Hello Fremont Fellows:
I hope everybody's classes are going well. I am being crushed with readings in my "Culture core" class and have a class on political dynamics taught by a Mesoamericanist. They are pretty interesting, but it has been a while since I've been in class and since these classes are 3 hours a piece, back to back, that makes for 6 hours on Monday nights of keeping my eyelids open and a long run-on sentence. But, I've met a number of southwest students all doing interesting research and have spent a beautiful evening in the house of Paul Minnis and Pat Gilman recently. They have a dog named Kidder.
Chris, are you planning to go to any of the SW conferences that are coming up? (Safford or Southwest Conference in Las Cruces NM) They seem to be pretty standard, although the SW conference is an invited-only conference and only occurs every 2 years. Let me know if you plan to go.
Katrina, why did you do that to so many people. That was so wrong.
Just a note to all those still in Utah, take a look at the mountains for me, take a sip of the Provo river, and give Clark a hug today. Be thankful you are there. Peace in the Midwest!
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Mr. Yoder is alive but not so well.....109!
Of course I vist the site...well I haven't up until today. But that was because I haven't even been on the internet until the last day or two. It's freaking HOT MAN! Todays forecast: 109! Do you understand?! 109! I'm not cut out for this stuff. I walk around campus and I'm sweating like a mule in a Mexican police office while a a guy named Juan puts on a big white rubber glove. Yeah, its that hot.
We got all moved in in the last week and I've checked out campus a bit. Besides it being hot, I have an office in a brand new building, which is nice. And the campus in general has a lot of goodies for graduate students, lounges, computer labs, discounts, etc. So that's cool. I met with my professors this week to see what responsibilities I'll have. I'm the GA for two professors. One's a soco but the other is Karen Harry (apparently a minor ceramic goddess or something). You know those ceramists. Next semester I get switched over to being a GA for my advisor, Barbra Roth.
So my thesis defense is schedualed for Sept 19th at 11:00am if anyone is interested. It should be fun to watch me get crucified by Clark. Who knows. So Chris, what did your committee have to say to you? Going to be going to the publishers soon? Ya done good by the way. Well, I'm way to dry, need to get back outside so I can work up a sweat again. Oh, did you guys hear about the dates for the pithouse at North Creek? 9000BP! Sweet. I hear a dissertation calling.....
We got all moved in in the last week and I've checked out campus a bit. Besides it being hot, I have an office in a brand new building, which is nice. And the campus in general has a lot of goodies for graduate students, lounges, computer labs, discounts, etc. So that's cool. I met with my professors this week to see what responsibilities I'll have. I'm the GA for two professors. One's a soco but the other is Karen Harry (apparently a minor ceramic goddess or something). You know those ceramists. Next semester I get switched over to being a GA for my advisor, Barbra Roth.
So my thesis defense is schedualed for Sept 19th at 11:00am if anyone is interested. It should be fun to watch me get crucified by Clark. Who knows. So Chris, what did your committee have to say to you? Going to be going to the publishers soon? Ya done good by the way. Well, I'm way to dry, need to get back outside so I can work up a sweat again. Oh, did you guys hear about the dates for the pithouse at North Creek? 9000BP! Sweet. I hear a dissertation calling.....
Back to school
Today is the day--BYU has officially opened for business.
Our class selection was sort of limited and Holly totally copied my schedule.
We are taking 501 (Clark's death march), 502 (stats), and 512 (CRM).
Cady is TA-ing for Glenna, I am TA-ing/teaching for Clark, and Holly is TA-ing for Johnson (I think)(If I'm wrong Hol, let me know).
Sherri is working for Geo-Marine Inc. and getting married, Scott is doing stuff for OPA/Dr.J, and has a baby on the way.
Chris is working for Rio Salado and Dave Abbot, Mike is working with Minnis, and Emily is at the U of U.
So, that leaves Mr. Yoder, Sean (and that Holje girl), and Craig...what are you doing?
Let us know(If you even visit this site anymore).
Our class selection was sort of limited and Holly totally copied my schedule.
We are taking 501 (Clark's death march), 502 (stats), and 512 (CRM).
Cady is TA-ing for Glenna, I am TA-ing/teaching for Clark, and Holly is TA-ing for Johnson (I think)(If I'm wrong Hol, let me know).
Sherri is working for Geo-Marine Inc. and getting married, Scott is doing stuff for OPA/Dr.J, and has a baby on the way.
Chris is working for Rio Salado and Dave Abbot, Mike is working with Minnis, and Emily is at the U of U.
So, that leaves Mr. Yoder, Sean (and that Holje girl), and Craig...what are you doing?
Let us know(If you even visit this site anymore).
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Friday, August 19, 2005
Introduction to the Hohokam
So I dug three burials today. Imagine that... I'd post some pictures but the local tribes don't allow photographs. I've been working at Los Canopas, a long term platform mound Hohokam community. There are about 20 people working at the site, and I'm apparently assistant project director. I'll be directing the dig Monday, as the director is going to be out of town.
The city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona have an antiquities law that requires the mitigation of ALL human remains on both private and public land. If you find a cluster of Hohokam pithouses, you've also found a cemetery, making for a ton of contract work.
We're trying to get all of the human remains out of the site, so we're monitoring backhoes until they hit a grave, where we stop them and start digging. There are about 20 exposed burials, maybe 40 more that have already been dug, and a lot of trenches yet to dig. Most of the burials are cremations, pretty much just pots full of ash and bone. The inhumations are nutty, it's like freakin' CSI in there the bones are so preserved.
We went on a survey the other day and I was getting mocked for finding groundstone and lithics. ME, finding groundstone and lithics in a world of ceramics?! I guess you can take the boy out of the basin, but not the basin out of the boy...
The city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona have an antiquities law that requires the mitigation of ALL human remains on both private and public land. If you find a cluster of Hohokam pithouses, you've also found a cemetery, making for a ton of contract work.
We're trying to get all of the human remains out of the site, so we're monitoring backhoes until they hit a grave, where we stop them and start digging. There are about 20 exposed burials, maybe 40 more that have already been dug, and a lot of trenches yet to dig. Most of the burials are cremations, pretty much just pots full of ash and bone. The inhumations are nutty, it's like freakin' CSI in there the bones are so preserved.
We went on a survey the other day and I was getting mocked for finding groundstone and lithics. ME, finding groundstone and lithics in a world of ceramics?! I guess you can take the boy out of the basin, but not the basin out of the boy...
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Minnis is Mindful of the Fremont
Well, I had a great meeting with Paul Minnis yesterday about possible dissertation topics. It was fruitful and comforting. At one point he mentioned how working at Casas Grandes can be difficult because many Southwest archaeologists tend to not pay attention to what goes on in this region. Wow, seems very similar to our Fremont predicament. Well, there is something about periphery studies that warrants attention and we're not the only ones who think so. Just thought I'd add my two cents and say that Minnis commiserates. Take care, all.
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