Letters A Moving Story I was very moved by Gayle Keck’s article “Recovering Ashes From Ashes” (Fall 2019) that told of how a few dedicated archaeologists, working with trained dogs and their handlers, have been able to recover the previously cremated remains of loved ones that were thought to be lost when people’s homes were destroyed by wildfires. As a military veteran myself–like some of those whose cremains have been recovered–and the son of a veteran who was killed in action in World War II, I can understand the heartbreak of those who thought the precious cremains of their loved ones might have been lost in the fires that also destroyed their homes. The news that such recovery is actually possible, and the astounding fact that the recovery teams are all volunteers who pay their own expenses, is something that needs a much wider dissemination. Perhaps more support can be raised for these dedicated volunteers and their cause, if only to help pay their expenses.
Editor’s Corner Who knows how it started? Maybe the hunter-gatherers just got tired of hunting and gathering. Whatever the cause, someone got the bright idea to grow food rather than go rummaging around for it. The advent of agriculture, which occurred in the Americas roughly 10,000 years ago, brought about fundamental changes. Ancient people were able to settle down and build their homes, their villages, and eventually their cites. Possessing a generally reliable supply of food, they endeavored to do more than merely survive. As noted in our feature “A Glimpse Of Early Agriculture” (see page 12), thousands of years passed before farming began in what is now the United States. But once the practice of planting maize took hold in southern Arizona, change was slow but inevitable. It’s thought that maize made up a small portion of the diets of the residents of Las Capas, one of the Southwest’s largest Early Agricultural-period sites, so deer, rabbits, and other game could not breathe easily. But as time passed, people ate more maize.As their settlements grew, they became more socially complex. Gardening evolved into farming, and the demands of planting and harvesting were such that organized labor was necessary to meet them. Building and maintaining sophisticated irrigation systems required cooperation. Some of the artifacts found at Early Agricultural-period sites also suggest that people’s rituals became more complex. Agriculture fed our distant ancestors in many ways.
Richard S. Relac Hanover, Pennsylvania Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 1. Publication Title: American Archaeology. 2. Publication No.: 1093-8400. 3. Filing Date: October 1, 2019. 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 4. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $30.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: The Archaeological Conservancy, 1717 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: same as No. 7. 9. Full Names and Complete 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 2019. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: (A) Total No. Copies (net press run): 25,500. (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.): 16,374; (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: 1,685; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 870. (C) Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)): 18,929. (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): 33; (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 1,430. (E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15D (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 1,463. (F) Total Distribution (Sum of 15C and E): 20,392. (G) Copies not Distributed: 5,108. (H) Total (Sum of 15F and G): 25,500. (I) Percent Paid (15C divided by 15F times 100): 92.83%. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Number Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: (A) Total No. Copies (net press run): 25,500. (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.): 16,380; (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: 1,658; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g. FirstClass Mail): 1,185. (C) Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)): 19,223. (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): 28; (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 1,475. (E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15D (1), (2), (3) and (4)): 1,503. (F) Total Distribution (Sum of 15C and E): 20,726. (G) Copies not Distributed: 4,774. (H) Total (Sum of 15F and G): 25,500. (I) Percent Paid (15C divided by 15F times 100): 92.75%. 16. Electronic Copy Circulation: N/A. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the winter 2019 issue of this publication. 18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. Michael Bawaya, Editor.
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