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El Paso Museum of Archaeology
Monthly Events, Openings, and Educational Programs
March 2012
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El Paso Archaeological Society Speaker
To Be Announced
2:00 pm
Free Admission
This program is presented by the El Paso Archaeological Society in partnership with the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.
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2012 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Free Admission
Join us for a full program of nature talks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, demonstrations, music and refreshments. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the beauty of the mountains and the poppies during this free educational family fun event.
The event takes place on the grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology (with a museum and several loop trails) which is surrounded by Castner Range, a former artillery range known for its cultural, geological and biological resources. If the rain and weather cooperate, it is most known for its beautiful and vast display of Mexican Gold Poppies in the Spring.
The Poppy Fest is organized by the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, Franklin Mountains State Park and several local governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Sponsors, Vendors, and Volunteers Needed: Sponsors: If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event please contact Naima Montacer (email:  njmontacer@gmail.com cell: 806-683-2242).
Vendors: If you are interested in becoming a vendor for this event please contact Diane Perez, email deperez@epwu.org.
Volunteers: If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for this event please contact Adrianna Weickhardt, email Adrianna.weickhardt@tpwd.state.tx.us.
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February 2012
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Zip Tour of the exhibit
Watercolor Paintings of Rock Art at Hueco Tanks
2:00 pm
Free Admission
Guest speaker Alex Mares, former Ranger at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site, presents his insights and interpretations of these rock art images during a brief Zip Tour of this exhibit. This tour introduces the exhibit to the public through a casual conversation during which those attending may ask questions and share their knowledge. This exhibit will be on view through June 3, 2012.
Exhibit
The museum is currently exhibiting Forrest Kirkland’s images of rock art at Hueco Tanks in the auditorium gallery. The twenty six images, which include hundreds of pictographs, are full color reproductions scanned at high resolution from Kirkland’s plates. Kirkland was the first artist to systematically document prehistoric rock art in Texas, thus his work is well known and admired by those interested in Texas archaeology. These images are provided courtesy of Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin.
11
Volunteer Transmountain Road Clean Up before the Class at 11:00 am
Sponsored by the El Paso County Master Gardener Association and Trans-Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist
8:55 to 10:30 am
Meet for the clean up at the pull-out just past the Adopt-a-Highway sign on the right-hand side of westbound lane on Transmountain Rd., west of the Gateway South intersection.
11
Create a Hummingbird and Butterfly Habitat
Master Gardener’s and Master Naturalist’s Class
11:00 am
Class is open to the public, Free Admission
Speaker Virginia Morris led the effort of the Native Plant Society to develop a manual, specific to El Paso, for the creation of habitats for hummingbirds and butterflies, two of our most vulnerable wildlife species. Learn how to restore habitats in your back yards, your schools and other public areas. These beautiful and fascinating creatures need your help! Urban development is steadily consuming wildlife habitats. The 2011 wildfires in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas have destroyed even more habitats.
18
Tour of the Diorama Gallery
2:00 pm
Free Admission
During this tour our Curator of Education, Marilyn Guida, takes visitors on a journey through 14,000 years of El Paso’s Indian heritage in our diorama gallery exhibits. Those attending will learn about Paleoindians who lived here 14,000 years ago continuing through time to the Mescalero Apache people of today. Reservations are not necessary but contact the museum if you plan to attend, 915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexas.gov.
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Interim Report on the Sierra Diablo Cave Excavation
Sponsored by the El Paso Archaeological Society
2:00 pm
Free Admission
This presentation by Javi Vasquez, Vice President of the El Paso Archaeological Society, brings into focus all of the archaeological investigations by UTEP archaeology students that have occurred at Sierra Diablo Cave since 2008. The site is located in far eastern Hudspeth County, Texas on private property. This dry cave exhibits stratified deposits to a depth of at least 3.0 m below ground surface in one tested locale. Extensive trenching has revealed continuous strata with minimal burrowing or other disturbances. A Paleoindian component has been identified, in addition to the Archaic period deposits above it. Excavations have yielded high densities of artifacts throughout the site, suggesting many more lithic (stone) and organic artifacts remain to be found in excellent context.
