For most of us, the term Mimbres conjures images of

Transcription

1

2 In Search of the SEVENTH PARROT A Tale of Looting, Archaeology, and a Missing Bird By Chris Turnbow, Deputy Director Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology Archaeological equipment and supplies are transported by mule into the Gila Wilderness by the U.S. Forest Service. Photo by Chris Turnbow. For most of us, the term Mimbres conjures images of ancient black-on-white painted bowls with captivating pictures of people, animals, and other beings. Dating between A.D and 1130, the Classic Mimbres people who lived in what is now southwestern New Mexico developed an expressive ceramic tradition considered unique among pre-columbian cultures of North America. These paintings, placed on the inside of hemispherical bowls, reveal naturalistic and figurative images that depict the customs and cosmology of a people who are known to us only through their archaeological record. With Mimbres iconography now adorning tee shirts, postcards, mugs, Santa Fe Railroad china, contemporary Indian art, and tourist advertising, one might be surprised to learn that very little is known about their culture. What is worse, the record of their existence is disappearing at an alarming rate because of greed and thoughtless acts of destruction to our irreplaceable cultural heritage. El Palacio 17

3 Mimbres art (detail) from the looted Mimbres parrot bowl. Courtesy of the Gila National Forest. Despite passage of antiquity protection laws and an increased public interest in historic preservation, federal and state archaeologists report that looting of New Mexico s cultural heritage sites remains a serious problem. Nowhere is this problem more devastating than in the Mimbres country. Today, collectors from around the world are willing to pay exorbitant amounts for museum quality Mimbres bowls. Encouraged by ever-increasing prices for these antiquities, thieves have developed thriving businesses to meet the growing demand. By the 1990s, archaeologists estimated that nearly 95% of all Mimbres pueblos were at least partially looted. Some were almost completely destroyed when bulldozers stripped off the overlying rubble to expose the burial pits below. If this trend continues, little will remain of the Mimbres other than thousands of bowls from unknown locations. The Seventh Parrot Our story of the seventh parrot begins in the winter of with the wanton theft and partial destruction of five Classic Mimbres cultural heritage sites held in trust for the American people. But in reality the story begins around 900 years earlier, when a Mimbres potter carefully examined a newly fired bowl. The black mineral paint contrasted sharply with the brilliant white slip beneath, but her eyes were drawn to the images of seven parrots just below the rim. This beautiful bowl was used for serving, mixing, and ceremonies, but in the end, it was ritually killed by punching a small hole through the bottom before being placed over the face of a deceased member of the Mimbres society. As was often their custom, the grave was placed under the floor in one of the rooms. 18 El Palacio

4 The record of their existence is disappearing at an alarming rate because of greed and thoughtless acts of destruction. The burial remained undisturbed under the floor and collapsed walls of the pueblo until the winter of , when pothunters plundered the site. Casting aside the human remains, the grave robbers took the bowl and whatever else could be tuned into cash. The remarkable bowl with its finely painted parrots quickly sold. Later that winter Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers apprehended three men illegally digging in a Classic Mimbres pueblo site within the Gila Wilderness Area. With four other freshly looted pueblos nearby, it was assumed that these were the men responsible for all the damage. Among the looters possessions was a photograph of the parrot bowl. Broken and with pieces missing, the bowl now showed six parrots and the beak of the seventh. If the seventh parrot potsherd could be located at any of the publicly owned sites, then the looters could be charged with additional crimes. The search was on. The Search Begins In 2001, the Laboratory of Anthropology was conducting archaeological research on Mimbres sites near to where the looting had occurred. Since the Gila National Forest had very limited funding and personnel to carry out emergency stabilization and research, I offered the assistance of the Laboratory to undertake the work. It seemed like an excellent opportunity for us to gain some knowledge from these unfortunate circumstances and it would give the Lab s volunteers a chance to do more fieldwork. Volunteers pass dirt disturbed by looters through excavation screens. Photo by Chris Turnbow. El Palacio 19

