Letters ANCIENT CAV
ERS
Coming To America
Spiritual Water It was interesting, but not surprising, to read about the discovery of carved panels along the aqueduct in El Mirador (“Panels Depicting Popul Vuh Discovered,” Summer 2009). Water and its delivery system had tremendous spiritual importance to the Olmec and Maya, as evidenced by the aqueduct
american archaeology AL LIFE
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Imagine my surprise when I read your article “Uncovering Early Colonial Life.” It mentions the expedition in 1634 of two ships, the Ark and the Dove, that settled Maryland’s’first capital,St.Mary’s city. A relative on my mother’s side was on that expedition. His name was John Briscoe and he was born in 1590. I suppose he did very well because there are still Briscoes in America. Dixie T. Barber Bountiful, Utah
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stone monuments at La Venta, as well as offerings placed along the aqueducts at Chocola and Takalik Abaj. Perhaps we could learn something from the ancients about the value of water. Kathleen Rollins Davisburg, Michigan
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation Publication Title: American Archaeology. 2. Publication No.: 1093-8400. 3. Date of Filing: September 30,2009. 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 4. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $25.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: The Archaeological Conservancy, 5301 Central Avenue NE, Suite 902, Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: same as No. 7. 9. Names and Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher—Mark Michel, address same as No. 7. Editor—Michael Bawaya, address same as No. 7. Managing Editor—N/A. 10. Owner: The Archaeological Conservancy, address same as No. 7. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: American Archaeology. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Spring 2009. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: (A) Total No. Copies (net press run): 33,000. (B) Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies): 19,275; (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies): 0; (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 4,456; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 1,308. (C) Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15B (1), (2), (3), and (4)): 25,039. (D) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0; (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 75; (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 1,880. (E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 1,955. (F) Total Distribution (Sum of 15C and 15E): 26,994. (G) Copies not Distributed: 6,006. (H) Total (Sum of 15F and 15G): 33,000. (I) Percent Paid (15C/15F x 100): 92.76%. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Number Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: (A) Total No. Copies (net press run): 33,000. (B) Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies): 19,365; (2) Mailed InCounty Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies): 0; (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 3,272; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 1,266. (C) Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15B (1), (2), (3), and (4)): 23,903. (D) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0; (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 55; (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 1,996. (E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 2,051. (F) Total Distribution (Sum of 15C and 15E): 25,954. (G) Copies not Distributed: 7,046. (H) Total (Sum of 15F and 15G): 33,000. (I) Percent Paid (15C/15F x 100): 92.10%. 16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the Winter 2009 issue of this publication. 17. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.Michael Bawaya, Editor.
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Editor’s Corner
W
ho were the first Americans? For some time the answers to that question served as fodder for one of American archaeology’s livelier debates. It used to be that almost everyone thought it was the Clovis people, who arrived in the New World roughly 13,500 years ago. But over the last several decades a number of allegedly preClovis sites have been discovered, and consequently a settled issue became very unsettled. Some pre-Clovis sites have produced more convincing evidence than others, and the data from Monte Verde, in southern Chile, is often said to have made the most compelling case for a pre-Clovis people in the Americas. But even that data isn’t so compelling that it silenced the Clovis First adherents. Now along comes the Paisley Caves site in southern Oregon. (See “Proof Of A Pre-Clovis People?” p. 38.) Archaeologist Dennis Jenkins has uncovered what he believes are human coprolites that have been radiocarbon dated to more than 14,000 years ago. If Jenkins’ conclusions are correct—and as our article notes, he has his skeptics— Paisley Caves has yielded the first biological evidence of pre-Clovis people. A few years ago a noted PaleoIndian specialist told me that, to his mind, Monte Verde had nearly ended the Clovis-pre-Clovis debate. Perhaps Paisley Caves will finish the job.
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