A NEW METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE SEX OF HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS

Matt Rosett

hosted by the Albuquerque Archaeological Society
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 7:30 P.M.
at the Albuquerque Museum
2000 Mountain Road NW

Mr. Rosett's presentation describes his recent dissertation, which examines the degree of sexual dimorphism in the posterior portion of the human pelvis. His research involved testing previous methods and developing a new technique for assessing sex from the sacrum in human remains of European origin, using data collected from a well documented nineteenth and twentieth century skeletal population curated at the National Museum of National History at the Bocage Museum, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Matt Rosett graduated in 2006 with honors from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. Physical Anthropology and has recently completed an M.S. in Human Osteology & Palaeopathology from the University of Bradford, UK. Next fall, he plans start his Ph.D. in Bioarchaeology at UNM. He is primarily interested in investigating how human health, disease and activity patterns of past populations from the Southwestern U.S. have changed through time.

Mr. Rosett is currently working with the Office of Contract Archaeology as a Field Crew Member and at the Department of Radiology at the University of New Mexico as a Research Assistant. He also volunteers his spare time at the Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture in Cedar Crest, where he is preparing reports on human skeletal remains that have been recovered from archaeological sites throughout New Mexico.

Note : A dues increase for 2009 will be discussed at the November 18 meeting, and a field trip to the Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture in Cedar Crest is planned for November 22.

ALBUQUERQUE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MINUTES

October 21, 2008

Gretchen Obenauf presided and introduced guests, who included Laurie Alexander and Ben. The minutes of the September meeting were approved as published, but the newsletter posted incorrect dates for talks on Mimbres pottery.

Refreshments were provided by Jacqueline Johnson and Helen Crotty.

Members are reminded that the Christmas party will be the third Tuesday in December.

A new directory of members will be mailed or emailed as soon as all corrections are made.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Lab : Karen Armstrong reported that Hibben Center volunteers have completed the work on Linda Cordell's field school project at Pottery Mound and that they will start processing artifacts from Frank Hibben's work there soon.

Library : Karen and the Fredericksons are sorting which books to donate to Friends of Tijeras Pueblo and which to sell. Pat Beckett is willing to look at the collection for appraisal. The book sale will probably be held in the spring. The Laboratory of Anthropology's book sale in Santa Fe will be Nov. 6-7.

Membership: Someone is needed to take the panel display to the Archeology Fair and the Sun Mountain Gathering. Thanks to Tom Obenauf for his help this year.

Rock Art : Maynard Merkt and Carol Chamber-land are working on an agreement with a private ranch owner east of Placitas.

Field Trips : Dick Chapman will lead a trip to Paako sometime after a frost kills off the vegeta-tion covering the site. Tijeras Pueblo is another possibility.

Pottery Southwest : Patricia Lee has submitted her resignation as editor, and the search for her replacement is under way.

Newsletter : Thanks to Helen Crotty and Jacqueline Johnson for their hard work.

Website : Let Mark Rosenblum know if you are not receiving AAS emails.

NEW BUSINESS :

Mark Rosenblum announced that he would like to arrange for a potter from Tomé to teach a class on making Pottery Mound-type pots using clay from the site and temper from Hidden Mountain. The students will dig the clay, form the pots and fire them. Email Mark if interested and he will set up a date for the class.

Carol Condie brought copies of American Archaeology, the publication of the Archaeological Conservancy.

Gretchen and Mark reported on SiteWatch. The Valencia County chapter has monitored Tomé Hill, Comanche Springs, etc., but plenty of sites in other areas are available for anyone who is interested. Training is available.

OLD BUSINESS:

Mark reported that the Archeology Fair in Los Lunas in September was the largest one ever, with about 600 children participating. There were more exhibitors this year, including Isleta Pueblo, whose cultural committee had a booth. About 1200 adults from all over New Mexico attended.

SPEAKER :

Karen Armstrong introduced Dr. Carla Van West of Rio Rancho, who addressed "Tree Rings and Human History in Chaco Canyon."

Dendrochronology is the study of the chronological sequence of tree rings. For example, was the Southwest so affected by drought that it was sufficient to cause the abandonment of the Mesa Verde area? The rings are used to date events and reconstruct climatic conditions. Narrow rings indicate dry (and probably hot) years, while wider rings indicate cool (and probably wet) years.

Before dendrochronology, no one knew the calendar date of sites. Then, in the early 1900s, an astronomer named Andrew Douglass studied sunspots, which in large numbers manifest themselves with a warm climate on Earth and bringing about heavy aurora activity and electronic problems. Douglass, studying at the Lowell observatory in Flagstaff, noticed that recently cut ponderosas gave evidence of wet years by having wide rings and of dry years with narrow rings. He correlated the rings with sunspots by coring trees, beginning with living trees and then proceeding to old sites like Awatovi.

But not all trees work for dendrochronology. While most conifers do, junipers don't. And not all the moisture-sensitive conifers do - there must be a widespread growth-limiting factor that causes the addition of only one ring per year, such as heat in the southwest. Comparing the thick and thin rings among trees of relative size, starting with fresh cut trees and moving on to Old Oraibi, Kiet Siel and other ruins, Douglass was able to construct his chronology.

In the 1920s he asked the National Geographic Society for funding. Neil Judd and Sylvanus Morley participated in beam expeditions in the late 1920s and breakthrough studies matched pottery styles with beam dates. The dates reveal that at Chaco, A.D. 898-899 were flood years (normal in those parts is 9 inches). The 1000s were good years, with roads and outliers being constructed, and 1125-1180 were drought years when many places in the Southwest were abandoned.