5 Volunteer Carolyn Rose documents the masonry walls of a Mimbres room. Photo by Chris Turnbow. A volunteer maps the wall of a Mimbres room. Photo by Chris Sorenson. Thanks to a teaming agreement with the Gila National Forest, enough money was available for supplies, laboratory fees, and publication costs as well as Forest Service staff and much needed horses and mules. During the warm spring of 2002, our archaeological team gathered at the rendezvous point along the edge of the Gila Wilderness Area. The Lab s volunteer group was drawn from far and wide. While most were from around Santa Fe, a retired forest rancher drove in from Montana and two anthropology graduate students came from Texas A&M University. The group was also bolstered with members of the Grant County Archaeological Society and the anthropology class at Silver City High School. Because it is illegal to drive motorized vehicles into a wilderness area, we loaded the heavy archaeological equipment onto Forest Service mules and pulled on our own backpacks. Five miles and 14 river crossings later we arrived at the Classic Mimbres pueblo site. While the Gila Wilderness is a wonderful place to conduct archaeological research, none of our group was happy with what had drawn us there. Even at a great distance, the team could see the freshly dug potholes that pockmarked the Classic Mimbres pueblo. Situated deep within the Gila National Forest and protected by federal antiquity laws, this site and the four others nearby were thought to have been somewhat safe from the looting that was rampant on Classic Mimbres settlements elsewhere. Yet, it was here that the three grave robbers were caught. The devastation brought upon these pueblo sites cannot be overstated. During the course of a few months, the thieves ripped through large portions of the sites, destroying much of the scientific information contained within them. The looters churned through collapsed roofs, intact floors, hearths, and cultural materials in search of the highly prized Mimbres Black-on-white bowls associated with the burials. Fieldwork at each site was carried out in a six-day session. Without the volunteers, completion would have 20 El Palacio

6 Help Protect New Mexico s Past Site stewardship is one way to help protect these resources for future generations to enjoy and study. Mary Townsend, a Galisteo SiteWatch volunteer, monitors a petroglyph site on Bureau of Land Management property. New Mexico SiteWatch New Mexico s rich culture spans at least 12,000 years, from Clovis, the Paleoindian site, to historic Route 66. These cultural resources, however, are disappearing. Many forces can act to obliterate the material remains of history, including erosion and gravity, urban development, and vandalism (see The Seventh Parrot, above). Site stewardship is one way to help protect these resources for future generations to enjoy and study. The Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs is spreading stewardship throughout the state with its SiteWatch Program. Regional chapters are being formed in cooperation with public land managers such as the Bureau of Land Management and the State Land Office. In Santa Fe, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology sponsors Galisteo SiteWatch, which focuses on the Galisteo Basin s endangered archaeological sites listed in the Federal Protection Act of To learn more about how you can become a site steward, contact Phillip Young, SiteWatch Coordinator, at , or phillip.young@state.nm.us. Santa Fe National Forest Site Stewards One of the largest programs of its kind in New Mexico, the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) Site Steward Program helps manage one of the most comprehensive collections of heritage resources in the United States, including both archaeological and historical sites representing many cultures and time periods. After comprehensive classroom and field training, pairs of stewards are assigned as monitors in one of six areas within the forest: Gallina, Jemez, Chama, Garcia, Caja del Rio, or Pecos. SFNF Site Stewards make site visits at least once a month, weather permitting. Stewards are also provided with numerous educational opportunities sponsored by the program. Affiliate Site Steward positions are available for volunteers who prefer to contribute by fulfilling important administrative and communications roles. For more information about the SFNF Site Steward Program, visit sfnfsitestewards.org, or contact Shelley Thompson at , or shelley.thompson@state.nm.us. Contributed by Leslie Cohen, Laboratory of Anthropology, and Shelley Thompson, Center for Museum Resources. El Palacio 21

