Regular readers of this here site know that we generally prefer focusing our news on what's happening archaeologically in our own Southwest US/Northern Mexico region. However, we remain open-minded enough to occasionally publish news from further afield, especially when it contains implications for our own area. In this case, the article's headline is fully descriptive:

"A Remarkable New Study Suggests That Stonehenge Was Built to Amplify Sound During Ancient Ruling-Class Rituals - The stones also worked as a sound chamber, keeping outside noise out."

Our current slate of officers:

• President:                            Kyle Meredith
• Vice President:                     Marilyn Gendron
  
• Treasurer:                            Lee Brown
  
• Secretary/Newsletter:          William Hudson
  
• Program Chair:                     Marilyn Gendron
• Field Trip Coordinator:         OPEN

 Our current Board of Trustees:

• Gary Barnett
• Lee Brown
• Peter Crum
• Bill Dixon
• Marilyn Gendron
• William Hudson
• Marilyn Markel
• Kyle Meredith
• Marianne Smith
• Alternates: Kevin Humble, Kathryn McCarroll, and Lee Perry
• Our Honorary Board Member: Mary Margaret Soulé

/s/ webmaster

Roughly 90 years ago, archaeologists sponsored by universities in the US Midwestern and Eastern states excavated numerous sites throughout the Mimbres-Mogollon cultural region. As was the custom, they shipped the human remains and artifacts they uncovered to the universities and museums that had underwritten their projects. Their activities and research in our area inspired in large part the formation of our own Grant County Archaeological Society in 1928.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021, 7:00 PM via Zoom: 2021's first GCAS general meeting features speaker David Greenwald of the nonprofit Jornada Research Institute. Dave describes that he:

"...will be discussing the high points of the archaeological resources in Tularosa Canyon that date to the Mesilla phase (specifically between AD 600 and 900) focusing on Creekside Village, but also bringing the Twin Kivas Site and the Great, Great Kiva Site into the discussion. His presentation is titled EARLY JORNADA MOGOLLON SUBSISTENCE, SOCIO-POLITICAL, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN TULAROSA CANYON, OTERO COUNTY, NEW MEXICO. Thus far, the Jornada Research Institute has published the first volume on the research at Creekside Village, a preliminary report, research design and plan for expanded investigations. Ongoing studies include a focus on the reservoir and irrigation systems, terraced agricultural features, and pit houses at Creekside Village, and the great kivas, canals, and field systems in Tularosa Canyon."

Watch your email for our Zoom invite. There will be no business meeting so join us at about 6:45 PM to get settled,  and enjoy Dave's presentation when it begins at 7:00 PM sharp!

Learn more about Dave's extensive background in his own words:

Phase I of our MAREC project is well underway. 

Our partner nonprofit, the Imogen F. Wilson Education Foundation (IFWEF), owns and maintains the historic buildings at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site, including the two rooms on the ground floor of the Wood House that is the focus of our GCAS rehabilitation project. In Phase I, our GCAS volunteers have joined forces with IFWEF volunteers to safely relocate the large number of educational and field school materials that had been stored throughout the Wood House. We have taken final measurements of the interior spaces allotted to each of our groups for rehab, and are prioritizing each group's rehab activities in project schedules.

The GCAS members and friends listed below have given us a very good start to 2021. As of this writing, together they have donated a total of $4827.12 toward our goal of raising $10,000 to develop two rooms of the historic Wood House at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site into the Mimbres Archaeological Research and Education Center. We are so grateful for their support because they have enabled our volunteers to start work on rehabbing the Wood House while we continue to seek funding.

We are very excited to be making progress so quickly. Please join these generous folks in helping the GCAS accomplish our priority project:

For all those new and returning members, our annual dues are now $20 (individual) and $30 (household). Payable at the start of the calendar year. Which would be about now. Thank you!

/s/ webmaster