Dear JRI members,
Included below is information on upcoming activities.
400 Years of Figs in New Mexico: On March 25, Jornada Research in cooperation with the Tularosa Arts and History Council and the Native Plants Society of Otero County will hosting The Fig Man from 10:30 to 2:30. Lloyd Kreitzer is the “fig man” and he will discuss 400 years history of the fig in New Mexico (see attached flyer). Seating for this event may be filled to capacity, but if you are really interested in attending, please contact Jen Gruger by email at Jengruger@gmail.com. There is a fee which goes to cover Lloyd’s expenses to come to Tularosa.
Creekside Village Excavations: On March 26, Sunday, we will be excavating at Creekside Village in Feature 11, the pithouse that we have nearly ¾ excavated. We will meeting Tularosa at 9:00 AM and work until about 3:00 PM (perhaps later) depending on how windy it gets. It is forecast to be in the mid-60s and sunny, so wear a hat, long clothing or sunscreen, gloves, smooth-soled shoes are preferred, knee pads or a garden pad for kneeling on, and bring water and lunch. We will have the tools you’ll need. For those unfamiliar with access to the site, we will meet in Tularosa at the wye (junction of US 54 and 70 or the abandoned gas station/truck stop) at 9:00 ready to caravan to the site. The road is passable to most vehicles but higher clearance cars are recommended.
The Archaeological Society of New Mexico annual meeting is scheduled in Ruidoso on May 5 and 6, with tours on May 7. Attached is the registration form. This year’s focus is on recent studies and discoveries in southern and southeastern NM. There will be an evening presentation with buffet dinner on Friday night and papers presented all day on May 6, Saturday. That evening Myles Miller will be present during the Bandelier Banquet. Awards and scholarships will be presented on Saturday evening as well. More information will be shared as we compile a list of speakers and finalize the tours. We have blocked rooms at the Elegante Resort Hotel next door to the Ruidoso Convention Center. Attendees will be coming from all over New Mexico, representing various archaeological organizations, so this is a good opportunity to network and find out what is happening elsewhere in New Mexico. We hope you can join us. There will be a silent auction to help support the Henrietta Stockel Scholarship fund and book vendors. Take advantage of your JRI membership to receive a discount on the registration price for this meeting.
Archaeological Resources Protection Act Class: The Jornada Research Institute will be offering a two-day training course taught by Dr. Jeffery Hanson on the looting and vandalism of archaeological sites on May 9th and 10th, at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Albuquerque Area Office. The course combines classroom presentations along with a field exercise. Participants can expect to learn to recognize profiles of looters, the signs of looting, the importance of databases that register vandalism, understanding looted site chronology, and how to conduct a field damage assessment. Moral and ethical considerations will also be discussed. Participants will also learn the major provisions and applications of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and other applicable antiquities laws. This course will count toward the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division’s required continuing education credits for training. Cost: 175.00 per attendee, 165.00 for JRI members, 150.00 for students). Contact Jeffery Hanson, at jefferyhanson64@gmail.com for more information.
Jornada Research’ Journeys Program. Jornada Research has space available on the February 2024 Mayan World of Mexico tour, an 11-day tour that travels from Cancun in a counter-clockwise direction around the Yucatan Peninsula visiting 15 major sites. The tour includes all land-based travel and hotels, and some meals. Travel will be on a comfortable bus and will be escorted by a Spanish/English speaking guide. The maximum number of participants is set at 24; currently there are 10 spaces available.
JRI is also accepting reservations for the Northern Scotland tour (Highlands, Lewis and Ornkey) scheduled for late July/early August 2024. It focuses on the prehistory of the region, visiting Neolithic monuments, villages and celestial observation sites, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements, Medieval sites, and castle ruins and occupied manors with gardens. This tour is limited to 24 participants; currently we have 10 spaces available. It includes all land-based travel, hotels, and ferry crossings and some meals. The tour begins and ends in Inverness, the capitol of the Highlands.
A Deposit will hold your space for either tours. Contact David Greenwald at dgreenwald@tularosa.net for more information on both tours.