Sacramento Archeological Society, Inc.
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www.sacarcheology.org. March /April 2007
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Pease note that this Newsletter covers a two-month period
Rock Art Tour
"Little Petroglyph Canyon and Maturango Museum"
April 21-22, 2007
Ridgecrest, California 93555
At least a dozen society members have registered for the tour to Ridgecrest area of Southern California to see rock art in the Little Petroglyph Canyon on April 22. The group will meet on Saturday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. at the Maturango Museum and socialize for dinner. On Sunday everyone is to arrive at the Maturango Museum no later than 6:30 a.m. for the hike of Little Petroglyph Canyon. Details on the hike and lodging possibilities are sent to each participant. Everyone is responsible for arranging his own lodging arrangements. Don’t forget two forms of ID: a picture ID, along with a form of ID showing citizenship is required for the hike.
Little Petroglyph Canyon, (actually Lower Renegade Canyon), a National Historic Landmark, is located in the rugged volcanic Coso Range of the Upper Mojave Desert, on the test ranges of the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS), China Lake, California. The canyons in this area contain what has been described as "the highest concentration of rock art in the Western Hemisphere." Thousands of designs have been chipped into the dark desert varnish over the past 16,000 years and the images are as varied as the artists who created them. The images include bighorn sheep, snakes, atlatls, anthropomorphic figures and abstract 'entopic' designs. Little Petroglyph Canyon has well over 6000 images for you see! It is the canyon that is little, not the petroglyphs! There are at least a dozen canyons with inscriptions in them scattered throughout the Cosos, but the Navy only allows public access to this one - and it is THE BEST! For more information refer to http://www.maturango.org/.
Current scientific dating techniques place the age of the petroglyphs within a range of 16500 years (before present) for the oldest glyphs, to as recently as 1800’s for the newest glyphs. The Shoshonean people, thought to have created the petroglyphs, developed a stable, ingenious, and complex culture to wrest a living from the hash terrain. The main treasures they left behind were literally thousands of special designs; laboriously crafted into the boulders and cliffs high in the barren Coso rang. Sacred to Native Americans, this pace requires the utmost respect.
"California's Maidu People: Past to Present
"Diana Almendariz and April Farnham
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Ridgecrest, California 93555
Fair Oaks Historical Society is sponsoring a lecture and slideshow presentation on Maidu prehistory/history on Tuesday, April 24th. Diana Almendariz, cultural demonstator/practictioner of Maidu descent, and April Farnham, Sacramento Archeological Society member, historian, collections manager for the Maidu Interpretive Center, and docent at the California State Indian Museum will present. The event starts with a potluck at 6:00 p.m. at Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse, 7997 California Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA.
Member Activities
Thank you to Gordon and Carolyn McGregor for sharing their most recent experiences at Machu Pichu, Plains of Nazca and Galapagos at the Society’s March 3rd meeting.
Roger and Lydia Peake attended The Maya Meetings in Austin, Texas and learned about
"The River Cities: Archaeology and History at Yaxchilán, Piedras Negras, and Pomoná". Look forward to presentations on the Maya later this year.
Scholarships
The due date for applications for the Society’s Scholarship is soon approaching. We would like to award more than one scholarship this year to worthy applicants. Applications are due May 1, 2007. For more information refer to www.sacarcheology.org.
Other Upcoming Events
March 22 – 25, 2007 SCA Conference, San Jose, CA
http://www.scahome.org/events/index.htmlApril 24, 2007,
6:00 p.m. "California's Maidu People: Past to Present", by Diana Almendariz, and April Farnham, Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse, 7997 California Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA.April 29, 2007, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sutter Buttes: Elder Berry Flute Workshop
call Middle Mountain Foundation at (530) 671-6116May 11-12, 2007,
Ishi Seminar and Gathering hosted by the Butte County Historical Society at the Ehmann Home in Oroville. For more information contact Richard Burrill at (530) 251-5712.
May 12th
: Ishi Archery Shoot, Butte Community College (tentative) in Tehama County, 18 miles north of Chico, Hwy 99-E. Registration 7:30 am, Shoot time 10 am, Students $5 and Adults $15. Call Richard Burrill at above phone # or check website at www.ishifacts.com.
Mark Your Calendars
Upcoming Society Events
April 19, 2007, Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting, Roger and Lydia Peake’s home, 916-371-6391
April 21-22, 2007, weekend, Maturango Museum and Little Petroglyph Canyon Tour, Ridgecrest, CA http://www.maturango.org/pettoursSp07.html
May 17, 2007, Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Discussion of Before California by Brian Fagan, Jan and Tom Johansen’s home, 530-756-6970.
May 26, 2007, Saturday, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. (tentative) Celebrate California Archeology Month at a presentation at the Maidu Center, reserve the date, details to follow
A Non-Profit Corporation
P.O. Box 163287
Sacramento, CA 95816-9287