Sacramento Archeological Society, Inc.

Newsletter

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www.sacarcheology.org.                                                                                                         Q3 - 2008      

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Society’s Social Potluck and Fundraiser

“Gifts from the Animals”

by

Chuck Kritzon, Primitive Tool Technologist

Saturday, June 21, 2008

1:00 to 4:00 pm

CA State Indian Museum

 

Come to a special gathering at the State Indian Museum and get to know new and veteran Society members, while helping us raise funds for 2008 Society’s scholarships and events!  We'll have a potluck lunch in the yard behind the museum from 1:00 –2:00 pm followed by a special presentation entitled "Gifts from the Animals" by Chuck Kritzon, primitive tool technologist and interpretive specialist with the Maidu Interpretive Center. 

 

Chuck will present and discuss the material culture that California's Native peoples have traditionally fabricated from animal skin, hide, antler, bone, hooves, and other animal resources. In addition, he'll discuss some of the latest archaeological discoveries related to prehistoric hunting tools such as the atlatl and dart.  Time and circumstances allowing, we'll also view a brief film on a topic of archaeological/cultural interest - come and be surprised!  

 

The event will be held at the California State Indian Museum at 2618 K Street Sacramento, CA 95816.  This event is FREE and open to members and friends of the Society as well as staff, docents, and volunteers of the California State Indian Museum.  Bring a friend or two and food to share!


 

“CA Indian Basketry” Lecture

By

Ralph Shanks, President of MAPOM

Saturday, July 12, 2008

7:00 to 9:00 pm

Maidu Interpretive Center

 

Attend a special evening presentation and book signing featuring Ralph Shanks and Lisa Woo Shanks, author and editor of the recently published book, Indian Baskets of Central California: Art, Culture, and History.  This unique book provides a complete study of the exquisite Native American basketry from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey Bay region north to Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino and eastward across the Sacramento Valley to the crest of the Sierras. Baskets of the Pomo, Ohlone (Costanoan), Coast Miwok, Esselen, Huchnom, Lake Miwok, Maidu, Wappo, and Yuki people are lavishly illustrated and knowledgably and sensitively described. 

 

Ralph Shanks is President of the Miwok Archaeological Preserve of Marin.  Lisa Woo Shanks is editor of the Basketry of California and Oregon Series.  Their slide show on California's Native basketry will begin at 7:00 pm, followed by a reception with the copies of the book available for sale and signing. 

 

The event will be held at the Maidu Interpretive Center (Indian museum and nature center), located at 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr., Roseville, CA 95661.  Call (916) 774-5934 for directions to the museum.  This event is FREE and open to the general public.

 

“Sutter Buttes Archaeology” Lecture

By

Kathleen Lindahl

California State Parks Archaeologist

Saturday, August 23, 2008

7:00 to 9:00 pm

Davis Branch Library

 

Come hear Kathie Lindahl, Senior State Archaeologist with California State Parks, discuss her work and findings in the archaeological survey of Peace Valley State Park in the Sutter Buttes.  During this survey, Kathie with a team of other state archaeologists recorded many new archaeological resources and a ranching landscape from the late 19th century settlement of the Sacramento Valley. 

 

She has worked at the Archaeology, History & Museums (AHM) Division since 1998 under the direction and mentoring of John Foster, Cultural Resource Programs Supervisor.   While with AHM Division, she has completed several noteworthy archaeological projects throughout the state and has most recently been involved with the revitalization of Sumeg Village at Patrick’s Point State Park. She is also an instructor on cultural resources for State Parks interpreters, archaeologists, and historians. 

 

Kathie's presentation on Peace Valley will be held in the Blanchard Community Room at the Mary L. Stephens branch library in Davis, located at 315 E 14th Street Davis, CA 95616.  This presentation is FREE and open to the general public.


