project
• Identify components of successful citizen science projects from case studies
• Know where to access resources and toolkits for your project

Dates: April 11 - May 16 (Session 1 - April 11; Session 2 - April 18; Session 3 - April 25; Session 4 - May 2; Session 5 - May 9; Session 6 - May 16) All sessions are 2 - 4 PM ET.

Location: On-line through live webinars and an on-line classroom.
Tuition: Free for FWS, NPS and USGS employees; $398.00 for other DOI agencies.
To register for the course, go to DOI Talent.

Contact: e-mail us

ARPA Snapshot Series
ARPA Snapshots are for law enforcement and cultural resource professionals who want to refresh their skills, look more closely at a particular topic, or explore new directions that the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) may take them in their work. All members of the ARPA team need to know about the entire process to more effectively participate in an investigation and its follow-up. Both CR and LE are encouraged to participate in ALL Snapshot offerings.

Presenters:

• Joshua Torres, NPS Regional Archeologist
• Caven Clark, retired NPS Archeologist
• Robert Still, NPS Special Agent
• Wendy Sutton, USFS NAGPRA
• Tim Simmons, AUSA

Upcoming Sessions:
March 9 – ARPA & NAGPRA Working Together
March 23 – Working With Tribal Partners: Best Practices

All sessions are held 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM ET.

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC: Pueblo Resistance and Inter-Ethnic Conflict: The 1540–1542 Vázquez de Coronado Expedition to the Middle Río Grande Valley, New Mexico

A multi-year project partially funded by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program at Piedras Marcadas Pueblo, now part of Petroglyphs National Monument on the outskirts of Albuquerque, has identified evidence indicating a major battle took place at this site. European metal items date the battle to the Tigeux War, a conflict caused by the 1540-1542 Vazques de Coronado Expedition.

The Coronado Expedition was composed of about 360 European men representing at least ten nationalities; and 1,300-2,000 Mexicas, Tarascans, Tlaxcalans, Tlaltecans, Otomi, Ópata, Caxcanes, and Zapotecas among others, including many women. An unknown number of Africans were also among the entourage.

The expedition traveled north from Compostela, in present-day western Mexico. After crossing the Sonoran Desert in high summer, the Conquistadors led an attack against the present-day Zuni Pueblo and plundered food stores. From there, the expedition moved into the Rio Grande Valley, appropriating housing, clothing, and food from the Southern Tiwa residents. The Tiwa inhabitants retreated to a fortified stronghold which they defended for 50-80 days before surrendering. Archeologists and historians were unable to locate the pueblo, called Moho by Spanish chroniclers.

Project director Matthew Schmader led intensive metal detection survey and surface mapping on the 2-acre central room block at Piedras Marcadas Pueblo. The metal artifacts found almost exclusively fall into two date categories, 20th century and 16th century. Sixteenth century artifacts include crossbow boltheads, lead musket balls, chainmail, nails, and clothing fasteners. Copper boltheads indicate that the metal originated with the Coronado Expedition; all other contemporary expeditions used iron boltheads.

The research program also identified evidence of non-European participation in the prolonged battle. Ground sling stones, evidence of Native Mexican participation in the siege, were recovered from inside pueblo walls. Stone concentrations outside of the walls indicate the Tiwa defense. As a result of the painstaking work to map the pueblo walls, the European artifacts, sling stones, and expedient stone concentrations, it was possible to reconstruct movements of attackers and defenders, and to conclude that the site was, indeed, the stronghold of Moho.

The full article is published in Kiva 2022:1-25.

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 E-Gram archive is available at https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1038/archeology-e-gram.htm.

Contact: Karen Mudar at e-mail us to contribute news items and to subscribe.