Rarámuri: The Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre
Free Admission
In this exhibit El Paso photographer Diana Molina captures the contemporary life of the Rarámuri, also known as Tarahumara, living in the steep mountain terrain and high plateaus of the Sierra Madre in México. This tribe of approximately 60,000 people lives 350 miles south of the U.S. / México border. They are world famous for their abilities as long distance runners. The exhibit includes twenty-five ilfochrome color prints with interpretive descriptions and twenty-five hand-crafted Rarámuri artifacts.
Adventures in the Sierra Madre, an illustrated presentation by Diana Molina
2:00 pm, Free Admission
Reception and refreshments to follow
The dramatic canyons of the Sierra Madre landscape and the people living within in it attracts and inspires photographer, Diana Molina, like no other place on earth. Beginning with her first visit in 1993, she has risked its dangers and pitfalls over the years to traverse its rugged paths, sought out its hidden treasures, lived among the Rarámuri and Mestizo communities, and immersed herself in the many adventures the Sierra offers. "The Sierra Madre is a place that nourishes my soul by its magnificence and unparalleled beauty. I return at every opportunity."
In a personal narrative complimented by photographs taken on her many journeys to the Sierra, Molina will recount some of her experiences, provide a contemporary portrayal of the exceptional Rarámuri culture and highlight the amazing expanse of the canyon environment.
Cerros de Trincheras: Living on Hills in the Desert
An Illustrated Presentation by archaeologist A. C. (Art) MacWilliams
3:00 pm
Free Admission
Cerros de trincheras (or hills with constructed terraces) are distributed throughout much of northwest Mexico and the south western United States. The geographic distribution of these sites coincides with areas of intensive maize agriculture. These distinctive archaeological sites are recognizable because of the stone and earth constructions on hill slopes and hilltops, although they vary considerably in scale and design. Cerros de trincheras are now known to range in age from approximately 3,200 to 500 years ago. Typically the hills are imposing sites, in prominent locations, although exceptions do exist. They probably were used in many capacities varying among farming, gardening, defence, and creating visible monuments. The broad geographic and age ranges show that cerros de trincheras were built by many different groups of people and truly are a pan-regional phenomenon. There are interesting correlates with similar designs extending far into Mesoamerica. This talk will review these issues and provide observations about these intriguing sites.
Biography
Dr. MacWilliams completed his Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology at the University of Calgary, a Master’s degree in Quaternary Studies at the University of Maine, and doctorate in Anthropology at the University of Arizona. He has been working in northwest Mexico for twenty years, participating in numerous projects, and continues to do NSF-funded research in southern Chihuahua. Currently, he works for an archaeological consulting company in El Paso and is an adjunct professor of archaeology at the University of Calgary.
This program is co-sponsored by the El Paso Archaeological Society and the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. It will be held at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road, El Paso, TX 79924
Fun Learning Aztec and Maya Math:
A Workshop for Children
2:00 to 3:30 pm
Admission: free to the public, materials fee $2.00, please call 915-755-4332 to reserve a seat
Children from kindergarten through fifth grade will be introduced to geometric forms and simple mathematics based on ancient Aztec and Maya knowledge. Third grade teacher Carlos Aceves will lead the workshop which is directly applicable to today’s school mathematics curriculum.
Children will learn:
1. the nature of a circle,
2. how a circle is related to the number zero,
3. the proportional relationship of a circle and a square,
4. how a circle and square are related to the human body,
5. place value according to the division of the human body in quarters,
6. math and subtraction using their fingers,
7. using the Aztec Calendar to create a fractal image.
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Zip Tour of the exhibit Rarámuri: The Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre
2:00 pm, Free Admission
In this brief tour, photographer and guest curator Diana Molina will provide a personal tour of her exhibit, speak of her experiences with the Rarámuri for over a decade, and discuss the interrelationship between the Rarámuri and the challenging environment in which they live.
Evidence of Pueblo Ceremonialism in the El Paso Region
An illustrated presentation by local archaeologist Lora Jackson-Legare
2:00 pm
Free Admission
This program by Lora Jackson-Legare challenges the belief that kivas and kachina symbolism are not found in the El Paso region prehistorically. Consider the evidence, including an El Paso Polychrome crenellated bowl in the collection of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Lora Jackson-Legare will provide photographs and illustrations in a power point presentation showing how ceremonialism identified in other parts of the Southwest, including the use of ceremonial spaces called kivas, kachina symbolism, and ceremonial objects, has a local expression.
Biography
Lora Jackson-Legare received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology from New Mexico State University. She is currently the archaeology laboratory director for Geo-Marine, Inc., a local consulting firm. From 2002 to 2007 she was Curator of Education at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.