 

Scholarship

 

The Society places the highest priority on awarding scholarships to deserving students in the field of archaeology on an annual basis.  This year the Society was pleased to receive three scholarship applications from students at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz.  Two of these applicants, Samantha Emmanuel and Kalie Sacco are being awarded a scholarship of $700 each to apply towards participation in a summer field school at the Bronze Age site of Mycenae in Greece.  Stay tuned.  When they return, we will be anxious to hear about their experiences.

 

Samantha Emmanuel is a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Classical Civilizations.  She is interested in pursuing a career as a museum curator with emphasis in ancient artifacts.  She will be attending the Archaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece for the month of July 2008.  Through the field school directed by Dr. Kim Shelton, professor in the Classics Department at UC Berkeley and Director for the Nemea Center for Classical Archaeology she will participate in excavations and museum study at the Bronze Age site of Mycenae.

 

Katie Sacco is junior at UC Berkeley majoring in Anthropology and Classics.  She also will be participating in the Archaeological Field School in Mycenae, Greece for the month of July 2008.  Katie is interested in pursuing a PhD focused on Classical archaeology.  She is particularly interested in paleoethnobotany, comparing the ancient plant “landscape” in archaeobotanical remains to modern-day landscape in order to understand environmental change and identify possible trade and cross-cultural contact.  She has worked in paleoethnobotany lab assisting a graduate student in his research on a site on California’s central coast.  Given this experience she has creating her own paleoethnobotanical-based project to perform a flotation study of the material found in several pithoi jars first uncovered last season in Greece.  She is excited to be participating in the field school in Mycenae to get first hand experience.

 

Membership

 

As of the end of May the society has 50 members.  Welcome our newest member, Teresa Williams williams2478@osu.edu. Even though our membership year starts on January 1, we are always welcome new members. 

 

 

General Announcements

 

The current West Sac Arthur F. Turner/Merkeley Library meeting room will be closed as of May 26th.  Library staff informed us that even though the current facility will be open as a "temporary" building during construction of the new library, the meeting and conference rooms will be closed after their annual book sale (May 17th-24th).  The new library, with available meeting rooms, is scheduled for completion sometime in 2009.  That means the Society will need to continue looking at the Davis branch library, Maidu Center, and Sacramento County facility offered by Debra Muro for our events (other than the Fagan talk).


 

Future Special Events

 

On October 11, 2008 Sacramento Archeological Society is planning a fund raising event for scholarships.  We are very pleased to receive sponsorship from Far Western Anthropological Research, Inc. and SCU Sacramento.  Additional funding from supporters is highly desired.

 

 

 

 

        “The Pleasure of Ruins”

                                 by

Brian Fagan

Professor Emeritus of Anthropology

University of California, Santa Barbara  

 

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Sign-in 5:30 to 6:00 pm

Presentation 6:00 to 7:00 pm

Reception / Book Signing 7:00 to 7:30 pm

Cal State University Sacramento

                       University Union – Orchard Suite, 2nd Floor

 

 

Brian Fagan takes us on an illustrated journey through the exciting world of the past and poses a question: 

“What is the great fascination of ruins?”

 

Why is cultural and archaeological tourism the fastest growing segment of the adventure travel business? He examines some of the controversies and issues surrounding archaeological tourism—the damage wrought by ever-growing crowds, the rights of stakeholders, and the cultural and social implications of archaeological travel. He also takes us behind the façade of archaeological tourism to look at the critical importance of archaeology for understanding climate change, global warming—and ourselves. 

 

Brian Fagan is one of the world's leading archaeological writers. His over 50 books include widely used college texts, Before California, The Adventure of Archaeology, The Rape of the Nile, The Little Ice Age and The Long Summer, and, most recently, The Great Warming.  Books will be available for sale at the presentation, courtesy of Time Tested Books.

 

This presentation will be free to members of the Sacramento Archeological Society.  The non-member entrance fee will be $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, call (916-371-6806) or visit the Society’s website at http://www.cacarchwology.org/ .

