OCR Text |
Show What Resulted From All Those Big Archaeology Projects? Have your ever wondered what was learned, why you never heard of a report, or where the artifact collections are from the various big excava- tion projects that universities and other institutions have con- ducted in southeastern Utah? You are not alone. Like the majority of American people, you are the victim of the un- fortunate tendency of Ameri- can archaeologists to report their work to one another while ignoring the people who pay the bills. In defense of archaeologists, it is only fair to recognize that archaeology is never a high priority funding item and there is never quite enough money in a project budget to last until the reports are completed and distributed. As a result, by the time reports are finalized, the archaeologists energies and attention are already committed to their next underfunded project, and important concerns like reporting to the people seem to get lost in the shuffle. But what good is the knowledge gained if it doesnt get to the people? This is certainly a responsibility that archaeologists have ignored for too long. There are some notable exceptions to this rule. For example, Dr. George has done an outstanding job of pulling together the important findings of his years of research in the coal mine areas of Black Mesa in Arizona in his book The View from Black Mesa. This is reading for anyone who can read and has an Gumer-ma- n reco-mende- d interest in the Anasazi. Unfortunately, archaeologists working in Utah have not done so well. As a token gesture toward mending that problem, here is some information that may be helpful regarding some the recent projects in San Juan County.: 1 Bluff Highway (1980): a substantial US-19- Project descrip- tive, analytical and interpretive report was prepared by Bob Neilly and distributed to various libraries and organizations (not including our local libraries or Edge of the Cedars, unfortunately). Copies of the report can be found in Winston Hursts personal library at Edge of the Cedars Museum, in Bill Davis library at Abajo Archaeology in Bluff, and in Excavation work at Edge of the Cedars Museum ruin. Mysteries (Continued from page 1) has recently come from other excavations in Southeastern Utah and surrounding areas. Comparative studies of Ana- sazi cannibalism that are underway may reveal patterns and conclusions that will help us understand what happened at the little site in Cottonwood. The excavations have also revealed evidence of repeated remodeling of the Anasazi dwellings in the site. The structureswere apparently built, lived in for a short time, and then remodeled or new Archaeology: The persuit of formal knowledge about human societies, through the study of their material leavings. This is our only source of cultural or historical information on the large majority of the human cultures that have ever existed. (Formal knowledge: recorded information, preserved in a static form and accessible in public libraries and archives for the forseeable future.) structures built. What was the reason for this continual rebuilding? Boredom? A local zoning official gone amuck? The Forest Service invites all interested citizens to become involved in this work, and hopes to sponsor projects in the future which will depend in part on participation by volunteers. Perhaps readers of this article will someday contribute to the quest for information about the Anasazi, by lending a hand on an archaeological project. Studies of collections and data from the Cottonwood Wash excavation are still underway. A report will be prepared by archeaologists Linda Honeycutt and Jerry Fetterman of Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants, Yellow jacket, Colorado. Copies of the report will be available later this year to interested citizens at the Monticello Forest Service office and at Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding. the BLMs library at the Monticello office. The collections are housed at the Utah Museum of Natural History in Salt Lake City, where they are accessible for study. Energy Fuels Nuclear, White Mesa Uranium Mill Project These excavations were conducted by three different organizations, who produced three different reports. (1979-1981- ): The first years excavations were reported in a report produced by the Antiquities Section of the Utah State Historical Society. The second years work is reported in a report by Larry Agenbroad of Plano Archaeological Consultants out of Colorado. The final years work is reported in the most detailed and finished volume of the three, and the only one to be published for sale to the general public, by Bill Davis of Abajo Archaeology in Bluff. All three reports can be found in the libraries at Edge of the Cedars, Abajo Archaeology and possibly at the Monticello BLM office. Most of the display quality artifacts in the collections are in the possession of Energy Fuels, and on display in their offices in Denver, the utility collections (boxes of rocks, sherds, etc.) are curated at Edge of the Cedars Museum, where they are accessible to legitimate researchers. Recapture Lake Project The first years work at e Recapture is reported in a report from BYU which was distributed to selected libraries in 1975. Plans to produce an abridged version for sale have been scuttled due to funding and manpower limitations in the BYU contract archaeology program. Copies of the report were distributed locally to the Blanding Library, the San Juan Water Conservancy District, Edge of the (1981-1982- ): three-volum- Winston Cedars Museum, Hurst and Abajo Archaeology. Excavations after the first year were conducted as a BYU field school and reported in a BYU masters thesis by Marion Jacklin. This work has not been distributed, and no copy exists in San Juan County. The collections from the Recapture Lake Project are all curated at Edge of the Cedars Museum. Although the collection is a valuable research resource, it contains only a small number of display quality of items. None are presently on display. Nancy' Patterson Village Archaeological Project (1983-1986- ): Artifact and data analysis are still in progress at BYU. Four annual progress reports have been distributed, copies of which can be found in the library at Edge of the Cedars Museum. A final report is scheduled for next year. The collections are being actively analyzed at BYU. Their final disposition has not been determined, but will depend on the outcome of present efforts to get the site (and therefore the collections) into the National Park System. Anyone wishing to obtain information on these or any other archaeological projects conducted in southeastern Utah may start by contacting Winston Hurst at Edge of the Cedars Museum (surface survey information on the location and nature of sites is not generally filed at Edge of the Cedars, and may be protected from public access by the land managing agencies who maintain those files. Nevertheless, the Museum offers to assist interested citizens in finding any archaeological inform- ation in which they have a constructive interest). |