Tracking the Ancient Ones V 2017 - Passport in Time

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Utah - Manti-La Sal NF
Closed! Tracking the Ancient Ones V: Artifact Cataloging at Edge of the Cedars Museum

Tracking_ancient_ones_pit_2012.jpg by Charmaine Thompson, US Forest Archaeologist
Volunteers at Edge of the Cedars Museum cataloging ceramics



UT-4346
August 7-11, 2017

Must commit to entire session

In the 1970s, archaeological surveyors working on the Manti-La Sal National Forest in Southeastern Utah documented hundreds of Ancestral Puebloan sites on the flanks of Elk Ridge and the Abajo Mountains. They also collected thousands of surface artifacts. These collections are invaluable sources of information for determining the ages and respective, cultural significance of sites. In fact, they are often the only source of dating and cultural use information for some sites as, later, illegal artifact collecting has erased the ability to accurately interpret them. The artifacts recovered during the 1970s studies are curated at Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum in Blanding. Edge of Cedars Museum is a premier facility that boasts many fine Southwestern archaeological exhibits, including unique artifacts, rock art, and even a stabilized ruin.

Come and join Edge of the Cedars Museum staff and archaeologists from the Manti-La Sal National Forest once again as we continue to catalog these collections! You will learn (or brush up on) how to identify Ancestral Puebloan ceramics, and get introduced to skills in stone artifact identification, or hone ones you have. You’ll also see the inner-workings of a museum and learn how both artifacts and the data we can derive from them are preserved. Most of all, you’ll learn how the information captured in the artifacts brings to life a complex story of life and migration during Ancestral Puebloan times. We hope to see you this summer!

Number of openings: 12

Special skills: Previous artifact identification (especially Ancestral Puebloan ceramics) and/or laboratory experience helpful, but not required

Minimum age: 14 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult

Facilities: Blanding is a full-service community with motels, RV parks, restaurants, and a full range of other amenities; RV parks, motels and other amenities also available in Bluff and Monticello; volunteers responsible for own lodging, meals, and daily transportation

Nearest towns: Project based in Blanding; Monticello, 20 miles; Bluff, 26 miles

Applications due: Closed

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