Protecting Historic Trails Protecting
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FIGHTING ARCHAEOLOGICAL CRIME • THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC • A UTOPIAN COMMUNITY americanamerican archaeologyarchaeologyFALL 2012 a quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancy Vol. 16 No. 3 ProtectingProtecting HistoricHistoric TrailsTrails Devil’s Gate, a National Historic Site along $3.95 the California and Oregon trails in Wyoming. FALL 2012 americana quarterly publication of The Archaeological archaeology Conservancy Vol. 16 No. 3 COVER FEATURE 24 WORKING TO MANAGE THE TRAILS BY TAMARA STEWART The Bureau of Land Management’s ambitious project 24 documented roughly 900 miles of the West’s most important historic trails. 12 THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC BY JULIAN SMITH Researchers are studying the practice of witchcraft and sorcery in ancient Mesoamerica. NVENTORY I L RAI T 18 FIGHTING ARCHAEOLOGICAL CRIME BY MIKE TONER HISTORIC HISTORIC Archaeologists and law enforcement officials are battling looters and vandals. ARRA ENT ENT M 30 REVEALING THE REAL ROATÁN BY MICHAEL BAWAYA Little is known about the history of Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras that draws many tourists. It is sometimes falsely presented as a Maya site, because it’s thought that will make it more appealing to visitors. Now an archaeological UREAU OF LAND MANAGE B project is uncovering the island’s true history. 37 STRIVING FOR PERFECTION 44 new acquisition BY KELLI WHITLOCK BURTON PARTNERING TO OBTAIN An investigation of Pleasant Hill, a Shaker community, reveals AN 18TH-CENTURY FORT how its residents tried to achieve perfection. Joining forces with a government agency, the Conservancy acquires Fort Adams. 45 new acquisition A TIME OF CHANGE AND HARDSHIP 30 The Conservancy signs an option to obtain Fort Parker, a 19th-century site where the Crow were forced to adjust to a new life. 46 new acquisition PRESERVING A REMARKABLE ROCK ART SITE The 3,000-year-old Shavano Valley Rock Art site is considered the most important site of its type in the area. 48 point acquisition SAVING THE FAMILY FARM The Blanchard farm has been cultivated by families since the early 1900s. Centuries earlier it was farmed by ancient people who built a mound group there. JERRY RABINOWITZ JERRY 2 LAY OF THE LAND 50 FiELD NOTES 52 REVIEWS 54 EXPEDITIONS 3 LETTERS COVER: Devil’s Gate, a narrow cleft carved by the Sweetwater River, 5 EVENTS lies just north of the historic trails passing through central Wyoming. Although the gap was impassable for wagons, many emigrants 7 IN THE NEWS camped nearby, and almost all took the detour to inspect the gorge. • Clovis-Age Western Stemmed Points Found It’s now a National Historic Site. • Largest Maya Dam Discovered Credit: Bureau of Land Management ARRA Historic Trail Inventory • Cahokians Consumed Black Drink american archaeology 1 Lay of the Land Enforcing ARPA ooting of archaeological sites is a does not apply to private lands. That worldwide problem. But in most means law enforcement officers must Levery nation, sites are protected either catch the looters in the act or by laws wherever they happen to be prove that the stolen artifacts came LIZ LOPEZ located. Not so in the United States, from public lands, a very difficult task. Mark Michel, President where our fervent belief in private Sophisticated looters and dealers have The time-honored law enforce- property rights allows private owners become expert in fabricating a paper ment strategy of the sting is also playing to pretty much do as they please with trail that “authenticates” a private prove- a much bigger role in protecting our ancient ruins. Why does this tradition nience for stolen items. In order to have heritage. Posing as wealthy buyers, law make the enforcement of the federal a successful prosecution, officials must enforcement officers are getting looters Archaeological Resources Protection successfully discredit that paper trail. to tell everything about their exploits. Act of 1979 (ARPA) so difficult? In Better trained officers and scientific Both strategies are working, and federal this issue we explore some of those advances are now making a big dent in law enforcement should increase and problems (see “Fighting Archaeological that big problem. Archaeologists have improve their techniques to enforce Crime,” page 18). developed methods to identify trace ARPA and protect our nation’s cultural ARPA protects archaeological sites elements that can link a stolen pot, for heritage. found on public and Indian lands. It example, to a particular site. 2 fall • 2012 Letters Earliest Exploitation of Ground Sloth I found your News article “Earliest Editor’s Corner Evidence of Humans in Ohio” (Sum- Richard Hansen, an archaeologist who mer 2012) interesting, but disappoint- is directing the excavation of El Mirador, ing. Evidently archaeologist Brian a Maya site in Guatemala, once told me Redmond and his colleagues didn’t that Maya researchers used to focus on adequately review the literature “stones and bones.” But that’s changing. Hansen is one of a number of research- involving his statement that “This ers