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.

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September 2024
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November 2024

October 2024

Fence Project at the MCHS

The Mimbres Culture Heritage Site and the co-located Mattocks Site just got a brand new perimeter fence and things are looking good. This report from Archaeology Southwest explains it all - the number of volunteers and the amount of planning that are involved to make a seemingly simple project a resounding success. It's a nice photo essay to enjoy before visiting the MCHS to inspect the fence for yourself!

/s/ webmaster


Next GCAS Meeting Features Speaker Marilyn Markel - Make Note of the Special Date

Saturday, October 19, 2024 beginning at 4:00PM: the GCAS shifts the regular day, time, and location of our usual October Wednesday meeting to 4:00PM on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024, to accommodate our featured speaker and National Archaeology Day. For those wishing to spend all day Saturday in the Mimbres Valley, the fun begins at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site where folks will celebrate National Archaeology Day from 10:00AM to 3:00PM with assorted activities. Immediately following, from 4:00PM to 5:00PM, the GCAS general membership is welcome to join the general public at the Roundup Lodge where Marilyn Markel will present Apaches on the Mimbres and the Story of the Captive Boy, Santiago McKinn. Promptly after Marilyn's talk concludes at about 5PM, the GCAS will have our typical brief business meeting and we expect to adjourn by about 5:30PM. Given the earliness of the hour, no potluck or refreshments will be provided so that GCAS members can all be safely back home in time for dinner. See you on Saturday the 19th!

/s/ webmaster

 


National Archaeology Day Soon Coming!

IMG_0101Saturday, October 19, 2024, 10:00AM to 3:00PM, at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site in Mimbres, NM: the MCHS celebrates National Archaeology Day with guided site tours, tales of local legends, and activities for the whole family. Immediately following, from 4:00PM to 5:00PM at the Roundup Lodge, Marilyn Markel will present Apaches on the Mimbres and the Story of the Captive Boy, Santiago McKinn. Santiago McKinn's later residence has recently been located at a Mimbres Valley historic/archaeological site so this is a talk you won't want to miss. Telephone Marilyn directly at 575-536-9337 with any questions.

For even more online and in-person action, always check out the long list of upcoming activities happening all over the place, on the GCAS Events page on this very website.

/s/ webmaster