NEXT MEETING: Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 6:00PM: The GCAS’s general meeting IS RESCHEDULED from the usual third Wednesday of the month to the following Saturday, October 21, 2023, beginning at 6:00PM, for a special meeting and potluck dinner at 2045 Memory Lane in Silver City to welcome visiting members of the GCAS's friends and generous supporters of our MAREC project, the Albuquerque Archaeological Society. GCAS members, please bring your finest potluck dishes to share with about 15 members of AAS who would love to meet you. As we get to know one another, there will be a slideshow presentation of either the Rock House Petroglyph Site, the Dragonfly Petroglyph Site, or both. Join us on Saturday! (In order to offer our members a safe and comfortable experience the GCAS follows CDC and New Mexico Department of Health guidelines for indoor gatherings including masking, distancing, and vaccinations. We recommend all attendees follow the same.

NEXT FIELD TRIP: Sunday, October 22, 2023, at 10:00 AM: Due to lack of a selected destination for the usual field trip on the first Sunday of the month, October's field trip is rescheduled to October 22 when members of the Albuquerque Archaeological Society visit our area. Destination will be either Rock House Petroglyph Site in lower Mimbres Valley (pending permit approval) or Dragonfly Petroglyph Site in Arenas Valley. Watch this space as details 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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