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The San Luis Valley

ARCHAEO-UPDATE

The Bulletin of the San Luis Valley Archaeological Network

Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2007

Contents:

2007 ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING IN DEL NORTE, FEBRUARY 24
UPCOMING COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGY CLASS, MARCH 9 TO 11, 2007, IN ALAMOSA


SLV ARCHAEOLOGICAL NETWORK
2007 ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING IN DEL NORTE, FEBRUARY 24

The San Luis Valley Archaeological Network 2007 organizational meeting will be held at the Rio Grande County Museum in Del Norte from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 24, 2007. The focus of this years meeting will be planning and scheduling activities associated with a new site stewardship program. Archeological stewardship focuses on protecting and maintaining archeological sites for future generations. The San Luis Valley has a wealth of cultural resources, a number of which are considered at-risk from vandalism and degradation from natural and other sources.

SLV Arch-Net Members visiting rock-art site near Monte Vista.
SLV Arch-Net Members visiting rock-art site near Monte Vista.
At-risk carved rock figure. Length is about 6 feet.
At-risk carved rock figure. Length is about 6 feet.

The BLM San Luis Valley Public Lands Center, the Rio Grande County Museum, and the SLV Archaeological Network are involved in a cooperative agreement to increase awareness about the protection of cultural resources of the San Luis Valley, especially on sites located on BLM lands. The objective of this agreement is to increase the awareness, understanding, and the need for protection of the cultural resources of the SLV by using a variety of methods including exhibits, speakers or lectures, and on-the-ground site monitoring. The San Luis Valley Cultural Resource Stewardship Program will utilize a cadre of trained Rio Grande County Museum and SLV Archaeological Network volunteers to monitor selected archaeological sites and report any vandalism or other changes in site condition. As a part of this program a site stewardship training workshop will be held in May of 2007 as a part of Colorado Archaeology & Historic Preservation Awareness Month. The workshop will include information about the need for a stewardship program in the SLV, specific monitoring methods (such as the use of photo points, using GPS units, and map reading) and details about observations to be made at the site such as: has there been recent vandalism or has natural site degradation occurred. Site stewards will then submit these observations to the Rio Grande County Museum and they will be entered into a database to help track changes over time. By detecting changes early on, problems can be addressed more efficiently.

Rock art chiseled for removal.
Rock art chiseled for removal. 		At-risk buffalo figure.
At-risk buffalo figure.
 At-risk elk figure.
At-risk elk figure. 		At-risk elk near Del Norte.
At-risk elk near Del Norte. 		Members recording a site.
Members recording a site.

We will discuss the SLV Stewardship Program in more depth at the February 24 meeting. We will also talk about other possible archaeological activities for the spring and summer, including visits to at-risk sites in order to conduct condition assessments to determine the baseline condition of each site. PLEASE CALL FRED OGLESBY (719-657-2847) at the Rio Grande County Museum if you plan on attending on February 24. Lunch (green chili stew) will be served. You may bring a snack if you want to.


UPCOMING COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGY CLASS, MARCH 9 TO 11, 2007, IN ALAMOSA

Next in the series of classes offered in the Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC), to be held in Alamosa from March 9 to 11, will be Colorado Archaeology. Class will be held on Friday evening, March 9, and all day on Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11. The Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) was established in 1978 by the Colorado Archaeological Society (CAS) and the Office of the State Archaeologist of Colorado (OSAC). It provides a means for CAS members and other citizens of Colorado to obtain formally recognized levels of archaeological expertise outside of an academic degree program. It also facilitates contributions by avocationalists to public service and assistance in education, governmental management of cultural resources, research, and the protection of archaeological resources in Colorado. Taught by Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist, this is a wonderful educational opportunity for the low cost of $12!

This course is a general survey of Colorado's American Indian heritage. It discusses the various stages of prehistoric and historic Native American development, time and regional relationships, lifestyles, origins, social organization and technology. Although an outline of historically known tribes in Colorado is included, the emphasis is on the Pre-Columbian era. The course is necessary for understanding cultural affiliation and cultural use of a region. Anyone remotely interested in Colorado archaeology should take this type of course.

For more information about the class content go to: www.coloradohistory-oahp.org and click on PAAC > Class Descriptions with Course Outline, Bibliography & Glossary > Survey Classes > Colorado Archaeology or click on the following link: http://www.coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/paac/classinfo/coarch.htm. Anyone over the age of 15 that is interested in learning more about archaeology, and specifically the archaeology of Colorado, is invited to attend. To sign up, please contact Loretta Mitson at 719-843-5328 or at: mitson53@yahoo.com. ASAP !

This newsletter is available in Word format: 0107_aup.doc

 

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