Seminar Studies
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AAS Seminar Studies Program
AAS Seminar Studies Program
AAS frequently has technical seminars to provide archaeological instruction and training for members conducted by world class experts. Classes are related to such subjects as ceramic identification, rock art recording methodology, ethnobotany, mapping use, faunal, archaeomagnetic techniques, tree ring dating, osseous, NAGRA. Seminars include hands-on learning.
Upcoming Seminars
AAS members only
October 25, 2025, Micheal Bletzer
More information later
PAST SEMINARS
2025 Seminars
February 2, 2025, The Southwest Obsidian Project: Changing Views of Southwest Prehistory Presented by Dr Steve Shackley
Dr. Steve Shackley summarized the fundamental physical concepts of x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), pointing out elements best suited for identifying obsidian source locations. X-ray irradiation of a sample produces characteristic fluorescence spectra that can be matched with known obsidian deposits. He discussed XRF's application in
archaeological research, particularly for obsidian, and explained the geological processes that create different types of obsidian. His extensive southwest obsidian deposits database was presented through maps on slides. Hands-on obsidian samples representing various geological processes were passed around to the seminar participants to examine. Dr. Shackley's privately funded laboratory in Albuquerque continues the archaeological chemistry research he started at Berkeley. Since the 1960s, XRF has been crucial in analyzing archaeological materials, using both non-destructive and destructive methods.
March 29, 2025 - Dr David Phillips, Field Work 101
Dr Phillips presented a fascinating overview all phases of an archaeological Project tailored the "newbies" in the seminar. The following is taken directly from the Fieldwork 101 note provided by Dr. Phillips, the topics were discussed: Stuff Needs to Happen Before Fieldwork Begins, Discovery (Survey), Evaluation (Testing), Evacuation, and then the longest part - laboratory analysis, report preparation, curation.
May 24, 2025 - Dan Vallo, Flintknapping Demonstration
Dan Vallo, an artist, flintknapper, potter, and woodworker from Acoma Pueblo demonstrated different flintknapping techniques. He discussed characteristics of the various stone types and how to work with the different properties. During the course of the seminar, he made several stone points and passed these around at their various stages of completion. The completed stone points were perfectly symmetric - a testament to his skill.
July 12, 2025 - Myra Thompson Weaving seminar.
A complete discussion of weaving was presented. All parts of the weaving process were discussed from the different types of sheep and their wool characteristics, to carding wool and spinning yarn to dyeing yarn, to different looms and weaving styles.
Saturday September 20, 2025, Carla Sinopoli, Rock Art Traditions in South Asia
From paintings and petroglyphs on the walls of rock shelters to monumental rock hewn sculptures of gods, rock imagery has a long history in South Asia. Carla Sinopoli will present information on rock art traditions in South Asia with a particular focus on her field research in southern India, and the continued salience of such traditions in contemporary practices.
2024 Seminars
February 17, 2024, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) presented by Ashlee Boydston-Schmidt
April 13, 2024, Turkey Feather Blanket Construction demonstrated by Mary Weahkee
Mary Weahkee, an archaeologist for the State of New Mexico, was commissioned by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe to re-create the ancient craft of making a blanket from thousands of turkey feathers, for an upcoming exhibit. In this video, captured over a period of many months, she demonstrates every step in the process from making yucca cordage from narrow-leaf yucca leaves, to the final weaving process. The video was recorded and edited by John Sadd for the museum. You can see many other videos of Native American art and craft demonstrations from MIAC by searching IndianArtsAndCulture on YouTube.
June 8, 2024, Rio Grande Ceramics Seminar led by Hayward Franklin
Hayward provided a summary of the evolution of pottery styles in the Rio Gande valley pueblos. Pottery making techniques, Pottery types, glaze types, and potsherds available for hands on identification are some of the topics covered during the seminar. There was a lengthy hands-on examination of hand selected pottery pieces from the Maxwell collections demonstrating the information Hayward presented during the first part of the seminar.
August 24, 2024, Impact of Volcanoes on the peoples of the southwest led by Tom Windes.
Tom discussed his tree ring collection projects at both historic and prehistoric sites in the southwest using the specialized collection tools he designed, made and used. Tom explained how these specialized tools are used in the field to obtain useful wood dating cores. He discussed his documentation efforts. He also noted that the few remaining people who can do accurate tree ring interpretation are aging out. Tom discussed the regional work that he and his crew, the Woodrats, have been doing for the past few decades. He discussed some general findings, with a focus on the Bears Ears work in southeast Utah. He discussed the correlation of some of these results with world-wide weather events, including volcanoes, that affected prehistorical cultures here in the southwest. Volcanic eruptions impacted US history in the early 1800s and more recently in the 1980s.
Example - Portable X-ray fluorescence
November 2, 2024. Portable X-ray fluorescence nondestructive method led by Dr Shelby Jones
Dr. Shelby Jones is the Project Director and Laboratory Supervisor for the Office of Archaeological Studies (OAS). Dr Jones discussed X-ray fluorescence nondestructive method that is used to determine the elemental composition of ceramic pottery that has been collected from the various archaeological sites around the southwest. Pottery from the various areas have characteristic X-ray fluorescence spectra determined by the elements contained in the pottery piece. The portable X-ray fluorescence unit enables a quick X-ray characterization of the ceramic sample in the field.
Our hands-on seminar project was to determine the archaeological site/location of a collection pottery pieces that were given to OAS by “collectors” using the X-ray fluorescence spectra previously measured and provided to us. The actual collection sites for these pottery pieces were unknown. A master X-ray fluorescence spectral list for pottery samples from various archeological sites in the southwest was also provided. We were to match the pottery pieces with the master list and find the matching spectra. Thus determining the collection site. A fun hands on project.
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