7 Pothunters bulldoze a Mimbres Pueblo in the Mimbres Valley east of Silver City. Courtesy of the Mimbres Foundation. Photo by Stephen LeBlanc. been impossible, and although few had a background in archaeology, they brought welcome expertise and enthusiasm to the project. With no time to spare, the team set to work. A retired engineer drew the maps of the site and damaged areas. Photographers documented the ruins and the masonry walls, room floors, fire hearths, disturbed burial pits and other pits exposed in the potholes. Most of the team worked in the potholes, preparing site stratigraphy notes and drawings and collecting radiocarbon, pollen, phytolith, and macrobotanical samples. One of the most labor-intensive chores was passing the 32 cubic meters of disturbed earth through the excavation screens. Missed by the looters were over 12 large boxes of artifacts, including chipped stone flakes and tools, pottery, groundstone, bone, and even a small animal figurine. Although the artifacts had lost their original context, they revealed a wealth of information on Classic Mimbres occupations in the Upper Gila River drainage. Given that most of the region lies in wilderness and undeveloped Forest Service lands, these collections contribute significantly to our understanding of Mimbres culture. Among the most sensitive finds were the disarticulated human remains found scattered over the backdirt piles. Teeth and bones of at least 19 individual burials had been disturbed. The remains were respectfully reburied in proximity to where they had been first laid to rest. Clearly, exposed potholes pose a continued threat to surviving cultural resources. Such holes entice other looters to expand the damage and summer monsoon rains wash out walls and other intact cultural deposits. Our last great effort was to backfill the potholes before more damage occurred. After carefully lining the holes with geofabric to mark the limits of the disturbance, the real work began. For most of the last day, the holes were refilled with the same loose masonry rock and earth removed by the looters. At the end of the sixth day, the weary volunteers descended from the site. The combination of shoveling and shifting the dirt during the strong afternoon winds made them look like coal workers returning from the mines, but with a sense of accomplishment, they were in an energized mood. After a bath in the river and 22 El Palacio

8 a hot meal, this band of good souls spent the last night looking at the night sky and enjoying each other s friendship. The next day they made the long journey back to civilization and in the weeks to follow, they began analyzing the recovered artifacts and samples. So, What Happened? Although circumstantial evidence suggested that the pothunters were responsible for looting all five sites, they were charged with conspiracy and damage only in connection with the site where they were arrested. On August 23, 2001, the judge sentenced the looters to a year and a day in prison and ordered each to pay $19,615 in damages. Additionally, the men were to forfeit their digging tools, a truck, and the revolver taken during their arrest. No previous looters of Mimbres artifacts had received such a stiff sentence. The seventh parrot sherd was never found. In 2005, I was shocked to see the parrot bowl pictured in a noted art museum publication. Conservators had done an excellent job of repairing the vessel, even filling in the kill hole. The bowl remains in private hands. Combating the problem of looting across the Southwest is not easy. Legislation alone cannot stem the tide of archaeological site destruction for monetary gain. This recent Mimbres looting incident, however, shows that stronger enforcement of antiquity laws, more severe court sentences, and a better informed public are making a difference in protecting our nation s cultural heritage. Special Thanks During the fieldwork, 33 volunteers between 15 and 75 years old and from many backgrounds ventured into the wilderness, set up camp, and undertook the backbreaking job of doing the archaeology and site stabilization. An equally dedicated group of 36 took on the work of analyzing the artifacts and samples. Approximately 6,000 hours of volunteer time was contributed during the investigations. These individuals have my respect and thanks for a job exceedingly well done. BELOW: Food and fun after a hard day s work: (left to right) Carolyn Rose, Chris Sorenson, and Sal Morreale. Photos by Chris Turnbow and Chris Sorenson. The Laboratory of Anthropology crew on the last day in the Gila Wilderness, May Top row, left to right: Robert Schiowitz (Gila National Forest), Richard Kristin, Sal Morreale, Chris Sorenson, Amy Gardner, and Richard Huelster. Bottom row, left to right: Chris Turnbow (project director), Eleanor Dahlin, Caryolyn Rose, and Linda Rodeck. Photo by Richard Huelster. El Palacio 23