NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, June 21, 2023: The GCAS monthly in-person general meeting returns to the Roundup Lodge in San Lorenzo (Mimbres Valley) near the junction of Highways 152 and 35. Members and general public invited. Our customary summertime potluck starts at 5PM with your own plates/utensils/beverage & a dish for yourself or to share. Brief business meeting at 5:45PM followed immediately by our Featured Speaker, the GCAS's own archaeologist Marilyn Markel who will describe Ridge Ruin: an Extraordinary Sinagua Site and a Story of Repatriation. Join us for a unique presentation! 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, June 4, 2023: Meet at 10:00AM sharp at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site to carpool to the Mitchell, Montezuma, and possibly also the Beauregard sites on the the Nature Conservancy's Upper Mimbres Preserve about 5 miles north. To get an accurate head count for carpooling in hi-clearance vehicles, GCAS members please email [email protected] or telephone Marilyn Markel at 575-536-9337 ahead of time to let us know to expect you.

Volunteering

Field Trip Ideas, Please!

Indian Wells pit house vista 1The GCAS always looks for new places to visit or old places to revisit. Day trips and overnight adventures are in the mix. We welcome every one of our members, from brand-new to our Grizzled Old Timers, to give our group your own ideas - where would YOU like to go for our next field trip? Archaeological sites and historic sites like forts, missions, & mines are all cool by us.

Ft bowie ruin - photo by G.ConlinWe've traveled as far afield as Paquime, Mexico; and as close to home as Gomez Peak. We've visited Three Rivers, and have recorded the rock art at the Dragonfly Petroglyph. Anything goes, near or far! Some of our members are willing to lead any field trips up their way -- but new leaders are welcome too! What do you know? What areas do you like the best? Please share with us - we want to keep exploring!

/s/ webmaster


Final Repost: Gila Earth Day is April 22 - Please Help Run Our GCAS Booth

EarthDay 2023Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM: The annual Earth Day/Continental Divide Trail Days celebration in Gough Park, Silver City, brought to you by the Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP), happens next Saturday! The GCAS has typically had a booth at this event, with educational materials of all kinds and a variety of fundraising/sales items; please email Marianne or telephone her at 772-529-2627 to volunteer some time to help us set up, run, and break down our booth on Saturday.

For further information on the additional events are happening all weekend including a Talks of the Trail speaker series, a community celebration, and CDT hikes, contact GRIP directly.

/s/ webmaster


Repost: 2023 Earth Day in April!

EarthDay 2023Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM: It's the annual Earth Day/Continental Divide Trail Days celebration in Gough Park, Silver City, brought to you by the Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP).

The GCAS has typically had a booth at this event, with educational materials of all kinds and a variety of fundraising/sales items; please email Marianne or telephone her at 772-529-2627 to volunteer some time to help us set up, run, and break down our booth on Saturday.

For further information on the additional events are happening all weekend including a Talks of the Trail speaker series, a community celebration, and CDT hikes, contact GRIP directly.

/s/ webmaster


2023 Earth Day - Let's Go!

EarthDay 2023Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM: It's the annual Earth Day/Continental Divide Trail Days celebration in Gough Park, Silver City, brought to you by the Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP).

The GCAS has typically had a booth at this event, with educational materials of all kinds and a variety of fundraising/sales items; please email Marianne or telephone her at 772-529-2627 to volunteer some time to help us set up, run, and break down our booth on Saturday.

For further information on the additional events are happening all weekend including a Talks of the Trail speaker series, a community celebration, and CDT hikes, contact GRIP directly.

/s/ webmaster


Join in Some of Our Quick Projects!