 

Co-sponsor:  SCU Sacramento

 

 

Annual Meeting

Saturday, December 6, 2008

 

Each year on the first Saturday in December the Society meets for an annual meeting.  This year on December 6 we are pleased to announce that Dr. Hildebrandt with Far Western Anthropological Group will be our guest lecturer.  Dr. Hildebrandt will do a slideshow presentation and answer questions about the village excavation on which the book, Life on the River: The Archaeology of an Ancient Native American Culture is focused.  Dr. Hildebrandt will sign books that have been purchased in advance of the Annual Meeting presentation.

 

Please join us as local author William Hildebrandt discusses his new book. Copies are available for sale at the Avid Reader (both in Sacramento and Davis) and through www.heydaybooks.com

 

Here are the details about the book and author from the Avid Reader website:

 

In this detailed account of an archaeological dig along the banks of the Upper Sacramento River in Northern California, we gain unforgettable glimpses into the village life of a Wintu tribe 175 years ago, including signs of their often contentious interactions with other groups and evidence of the epidemic that nearly destroyed the tribe in 1883.  With the assistance of several Wintu tribal members and volunteers from throughout the area, archaeologists conducted careful excavations of the site, preserving portions of it from the threat of land development. The investigations of this team yielded a firsthand look at how the Wintu lived prior to the arrival of Europeans in the region – their food, clothing, tools, social structure, burial techniques, and more – as well as their experiences during and following contact. Not only did the site yield rich information on day-to-day village life, but the investigations also led to the dramatic discovery that a malaria epidemic had swept through the area along with some of the earliest European fur traders. Informative and accessible to the layperson interested in archaeology, Life on the River is a testament to the importance of archaeology in the understanding of our history and cultural heritage. William R. Hildebrandt is a principal owner of Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. located in Davis, California, and is adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

 


 


Sacramento Archaeological Society, Inc.

 

Officers and Directors

President              April Farnham                     916/371-6806            april_farnham@sbcglobal.net                    

Vice President      Diane Rosales                       916/371-4596            drosales@adp.state.ca..us                                   

Treasurer             Roger Peake                         916/371-6391            rapeake@att.net                                                                                                            

Secretary              Lydia Peake                         916/371-6391            rapeake@att.net

Past President      Jan Johansen                        530/756-6970            janjohansen@sbcglobal.net                        

Member/Large      Yolanda Chavez                   916/612-4714            ychavez@analyticalcorps.com                                                                  

Member/Large      Dennis T. Fenwick               916/373-1465            Fenwick_lewis@msn.com

Member/Large      Susan W. Ferguson               916/966-4861            susanferguson@comcast.net

Member/Large      Thomas Johansen, MD        530/756-6970            trjohansen@thegrid.net                               

Member/Large      Ruth McElhinney                 916/923-3848            no email

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Your Calendars

 

June 19, 2008, Thursday Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. at April Farnham’s home

June 21, 2008, Saturday, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Society Social Potluck and Fundraiser, at CA State Indian Museum

July 12, 2008, Saturday, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, CA Indian Basketry Lecture by Ralph Shanks, President of MAPOM, at Maidu Interpretive Center

July 17, 2008, Thursday Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. location TBD

August 21, 2008, Thursday, Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. location TBD

August 23, Saturday, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Sutter Buttes Archaeology Lecture by Kathie Lindahl, California State Parks’ Archaeologist, at Davis Branch Library

October 11, Saturday, 6:00 – 8:30 pm, The Pleasure of Ruins by Brian Fagan, University of California, Santa Barbara Professor Emeritus and Author at Cal State University Sacramento, University Union

December 6, Saturday, 11:00 – 2:00 pm, Life on the River:  The Archaeology of an Ancient Native American Culture by Dr. Hildebrandt, Far Western Anthropological Group, location TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

        A Non-Profit Corporation

        P.O. Box 163287

      Sacramento, CA 95816-9287