Letters

Longing for Lone Star Archaeology As a student in anthropology and geography with a focus in Texas prehistory, I would very much like to see more articles on Texas archaeology and more information on Southern field schools.

Along with these suggestions, I would like to comment on the wellwritten articles in American Archaeology magazine.I really love the downto-earth articles and the focus on archaeology in the United States. Charlie Burton

American Archaeology recently won the Silver award in the Magazines and Bookseller’s Annual Magazine Cover Contest. The winter 1999/2000 cover took second place in the circulation under 100,000 category,beating out approximately 55 other entries.

Sending Letters to American Archaeology

American Archaeology welcomes your letters.Write to us at: 5301 Central Avenue NE,Suite 1218, Albuquerque,NM 87108-1517, or send us e-mail at archcons@nm.net.

We reserve the right to edit and publish letters in the magazine’s Letters department as space permits. Please include your name,address, and telephone number with all correspondence,including e-mail messages.

Editor’s Corner

One thousand years ago the Vikings gained a beachhead at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland.Recently they made landfall in a variety of media,this magazine included.

One aspect of this story is the controversy regarding the authenticity of the Vinland Map (see In The News).

The map’s history is curious. It engendered an intellectual crossfire between believers and skeptics,with scholars’reputations suffering wounds.Though the latter group is said to be significantly larger than the former, the map is valued at millions of dollars.Despite recently calling it a fake— seemingly reversing its previous position—the Smithsonian wanted to display the map at a Viking exhibition it’s staging, but couldn’t afford the exorbitant insurance. Yale University, which owns the map,has been accused of restricting its study. Some of its own scholars called the map a forgery when Yale acquired it.

The map will undergo further analysis, but, whatever the results,personal and institutional agendas will likely continue to fuel this controversy.

Michael Bawaya, Editor

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Editorial Advisor y Board Mark Barnes, National Park Service • James Bruseth, Texas Historical Commission William Dancey, Ohio State University • Allen Dart, Old Pueblo Archaeology Center Hester Davis, Arkansas Archeological Survey • James Dixon, Denver Museum of Natural History Brian Fagan, U.C. Santa Barbara • John Foster, California State Parks Lynne Goldstein, Michigan State University • Peter Harrison, Maxwell Museum Gwynn Henderson, Kentucky Archaeological Registry • John Henderson, Cornell University William Lipe, Washington State University • Bonnie McEwan, San Luis Historic Site James Miller, Florida State Archaeologist • Peter Pilles, U.S. Forest Service John Roney, Bureau of Land Management • Lynne Sebastian, New Mexico Dennis Stanford, Smithsonian Institution • Vincas Steponaitis, University of North Carolina Kathryn Toepel, Heritage Research Associates • Richard Woodbury, University of Massachusetts

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American Archaeology (ISSN1093-8400) is published quarterly by The Archaeological Conservancy, 5301 Central Avenue NE, Suite 1218, Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517. Title registered U.S. Pat. and TM Office, © 2000 by TAC. Printed in the United States. Periodicals postage paid Albuquerque, NM, and additional mailing offices. Single copies are $2.95. A oneyear membership to the Conservancy is $25 and includes receipt of American Archaeology. Of the member’s dues, $6 is designated for a one-year magazine subscription. READERS: For new memberships, renewals, or change of address, write to The Archaeological Conservancy, 5301 Central Avenue NE, Suite 1218, Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517, or call (505) 2661540. For changes of address, include old and new addresses. Articles are published for educational purposes and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conservancy, its editorial board, or American Archaeology. Article proposals and artwork should be addressed to the editor. No responsibility assumed for unsolicited material. All articles receive expert review. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American Archaeology, The Archaeological Conservancy, 5301 Central Avenue NE, Suite 1218, Albuquerque, NM 87108-1517; (505) 266-1540. All rights reserved. American Archaeology does not accept advertising from dealers in archaeological artifacts or antiquities.