A COOPERATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN UNM, VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE AND
Director: Ann F. Ramenofsky
Elk in the Valle Grande:
Photo: Don J. Usner;
The
Much of the Jemez Mountains is public, and is
controlled and administered by two agencies: the Jemez District of the Santa
Fe National Forest (SFNF) and the |
|
FIELD
SCHOOL MISSION AND BACKGROUND
The Jemez Mountains is
one of the most scenic areas in New Mexico. At high elevations the landscape is
characterized by open meadows, thick stands of ponderosa pine and spruce. At lower
elevations, the landscape is more open with stands of pinon and juniper. The
region also has a diversity of fauna, including elk, white tailed deer, bear,
coyote, squirrel, hawks, jays, and humming birds. In addition, this region is
renown for its world-class geology. Mountain building occurred during major
volcanic eruptions between 1.6 and 1.2 million years ago. The ash radiating
from the eruptions solidified into various types of welded tuff, a relatively
soft rock that created the mountains. Still later, the mountains were dissected
largely by water which, in turn, created a rugged terrain of high mesas, and
deep canyons. Toolstone quality obsidian was a major constituent of the Jemez
volcanism and, today, the Jemez Mountains are widely recognized as one of the major archaeological regions of obsidian
research. In fact, it is nearly impossible to walk anywhere in the Jemez
without coming across obsidian flakes and cores.
|
|
The
archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains begins approximately 10,000 years and
is extremely diverse. The most common kind of site on the SFNF is the remains
of small structures, frequently termed field houses. On the VCNP, obsidian
quarries dominate archaeological landscapes. The
Obsidian quarry in VCNP. Photo: Anastasia
Steffen; VCNP
|
During our six week field school, students will become familiar with a
wide range of Jemez archaeology. We will be doing systematic surface survey
and mapping in two different areas of the SFNF and VCNP, both of which are
characterized by the remains of field houses. In the SFNF, we will work in
the Dome Wilderness, the only wilderness region on the Jemez District; on the
VCNP, we will be surveying on Banco Bonito.
|
|
|
The pedestrian survey in the Dome Wilderness will occur between 6500 and
6700 feet. At this elevation, the surface is easy to inspect, and
archaeological features easy to recognize. We will also conduct systematic
pedestrian survey on the southwestern edge of the VCNP on Banco Bonito.
Structurally, the Banco is a rhyolithic flow at a much higher elevation than
the Dome Wilderness, between 8200 and 8400 ft. Surface visibility is obstructed
by extensive pine duff and there is abundant rock. Although the area is also rich in the remains of small
structures, the recognition of these structures is made difficult by the
environmental setting. Finally, during the field seasons, students will rotate
into an excavation of a large flaked stone reduction site in the Valles
Caldera.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Field schools are intense learning laboratories. For six weeks, students are deeply involved
in living, thinking, and talking archaeology. Field schools also provide the
opportunity to work closely with other students and with instructors. A
community that works and plays together develops. It is a wonderfully exciting
experience!
In any field situation, there are definite skills that students must
learn. In the Jemez Mountains field school, students will learn all the
following:
Field skills:
Ø
Surface archaeology and why it
matters
Ø
Systematic pedestrian survey for
the discovery of artifacts at all scales
Ø
Field recording using
state-of-the-art Global Positioning Systems
Ø
pace and compass mapping
Ø
excavation techniques
Ø
Jemez Mountains Geology
Ø
Jemez Mountains Archaeology
Ø
Consultation with descendent
communities of the Jemez Archaeology
Ø
Excavation techniques
Laboratory Skills
Ø
Characteristics of flaked stone
and ceramic types
Ø
Database entry and management
Ø
Site documentation for
archaeological records management system
Our work week is from Sunday night through Saturday morning. We will be
working in the field or laboratory Monday through Friday. Most Saturday
mornings, we will taking field trips to learn as much as possible about Jemez
archaeology. During our work-week, we will be spending most of time in the
field walking and recording archaeological, geological, and ecological
information. Because the elevations where we will be working are relatively high,
applicants should be in good physical shape. If you are concerned about your
physical abilities, please contact Ann Ramenofsky, aramenof@unm.edu
BASIC INFORMATION
Field School Dates:
June 6-July 15.
Students attending
universities whose schedules overlap with starting or ending dates of the
University of New Mexico Field School may still participate. However, written
arrangements must be made prior to enrollment in the Field School.
The Southwestern
Archeological Field School is an annual University of New Mexico program.
