Past Events

Alexander Rogers, MS, MA, RPA, Maturango Museum Curator Emeritus

Alexander (Sandy) is Archaeology Curator Emeritus of the Maturango Museum of Ridgecrest, California. He holds advanced degrees in both physics and archaeological anthropology. Over the past 15 years he has published over twenty papers and two book chapters developing and applying the science and mathematics of obsidian hydration dating (OHD). He regularly conducts such analyses in support of CRM firms and academic projects, and is currently working with colleagues on further understanding of OHD at the molecular level. He has led OHD workshops at annual meetings of the Society for California Archaeology, the Association of Oregon Archaeologists, and the Northwest Anthropological Conference.

The goal of this seminar is to provide insight into the theory and methods of obsidian hydration dating (OHD), a useful addition to the archaeologists’ toolbox for chronometric analysis. It should help enable attendees to ask the right questions, principal investigators to select appropriate methods, and analysts in performing chronometric analyses. The workshop will cover the basic principles of obsidian hydration and the models employed in dating; how to control for temperature and obsidian water content; methods for computing a hydration rate; guidelines for data analysis; and numerous cautions. An link to download a summary document on OHD will be provided, and an Excel spreadsheet with numerical models for conducting an OHD analysis. Mathematics will be kept to a minimum, but cannot be avoided entirely.

1. Describe the science behind obsidian hydration dating (OHD), especially recent advances
2. Outline the key methods of determining ages with OHD, and the steps involved
3. Highlight the limitations of the method, in terms of both accuracy and the consumptive nature of the lab work

Jerryll Moreno, MA, RPA

Ms. Moreno has 30 years of experience in cultural resource management (CRM) in the western United States. 20 were spent in Arizona leading surveys, testing, data recovery, and monitoring projects for a variety of municipal, state, and federal agencies. Her experience includes oversight of technical reports, draft environmental impact statements, land use plans, treatment plans, permitting, and synthesis of archaeological remains and analyses. In addition to her MA in anthropology, she holds a master’s certification in scholarly publishing and has published webinars on technical writing and editing with the American Cultural Resources Association. Ms. Moreno has served as a freelance book editor and production manager for university presses and global publishers in archaeology. Other past publishing positions include serving as the book review editor for the Kiva: The Journal of Southwestern Anthropology and History, for which she continues to serve on the publication committee. And she previously served as the managing editor of the Journal of Arizona Archaeology. With her diverse publishing and report-writing background, Ms. Moreno brings new insight to the process of writing for CRM and offers solutions that increase reader accessibility—the hallmark of technical writing—and reduce the production time and cost of deliverables.

The vast majority of writing in CRM is for non-archaeological audiences, yet the writing guidelines we traditionally use in modern CRM adhere to an outdated academic writing style. In modern CRM, this style dictates that we remove ourselves from our work in order to appear objective. Adhering to this requires a heavy reliance on passive and intransitive sentence structures. Unfortunately for budgets and clients, this writing approach is difficult and slow to read, and it is expensive to write, edit, and produce. This course focuses on guiding attendees in applying basic technical writing principles in everyday CRM report writing. These foundational skills can be developed into company training modules for new CRM employees as they enter the profession, transforming how we communicate with each other, our clients, and the public. This seminar will include surveys to test knowledge acquisition along the way and “take-home” cheat sheets.

1. Explain the difference between technical and academic writing
2. Describe what plain language is and how to apply it in CRM reports
3. Identify common pitfalls in cultural resources writing so authors can course correct while still in the drafting stage
4. Improve basic Word skills that allow for increased efficiency in the editing and writing process

Bryan Tucker, PhD, RPA

Dr. Tucker has worked in cultural resource management for over two decades. In 2009, Tucker accepted a position at the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). From 2010 to 2012 he served as Georgia Deputy State Archaeologist and Archaeology Section Chief and in 2012 was promoted to State Archaeologist and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. In the fall of 2020, Dr. Tucker left the state and returned to the private sector as a Senior Technical Advisor at New South Associates. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University, an M.A. from Louisiana State University, and a PhD from the University of Florida, all in Anthropology.

J.W. Joseph, PhD, RPA

Dr. Joseph, one of New South’s co-founders, received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina, and his M.A. in American Civilization, as well as his Ph.D. in Historical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania has experience in historical archeology, urban archaeology, industrial archaeology, historic preservation planning, HABS/HAER documentation, Native American consultation, Traditional Cultural Property studies, historic context studies, cemetery research, and public outreach, and specializes in African-American studies. Dr. Joseph has directed projects and research for many clients including the National Park Service; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; various State Historic Preservation Offices; several Departments of Transportation; the Historic Charleston Foundation; the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation; city governments; and private clients.