Biography
Jose Javier Vasquez, a native of El Paso, Texas, earned his Master's degree from UTEP in 2010. He completed a master's thesis that began archaeological research at Sierra Diablo Cave. This research will be discussed during his presentation. For nearly six years, he has worked in CRM for TRC Environmental out of the El Paso, Texas office. His interests include Paleoindian archaeology, cave sites, the application of GIS in archaeological investigations, and geoarchaeology.
This program is presented by the El Paso Archaeological Society in partnership with the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Information: 915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexas.gov
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The Historic Guadalupe Mission Manso and Piro Communities of Ciudad Juaréz
2:00 pm
Free Admission
Dr. Terry Reynolds retired NMSU University Museum Curator, presents her archival research on the history of the Manso and Piro communities that arose from the efforts of the Franciscan Missionaries beginning in the mid-1650s and continuing for over two centuries. The cultural and social differences between the Manso and Piro communities led them to adapt to Spanish rule in different ways. Neither community would survive their contact with Spanish settlers, but their respective demise also happened in different ways and at different times.
During her talk, Dr. Reynolds will describe the trials and tribulations of doing archival research on the border and the differences between what can be learned about history from archival research and that learned from stories told by family and friends. Her talk will be illustrated with lithographs, drawings and maps because she will be speaking of a time period before photography.
Biography
Dr. Terry R. Reynolds is a long-time museum curator, museum director and university lecturer. She is trained in anthropology and for over fifty years has done Southwestern research in government documents, church records, and personal papers, as well as by observing events, interviewing persons and living with families. One of her major interests is the impact of Spanish, Mexican and American rule and economics on Southwestern Native societies and cultures.
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January 2012
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MUSEUM CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY
7
CANCELLED
Curator’s Tour of the Diorama Gallery
2:00
Free Admission
During this tour our Curator, Dr. Matt Taylor, takes visitors on a journey through 14,000 years of El Paso’s Indian heritage in our diorama gallery exhibits. Those attending will learn about Paleoindians continuing through time to the Mescalero Apache people of today. Reservations are not necessary but contact the museum if you plan to attend, 915-755-4332, guidamr@elpasotexas.gov.
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Screening of Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya
Introduction and Audience Discussion following the film by Jena Camp
2:00 to 3:45 pm
Free Admission
The award-winning film Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya by Patricia Amlin is an English-language animated one-hour movie for upper elementary school children through adults. It begins with the ancient Maya story of the creation of the world and includes the mythological story of the victory of the Hero Twins over the Lords of the Underworld. Patricia Amlin’s video version of the Popol Vuh is told by animating characters and events using images from ancient original Maya carved stone and stucco reliefs, engraved shells and bones, and painted books and vases. Through the video we see the story as the ancient Maya would have known it.
This program is being held in conjunction with the Museum of Archaeology’s exhibit Ancient Mexico and the El Paso Museum of History’s exhibit Mystery of the Mayan Medallion.
Jena Camp, a local educator, will provide a fifteen minute introduction to the film and a thirty minute follow-up discussion with the audience. Ms. Camp is a high school teacher who is fluent in Spanish and is knowledgeable about Maya culture. She completed an M.A. in anthropology and has done work toward a PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago, lived with the Maya for several years, and is personally acquainted with the filmmaker, Patricia Amlin.
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Screening of Paleo-American Finds from Pendejo Cave by Scotty Mac Neish, PhD
Introduction and Comments by Dr. Matt Taylor, Curator
2:00 pm
Free Admission
The Capstone Productions film Paleo-American Finds from Pendejo Cave by Scotty MacNeish, Ph.D. is a based on a 1999 lecture by Richard “Scotty” MacNeish to the annual meeting of the El Paso Archaeological Society. This program is presented by the El Paso Archaeological Society in partnership with the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.
Pendejo Cave, located just across the Texas-New Mexico state line from El Paso, contains a deep site with evidence of human occupation possibly including a pre-Clovis tradition and continuing to the Late Archaic with preserved corncobs. There is controversy surrounding the evidence for human occupation older than 10,000 B.C.
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Removing Modern Graffiti from Ancient Rock Art at Hueco Tanks
1:00 pm
Free Admission
Speaker Tim Roberts, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Archaeologist, discusses efforts since 2009 to use lasers to remove graffiti from several pictograph (ancient paintings on rock) sites at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site, outside El Paso.