Some GCAS members can only spare some random moments on a few occasions, so they assume they can't participate in many of our group's ongoing projects. However, we have activities suitable for anyone's time budget. This short list of GCAS opportunities can move along with as much - or as little - time as you have to spend:

  1. Match the dates and sites on our list of past field trips to photos in our archives! Chris explains a stone tool
  2. Check a former member's DVDs for the dates and the names of the archaeological sites he filmed, and match them to our list of “Specific Sites”!
  3. Identify the dates and sites of our collection of slides and match them to our list of “Specific Sites” or to our list of past field trips!
  4. Sort the potsherds and other artifacts in our lab’s artifact collections and add them to our inventory list! 103 - view 1  14x14 box  sherds  with coffee can inside
  5. Review and organize our small collection of topographic maps!
  6. Help sell our inventory of used and duplicate publications at local events, or develop an online store for them on our website!

Which project do you prefer? Call Marianne at 772-529-2627 or email [email protected] with a good day and time for you!

/s/ webmaster


Personnel Changes

GCAS LogoAs we approach the end of the calendar year, several of our GCAS officers and trustees are facing term limits. This offers all GCAS members - whether brand-new or long-term - the opportunity to fill the vacancies and keep our group moving forward.  Scroll below for a menu of the kinds of activities where you are needed the most, with a general idea of the time required to fulfill our group's mission. No experience necessary for any area – our current GCAS officers and board members are here to show you all the ropes!

Continue reading "Personnel Changes" »


Next Week's Big Event!

Lab view 1 WHYou coming to our big to-do?

Library view 2 WHWednesday, October 19, 2022, starting 5:00PM: October's GCAS general meeting is an open house at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site! Come tour the Wood House and see the 5 fully rehabilitated rooms of the Mimbres Archaeological Research and Education Center (MAREC), a joint venture between the GCAS and the Imogen F. Wilson Education Foundation (IFWEF). This is a big deal that was for decades nothing more than a pipe dream. Now the dream's come true! The schedule:

21 - MM and MKM sherd shelves test 15PM: Start with guide Marilyn Markel to tour the Mattocks archaeological site!
5:30PM: enjoy our customary summertime meeting's potluck meal!
6PM: follow your GCAS and IFWEF guides to view the MAREC facility our two groups offer to visiting archaeologists and students of all ages -- some of whom have already used our space to great success! (Plenty of fun projects for GCAS members*, too!)
                       * Sherds! Artifacts! Photos! Videos! And more!
6:30PM: check out the museum in the Gooch House!
7PM: settle in for a brief GCAS business meeting promptly followed by a feature presentation by John Welch of Southwest Archaeology!

Please note that 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.

/s/ webmaster


Re-Post: GCAS Volunteers Sought for Archaeology Day on Saturday, October 15, 2022

Please set aside time on Saturday, October 15, 2022 to help the GCAS host the annual Archaeology Day at the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site. This year's activities overlap with a special tour that MCHS volunteers are offering to attendees of the New Mexico Association of Museums during their annual conference, so we need plenty of GCAS members to assist folks at educational stations around the grounds. No experience necessary; we'll prep you on everything you need! Contact Marilyn Markel at 575-536-9337 for details. Thank you, and we'll see you there!

/s/ webmaster


Got Any Ideas for a Field Trip?

Indian Wells pit house vista 1The GCAS is always on the lookout for new places to visit, or to revisit places we've been in the past. Day trips are fun, but so are overnight adventures. We always welcome our members, from brand-new to our Grizzled Old Timers, to give our group your own ideas - where would YOU like to go for our November 6, 2022 field trip? Any other field trip? Archaeological sites and historic sites like forts, missions, & mines are all cool by us.

Ft bowie ruin - photo by G.ConlinWe've traveled as far afield as Paquime, Mexico; and as close to home as Gomez Peak. We've visited Three Rivers, and have recorded the rock art at the Dragonfly Petroglyph. Anything goes, near or far, with avocational archaeologists! Some of our members are willing to lead any field trips up their way -- but new leaders are welcome too! What do you know? What areas do you like the best? Please share with us - we want to keep exploring!

/s/ webmaster