NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 6:00 PM at 2045 Memory Lane in Silver City, New Mexico. The GCAS's next monthly IN-PERSON ONLY meeting features speaker geoarchaeologist Dave Rachal PhD of Tierra Vieja Consulting in Las Cruces NM. Doors open at 6:00 PM with light refreshments on offer. Socializing and a brief-to-nonexistent business meeting will immediately precede Dave's presentation of: How Did The Seeds Get There? Ruppia cirrhosa Ecology, Depositional Context and Accurate Radiocarbon Dating at White Sands: "The stratigraphic and geomorphic contexts, and ultimately the chronometric determinations, at White Sands Locality-2 (WHSA-2) are topics of controversy that stem from conflicting interpretations of the processes that deposited the Ruppia cirrhosa (Ruppia) seeds within the paleo-Lake Otero footprint site....[O]ur interpretation depicts the shoreline as an unstable, dynamic lake margin to which Ruppia seeds...were transported from deep-water, offshore growth beds during storm events and deposited on the lake shore in seed balls. These unusual aggregates, known to mix seeds of wide-ranging ages, were gradually broken apart by several cycles of wave action and erosion and redeposited in layers....[W]e will delve into both the ecology and the depositional context of Ruppia and discuss why the Ruppia seeds at paleo-Lake Otero are problematic materials for radiocarbon dating." Check out Dave's and Tierra Vieja Consulting's YouTube videos (links are on our Events page) and bring your questions for him!

NEXT FIELD TRIP: TBA - watch this space and your newsletters for details as they develop.

Meet D-Stretch: the Archaeologist's Friend
All Amounts Help the GCAS MAREC Project

MAREC Progress Report - Phase III

4 - Fireplace hearth  clean 2 - Library fireplace close-upAs we move into April our project partner, the Imogen F. Wilson Education Foundation (IFWEF), is trading places with us to start work on some of their portions of the Wood House rehabilitation. This will allow the GCAS to rest and regroup for our next phase.

One of the GCAS's jobs during February and early March involved the Wood House's adobe fireplace. It had originally served the two downstairs rooms we are working on now, and the two rooms directly upstairs. This fireplace presented a dilemma for our volunteers: its chimney had disappeared decades ago, rendering it useless; but we determined that the surviving, out-of-plumb hearth and mantel downstairs were the central support for this four-room section of the Wood House. Removal was contraindicated.


5 - GB fireplace by WH 7 - Encapsulation beginsAfter much discussion both groups decided the best course of action was to preserve the remains of the fireplace by encapsulating it with 2x4 framing and sheetrock. Much like backfilling an archaeological excavation, we intended to protect the fireplace from further disturbance while keeping it intact for future preservationists. Our encapsulation's design will give the library some much-needed shelf space on either side of the fireplace - not just for books but also for charging stations for small electronics. We plan to install a picture rail along the encapsulation's front surface because it is the only spot in the room the GCAS can hang pictures without damaging the room's original walls.

The sheetrock, electrical outlets, and framing for the bookshelves are all in place. IFWEF has assumed responsibility for installing each bookshelf and completing the encapsulation with rounded bullnose corners and a texture that harmonizes with the texture of the room's original walls. We can hardly wait!

/s/ webmaster

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