Portable lasers were used to remove the graffiti after non-invasive techniques, including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Raman Spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), were used in the field to identify the pigments, binders, and underlying rock. The resulting information was used to recreate the pictograph and graffiti paints that were subsequently used to create test samples used to verify the safe and effective use of portable lasers to remove graffiti. This information was also beneficial in calibrating the lasers to distinguish rock imagery from the graffiti to be removed. In 2011, for the first time at Hueco Tanks, lasers were used to successfully remove graffiti from pictographs.
This talk is being held in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibit Watercolor Paintings of Rock Art at Hueco Tanks, and a museum membership and volunteer appreciation event from 2:00 to 4:00 pm following the talk. At this event the museum welcomes the public to become new or renewing members, providing financial support to the museum through their dues.
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Museum Member and Volunteer Appreciation Party
2:00 to 4:00 pm
Membership is the price of admission to the party.
The El Paso Museum of Archaeology welcomes new, current, and renewing members to this Member and Volunteer Appreciation Party. Memberships start at $15.00, levels and benefits vary, contact the museum, 915-755-4332, for details.
This party is designed to thank our current members and to encourage new memberships. The museum appreciates members who support the museum through annual dues and by helping spread the word about our fascinating exhibits and programs. Volunteers contributed 651 hours in the last fiscal year, the equivalent of over sixteen 40-hour weeks of time. This is our way of saying thank you to both members and current volunteers. Those interested in becoming new members or renewing their membership are welcome to do so at the party.
A special museum store member discount of 20% on high quality Southwestern-style jewelry is available through January 7, 2012.
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December 2011
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The Spanish Conquest in Yucatan: Maya Collapse or Resilience?
By Rani Alexander, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, NMSU
2:00 pm
Free Admission
In this lecture we follow the struggle of Maya people before and after the Spanish Conquest and examine archaeological and historical evidence of Maya resistance and resilience into the modern era.
Recent reports of the death of Maya civilization in popular film, television, and literature have been greatly exaggerated. Over a million Maya-speaking inhabitants of the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, are alive and well. They actively pursue social justice, improved access to resources, and greater cultural autonomy within an ever-expanding global system.
Rani T. Alexander is Professor of Anthropology at New Mexico State University. She studies the archaeology of the Yucatan peninsula after 1450 and what it reveals about Maya resistance and resilience. She is working on a book about Colonial and Postcolonial Archaeology in Mexico and wants to return to fieldwork in Yucatan as soon as possible.
This talk is being held in conjunction two exhibits. The Archaeology Museum is showcasing five authentic Maya ceramic vessels on loan from the University Museum at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces along with our own collection of Maya artifacts. The exhibit Mystery of the Mayan Medallion, an educational and interactive exhibit, is on view at the History Museum.
Information: 915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexas.gov
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Franklin Mountains State Park: Sharing the Vision
By Cesar Mendez, Superintendent of Franklin Mountains State Park
11:00 am
Free Admission
In this presentation you’ll find out why the park is significant, receive updates on improvements and celebrate achievements. You will also learn of ongoing projects, current challenges and prospects for the future. This is a Master Gardeners/Master Naturalists Class which is open to the public. Information: 915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexas.gov
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Zip Tour of the Ancient Mexico exhibit
By Curator Dr. Matt Taylor
2:00 pm
Free Admission
In the Ancient Mexico exhibit Maya artifacts, including five featured Maya ceramic vessels graciously loaned by the University Museum of New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, are showcased. Other artifacts representing the Aztec, and lesser known great civilizations from Mexico will be on display along with prints of ancient Maya murals and ruins and a map of ancient Maya territory. This brief tour introduces the exhibit to the public through a casual conversation during which those attending may ask questions and share their knowledge.
Information: 915-755-4332; guidamr@elpasotexas.gov
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MUSEUM CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY
27 to 30
Winter Archaeology Campfor Children Ages 8-12
9:30 am to 12:30 pm, Tuesday through Friday
$55 museum members; $70 non-members
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED; Limit 12 participants
Winter Archaeology Day Camp is an interactive, hands-on course held on the museum’s grounds, weather permitting, and in the galleries. The program is designed to educate participants about the science of archaeology, its tools, and the prehistory of the Americas, especially the El Paso-Juárez region, from the Ice Age to European contact. Campers will learn respect and appreciation for prehistoric, historic and contemporary Indian people.