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El Paso Archaeological Society Lecture
Seeing Beneath the Soil
By local archaeologist Tabitha (Beth) Griffith
3:00 pm
Free Admission
Some of the equipment and technology archaeologists use to “see” what’s below ground will be shown through photographs and illustrations in this presentation by archaeologist Tabitha (Beth) Griffith. She trained fellow New Mexico State University student archaeologists in the use of magnetic susceptibility equipment and also employed ground penetrating radar and a magnetometer in a recent investigation of the historic period Rough and Ready Stagecoach Station on the Butterfield Trail near Las Cruces. This presentation will focus on how this special equipment was used at the Rough and Ready site to address research questions. The lecture will describe the geophysical investigation methods what worked and those that didn't and how those methods can be applied to archaeological research in the future.
Biography
Tabitha (Beth) Griffith has worked and volunteered as a professional archaeologist in New Mexico, Texas since 2004. She is a recent graduate of New Mexico State University with a M.A. in Anthropology and currently works in the El Paso office of Geo-Marine, Inc., an environmental and cultural resources consulting firm. Ms. Griffith was recently the recipient of the Richard Hay Student Award for her graduate research focusing on geoarchaeology in the Tularosa Basin, and also received both the Charles Gunn Memorial fellowship and a staff position as Project Geoarchaeologist for the Rough and Ready Butterfield Stage Station 2008 Field School.
El Paso’s Keystone Dam Archaeological Site
by archaeologist Brad Vierra, Ph.D.
1:00 pm
Free Admission
Dr. Brad Vierra presents an illustrated power point presentation on the results of the 1979 archaeological excavations at the Keystone Dam site. He will also be signing the book he authored, Keystone in Context, A Significant Archaic Period Site in El Paso, Texas. Books can be purchased at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology and at Keystone Heritage Park at 4220 Doniphan, El Paso, 79922.
The Keystone Dam site contains some of the oldest human-made structures identified in the U.S. Southwest, dating back more than 4,500 years. In fact, there is no other archaeological site in the region that contains as many ancient houses dating from this period, known as the Middle Archaic. It is important to emphasize that none of these ancient houses are still standing. Dr. Vierra will explain what traces of the ancient houses have been found by archaeologists and what they might have looked like. The original excavation project at Keystone Dam site was conducted by Thomas O’Laughlin, former director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.
Dr. Brad Vierra is a Principal Investigator at Statistical Research Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist.
Dr. Vierra will give a second presentation, The Keystone Dam Site in Context at Keystone Heritage Park on Saturday, April 17th. The program will begin with refreshments and book signing at 6:00 pm followed by Dr. Vierra’s talk at 7:00 pm. Keystone Heritage Park is located at 4220 Doniphan, El Paso, 79922.
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March 20, 2010 Franklin Mountains
Poppies Preservation Celebration
on Castner Range
10 am to 6 pm
Free Admission
Plans are underway for the Fourth Annual Franklin Mountains Poppies Preservation Celebration on Castner Range. The Planning Committee includes the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, El Paso Archaeological Society, Franklin Mountain Wilderness Coalition and Franklin Mountain State Park, just to name a few. This celebration takes place at the museum and grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Transmountain Road, El Paso 79924.
Event organizers are accepting applications for arts and crafts vendors to sell their work the day of the event, March 20, 2010. The deadline for vendor applications is February 26, 2010. Click here to download the Vendor form. For more information please call (915) 541-4942.
Exhibit Opening
Kennewick Man on Trial
On view April 10 through July 5, 2010
Free Admission
The human remains known as Kennewick Man were discovered along the banks of the Columbia River over one decade ago, yet the controversy still rages on. Who was Kennewick Man? What can we learn from his remains? Who should control his remains? The exhibit Kennewick Man on Trial approaches these controversial questions from multiple perspectives, with insight from Native Americans, scientists, and anthropologists.
Organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, Seattle where the real Kennewick Man remains are stored, this exhibit uses text, photos, maps, and historic illustrations to explore the science as well as the ethical and legal ramifications of the 1996 discovery. No human remains are displayed in this exhibit.
Public interest, debate, and controversy began when an independent archaeologist, working on contract to the Kennewick coroner, decided the bones were ancient but might not be Native American. He described them as “Caucasoid” and sent a piece of bone to a laboratory to be dated. The final date indicated an age of 9,000 years, making Kennewick Man one of the oldest and most complete skeletons found in the Americas. If it is true that these human remains are thousands of years old, and are not Native American, then who was Kennewick Man? What can his remains tell us about modern concepts of “race” and the story of the peopling of the Americas? How does the question of “race” affect the claims by Native Americans for repatriation and reburial of the remains? Kennewick Man on Trial presents the background and viewpoints; you need to draw your own conclusions.
Kennewick Man on Trial was developed by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
