The Moki Messenger
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The Moki Messenger NEWSLETTER OF THE SAN JUAN BASIN ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Chapter of Colorado Archeological Society November, 2010 Julie Coleman - Update on Falls Hovenweep and Great Sage Plains Field Trip By Bob Danielson Creek Fourteen members of the San Juan Basin The November SJBAS Meeting will be held at archaeological Society visited 8 locations housing 7:00 p.m., November 11, 2010, at the Center many buildings along the SW border shared by for SW Studies, Lyceum. Julie Coleman has Colorado and Utah between the dates of Oct 8 and been the Heritage Team Leader at the San 10, 2010. All of the appropriate permits were op- Juan Public Lands Center since 2006. She tioned and appropriate entrance fees were paid. It received her BA in Geology with an emphasis was our goal to emphasize the architectural fea- in Archaeology from Western State University tures present at these sites with particular empha- in 1990 and her MA in History, with an em- sis on towers, kivas, great houses and basic room phasis in Historic Preservation, from CSU in blocks. We observed square, round, and “D” 1992. She has 16 years of experience with shaped towers and circular and “D” shaped kivas. the BLM and the US Forest Service. She was This area had buildings which incorporated exten- the Field Office Archeologist for the BLM in sively the local geographical features into the archi- Worland, WY and Gunnison and Montrose, tecture of the buildings. All the buildings were lo- CO. It will be nice to hear what has been cated around or near a spring and along canyon done recently at this important, nearby site. edges. We could also envision many different rea- sons for the holes located in the exterior walls of the room blocks and towers. These uses included astrological, viewing, signaling, projectile exits loca- A Time of tions, and ventilation. Each of the areas we visited contained Harvest buildings that were different in size, state of stabili- zation and even different in the number of buildings and that were nearby, although Sleeping Ute Mountain was visible from all the sites. We will be able to Thanks- extend our learning of the architecture present at these sites to the many other sites that are in the giving! area when we visit them another time. All of the sites built between 1150 and 1275 AD in this region are part of a regional community and share archi- What’s Inside tectural similarities. The buildings at Mesa Verde National Park, Canyon of the Ancients National Nearby Activities...…………..2 Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument Volunteer Opportunities...…...4 are also in this timeframe. Exhibits……..………………..4 We were guided by Sara a Hovenweep The Editor’s Corner..………...5 Ranger to visit some petroglyphs within the canyon Archeology News from SW….6 which appear to present a story of migration of one Archeology News from Afar..10 (Continued on page 11) Page 1 Tomboy Mine Field Trip By Richard & Linda Robinson Two groups totaling twenty-six members of the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society each spent a day with guide Rudy Davison. During this exciting trip each group visited many locations in the Telluride Basin on the dates of Aug 3 and Aug 4, 2010. One of our earlier stops was the Social Tunnel where miners met with ladies from town during the earlier days. Since women where con- sidered bad luck in the mines, the miners built this special tunnel. We than continued on to visit the Shamrock Mine, the Sheridan Mine, the Bullion Tunnel, the Smugglers Tunnel, the Tom Boy Tunnel and many more. There was also the Liberty Bell Tram and Mill and many, many more interesting sites. The collapsed buildings at many sites would not reveal their story to the casual observer, but by having a knowledgeable guide we learned from the remains which were the boarding houses, the bowling alley, the retort oven, the mills, etc. There were stories about the tense relations be- tween the mine management and the union miners. One of the many true pleasures of this trip was to have a guide along who not only could tell you the names and locations of so many sites but who could also tell at least one human interest story about each area. These stories added a personal touch to each site making it seam as though you where standing there watching the event unfold. We learned that J.B. Ingram after inspecting the many claim markers realized that the Sheri- dan and Union claims were greater in size than the 300 by 1500 ft. allowed. He then quickly staked his own claims in this high yield area. His claims were to become known as the “Smuggler Mine.” There were also many extras in this field trip. We saw unmatched beautiful scenery - the colors of the mountains, the waterfalls, the flowers, and the lack of traffic in this