THE CONSERVANCY TURNS 30 • PROOF OF PRE-CLOVIS PEOPLE? • RECONSTRUCTING AN ANCIENT MOUND WINTER 2009-10 americana quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancyarchaeology Vol. 13 No. 4 Prehistoric Life ON THE $3.95 Mountaintops AA Win 09-10 front end.indd 1 11/17/09 10:27:37 AM 2965_Am.Arch_Winter 2009-2010_V1:2965_AmArch Winter 2010 10/29/09 1:34 PM Page 1 Archaeological Tours led by noted scholars Invites You to Journey Back in Time Guatemala (15 days) China’s Sacred Landscapes Travel in the land of quetzal birds and rain forests, of (21 days) exceptional museums and wondrous Maya sites with Join Prof. Robert Thorp, Washington Prof. William Saturno, Boston U. Our tour includes U. as we discover the China of “past Quiriguá, two days each at Tikal and Copán... plus the ages,” its walled cities, vibrant rarely visited ruins along the jungle rivers of the Petén, temples and mountain scenery. Aguateca and Uaxactún, colonial Antigua and Highlights include the ancient Chichicastenango’s colorful market. temples of Wutaishan and Datong, the grottos at Tianlongshan and Yungang , China’s sacred peaks Splendors of Ancient at Mount Tai, time to wander in traditional small towns and Egypt (20 days) Hangzhou’s rolling hills, waterways Our in-depth tour with and peaceful temples and pagodas with Prof. Lanny Bell, ending with Shanghai’s exceptional Brown U., includes museum. the rock-cut tombs at Beni Hassan, Saudi Arabia (18 days) Tuna el-Gebel and Akhenaten’s capital Starting in Riyadh and ending in Jeddah, we at el-Amarna. will explore the Kingdom’s ancient sites with Beginning in Cairo, Professors David Graf, Miami U. or Steven we visit Sakkara, the Sidebotham, Delaware U. Home to some Giza Plateau, Egyptian of the earliest civilizations on the Arabian Museum, Tanis in the Peninsula, tour highlights include the famous Delta, the Fayyum Oasis Nabataean cities of Medain Saleh and Tayma, and collapsed pyramid ancient rock-art sites and the fabulous of Meydum. We will Syria, Jordan & Baalbek (19 days) traditional architecture of the Asir region. spend five days in Luxor Explore five millennia of archaeology from exploring the temples the Neolithic artifacts in the Damascus and and tombs of Thebes, Aleppo museums to the pre-Sargonid city Dendera and Abydos of Mari with Dr. Joseph Greene, Harvard followed by a five-day Semitic Museum or Prof. Clemens Reichel, Nile cruise on the Oberoi Philae. U. of Toronto. Touring includes Baalbek, The tour ends with three days in Bronze Age Ugarit, Ebla, Bosra and the Aswan and Abu Simbel. caravan cities Dura-Europos, Palmyra and We also offer a 14-day version Mari and ends with Roman Jerash and Petra, of this tour. the spectacular capital of the Nabataeans. 2010 tours: Spain: Pilgrim’s Road • China Silk Road • Indonesia • Morocco • Turkey • Malta, Sardinia & Corsica • Egypt & Sudan Japan • Central Asia • Peru • Crete In-Depth • Bhutan & Ladakh • Bulgaria • Classical Greece • Scotland...and more Journey back in time with us. We’ve been taking curious travelers on fascinating historical study tours for the past 35 years. Each tour is led by a noted scholar whose knowledge and enthusiasm brings history to life and adds a memorable perspective to your journey. Every one of our 37 tours features superb itineraries, unsurpassed service and our time-tested commitment to excellence. No wonder so many of our clients choose to travel with us again and again. For more information, please visit www.archaeologicaltrs.com, e-mail [email protected], call 212-986-3054, toll-free 866-740-5130. Or write to Archaeological Tours, 271 Madison Avenue, Suite 904, New York, NY 10016. And see history our way. archaeological tours LED BY NOTED SCHOLARS superb itineraries, unsurpassed service AA Win 09-10 front end.indd 2 11/17/09 10:28:16 AM american archaeologywinter 2009-10 a quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancy Vol. 13 No. 4 COVER FEATURE 12 HIGH LIFE IN THE HIGH MOUNTAINS BY LOIS WINGERSON Did prehistoric people like living at 10,000 feet? 19 UNDERSTANDING EL PILAR BY MICHAEL BAWAYA An archaeologist takes an unconventional approach to her investigation of a Maya city. 26 RECONSTRUCTING THE GREAT MOUND BY STANLEY NELSON RICHARD ADAMS RICHARD Troyville’s Great Mound was leveled years ago. Now local people are working to reconstruct it with the original dirt. 32 THIRTY YEARS OF PRESERVATION BY TAMARA STEWART The Archaeological Conservancy turns 30. 38 PROOF OF A PRE-CLOVIS PEOPLE BY JULIAN SMITH Could the 14,000-year-old coprolites found at Paisley Caves settle one of American archaeology’s great debates? 45 new acquisition PILAR PROJECT BRASS EL SAVING A MISSISSIPPIAN VILLAGE The Lyon’s Bluff site has tremendous research potential. 