Respectfully submitted,

----- Arlette Miller, Secretary

AAS LIBRARY BOOK SALE POSTPONED

NOVEMBER 22 FIELD TRIP TO MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGCY AND MATERIAL CULTURE IN CEDAR CREST

Bradley Bowman will offer a tour on November 22 of the Museum of Archaeology and Material Culture located just off New Mexico 14 in Cedar Crest, starting at 10 a.m. and ending by noon. The museum is closed during the winter months and not heated. Plan to wear warm clothing! Sign up at the November meeting or contact Lou Schuyler at 856-7090 or Lou.Schuyler@comcast.net.

WANTED: SPEAKERS FOR DECEMBER 16 PROGRAM

Traditionally, the December program consists of members’ short reports on their vacation visits to archaeological sites during the year. Anyone willing to present a 20-minute talk about a recent visit to an archaeological site should contact Vice President Bradley Bowman at 281-2005 or bradleybowman@earthlink.net. Also traditional is the potluck social beginning 6:30 (doors open at 6:00 p.m. for setup). More details in the December newsletter.

DUES INCREASE PROPOSED BY BOARD

Because income from annual dues is not keeping up with current expenses, the Board is proposing a $5.00 increase in membership dues, starting in 2009. Basic membership would become $20 with electronic newsletter and $25 for print newsletter by first class mail. Sustaining memberships, $25 with electronic newsletter and $30 for print newsletter. Dues for institutions and libraries would remain at $10 for print newsletter by first class mail and no charge for electronic mailing. More detailed information about our expenses will be available at the meeting.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST

Free Public Lectures

Polly Schaafsma: “Painted Walls, Pots, and Images on Stone in the Pueblo Rio Grande” Tuesday, November 11 at 7 p.m., Tijeras Ranger Station. Friends of Tijeras Pueblo regular meeting.

Paul F. Reed: “Prodigy, Rebel, or Stepchild: Salmon, Aztec, and the Middle San Juan Region in the Chacoan and Post Chacoan Periods” Thursday, November 13, 7-9 p.m., Hibben Center 105, University of New Mexico. Book signing to follow.

 Archaeological CONFERENCE

New Mexico Archaeological Council (NMAC) Fall Conference “Migration or Emulation: Chacoan Presence in the Middle San Juan.”

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR NEEDED

 The resignation of Director-at-Large and Membership Committee Chair Diane Noakes leaves an opening that needs to be filled. The membership chair is responsible for publicity (but not the newsletter, e-mails, or website). He or she also keeps our display board current and recruits assistants to staff our table at the State Archaeology Fair (in Los Lunas this year), at the Sun Mountain Gathering (in Santa Fe), and at other occasions like the recent Society for Historical Archaeology meetings. If you'd like to help out the AAS in this important way, call Gretchen Obenauf at 821-9412, or volunteer at the June meeting. The Board would like to thank Diane Noakes for her cheerful service to the Albuquerque Archaeological Society. We will miss her, but we wish her well in her move and new ventures.

----Gretchen Obenauf, President

TRIBUTES TO DICK BICE REQUESTED

Patricia Lee, Chairman of the publication staff of Pottery Southwest, requests that AAS members who knew Dick Bice and would like to write a brief memorial tribute to be included in the fall PS issue honoring him send copy to her at mpatricialee@hotmail.com.

AAS MEETINGS SCHEDULE CHANGES

For members who note meeting dates on their calendars far in advance, some changes are necessary this year. Our December meeting will be on the normal third Tuesday, December 16, rather than the second Tuesday.

Member address changes

Please send new e-mail or postal addresses to info@abqarchaeology.org or to AAS, P.O. Box 4029 , Albuquerque , NM 87196

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Note: Dues for 2008 are now payable. For members receiving the electronic newsletter, we will email a list of paid members. If your name is not on it, we have not received—or not yet credited—your payment. Send check ($15.00 for electronic newsletter) to AAS Treasurer, PO Box 4029 , Albuquerque , NM 87196 . Questions? Please address to info@abqarchaeology.org.

IN MEMORIAM

DICK BICE

Saturday evening, March 8, 2008, the State of New Mexico lost a quiet giant in its preservation, investigation, and education activities on behalf of archaeology, natural history, and science. I say “quiet” because of the fact that Richard A. “Dick” Bice was a major force indeveloping New Mexico’s archaeological research and public outreach through his quiet but effective leadership. He was instrumental in founding the Archaeological Society of New Mexico (ASNM), the Albuquerque Archaeological Society, the Albuquerque Museum, and the New Mexico State Museum of Natural History.

A native of Longmont, Colorado, an engineer by profession, and a vice president for 19 years at Sandia National Laboratories, Dick also served 8 years on the Albuquerque City Council. He was honored with an annual volume by the ASNM in 1987, and in 2002 he received the Society for American Archaeology’s prestigious Crabtree Award. Just recently, the Archaeological Society of New Mexico renamed its achievement award the Richard A. Bice Archeological Achievement Award.

Dick is survived by his wife Margaret living in Albuquerque, grand and great grand children. Those desiring more information about Dick can find it as of 1987 in “Secrets of a City: Papers on Albuquerque Area Archaeology in Honor of Richard A. Bice,” Papers of the Archaeological Society of New Mexico: 13, Albuquerque, 1987.

Regge Wiseman

Note: The Board has prepared a new Membership Directory for the 2008-2009 year to be available by email request to info@abqarchaeology.org or postcard to: Directory, Albuquerque Archaeological Society, P.O. Box P.O. Box 4029 , Albuquerque , NM 87196 . The information in the directory is for the private use of members and, under federal privacy laws, is not to be used for any other purpose.