With an emphasis on National Register Bulletin 36 Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Archaeological Properties, this seminar will focus on how to apply the National Register Criteria to archaeological sites and how to determine if a site retains integrity. The instructors will discuss each of the four National Register Criteria, with an emphasis on Criterion D. In particular, they will highlight the sequence of evaluation and the relationship between the historic context, significance, and the level of integrity needed for the site to be eligible under D.

1. Outline how to apply the National Register Criteria to Archaeological Sites
2. Explain the relationship between the historic context, significance, and integrity
3. Demonstrate the importance of following the sequence of evaluation laid out in the National Register bulletins

Gillian Wong, PhD, RPA, University of Tuebingen and Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

Dr. Wong received a PhD in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Tuebingen (Germany), a MS in Anthropology from the University of Utah, and a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tuebingen and an adjunct professor of anthropology at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City. She is a zooarchaeologist who is particularly interested in how large-scale environmental changes affected past foragers on the local-level. She is currently involved in two research projects, one at Langmahdhalde, a Paleolithic site in southwest Germany, and one at Boomplaas Cave in South Africa. Although both projects focus on paleoecology, she uses different methods at each. At Langmahdhalde, she now focuses on traditional zooarchaeological methods and stable isotopes, while at Boomplaas Cave, she is a microfaunal specialist.

This course is designed for archaeologists at any stage in their career (including students and late career stage) who are not specialists in zooarchaeology or who do not work with the quantification units used regularly in zooarchaeology. We will focus on learning about three of the most commonly used quantification units: Number of Identified Specimens (NISP), Minimum Number of Elements (MNE), and Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI). We will learn how to calculate these units and the history of their development, but, more importantly, will also learn how to interpret them and evaluate their use and applicability to research questions. This course will be broken up into lecture, practical, and discussion portions that will give participants the tools to easily and more accurately interpret zooarchaeological studies that use these three units. Additionally, reference materials, lecture slides, and study examples will be provided to all participants.

1. Explain how NISP, MNE, and MNI are calculated
2. Describe the limitations of each of these quantification units
3. Analyze when it is appropriate to apply each of these quantification units
4. Be able to critically evaluate and understand these units in colleagues' research
5. Be able to discuss how these units apply to and can address specific research questions

Kimball Banks, PhD, RPA

Dr. Banks is a Principal investigator at Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. He specializes in cultural resource management, Native American consultation, historic preservation law, North American archaeology, and North African prehistory.

Maria Franklin, PhD

Dr. Franklin is a Professor at the University of Texas, Austin. Her expertise is in historical archaeology, black-feminist theory, African Diaspora studies, race, and gender. She served as the chair of the Black Heritage Resources Task Force.

J.W. Joseph, PhD, RPA

Dr. Joseph is co-founder, Director, and Project Manager at New South Associates. He has experience in historical archeology, HABS/HAER documentation, Native American consultation, Traditional Cultural Property studies, and specializes in African-American studies.

Sarah Herr, PhD, RPA

Dr. Herr is the President of Desert Archaeology, Inc. and editor of SAA’s Advances in Archaeological Practice. She specializes in prehistoric and early historic Southwest United States and cultural resource management.

All panelists served on the Black Heritage Resources Task Force.

This session will discuss the findings and recommendations of the Black Heritage Resources Task Force. The Task Force was organized in 2020 and had two goals. The first was to compile and analyze data on SHPO practices with respect to identifying and managing Black cultural resources, implementing diversity initiatives, and consulting with Black stakeholders. The second goal was to provide recommendations to SHPOs on ways to strengthen and improve their objectives, practices, and endeavors related to racial diversity and inclusion. The Task Force was a collaboration between the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA), the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA), the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA), and the Society for American Archaeology (SAA). Task Force members belonged to one or more of these organizations and were archaeologists who work or have worked in cultural resource management (CRM), academe, or in a State Historic Preservation Office.

The majority of this session will be a discussion. It is open for attendees to ask questions and for the panelists to receive input on the findings and recommendations of the Task Force.

Sponsored by the Black Heritage Resources Task Force. 15% of each non-member registration will be donated to SAA's Student Excellence in Archaeology Scholarship, which is designed to increase recruitment and retention of under represented students in archaeology. The remainder of the fee is used to keep SAA's Continuing Education program running.

1. Describe how State Historic Preservation Offices treat Black Heritage Resources
2. Explore differences between states and regions in how these resources are treated
3. Recommend how to improve the management of Black cultural resources and consultation 
4. Discuss together how to engage Black stakeholders better across the United States and its territories in the management of their Heritage Resources