Camps fill quickly; those interested should contact the museum as soon as possible. Registration is accepted on a first-come first-served basis as attendance is limited to twelve students.
For information and the camp registration form contact the museum at 915-755-4332 or
guidamr@elpasotexas.gov.
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November 2011
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Zip Tour of an Ofrenda commemorating Día de los Muertos
By Lizzie Ochoa, Artist and Educator
2:00 pm, in the auditorium gallery
Free Admission
This brief tour introduces the ofrenda to the public through a casual conversation during which those attending may ask questions and share their knowledge.
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October 2011
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Desert Plants in the Art of Tom Lea
By Jan Dreher, Artist and Master Gardener
A TOM LEA MONTH PROGRAM
2:00 pm, begins in the auditorium gallery and ends on the grounds
Free Admission
Tom Lea had a reverence for the world around him and used his skills as an artist to capture the “Almighty’s majestic handiwork” in “portrait likeness.” Jan Dreher will share slides of Lea’s paintings with details of a variety of high Chihuahuan Desert plants before taking visitors onto the slopes of Mount Franklin to discover them for themselves.
Jan Dreher is an artist and master gardener. She completed her Master Gardener certification in 2007. For the past eleven years she has pursued her artistic endeavors, creating abstract works in encaustic and treated metal. Her background also includes fundraising for Special Olympics Texas, conducting her own marketing firm, a period as a securities and insurance broker for Merrill Lynch, and time working in a variety of social services.
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17th Biennial Jornada Mogollon Archaeology Conference
9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day
$30.00 Pre-registration (paid before September 16th)
$40.00 Registration at the door (one or both days)
$15.00 Student registration (with valid ID)
Archaeologists working in the Jornada Branch of the Mogollon culture area in the American Southwest present papers on their recent research during this conference. The conference is jointly hosted by the City of El Paso Museum of Archaeology and the El Paso Archaeological Society.
The registration form will be on the Jornada Conference section of the museum’s website  www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum or call (915) 755-4332 and ask for Rosie Enriquez.
Geographically, the Jornada Mogollon extends from Carrizozo, New Mexico on the north to just south of Villa Ahumada, Chihuahua, México in the south, and from east of Deming, New Mexico in the west to the Pecos River in the east.
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Tigua Indian Youth Cultural Dancers
1:30 pm, in the auditorium gallery
Free Admission
The Tigua Indian Youth Cultural Dancers from Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in El Paso will perform a few brief social dances prior to Nick Houser’s lecture at 2:00 pm.
The Tigua Youth danced at the opening of the Settlement Legacy exhibit, curated by Nick Houser, in February. They are dancing again today as a tribute to their ancestors on the last day of the exhibit.
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Tom Lea and the Indian People of the Southwest
by Nick Houser, Anthropologist and Historian
A TOM LEA MONTH PROGRAM
2:00 pm, in the auditorium gallery
Free Admission
When Tom Lea first visited the Grand Canyon as a little boy, he was most fascinated with the Hopi House on its rim. Throughout his life, Lea studied the ways of Southwest Indians, resulting in paintings like Snake Dancers in the Santa Fe Museum of Fine Arts, Ghost at Noon Came Riding at the El Paso Museum of Art, Comancheros in the Seymour Texas Post Office and Sitting Bull in the Texas Capitol. While showing slides of Tom Lea’s work, Nick Houser will analyze their details and what they tell viewers about of the lives of Native Americans in the Southwest.
Nicholas (Nick) P. Houser’s talk on Tom Lea will take place in the auditorium gallery where the exhibit he created, Settlement Legacy, is on display. Mr. Houser has conducted historical research for the Tigua Indians, created exhibits for museums and cultural centers, and has worked with over 36 Native American communities in the American Southwest and Latin America. He has published books and articles, created and edited websites, and served as documentary video consultant.
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The Mystery of Our Mountains:
How the Franklin and Sierra de Juarez Were Formed
By Phil Goodell, Ph.D. , Professor of Geology, UTEP
A TOM LEA MONTH PROGRAM
Free Admission
3:00 pm, in the auditorium gallery
The Franklin Mountains and Sierra de Juarez stand silent and majestic against the sky. Our knowledge has developed from mystery to a reasonable understanding of a sequence of geologic events, from the catastrophic to the monotonous. Observations and interpretations of events will be discussed by UTEP professor and native El Pasoan Dr. Phil Goodell who has loved rocks from the time he was a little boy.
