WITH DR. BRITT BOUSMAN AND CAITLIN GULIHUR AT ALCOVE HOUSE IN BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT, JUNE 24, 2016.

An Amazing Learning Experience:  2016 Cross Bar Ranch Field School

Prologue…

When I enrolled at Texas State University in the Fall of 2014, I didn’t really know what a “field school” was.  During my backpack with Vaughn Hadenfeldt into Slickhorn Canyon in 2013, he had talked about field schools on several occasions, but I really had no concrete idea of what they were.  But once I started taking classes in Anthropology and Archaeology, I soon learned that they were an important and integral part of the education and training of anyone who wanted to be an archaeologist.   I had hoped to attend Dr. Steve Black’s field school in Eagle Nest Canyon in late Spring/early Summer of 2015.  Unfortunately, I tore my shoulder up while kayaking in the Fall of 2014 and ended up having surgery in the Spring of 2015, so I wasn’t physically able to attend Dr. Black’s field school that year.  As most things do, it all worked out for the best, and I applied for, and was accepted into, Dr. Britt Bousman’s 2016 Cross Bar Ranch Field School.  I had not had any classes with Dr. Bousman, but had met him a couple of times and had heard nothing but good things about him from other students.  So, early on the morning of Wednesday, June 8, 2016, we set out for the Texas Panhandle and our project site on BLM land in the Cross Bar Management Area.  We had spent Monday and Tuesday on campus meeting with Dr. Bousman and his graduate assistant Caitlin Guliher as they provided an overview of what we hoped to accomplish during our field school project as well as laid out the ground rules.  We also spent time cleaning and organizing some of the gear that we would need once on site.  I found Dr. Bousman to be one of the most intelligent people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Besides his wealth of knowledge and experience, he also possessed patience beyond measure and an unfailingly cheery disposition.  

Our group consisted of ten students– six females (Amanda Fraser, Dana Grandbury, Emma Richburg, Julie Haney, Olivia Adams, and Sheridan McKitrick) and four males (myself, Michael Ewing, Sean McClure, and William Kroll).  I grew to really like and respect each and every one of these young people.  They accepted my unusual status as a 65 year old college student and were quite kind to me.  Everyone spent our time in the field sleeping in ground tents except for me.  I had gotten permission from Dr. Bousman to take my F250 4WD truck and KAKU2, my offroad trailer with a rooftop tent.  My truck proved a useful tool for carrying some of our gear, and for pulling our transport van out of the mud when it got stuck on the backcountry roads we had to travel each day.  One of the things I really enjoyed about the field school was our guests–  Dr. Bousman had a number of distinguished colleagues visit us (at the site and on field trips) during our time together and each of them had a lot to add to our experience– more about them later.  So, without further delay, here goes my attempt to convey the essence of our 2016 Cross Bar Ranch Field School…

2016 CROSS BAR RANCH FIELD SCHOOL, BACK ROW, L TO R: SEAN McCLURE, EMMA RICHBURG, MICHAEL EWING, TOM McCOPPIN, OVIVIA ADAMS, AMANDA FRASER, DANA GRANBERY, & WILL KROLL; IN FRONT: CAITLIN GULIHER & SHERIDAN McKITRICK. NOT PICTURED, JULIE HANEY, WHO HAD TO LEAVE A DAY EARLY.

Our Camp:  Rainbows, Rattlesnakes, and Tornadoes

Our camp was located 2.65 east of the National Helium Reserve (Helium Plant) adjacent to a BLM storage yard.  The BLM folks were kind enough to cut the grass in the area where we set up camp.  As I mentioned in the Prologue, I used KAKU2 (my offroad trailer with a roof top tent) while everyone else set up and used ground tents.  We had a large open canopy/tent (Mess Tent) where we set up tables, chairs, and our cooking area.  We also stored our coolers under this canopy so that they would be out of the sun.  We had two portable toilets, one for the men (in the brush near camp) and one for the women (set up behind a small building near the back of the BLM storage yard).  Our daily routine went like this:  breakfast at the Mess Tent and prepare lunch to take to the project site; drive to project site and work all day; drive back to camp to pick up towels and clean clothes; drive to Helium Plant for showers (and to discharge and clean portable toilets); back to camp for Dinner and bedtime.  While we each made our own lunches, pairs of students would volunteer to cook supper each evening.  Since no one was eager to volunteer for toilet duty, I took it upon myself to handle this unpleasant task in return for not having to cook.  

