049 - SHA2017 - Using Oculus for Underwater Shipwreck Viewing

On this episode Chris Webster interviews Sean Cox of East Carolina University regarding their exhibit in the Tech Room at the 50th Annual Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology meeting in Fort Worth, TX. Cox and his team explored an underwater wreck, took a bunch of photos and data points, and created an interactive 3D rendering of the wreck that you can walk around and on. It was pretty cool and a great way to experience something that only a few have the ability to.

048 - SHA2017 - Secret City

On today's episode we talk to Jeremy Brunette from Los Alamos National Laboratories about a new app that allows you to visit the new Manhattan Project park without leaving your living room.

Links

0047 - OAS (November 2016) - Pat O'Grady & Rimrock Draw

APN host, Christopher Sims, went to the November meeting of the Oregon Archaeological Society in Portland, Oregon to hear Dr. Pat O'Grady (University of Oregon) speak on his research at Rimrock Draw. 

The Rimrock Draw site in southeastern Oregon is changing what archaeologists know about the first people to live in Oregon. It presents some unique challenges and opportunities, and ongoing research has been made possible through public support from OAS.

Contact:
Christopher Sims (host)
email: christopher@godigahole.com
Twitter

Pat O'Grady, PhD (University of Oregon)
email: pogrady@uoregon.edu
Northern Great Basin Prehistory Project (U. Oregon field school)

0045 - GBAC 2016 - Chris Webster - PCS

35th Great Basin Anthropological Conference, Reno, Nevada, Oct. 6 - Oct. 8

WEBSTER, CHRIS (DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTING); ASHLEY, MICHAEL (CODIFI, INC.) DUNN, JOSHUA (PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS FOR SCIENTISTS) SHELMIRE, JESSE (PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS FOR SCIENTISTS) ERICSON, ANDREW MITCHELL (PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS FOR SCIENTISTS) Certification and Education: A New Way to Think About Professional Environmental Science

For decades archaeologists have tried to figure out how to educate, license, and legitimize all levels of field archaeologist. The Register of Professional Archaeologists is a start, but in a world where you need a license to cut someone's hair but not to record the cultural history of an entire nation, something has to change. Professional Certifications for Scientists is a non-profit organization that aims to provide training and certification for all levels of archaeologist and other scientific fields. Through short educational videos and 

0044 - GBAC 2016 - Annie Hershey - NVCRIS

HERSHEY, ANASTASIA (NEVADA SHPO) New Developments in the Nevada Cultural Resources Information System

The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (NVSHPO) is announcing a new mapping service as part of the Nevada Cultural Resource Information System (NVCRIS). As such, there will be two online mapping tools available under NVCRIS – a Restricted and an Unrestricted service. In this session, the new Unrestricted service will be demonstrated. This new service has all the same features and capabilities as the Restricted site. However, the Unrestricted site does not contain data that is protected by National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA § 307103 [formally section 304]) or the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA §470hh). This Unrestricted site is available to those entities who have preservation responsibilities under NHPA but may not have a Secretary of Interior qualified archaeologist on staff. This presentation will not cover the Restricted NVCRIS site. If you have questions about the Restricted site, NVSHPO will have a booth in the Vendor’s Area throughout the conference. 

0043 - GBAC 2016 - Michael Ashley - Paperless Archaeology

ASHLEY, MICHAEL (CODIFI, INC.)
WEBSTER, CHRIS (DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTING) Rethinking the Future of [Paperless] Archaeology

Throughout human history, we have invented remarkable new technologies that, in their time, were met with skepticism and even rejection, only to be embraced by later generations who realized the value of these innovations. We are feeling this struggle now as archaeology moves from an analog/paper/film recording to a paperless/digital ecology. It has been a 20+ year process, but it is about time to fully consider the impacts of thinking beyond the page. In this ‘paper’ we will explore the implications of a post-paper archaeology for our current practices of field recordation, analysis, and production of the archaeological record through emerging technologies that have the potential to transform the way we engage with, share, and preserve the past. 

