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.

Pictographs

Archaeological Conservancy Zoom Presentation by Alan Garfinkel August 29!

Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 5:00 pm MDT (current New Mexico Time) - FREE online lecture hosted by the Archaeological Conservancy: Alan Garfinkel presents Archaic Forager Religious Theology: Coso Region Rock Art of Eastern California.

ABOUT THE LECTURE:

The Coso Range of eastern California, along the western edge of the Great Basin, is the location of a tremendous collection of Coso rock art. With a conservative estimate of more than 100,000 images this collection is attributed to the Coso people and has been dated as far back as the Little Lake Period (6000 to 2000 BC). The rock art here is unique in its detail and depictions of readily identified creatures and anthropomorphic figures. Dr. Alan Garfinkel, considered a well-regarded authority on the Coso Range Rock Art traditions and Coso Region prehistory in general, discusses this rock art, including a very unique panel found at The Archaeological Conservancy’s Portuguese Bench preserve. You will learn about symbolic parallels between the Coso Range prehistoric rock art and Uto-Aztecan religious traditions found farther south and hear about studies that illuminate the significance of female figures in Coso rock art that were previously considered to be dominated by male representations. Dr. Garfinkel will share what he’s learned about attributes of individual images and the significance of some of the motifs, such as the inclusion of avian attributes (legs, feet, and feather adornments) and the presence of serpent-themed designs and images.

Continue reading "Archaeological Conservancy Zoom Presentation by Alan Garfinkel August 29!" »


2023's Last Field Trip

C-Bar EA1 C-Bar EA7Our last field trip of 2023 happened on December 3 when Kyle Meredith guided about 13 GCAS members to the C-Bar Ranch area of the Burro Mountains. The day was cool, dry, and pleasant - well suited to exploring archaeological sites and features on foot. Kyle reported it was a perfect day, with the group about equally divided between established members and folks fairly new to the GCAS. We're certain everyone enjoyed the trip, judging by the photos Kyle and Eduardo Arguello took of people in action.

C-Bar EA8Kyle provided the two photos shown of pictographs enhanced by dStretch software, and Eduardo shared his group shots. Thanks to both Eduardo and Kyle for their reports!

Pictos 1b Pictos 2b/s/ webmaster


Volunteers Sought for Rock Art Recording

Ron Barber Stone_Calendar-RBRon Barber, creator of the Stone Calendar Project, has been studying rock art sites throughout the Southwest and Northern Mexico identifying glyphs that mark specific times of the year using unique light and shadow interactions.  He has some survey predictions for glyphs along the Gila Narrows and other southern sites and is looking for volunteers to help in further research.

Anyone who is interested in spending time in the field recording/filming calendar sun light interactions in the region, please contact Ron directly at [email protected] . Here's more of Ron's background:

Continue reading "Volunteers Sought for Rock Art Recording" »


Meet D-Stretch: the Archaeologist's Friend

Picto 3 - natural Picto 3 - StretchSome avocational archaeologists have already learned of the fascinating technology of D-Stretch, aka decorrelation stretch, a digital imaging tool that was originally developed to enhance (i.e., "stretch") the color differences in aerial photographs. Today, this technology has become more widely used and user-friendly to boot. It is now an essential tool to analyze rock art images, especially ones too faint for the naked eye to see.

Continue reading "Meet D-Stretch: the Archaeologist's Friend" »


Online Via Zoom: Our February 17, 2021, Featured Speaker: Lawrence (Larry) Loendorf

Larry-loendorf Larry Loendorf excavating in front of Main rock art panel  Valley of the Shields  MontanaJoin us Wednesday, February 17, 2021, at 7:00 PM on Zoom to hear our Featured Speaker, Lawrence (Larry) Loendorf of Sacred Sites Research, Inc. explain the relationships he and other anthropologists, archaeologists, and ethnobotanists have studied between "Medicinal Plants and Rock Art Sites in Southern New Mexico."

