Wow, I fell behind but we have been very busy. I was asked to give a paper at the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (1st paper, 1st day) which just happened to be in Caceres, Spain. One of our incredible donors stepped up and made the trip possible and it was quite an experience. Researchers elsewhere are VERY interested in the incised stones from the Gault Site.
We have also given a lot of talks and tours to groups from school kids and master naturalists to avocational archaeologists. By the way we will give talks on a variety of subjects to groups (free within a 100 mileradius of the office, for a fee if we have to go further). Our staff has given talks about stone technology, battlefield archaeology, the Maya, Paleoindians,the peopling of the Americas and the field of archaeology.
We gave two papers this month at the 73rd Annual Plains Anthropological Conference in Iowa City. These were the first two papers explicitly on the Older-than-Clovis (OTC) materials at the Gault Site we have given to our colleagues. The first paper dealt with the history of the Gault site, setting, methodology, and cultural & geological stratigraphy. The second dealt with the technological likenesses and differences between Clovis and OTC lithic artifacts. They were well attended and well received with multiple compliments afterwards.
This week several of our staff members will be in Houston for the 86thAnnual Meeting of the Texas Archeological Society. Dr.Robert Lassen will be giving a talk on our recent excavations at the Knibbebison jump site, Nancy Littlefield will describe the ins and outs of Clovis flakes and Dr. Tom Williams will be speaking about Clovis blade technology. The GSAR is proud to be a member of the TAS and hopes that a lot of our readersmight come and see some of the papers. For further information check out the website: Txarch.org
Several more weeks of talks and tours before it quiets down for Thanksgiving just to pick up the pace again in early December. If you have not ever been on a tour of the Gault site you should sign up now and come and see us! Information on tours can be found on this website under events though we will also schedule a tour for any group >10!