Archeology E-Gram July 2023

Archeologist Brenda Todd is New Superintendent of Pecos National Historical Park

Archeologist Brenda Todd is the new superintendent of Pecos NHP. She has a MA and Ph.D. in Southwest archeology from the University of Colorado. Her thesis topic focused on cultural affiliation for NAGPRA purposes at Fort Union National Monument. The Pecos NHS superintendent position also supervises the superintendent at Fort Union NM

Todd has served as superintendent at Knife River Indian Villages NHS and acting superintendent at Fort Union Trading Post NHS. She has also served as superintendent or deputy superintendent at Grand Canyon-Parashant NM, Lake Mead NRA, and most recently at Badlands NP and Minuteman Missile NHS.

Todd succeeds Karl Cordova who unexpectedly passed away last October. Jim Kendrick and Lauren Meyer served as acting superintendents and many park employees assumed additional duties to ensure continuation of park operations. Todd began her new assignment in July.

Archeologist Jeff Rasic is New NPS Alaska Region Science Advisor

Jeff Rasic as the NPS Alaska Region Science Advisor and lead for the Alaska Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit (CESU). Rasic comes to the position from Gates of the Arctic NP and Yukon-Charley Rivers Preserve where he has served as the Chief of Integrated Resources Management since 2013.

After earning his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Washington State University, Rasic worked for several parks in Alaska since first arriving in 1995 and has worked across Alaska from Utqiagvik to Dutch Harbor and Sitka to Kotzebue. His knowledge of the cultural and natural history of Alaska will serve him well in his new role. Rasic will coordinate natural, social, and cultural resource research, as well as all NPS/federal agency programs, working with Alaska CESU academic partners through University of Alaska system. He will also serve as science liaison with other federal research and land management agencies, universities, and Alaska Native entities, providing the NPS with technical leadership in research, technical assistance, and education at the regional and service wide levels.

Rasic started his new position on July 28, 2023.

New Dates from Rimrock Draw Rockshelter

Archeologists have found new evidence suggesting humans occupied the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter on BLM land near Riley, Oregon, more than 18,000 years ago. Discoveries at the site have included stone tools and extinct-mammal tooth fragments from the Pleistocene era. The pieces of tooth enamel are identified as bison (Bison sp.) and camel (Camelops sp.).

A University of Oregon archeological field school, led by Patrick O’Grady, has been excavating at the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter since 2011. O’Grady’s team found camel teeth fragments under a layer of volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount St. Helens that is dated to over 15,000 years ago. The team also uncovered two orange agate scrapers, one with bison blood residue buried deeper in the ash.

Radiocarbon-dating analysis on the tooth enamel yielded a date of 18,250 years bp. That date, in association with stone tools, suggests that Rimrock Draw Rockshelter is one of the oldest human-occupation sites in North America. Additional testing of other camel and bison teeth fragments is currently underway, and archeobotanists are studying plant remains from cooking fires as well.

Presently, Cooper’s Ferry, another archeological site on BLM-managed lands, in Idaho, is thought to be the oldest known site in western North America. Evidence there suggests human occupation dating back more than 16,000 years.

To read the full announcement, go to Testing Yields New Evidence of Human Occupation 18,000 years ago in Oregon | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov)

The Federal Archeologist’s Bookshelf: Archeology Lesson Plans

As the school year approaches, public school teachers are turning to developing their curricula. You can help them by pointing to resources that the NPS and professional organizations have developed for teaching archeology. Here are some webpages with archeology lesson plans and exercises to encourage interest in the past.

For Teachers (NPS Archeology Program) links to lesson plans, activities, and professional development opportunities. Whether you teach from home or at a school, find educational programs that meet grade-level educational standards and developmental learning goals. Many of these resources work for in-person and distance learning.

For Kids (NPS Archeology Program) helps young people explore their interest in archeology. They can try the activities in Explore Archeology for Kids, Latino Archeology for Kids, Junior Archeologist, and Online Activities.

En Espa ñol (NPS Archeology Program) collects lesson plans and other activities that have been translated into Spanish. They are suitable for learners whose primary language is Spanish or for those who are learning Spanish.

Archeology (NPS Teaching with Historic Places) Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses historic places in National Parks and in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. TwHP has created a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom. Here you’ll find place-based educational resources relating to archeology. Discover more resources at the Teaching with Historic Places homepage.

Society for American Archaeology (SAA) K-12 Resources These activities and lessons are designed to help students connect with how people in the past lived and understand how scientists study people who lived hundreds and even thousands of years ago.

Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) lesson plans offers archeological lesson plans with a Mediterranean flavor.

Archaeology in the Community – for Educators offers a wonderfully eclectic mix of lesson plans. You just missed in-person teaching training that was held at Montpelier in Charlottesville, VA, but watch for announcements about next year’s training.

GRANTS AND TRAINING

ARPA Snapshots
ARPA Snapshots are designed for Law Enforcement and Cultural Resource Professionals who want to refresh their skills, look more closely at a particular topic, or explore new directions that the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) may take them in their work. All members of the ARPA team need to know about the entire process to effectively participate in an investigation and its follow-up. Both Cultural Resource and Law Enforcement staff are encouraged to participate in ALL snapshot offerings.

Presenters: Randy Ream, AUSA (retired); James Nepstad, NPS Superintendent (retired); Beth Horton, Archeologist, NPS; Peter Maggio, Special Agent, BLM

Upcoming Sessions
August 10 – Federal Sentencing Guidelines & Plea Agreements Presenter: Randy Ream
August 24 – ARPA & Case Management Presenter: Beth Horton
September 14 – Basic ARPA Law Presenter: Randy Ream
September 28 – ARPA & Rock Art Cases Presenter: Peter Maggio

These webinars are offered using the MS Teams platform, 2:00 PM – 3:30 pm ET. You must register for each webinar individually that you wish to attend.
Contact: Cari Kreshak, e-mail us to register.

Tribal Co-Stewardship Agreements
A special presentation is scheduled for August as part of the monthly Tribal Consultation webinar series. This webinar will introduce Public Law (P.L.) 93-638 Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (ISDEA)Tribal Self-Governance agreements and discuss how they are a powerful tool in increasing tribal co-stewardship of NPS units. John Bioff, General Counsel for Kawerak, Inc., will be joining as a special guest to discuss the co-stewardship process and the agreements created with the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. Joining Bioff in the discussion will be Jeanette Koelsch, Superintendent of Bering Land Bridge National Preserve & Shared Beringian Heritage Program. August 22, 2023, 3pm – 4:30pm Eastern

Contact: Cari Kreshak, e-mail us to register.

Canyonlands National Park Offers ARPA Training
Canyonlands NP is offering Introduction to ARPA training September 11-15, 2023 at the park. This interactive, dynamic class introducing information about the Archaeological Resources Protection Act is taught by experienced instructors, including an archeologist and a Special Agent. Course content is supplemented with real case studies. You will learn about the nexus between ARPA and related laws, how ARPA can be applied to incidents like vandalism, arson, museum theft, and failure to comply with NHPA Section 106.

There is no tuition, but travel costs must be covered by the home office.

Contact: Cari Kreshak, e-mail us to register.

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC: will be back soon.

Archeology E-Gram, distributed via e-mail on a regular basis, includes announcements about news, new publications, training opportunities, national and regional meetings, and other important goings-on related to public archeology in the NPS and other public agencies. Recipients are encouraged to forward Archeology E-Grams to colleagues and relevant mailing lists. The E-Gram archive is available at https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1038/archeology-e-gram.htm.

Contact: Karen Mudar at e-mail us to contribute news items and to subscribe.