Larry was born and raised in Montana. His BA and MA degrees are in anthropology and archaeology from the University of Montana and his PhD is from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After receiving his PhD, he taught at the University of North Dakota for 22 years and then moved to undertake research and teaching at the University of Arizona and New Mexico State University. He currently manages Sacred Sites Research, Inc., a non-profit company that is dedicated to protecting ancient pictograph and petroglyph sites.

Continue reading "Online Via Zoom: Our February 17, 2021, Featured Speaker: Lawrence (Larry) Loendorf" »


Sign Up Now for an Upcoming Rock Art Tour

OPAC HQFor those unfamiliar with Old Pueblo Archaeology Center [photo on right via OPAC], it is an organization headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, devoted to education and preservation of historic and archaeological sites and artifacts throughout the region of the US Southwest and Mexico Northwest. They serve as a clearinghouse for events, tours, educational programs, and volunteer opportunities for individuals including students of all ages, professionals, and interested nonprofessionals.

Continue reading "Sign Up Now for an Upcoming Rock Art Tour" »


Back to Back to Back Field Trip Reports - Part I: Spirit Canyon

The summer months find the GCAS all over the place partaking of events aplenty. Our field trips are no exception; by the close of the first week of July we will have enjoyed a total of three field trips in five weeks.

2019-06-02 CO Spirit Canyon field trip IMG_1067On June 2, 2019, the GCAS's very own Marilyn Markel led our monthly field trip to two sites located near each other. Our first stop was to Spirit Canyon in the upper Mimbres Valley area. Spirit Canyon is a unique rock art site monitored under the New Mexico SiteWatch Program. About a half-mile walk up the canyon trail and carefully avoiding the lush growth of poison ivy, our group encountered a series of red ochre pictographs that reportedly depict either Apache Mountain Spirits, or the Apache ceremonial dancers who represented the Mountain Spirits. [Photo on left by M.Smith; photo on right by Greg Conlin.]

Continue reading "Back to Back to Back Field Trip Reports - Part I: Spirit Canyon" »


Registration Soon Closes for 2019 Rock Art Academy in El Paso, Texas

Badger vs. opossumThe Texas Archeological Society's two-day Rock Art Academy will be held in El Paso, Texas, on February 16-17, 2019. Registration will close at midnight on January 17, 2019.

The TAS Rock Art Academy "...explores regional rock art archeological sites, Mogollon archeological sites, and how investigators use this information to interpret the human and natural histories of an area. Classroom Bighorn sheep 1sessions for the Academy will be held at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology with field sessions at Hueco Tanks State Park..."

For registration and event details please go to this TAS page.

/s/ webmaster [Photos by Marianne Smith]


2019 Rock Art Academy, El Paso

Doe  maybe  between 2 male figuresRegistration is open and ongoing for the Texas Archeological Society's Rock Art Academy to be held in El Paso, Texas, on February 16-17, 2019.

FriendshipThe TAS describes the Rock Art Academy as "...a two-day Texas Archeology Academy that explores regional rock art archeological sites, Mogollon archeological sites, and how investigators use this information to interpret the human and natural histories of an area. Classroom sessions for the Academy will be held at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology with field sessions at Hueco Tanks State Park..."

The registration period for the 2019 Rock Art Academy continues through midnight on January 17, 2019. For details on this event, go to this TAS page.

/s/ webmaster [Photos by Marianne Smith]


Registration Soon Opens for 2019 Rock Art Academy in El Paso, Texas

Maybe deer and turkeyThe Texas Archeological Society has announced that registration will open on October 28, 2018, for their next Rock Art Academy to be held in El Paso, Texas, on February 16-17, 2019.

Cloud  possibly  with waterThe TAS explains that the Rock Art Academy "...is a two-day Texas Archeology Academy that explores regional rock art archeological sites, Mogollon archeological sites, and how investigators use this information to interpret the human and natural histories of an area. Classroom sessions for the Academy will be held at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology with field sessions at Hueco Tanks State Park..."

The registration period for the 2019 Rock Art Academy runs from noon on October 28, 2018, through midnight on January 17, 2019. For details on this event, go to this TAS page.

/s/ webmaster [Photos by Marianne Smith]