GOOGLE EARTH MAP OF CROSS BAR RANCH FIELD SCHOOL AREA. THE HELIUM PLANT IN LOWER LEFT IS 13.5 MILES NW OF AMARILLO, TEXAS.
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS OF A PART OF OUR CAMPSITE, BLESSED WITH A RAINBOW!
MY SPOT AND MY RIG WERE LOCATED MID-WAY BETWEEN THE MESS TENT AND THE CLUSTER OF TENTS ON THE FAR WEST END OF THE CAMPSITE.
LOOKING TO THE EAST TOWARD THE MESS TENT FROM THE CENTER OF THE CAMPSITE.

Dr. Bousman initially tried to persuade me not to bring my off-road trailer–  he was afraid it would not stand up to the high winds of the panhandle.  I explained to him it was rated for 75mph straight-line winds and that I had experienced extremely high winds while camping in Big Bend and had no problems and he eventually relented.  Not only did the trailer provide me with a very comfortable bed (up high…no snakes!), but the power supply (which recharged each day with my solar panels)  provided a way for us to keep our cell phones, cameras, and total station equipment charged.  It also provided me a place to hang freshly washed clothes and a place to work on my paperwork late into the night!

THE ICE COLD EXTRA WATER I BROUGHT WAS APPRECIATED AS WE SET UP CAMP IN THE PANHANDLE HEAT.
MANY NIGHTS I WORKED ON MY SITE PAPERWORK UNDER THE LIGHTS OF MY TRAILER.
ANOTHER SHOT OF MY HOME SWEET HOME NEAR THE CANADIAN RIVER.
MY CANADIAN RIVER CLOTHES LINE.
A FAMILY OF TEXAS HORNED LIZARDS DECIDED TO MAKE THEIR HOME UNDERNEATH ONE OF MY SOLAR PANELS. THEY WERE ENTERTAINING NEIGHBORS!
THE WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKES WERE PLENTIFUL IN THE AREA OF OUR CAMP AND OUR PROJECT SITE. THEY WERE NOT AS FRIENDLY AS THE HORNED LIZARDS!

Our daily trips to the Helium Pant for showers and a little relaxing in the air conditioned break room were a wonderful way to end a long day digging in the panhandle heat.  I got the name of the gentleman in charge of the facility and sent him a thank you note when I got home…that place was a blessing!

THE BREAK ROOM AT THE HELIUM PLANT WHERE WE SPENT MANY HOURS DURING THE COURSE OF OUR PROJECT. THERE WERE ONLY TWO SHOWERS, SO IT TOOK A WHILE FOR ALL 12 OF US TO CLEAN UP EACH EVENING!
DR. MARTY HORN OF LSU PITCHED A TENT AND SPENT SEVERAL DAYS WITH US. HERE HE IS GIVING US AN INPROMPTU GEOLOGY LESSON IN THE BREAK ROOM AT THE HELIUM PLANT.

Our mess tent was the focal point of our evenings while in the field.  We enjoyed some fine meals, some fine stories, and some fine card/domino games under the mess tent!

OUR HUMBLE MESS TENT, 2016 CROSS BAR RANCH FIELD SCHOOL.
DR. BOUSMAN, OUR GUEST DR. CHRISTOPHER LINTZ, EMMA, AND JULIE ENJOY A FRIENDLY GAME OF DOMINOS WHILE SOME OF THE CREW PREPARES SUPPER.
OLIVIA, SLAVING AWAY OVER A HOT STOVE...BUT ALWAYS SMILING!
SEAN AND AMANDA TAKING A TURN AT PREPARING SUPPER...AS I RECALL, IT WAS QUITE GOOD!

For the most part, we enjoyed good weather during the field school.  However, one evening a storm suddenly kicked up and, when the sky turned a sickly green color and some of the clouds appeared to begin to rotate, Dr. Bousman ordered us into the van and we fled into town, with literally the clothes on our backs.  It turns out a tornado touched down a few miles to the east of our camp.  We ended up spending the night in a motel and I bought dinner that night (another attempt to get out of having to cook!).  It was back to work early the next morning.  A storm chaser in the area of the tornado took the picture (shown below) and provided it to one of Dr. Bousman’s graduate students who was working at a site to the east of our project site–  what a picture!