2 Lay of the Land 46 new acquisition 3 Letters THE CONSERVANCY EXPANDS THE ROYAL BLOCKHOUSE PRESERVE 5 Events The site was part of one of the largest British 7 In the News military complexes in North America. Clovis Site Discovered in Mexico • Extraterrestrial Impact Theory Questioned • Utah Looters Get 47 point acquisition Probation CHANGING OLD ASSUMPTIONS Archaeologists have learned that the Lower 50 Field Notes Jackson Mound is older than its well known 52 Reviews neighbor, Poverty Point. Lower Jackson could offer new insights into Archaic period mound building. 54 Expeditions 48 point acquisition PRESERVING A PIECE OF CAHOKIA COVER: A researcher screens excavated dirt in The Conservancy obtains another of the noted site’s mounds. search of tiny artifacts at High Mountain Village. Photograph by Richard Adams american archaeology 1 AA Win 09-10 front end.indd 1 11/18/09 4:59:26 PM Lay of the Land Privatizing Preservation hirty years ago, The Archaeologi- the property of the landowners, and cal Conservancy began operations that includes all of the artifacts, burials, T(see “Thirty Years of Preservation,” and structures. p. 32) with high expectations to pre- Our idea in starting the Conser- serve the nation’s most endangered vancy was to use the private property archaeological sites on private land. traditions to protect our archaeologi- Mark Michel, President Most countries—Italy, Mexico, Israel, cal legacy. We simply buy the sites. As DARREN POORE for example—have laws that protect the owners, we have almost complete acquire more and more of the nation’s their ancient cultural resources. A control over them. That means we can premier sites. There is still much to do, site may be on private property, but, protect the sites from most any threat, but we have already made a signifi cant because it’s part of the national heri- except possibly the building of a new dent in the problem. Several hundred tage, it’s controlled by the government highway—and even then we’ve man- of the largest and most important for the benefi t of the public. That’s not aged to get offi cials to move highways sites are now permanent Conservancy the case in the United States. Due to to keep from disturbing our preserves. preserves. our strong private property traditions, Our program has worked well over archaeological sites on private land are the past 30 years, and we continue to ARCHAEOLOGY Chaco Canyon Zuni Communities &TRAVEL & the Keresan Through Time: ADVENTURES Pueblo World: The Archaeology and IN THE Ancient Connections, Culture of the Zuni People Contemporary Culture August 8–14 AMERICAN May 16–22 Scholars: Dr. Andrew Du , SOUTHWEST Scholars: Dr. R. Gwinn Vivian Dan Simplicio, and native Adult Research Week and Dr. Joseph Suina artists and spokespersons Excavate alongside archaeologists EXCEPTIONAL Sessions in May, June, July, August, SCHOLARS Traders, Trading Posts, Backcountry and October and the Development of Archaeology: Southwest Indian Art Ancient World of the Family Archaeology Week June 13–19 Grand Gulch Region Bring the entire family— Scholars: Joe and Cindy Tanner September 26–October 2 grandparents, parents, and kids Scholars: Jonathan Till Sessions in July and August Hopi Silver and Ben Bellorado For more information on scholars Workshop with & reservations: 800.422.8975 Michael Kabotie: www.crowcanyon.org The Artist’s Journey AA/Fall • CST 2059347-50 • The Crow Canyon ROW ANYON Archaeological Center’s programs and July 25–31 C C admission practices are open to applicants ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, Scholar: Michael Kabotie gender, or sexual orientation. Near Mesa Verde in Southwest CO 2 winter • 2009-10 AA Win 09-10 front end.indd 2 11/17/09 10:33:55 AM Letters ANCIENT CAVERS • EARLY COLONIAL LIFE Coming To America • EXCAVATING CUBA Imagine my surprise when I read your FALL 2009 Editor’s Corner americana quarterly publication of archaeology article “Uncovering Early Colonial Life.” The Archaeological Conservancy Vol. 13 No. 3 It mentions the expedition in 1634 of ho were the fi rst Americans? two ships, the Ark and the Dove, that For some time the answers to settled Maryland’s’ fi rst capital, St. Mary’s Wthat question served as fodder city. A relative on my mother’s side was for one of American archaeology’s on that expedition. His name was John Understanding livelier debates. It used to be that Briscoe and he was born in 1590. I MesaMesa VerdeVerde almost everyone thought it was suppose he did very well because there the Clovis people, who arrived in are still Briscoes in America. TowersTowers the New World roughly 13,500 Dixie T. Barber years ago. But over the last several Bountiful, Utah decades a number of allegedly pre- $3.95 $3.95 Clovis sites have been discovered, AA fall 2009 front end.indd 1 Spiritual Water and consequently a settled issue 8/20/09 8:18:11 PM It was interesting, but not surprising, became very unsettled.