Phil Goodell was born and raised in El Paso, and graduated from El Paso High School. He went east for college and graduate school and got a PhD in Geology from Harvard. He has taught at UTEP since 1975, specializing in mineralogy, economic geology, and geochemistry, and applies these to northern Mexico.
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Student Artists: In the Footsteps of Tom Lea
Exhibit on view October 16 to 30, 2011
October 16 - Presentations and Public Reception
A TOM LEA MONTH PROGRAM
1:30 to 4:30 pm, in the auditorium gallery
Free Admission
Just as Tom Lea loved exploring the world around him, Chapin High School Student Artists do too. Advanced art, studio advanced placement, and art history students will study the work of Tom Lea under the direction of art teacher Elisa Barton, creating works of their own.
At a public reception on October 16 at 1:30 to 4:30 pm, these students will present their winning creations at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Their work will be on exhibit from October 16 to 30, 2011.
The student artists will be visiting the work of Tom Lea at the El Paso Museum of Art and the El Paso Main Library. They’ll also have sketching outings at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology to be inspired by the views of the Franklin Mountains, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the museum’s exhibits.
Thanks to Art Masters, 6501 N. Mesa St., El Paso 79912, for donating the mats and matting the student art for this exhibit.
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Family Workshop: Tom Lea Landscapes
Maximum of 25 participants, pre-registration necessary on a first-come, first-served basis, contact 915-755-4332 for a registration form
A TOM LEA MONTH PROGRAM
1:00 to 4:00 pm
Free Admission
Families will be inspired to create their own landscapes from the “Almighty’s majestic handiwork” just as Tom Lea did. The Franklin Mountains, with their dramatic canyons, jagged peaks, and ever-changing light are a stunning backdrop to the Museum of Archaeology.
Participants can imagine the landscape as it was in prehistoric times - and how the ancients lived. Led by artist and educator Lizzie Ochoa, participants will learn how to observe elements in the landscape - the place, time of day, and weather. They will also learn placement of figures in the foreground, middle ground and background, describing the expanse of space. Families will work as a group using a variety of materials to create a landscape collage populated with authentic Chihuahuan Desert plants, animals and people. Families will share their landscapes with each other at the end. Maximum number of participants: 25. Contact museum staff at 915-755-4332 or guidamr@elpasotexas.gov for a registration form.
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Zip Tour of an Ofrenda commemorating Día de los Muertos
By Lizzie Ochoa, Artist and Educator
2:00 pm, in the auditorium gallery
Free Admission
Lizzie Ochoa will present brief Zip Tours of her ofrenda on Sunday, October 30 and Saturday, November 5 at 2:00 pm. These tours introduce the ofrenda to the public through a casual conversation during which those attending may ask questions and share their knowledge.
El Paso artist Lizzie Ochoa has dedicated her ofrenda to departed animal and human friends and family. “This ofrenda represents the unbreakable bonds we share that cannot be erased by death. My ofrenda is a celebration of our absent loved ones and serves as a comforting reminder that we will see them again someday.” The ofrenda will be on view from October 25 through November 6, 2011.
This annual commemoration of ancestors comes from the traditions of many indigenous communities of México mixed with Catholic religious traditions. It is typically a three-day commemoration from October 30 through November 2 each year. The Spanish word ofrenda refers to offerings of favorite foods, beverages, and personal belongings which are placed on tables in the home or in a public place in fond remembrance of dear departed ones.
Lizzie Ochoa is a professional artist who specializes in portraits, murals, illustration, photography, graphic design and wax figures/sculpted portraits. Lizzie received her B.A. in Art with Cum Laude honors from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She is currently working on her Master’s of Science from the University of North Texas.
Lizzie is an art educator who conducts art related workshops for children, teens and adults. She also writes and illustrates children’s books and creates graphic design layouts for clients.
Lizzie has exhibited at various galleries including the Adair Margo Gallery, the Hal Marcus Gallery, The University of Houston and the Scarborough-Phillips Gallery in Austin, Texas. She is also an active member of the Juntos Art Association.
Lizzie Ochoa’s art is featured in collections around the country & world including New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Memphis, El Paso and London, England.
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