who practice what’s often called discovery provides the first direct community archaeology. evidence for early human (Paleo- The concept behind community Indian) exploitation of Jefferson’s archaeology is that local people partici- ground sloth.” Actually, I published pate in the project. In some cases, the the first record in 2009 inCentral locals have a voice in the research objec- States Archaeological Journal. tives, in others the archaeology serves as Skeptical of the a sort of engine that drives economic David A. Easterla Ph.D. Solutrean Hypothesis development to help impoverished Distinguished University Dennis Stanford and Bruce Bradley people. Professor of Biology wove a story from half truths, mis- This brings me to Christian Wells and his project on the Honduran island Northwest Missouri State quotes, and absolute fiction in their Roatán (See “Revealing the Real Roatán,” University book Across Atlantic Ice and then page 30). Wells is searching for stones published it as scientific research. and bones and the like, but his ambi- Brian Redmond Responds (“See Iberia, Not Siberia?” Sum- tions go well beyond recovering and David Easterla is incorrect in his mer 2012). On top of this they did interpreting artifacts. assertion that we did not conduct an not even use original ideas but just Little is known about Roatán’s past, adequate review of the literature in the rehashed old and often Anglocentric so Honduran officials asked Wells, an course of our study. In fact, we read his claims from decades ago which have American, to investigate the island to article and cited his work on page 95 of already been debunked. better understand its history. our paper. Unfortunately, we found his Readers need to be wary and If that weren’t enough to keep him occupied, Wells is also assessing the presentation of evidence for butchering understand that just because an indi- impact of mass tourism on the island’s of the Iowa specimen incomplete and vidual is connected with a big name cultural resources. Roatán gets plenty of unconvincing. I stand by my statement. entity (Stanford is a curator of archae- cruise ship traffic, and it’s been given a ology at the Smithsonian), it does not phony Maya pedigree to appeal to tour- Brian G. Redmond, Ph.D. automatically mean what they write ists. So, in a related project, he’s working Curator and John Otis Hower should be taken seriously. to promote heritage tourism. That entails Chair of Archaeology getting the island’s real indigenous peo- The Cleveland Museum of Dixie Dringman ples—such as the Pech and Garifuna— Natural History Rock Island, Washington to value their heritage, and to have the cruise ship crowd value it as well. Some people think archaeologists Sending Letters to American Archaeology shouldn’t engage in such extracurricu- American Archaeology welcomes your letters. lar activities, and Wells expressed some Write to us at 5301 Central Avenue NE, Suite 902, concern about his role as archaeologist/ activist. But he, like Hansen and others, Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517, is pressing ahead, pushing the boundar- or send us e-mail at [email protected]. ies of what archaeology can achieve. We reserve the right to edit and publish letters in the magazine’s Letters department as space permits. Please include your name, address, and telephone number with all correspondence, including e-mail messages. american archaeology 3 Welcome to the ArchAeologicAl conservAncy! 5301 Central Avenue NE, Suite 902 Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517 • (505) 266-1540 he Archaeological Conservancy www.americanarchaeology.org is the only national nonprofit Board of Directors organization that identifies, acquires, and preserves the Gordon Wilson, New Mexico CHAIRMAN Cecil F. Antone, Arizona • Carol Condie, New Mexico most significant archaeological Donald Craib, Virginia • Janet Creighton, Washington • Jerry Golden, Colorado sites in the United States. Since W. James Judge, Colorado • Jay T. Last, California t its beginning in 1980, the Leslie Masson, Massachusetts • Dorinda Oliver, New York Conservancy has preserved more than Rosamond Stanton, Montana 440 sites across the nation, ranging in age from the earliest habitation sites in Conservancy Staff North America to a 19th-century frontier Mark Michel, President • Tione Joseph, Business Manager army post. We are building a national Lorna Wolf, Membership Director • Sarah Tiberi, Special Projects Director Melissa Montoya, Administrative Assistant • Jessica Alden, Administrative Assistant system of archaeological preserves to Emily Collom, Administrative Assistant ensure the survival of our irreplaceable cultural heritage. Regional Offices and Directors Jim Walker, Vice President, Southwestern Region (505) 266-1540 Why Save Archaeological Sites? 5301 Central Avenue NE, #902 • Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108 The ancient people of North America Tamara Stewart, Projects Coordinator left virtually no written records of their Chaz Evans, Field Representative cultures. Clues that might someday Paul Gardner, Vice President, Midwestern Region (614) 267-1100 solve the mysteries of prehistoric 3620 N.