0042 - GBAC 2016 - David Yoder - New Utah Site Form

35th Great Basin Anthropological Conference, Reno, Nevada, Oct. 6 - Oct. 8

YODER, DAVID (UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY) IMACS and Site Recording in Utah: A Retrospective of Trying to Change an Entrenched System

Four years ago I set out to bring together interested parties to update or replace the Intermountain Antiquities Computer System (IMACS) for recording archaeological sites in Utah. After 30+ years of using the same form, I believed (and still do) that updating the system would make management of our cultural resources more efficient and effective. But I also believed it would be a relatively straightforward process. I was wrong. In this presentation I discuss the four-year effort, lessons learned, explain why we have the system we do, and what site recording in Utah will look like in the years to come. 

0041 - GBAC 2016 - Andrew Owens - Aging Mandibular Bison Teeth with ArcGIS

35th Great Basin Anthropological Conference, Reno, Nevada, Oct. 6 - Oct. 8

OWENS, ANDREW (UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY) Aging Mandibular Bison Teeth with ArcGIS

This presentation presents a non-destructive, empirical and replicable method for aging bison teeth. Tooth eruption, growth, and attrition can document age-at-death, which informs on hunting strategies, occupation seasonality, environmental conditions, and herd health. Previous dentition studies utilize numerous tooth metrics that commonly require specimen-destructive research methods. Also, occlusal wear age estimates rely on subjective wear patterning classifications and figures. We suggest a new approach that provides age profiles by “mapping” occlusal wear with ESRi’s AcrGIS software. Planview mandibular tooth photos from the University of Wyoming’s known-age mandible sample, and well-documented prehistoric samples including the Agate Basin, Hawken, Horner, Glenrock, and Vore sites were captured and georeferenced. Next, GIS polygons were digitized for various occlusal surface features. Digitized GIS shape files were then used to generate various occlusal surface feature areas, and multiple statistical methods were employed that explore relationships between quantified occlusal surfaces and specimen ages. 

0040 - GBAC 2016 - Meg Tracy - Modeling Human Locational Behavior

35th Great Basin Anthropological Conference, Reno, Nevada, Oct. 6 - Oct. 8

TRACY, MEG (GREAT BASIN INSTITUTE) Modeling Human Locational Behavior in Montane Settings

Models were developed to predict spatial distribution of prehistoric archaeological site potential in the Sawtooth National Forest. Archaeological data and environmental parameters were collected and processed in a GIS. Predictor variables were evaluated to discover correlates with human locational behavior & compared against a control dataset. Three modeling methods were used: Logistic Regression, Regression Tree, and Random Forest. These models were assessed for efficacy using k-fold cross-validation and gain statistics. Although observed relationships could result from biases in archaeological data and predictors, results suggest a strong correlation between environment and prehistoric site location. 

0039 - GBAC 2016 - Chris Webster - APN

35th Great Basin Anthropological Conference, Reno, Nevada, Oct. 6 - Oct. 8

Podcasting as a Way to Promote Archaeology and Engage the Public, or, Archaeology - Straight from the Trenches to Your Ears!

Podcasts have been around for over 10 years now and only in the last couple years, since the release of the popular This American Life spin-off, Serial, has the American public been interested. Until Serial, it seemed that you were either a podcast listener or you weren’t. Now, people are incorporating them into their lives as trusted sources of information and entertainment. The Archaeology Podcast Network was founded as the first season of Serial came to a close and our downloads quickly hit 20,000 a month. Podcasts on the APN range from niche shows about specific topics related to professional archaeologists to popular shows that can reach a wider audience. Every show, however, is free and accessible to anyone on the planet. It is clear that podcasting is a great way to engage the public and that more archaeological endeavors, from projects to field schools to contract projects, can use podcasting to present data, inform and educate the public, and start conversations. 

0038 - Pecos 2016 - Pecos Poster: Fuels Removal from Cultural Resources

“Thinning of a New Future: The Benefits of Removing Fuels from Cultural Resources in Santa Fe National Forest, Jemez Ranger District” By Rebecca Baisden, Stephanie Mack, Jason Millet, Carlyn Stewart, Kandi Voss, and Mary Allison Wolf

The buildup of fuels, such as tree branches, on archaeological sites is a major concern in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest due to the potential for wildfire in the area. Since 2013, the SW Jemez Mountain Landscape Restoration Project-Archaeological Site Thinning has endeavored to remove fuels from sites, creating a unique treatment plan to prevent damage to archaeological sites.