area. On the morn- ing of Aug. 3, the weather was quite marginal causing many other tourists to stay away, leaving the area mostly to us. Many of us intended to proceed over Imogene Pass and return via Ouray but no one did. There just was not enough daylight in the day. The “roads” up there can be quite narrow, and the real challenge comes when two cars meet going in opposite directions. This trip was a treat for all of us. Hopefully Rudy will take us on more mining trips! HISATSINOM CHAPTER The speaker for the November meeting at the Cortez Cultural Center on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, is Jerry Fettermen, who will discuss the McLean Basin survey north of Hovenweep on the state line with 487 sites. In January 2011, Paul Reed will provide updated information on Chaco's Northern Prodigies. Friends of Crow Canyon (CC) Distinguished Lecturers Series Each event begins at 7:00 p.m. with wine and appetizers in the lobby of the Gates Building, on CC campus, unless otherwise stated. Lecturers begin presentations at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, 2010, Dr. Bridget Coughlin, Vice President. Strategic Partnerships and Programs and Cu- rator of Human Health, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Wine, Chocolate, and Heart Health: The Biochemistry of Food; Feb. 18, 2011, Dr. David Whitley, Principal with ASM Affiliates, a cultural resources company, Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit: The Origin of Creativity and Belief; March 13, William Winkler, writer, photographer and filmmaker, Ansel Hall's Rainbow Bridge-- Monument Valley Expedition; April 29, (Dolores Community Center) (DCC) Maraleen Manos-Janes, butterfly researcher, author and educator, On a Wing: Flight of the Monarch; May 20, (DCC) Dr. Patricia Crown, Distinguished professor, Dept. of Anthropology, University of NM, (Continued on page 3) Page 2 (Continued from page 2) Science and Serendipity: The Discovery of Chocolate at Chaco Canyon. Total cost of the five-event series is $135/person or $250/two. Individual tickets are available. Call 970-564-4341 for reserva- tion. San Juan College’s (SJC) Chautauqua Performances Dept. of Cultural Affairs, NM Humanities Council, Teaching American History program administered through the Educator Support Center, SJC Encore Program, and SJC School of Humanities. For information call Dr. Jimmy Miller, 505-334-9325, or Sha Lyn Weisheit at 505-599-8771. All perform- ances at 7 p.m., Little Theatre, SJCS, are free. Nov. 19: Deborah Blanche, "Laura Gilpin, Photographer." Gilpin made studio portraits and captured Shiprock from every possible angle. Jan. 21, 2011: Rosemary Keefe, Ph.D.: "Mabel Dodge Luhan in Taos." Luhan hosted salons in Florence and New York City for early 20th century artists, writers and political rabble-rousers. Feb. 18: Edward Wallace: "The Life and Times of Jim Beckwourth." Beckwourth was a trapper, trader, scout, explorer and chief of the Crow Nation. His life was described as, "From slave to su- perstar of the Old West," by author Tom DeMund. March 18: Dr. Jon Hunter: "New Mexico's March to Statehood." The lecture, illustrated with photos and documents, surveys the hist. of NM from a territory in 1850 to statehood in 1912. April 30: Fred Hampton and Van Sanders: "Buffalo Soldiers - Military Heroes of the Southwest." Learn how a small number of Black troopers made a difference in the lives of law-abiding citizens. New Mexico Archeological Council's 2010 Fall Conference November 13, Hibben Center, University of NM, Albuquerque. Topics include the identification, dat- ing, ethnography and oral history of late mobile groups. Contact [email protected], or visit www.nmacweb.org. Colorado Archeological Society (CAS) CAS is raffling an oil painting "Peñaso Blanco" by Alamosa artist David Montgomery, to benefit the Alice Hamilton Scholarship Fund, used for annual awards to qualifying Colorado archeological stu- dents. Chaco's Peñaso Blanco is an unexcavated great house, built concurrently with Pueblo Bonito and Una Vida, unique in design (oval), and connected to several Chacoan western roads. The painting measures 11" x 14", mounted in gold leaf carved frame, with a value of $800. Raffle tickets are sold by CAS Chapters. The painting was originally raffled in 2006 and won by Don Nordstrom, who passed away, and his family has re-donated it. The drawing will be at 7:00 pm on Dec. 7, 2010, during the Hisatsinom Chapter meeting. The winner need not be present. Raffle ticket are $3 each or 4 for $10. Things to do in our area The Dinetah is a network of canyons with Anasazi and Navajo rock art in abundance. For sample photos see http://nm.blm.gov/features/dinetah/navajo_history. Of major interest are Navajo Puebli- tos which were constructed in the late 17th to the early 18th centuries and are often indistinguish- able from Anasazi pueblos and cliff dwellings.