UPDATE: Charlie Petit at Science Journalism Tracker has a very complimentary overview of the special package discussed below. Twenty years ago, landmark legislation passed by the U.S. Congress revolutionized the field of archaeology in America. That much everyone can agree on. But some anthropologists insist that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)…Continue Reading…
There’s been a fair amount of fretting over science journalism lately. It’s taken the form of earnest criticism and parody. (For an arch rejoinder to the latter, see this post by one of the science reporters at The Economist.) Even Jay Rosen, whose meta mind scans of mainstream media tend to focus on political journalism,…Continue Reading…
I’m in an archaeological state of mind. This week I will be traveling and working on some new assignments. So blogging will be light–and probably archaeologically related. On that note, I recently came across this neat story that talks about the use of computer modeling in archaeology, and the similar aims and challenges it shares…Continue Reading…
The issue of human-manufactured biodiversity is controversial. After all, if humans are overrunning nature and degrading the vital ecosystem services that we depend on, isn’t it rather beside the point if we also inadvertently boost biodiversity on some landscapes? I don’t think so. More environmentalists need to realize that the boundaries between pristine nature and…Continue Reading…
Michael Wilcox, a Stanford University archaeologist, has a new book that takes a fresh look at the Pueblo Revolt. A university press release captures some interesting themes of Wilcox’s post-colonial work in the Southwest, such as this quote directly from his book: Archaeologists and anthropologists have imposed disease, demographic collapse and acculturation as explanations of…Continue Reading…
A story I’ve been writing about and following closely since last summer has taken another odd and tragic turn. Here’s a can of worms that’s bound to be pried open: Ted Gardiner, who had many off-the-record and deep background conversations with The Salt Lake Tribune during the past eight months, insisted he had come to…Continue Reading…
Last year, evidence from a DNA test was thought to have solved one of Utah’s oldest cold cases: the 1934 disappearance of Everett Ruess. National Geographic Adventure published a big, splashy exclusive on the 75-year old mystery. But some observers, most notably Kevin Jones, Utah’s state archaeologist, had reason to question the findings in the…Continue Reading…
The exhibits in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, like many archaeology exhibits, depicts Indians wearing only loincloths. Yet, as my favorite archaeology blogger points out, there is ample historical and archaeological evidence that ancient Puebloans (more popularly known as the Anasazi) wore clothes. Imagine that! He rightly concludes that this false representation has more to…Continue Reading…
I’ve been following (and writing about) the battle over Utah’s Nine Mile Canyon since 2004. The place is so loaded with incredible rock art and other archaeological riches that it would be a national park if the landscape wasn’t a checkerboard of federal, state, county and private owners. Then there’s the huge natural gas reserves…Continue Reading…
I recently wrote two stories for Archaeology magazine about the clash of history, science, and culture in the American Southwest. The main piece in the Nov/Dec issue juxtaposes Navajo claims to famous prehistoric sites, such as Chaco Canyon, with new archaeological data. This latest material evidence reinforces the strong scientific consensus that the Navajo didn’t…Continue Reading…