Investigating Artifacts

We held two classes last week that focused on our new archaeology class: Investigating Artifacts: Uncovering the Past through Middens.

After a presentation that covered the Two Villages of Tumamoc Hill, student got to work excavating their middens.

The science of archaeology often focuses on old village sites known as “middens”. Middens are deposits that people have left behind, the remains of settlements, the “garbage dumps” of long lost communities. In this session, students examined “middens” representing sites of prehistoric Hohokam people at Tumamoc. After a demonstration of the procedures that will be used to excavate the site, teams of students acted as archaeologists working together to excavate objects from the layers of the soil in shoe box “middens”.

Students learn that materials discarded or lost by people long ago can provide valuable clues for reconstructing a picture of an earlier culture. While practicing the methods of archaeologists, students infer information from objects, group objects, and share drawings and explanations from clues of the past.

The kids had such a great time uncovering treasure, they completely forgot they were excavating shoe boxes! The photos below are of the Manzo Elementary students. To see the Drachman Montessori student photos, click here.

Vail High School – Agave Class

Juniors and seniors from Vail High School joined us today for a class on Cultural History and Archaeology. We examined objects made out of agave fibers and native food products. In the experimental archaeology area, they then created a rock terrace and planted agaves, using traditional rock tools just like the native people did. It took them fifteen minutes to construct a ten-foot long rock terrace and plant five agaves – excellent job!

 

 

 

I wanted to see how long it would take the students to dig a ten-foot by ten-foot roasting pit using stone tools…but only a couple of students were up for it!

Cienega Hign School – Agave Class

Today, students from Mr. Farr’s AP Biology class at Cienega High School came to visit Tumamoc. During an interactive presentation highlighting the different agave plants (and other native desert foods), students explored the methods for cooking and creating fiber from agaves.

Out in the field, students visited the historic agave fields and learn how the native people grew agaves at Tumamoc. In the experimental archaeology area, they then created a rock terrace and planted agaves, using traditional rock tools just like the native people did. It took them a half hour to construct a ten-foot long rock terrace and plant nine agaves – not bad at all! Just imagine how much work it would have taken if they constructed a half-mile long terrace!

Interested in becoming a Walking Docent?

UA SCIENCE: Tumamoc

Become a Tumamoc Walking Docent!

 UA Science: Tumamoc is looking for people who are interested in science and want to share their excitement, knowledge, and skills. Get involved by becoming a Walking Docent!

The docents will provide information about Tumamoc’s rich archaeology, ecology, scientific, and cultural history to the many people who regularly “walk the hill.” The training sessions are free and the first one is Saturday, February 11 from 10 a.m. to noon.

People who wish to become walking docents must register in advance by contacting Pamela Pelletier at 520-248-9933 or by e-mail at pamela@email.arizona.edu. Training sessions are limited to 40 people.

The three training sessions will cover Tumamoc’s archeology, ecology and cultural history. Once trained, the walking docents will be present along Tumamoc Hill Road to share the information they learned with hill walkers.

Tumamoc Hill Road is open to recreational walkers weekdays before 7:30 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m. and all day Saturdays and Sundays.

Schedule:

Saturday, February 11, 10 a.m. to noon

Dr. Paul and Dr. Suzanne Fish, curators at the Arizona State Museum and UA professors of anthropology, will give a lecture on “Trincheras Sites in Time, Space, and Society”.

Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m. to noon

Dr. Ray Turner, retired Plant Ecologist from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), will give a lecture on “The History of the Desert Laboratory”, beginning with the founding of the lab in 1903 by the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Wednesday, February 29, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Dr. Jennifer Gremer, a UA postdoctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology, will give a talk on “Physiological traits and life histories of Sonoran Desert winter annuals:  Coping with a variable environment”.

Classes will be taught in the library of Tumamoc’s main building — the one attached to the greenhouse.

Docent trainees must park at the base of the hill and either walk up to the library building or take the van shuttle. Trainees who wish to walk should allow enough time to arrive at the training on time. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the base of the hill to the library. The address for Tumamoc is 1675 W. Anklam Road.

The van shuttle will start 30 minutes before the start of the session, and the last van will leave the base of the hill 10 minutes before the start of the session.

UA Science: Tumamoc is planning to offer another series of walking-docent training sessions in the fall.

Celebrate Tumamoc

Registration is Open for Beat Back Bufflegrass

The Fifth Annual Beat Back Buffelgrass where the community comes together to dig out that nasty weed is scheduled for Saturday, January 28, starting at 8:00am.  Weed attacks will be happening all over the Tucson basin. Put the date on your calendar for the “A” Mountain pull or choose a location closer to you!  Organize your neighbors or join an already organized group.  Registration for the many sites around the area is now open at the www.buffelgrass.orgwebsite.

 

Cactus & Perennial Surveys

We’ve had a number of schools visit Tumamoc in the last few weeks for Citizen Science Field Classes.  Here are some photos:

Click here to see an album of all of the photos.

Can We Co-Exist With Rattlesnakes and Gila Monsters?

Dr. Matt Goode gave a fantastic lecture at Tumamoc last night: “Can We Co-Exist With Rattlesnakes and Gila Monsters?  Putting Reconciliation Ecology to the Test”.  He and his assistant Mickey Parker, Wildlife Biologist, even brought a tiger rattlesnake they captured right outside the building earlier that day.

To see a photo essay of the rattlesnake surgery where radio telemetry are inserted into rattlesnake in Dr. Goode’s lab, visit the Tumamoc Sketchbook.

Mickey Parker and Dr. Matt Goode

the black-tailed rattlesnake will be tagged and released back into Tumamoc

Tucson High Visits Tumamoc!

Students from Ms. Martin’s AP Environmental Science class came to Tumamoc on Tuesday for a field class. The students surveyed cactus and perennial shrub species, determined soil analysis, and figured out the slope of their five meter by five meter plot. We had some wonderful cool temperatures! After class, students wrote in their journals, reflecting on their visit to the world’s longest running ecological research station and what it meant to be there, doing science.

 

 

You can more photos by clicking on this link.

Manzo Elementary – Cactus Survey

Students from Manzo Elementary came to Tumamoc today to survey a 20 meter by 20 meter plot for cactus diversity. We had a great time.  One plot had over 400 cactus species surveyed!  You can see photo album from today by clicking this link.