Sacramento Archeological Society, Inc.
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www.sacarcheology.org. May/June 2007
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Please note that this Newsletter covers a two-month period
Scholarship Awarded
Sacramento Archeological Society is very pleased to announce the awarding of a scholarship to Charlotte Cooper Sunseri. Charlotte is a graduate student in Anthropology with an Archaeology sub-field at University of California Santa Cruz. She has a BA in Mathematics and an MA in Anthropology. She is a doctoral candidate working on her dissertation, "Modeling Exchange in Central California’s Prehistoric Economy".
In her application she stated "This project investigates prehistoric economic dynamics from Monterey Bay to the Santa Clara Valley, where archaeology suggests dramatic social, political, and economic reorganization occurred between the Middle Period (600 BC – AD 1000) and Middle – Late Transition (AD 1000 – 1250). The Sonoma Regional Information Center (SRIC-CHRIS) and local CRM firms have identified 52 local sites in this temporal frame. Three sites have been interpreted as main residential bases spanning both time periods and two have been interpreted as short-term village sites." She is currently analyzing material from the base CA-SCR-44 while training two undergraduates in zooarchaeological analysis and one in lithic analysis. Scholarship funds will be used to fund the radiocarbon dating of four items from CA-SCR-44. This project fits with her broad dissertation, in which spatial and agent-based modeling will be used to explore when and under what circumstances hunter-gatherers shifted from one exchange pattern to another at these sites.
Once Charlotte has the results from the dating, look forward to having her speak to the Society about her project.
Rock Art
"Little Petroglyph Canyon"
Presented by Photographer, Jan Johansen
On April 22 six society members attended the tour to see "the highest concentration of rock art in the Western Hemisphere" 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 area boasted of well over 6000 images bighorn sheep, snakes, atlatls, anthropomorphic figures and abstract 'entopic' designs. This must to be true. Standing at any point in the canyon there was an overwhelming number of images. Photographer, Jan Johansen took over 400 photos of the sites.
A show on May 17 previewed representative photographs from the tour. A repeat of the presentation will be scheduled at a later date for those who missed it. For those who were unable to go on the tour several members are planning a visit to the area in the fall. If you are interested, contact Jan Johansen at janjohansen@sbcglobal.net.
Maidu Center Presentation
June 30, 2007
The presentation that was originally scheduled for May 26 at the Maidu Center in Roseville is being rescheduled for June 30. Save the date and stay tuned for details.
Book Reviews
- Great Basin Rock Art: Archaeological Perspectives, Edited by Angus R. Quinlan, University of Nevada Press www.unpress.nevada.edu
- The Rocks Begin to Speak, Understanding Indian Rock Writing by LaVan Martineau, published by KC Publications.
The Great Basin of the American West is especially rich in rock art, but until recently North American archaeologists have largely ignored these most visible monuments left by early Native Americans and have given little attention to the terrain surrounding them. In Great Basin Rock Art respected rock art researchers examine a number of significant sites from the dual perspectives of settlement archaeology and contemporary Native American interpretations of the role of rock art in their cultural past. The authors demonstrate how modern archaeological methodology and interpretations are providing a rich physical and cultural contest for these ancient and hitherto puzzling artifacts. They offer exciting new insights into the lives of North American’s first inhabitants. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the petroglyphs of the American West and in the history of the Great Basin and its original peoples.
If anyone's interested in deciphering petroglyphs and rock art, April Farnham highly recommends this book. There's not a great deal of California rock art in it, mostly the Southwest, Great Basin, and Plains states.
Other Events
Gathering of Honored Elders
June 2, 2007 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Bring your family to the Gathering of Honored Elders at the California State Indian Museum. Highlights of the event include dancers, Indian Tacos, craft booths, and a raffle. It will be held at 2618 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95816. The outdoor event is free. A $2 adult museum entry fee applies for viewing the museum. For more information contact 916-324-0971.
Sacramento Valley Conservancy
Announces
National Trails Day
June 2, 2007 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Join the Sacramento Valley Conservancy and REI at their newest local open space preserve and working cattle ranch, Deer Creek Hills, for a day of service. Activities will include building and installing bird boxes, constructing shade canopies around the parking and gathering area and general maintenance at trailheads. These are followed with lunch and a short, educational hike. Meet at the intersection of Stone House and Latrobe Road at 8:30. Families and children are welcome. For more information contact Tammy Mebane, Stewardship Director, 916-216-2178 or tammymebane@sbcglobal.net.
Member Activities
Susan Ferguson, Society Treasurer, kindly arranged for Society participation in the beginning excavation of Lost Salmon Creek, a site East of Big Bluff and Redding. It offered great field experience. For more information contact Susan.
Mark Your Calendars
- June 21, 2007, Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting, at Ruth
Upcoming Society Events
Other Upcoming Events
- June 2, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Gathering of Honored Elders, California State Indian Museum
- June 2, Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. National Trails Day, sponsored by Sacramento Valley Conservancy and REI at Deer Creek Hills
A Non-Profit Corporation
P.O. Box 163287
Sacramento, CA 95816-9287