Links

Contact

0037 - Pecos 2016 - Pecos Poster: Cedar Mesa Perishables with Erin Gearty

“The Cedar Mesa Perishables: Bringing New Life to a Forgotten Archaeological Collection” by Laurie Webster and Erin Gearty

Cedar Mesa, Utah, is an amazing landscape with a rich archaeological record. Excavations took place throughout the area, including in the dry caves in the Greater Cedar Mesa region. The Cedar Mesa Perishables Project set out to study 4,000 unpublished textiles, baskets, wooden implements, and hide and feather artifacts excavated during the 1890s. These artifacts are housed in six different museums! The overall goal of the project is to carefully document each artifact and make the collection more widely known to archaeologists, native communities, and the general public.

 

Links

 

0036 - Pecos 2016 - Pecos Presentation: Landforms as Architecture

“Landforms as Architecture and the Appropriation of Place on Orayvi Wash, A.D. 550-800” by Kellam Throgmorton Binghamton University During a 2015 survey of Orayvi Wash, Arizona, two adjacent sequentially inhabited community centers were documented. The communities date between A.D. 550 and 800, the Basketmaker III and Pueblo I periods. The particularly unique aspect of these communities are the large buttes near the habitation area, which may have been seen as formalized ceremonial structures. On top of these landforms, post-and-adobe architecture was constructed, consequently manipulating the landscape into a power symbol. Consequently, we can see the creation of new power dynamics in early aggregated villages in this area. 

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Contact

0035 - Pecos 2016 - Pecos Posters: Aztec North with Michelle Turner

“The Archaeology of Aztec North” by Michelle Turner, Maxwell Forton, Josh Jones, Randall McGuire, Lubna Omar, Kellam Throgmorton, Samuel Stansel, and Ruth Van Dyke Binghamton University The poster highlights testing conducted at the Aztec North great house (Aztec Ruins National Monument, NM) by a crew of archaeologists from Binghamton University. The project’s research questions, research design, and preliminary results of the excavation were discussed, including unexpected finds such as the presence of fish bones in a burnt floor feature. The authors offer some insight into how Aztec North—and cultural landscape—relates to Chaco Canyon. Turner is studying the ceramics recovered from the excavation for her dissertation! *Please note: The poster session was absolutely packed, so the background noise on the recording is quite loud.

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Contact

0034 - Pecos 2016 - Pecos Posters: The Moon, Shrines, and Chaco with Robert Weiner

“An Investigation into Possible Lunar Alignments of Prehistoric Shrine-Sites at Chaco Canyon” by Anna Sofaer, William Stone, and Robert Weiner The Solstice Project and Brown University There are more than enormous pueblos and beautiful artifacts at the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. There are also a number of C-shaped, circular, and cairn masonry structures situated on elevated positions near and throughout Chaco Canyon. These structures appear to have been intentionally interrelated on alignments to the major standstill moon. Since there are deposits of turquoise and other artifacts at these structures, it’s thought that they may be shrines. Consequently, the shrines suggest a level of lunar astronomical expression in Chaco culture through architectural alignments. *Please note: The poster session was absolutely packed, so the background noise on the recording is quite loud

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0033 - Pecos 2016 - Pecos Posters: College vs. The Work Force

“College Vs. The Work Force” By Alyssa Colan and Vincent Gentile The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Are college graduates ready to work in the field of archaeology? Were they adequately prepared to survey, write reports, and dig shovel tests? Colan and Gentile explore these questions, focusing on whether or not the skills taught while obtaining a bachelor’s degree are applicable to the working world. The majority of the material taught prepares students for academia, not necessarily for working in cultural resource management. The poster highlights the skills not typically taught in the majority of undergraduate programs, including personal anecdotes, as well as suggestions for improving said programs to better prepare students.

Links

Contact

Conference Host: Emily Long - TrowelTalesPodcast@gmail.com

0032 - Pecos 2016 - The Pecos Experience

The Pecos Conference, created in 1927, is an outdoor extravaganza of presentations and posters highlighting current research in southwestern archaeology. Archaeologists descend on the chosen location for the year, camping together, sharing research and stories, and carousing for a couple of days. This year the Pecos Conference took place in Alpine, AZ, hosted by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Links

Contact

Conference Host: Emily Long - TrowelTalesPodcast@gmail.com