Students presently attending any college or university may apply to the Field
School. High school juniors and seniors in the concurrent enrollment program
are also eligible to apply. Applications for concurrent enrollment may be
obtained through the University of New Mexico, Admissions Department (505)
277-2446.
All Field School students
are formally enrolled for 6 credit hours in the University of New Mexico for
the duration of the Field School. They receive University of New Mexico credits
that, in most instances, are transferable to other colleges and universities.
Students should check with their university registrar or other official to
determine transferability of University of New Mexico Field School credits.
Registration in the Field
School does not constitute admission to any University of New Mexico degree
program. Students other than University of New Mexico degree candidates may
petition to apply Field School credit toward a University of New Mexico degree
only if they apply to, and are admitted as, University of New Mexico degree
candidates. The Field School is sponsored by UNM and is supported largely by
student tuitions. Students are expected to comply with all federal, state,
and local laws. Noncompliance is grounds for dismissal from the Field School.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Photo by J. Angel)
The UNM field school students will live at the Young Ranch,
located just east of Cochiti Lake at the base of the Jemez Mountains. This
ranch is located in a beautiful setting in a narrow valley drained by the Rio
Chiquito. Because of the location, there are numerous opportunities for
hiking and exploring on weekends. Young Ranch was built in the 1920s and
is one of the gems of New Mexico architecture. Although there is water and electricity at Young
Ranch, there is no phone, and most cell phones do not work in this narrow
canyon setting. A public phone is
located approximately 20 minutes away.
Transportation: Students are
not required to provide their own transportation. The field school will provide
transportation to and from work locations, as well as for field trips. We will
also ferry students up to Young Ranch and back to UNM at the beginning and end
of the field school. Private cars will
be necessary for only personal trips.
Students at the University of New Mexico should follow the
normal procedures and contact the Financial Aid Department. No financial aid is
available to visiting students. Visiting Students should consult the Financial
Aid Office of their own institutions.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All students must complete
and return an application fsapp-2005.html along
with one letter of recommendation, and an unofficial transcript. Send completed
applications to:
Field School
Attn: Yolanda
Nieto;
Department
of Anthropology
MSC
01-1040
505-277-1536
ynieto@unm.edu
We will contact you once we have received your application.
Applicants accepted into the Summer Field School will be sent
further instructions on how to register.
For additional information, please telephone Yolanda
Nieto [see information directly above]
Check-in and orientation will take place during the afternoon of
June 5th. We will provide more information on the time and place of the
orientation on this web site and with the mailing sent to accepted Field School
participants. Attendance is mandatory at the orientation session. Students
arriving from outside Albuquerque will need to provide transportation
information prior to arrival.
$155.75 * per credit hour for undergraduates ($934.50)
$171.75 * per credit hour for graduates or non-degree students (anybody
in-state or out-of-state not enrolled at the University of New Mexico)
($1029.50)
* Tuition subject to slight increase each year beginning with the summer
semester, and various adjustments in costs are possible. See UNM Student
handbook for details
$750.00 payable to the
Department of Anthropology. Because of the number of applicants for this Field
School, we require a $100 deposit from all applicants upon acceptance. Check or
money order for the full amount must be received by May 15, 2005. Send
payment(s) to:
Field School
Attn: Yolanda Nieto
Department
of Anthropology
MSC
01-1040
Total
Cost of field school at 2005 summer
school tuition rates:
Undergraduate: $1714.50
Graduate: $1779.50
All participants must provide their own health insurance, and
documentation of coverage is required before attending the field school. Summer
health insurance can be obtained through the University of New Mexico, Student
Health Center (505) 277-3136.
Any University of New Mexico student who was enrolled in the
University Student Health Insurance Plan for the full academic year will also
be covered during the summer at no additional charge.
If a student does not have health insurance, accident
insurance can be purchased for $19.00 from the Department of Anthropology and
will cover the student for the full 41 days of the field school. This fee is in addition to tuition and room
and board. Please speak to Yolanda Nieto about this option if you do not have
health insurance.
Ann F. Ramenofsky
Director and Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico
aramenof@unm.edu
(505) 277-2200
Cultural Resources Coordinator
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Anastasia
Steffen
Archaeologist
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Michael Bremer
Forest Archaeologist
Jeremy Kulisheck
Assistant Resource Area Archaeologist
Pecos-Las Vegas District,
Jennifer Boyd
Assistant Resource Area Archaeologist
Jemez - Cuba District
To obtain additional information, write, call, or email:
Field School
Attn: Yolanda Nieto
Department
of Anthropology
MSC
01-1040
505/277-1536
Email: ynieto@unm.edu