A STORM CHASER TOOK THIS PHOTO OF A TORNADO THAT TOUCHED DOWN 6 MILES FROM OUR CAMPSITE!
OUR DISHEVELED CREW, ENJOYING MEXICAN FOOD AFTER ESCAPING THE TORNADO.
ONE MORE PHOTO OF OUR MESS TENT, BASKING IN THE GLOW OF A DOUBLE RAINBOW!

Our Field School Project:  Excavating an Antelope Creek Farmstead (41PT96)

Dr. Bousman had been having field schools in the area for a number of years so he was very familiar with the sites and which ones had been excavated in previous years.  (Dr. Bousman first worked in this area of the panhandle when he did a survey of the Alibates National Monument for the National Park Service.  To see his 1974 report, look here.)  For our field school, he picked out an Antelope Creek Farmstead that had been recorded (41PT96) but not excavated or worked on by previous field schools.  The central feature of the farmstead is a domestic structure that Dr. Bousman called a “Slab House”.  The Slab house is dug into the ground and stone slabs of dolomite are placed vertically and line the subterranean earthen walls and entry tunnel.  The main part of the structure is rectangular, and  accessed by a narrow entry tunnel that always faces east.  There is typically a central hearth, four posts, and an alter at the far end of the chamber.  These unique characteristics make an Antelope Creek Farmstead ruins a great project for learning how to properly set up and excavate a site.  The first order of business was to haul our gear up to the site, which was located on a ridge/narrow mesa overlooking the Canadian River.  After clearing the area and setting up a grid with our datum points, we settled into a daily work routine at the site.  At the end of each workday we would head to the Helium Plant for showers and to work on our records.  We would then return to camp, prepare dinner, then go to bed to get some rest so we could do it all again the next day.  It was hard, but satisfying work.  

THE FIRST PART OF THE CLIMB UP TO THE SITE WAS FAIRLY STEEP.
AFTER THE INITIAL STEEP CLIMB THE TRAIL FOLLOWS A GENTLE SLOPE UP TO OUR WORK SITE.
WE SET UP TWO CANOPIES TO GIVE US SOME SHADE AND TO KEEP OUR EQUIPMENT OUT OF THE WEATHER.

After hauling our gear up to the work site and setting up our shade canopies, we walked the area and marked visible surface stones with bright pink tape.  This gave us a general idea of where rocks were concentrated (both surface and partially buried)  and which part of the site most likely contained the slab house ruins.  We then spent several hours learning how to use a Total Data Station to lay out our primary grid and identify our two primary datum points, which we laid out in an east/west line. 

YOU CAN SEE OUR PINK MARKERS AS WE BEGIN TO LAY OUT OUR PRIMARY GRID.
A SIMPLE PLUMB BOB IS USED WITH THE TOTAL DATA STATION WHEN IDENTIFYING YOUR TWO PRIMARY DATUM POINTS.
YOURS TRULY LEARNING HOW TO USE THE TOTAL DATA STATION. DR. BOUSMAN WAS A PATIENT TEACHER!

Dr. Bousman had arranged for his friend Dr. Marty Horn to spend a couple of days with us and map out sub-surface magnetic anomalies at out site.  Dr. Horn used a Proton Precision Magnetometer to carefully walk the site and generate computer images of the magnetic anomalies.  We used his work product to help us choose specific areas to excavate. 

DR. BOUSMAN AND DR. HORN DISCUSSING HOW THE MAGNETOMETER WOULD BE USED AT THE SITE.
DR. HORN HARD AT WORK!
DR. HORN EXPLAINING THE IMAGES GENERATED BY HIS EQUIPMENT.

Well, it was finally time to get out hands dirty and start digging.  We put all our names in a hat and chose two man teams.  I got paired with Will.  We then drew numbers and picked the spots we would dig.  Will and I chose a spot that we hoped might hit the central hearth.  So we settled into a routine of spending the day digging, then working on our records each evening at the helium plant as we showered and relaxed.  We found a number of projectile points, pottery sherds, and faunal remains.  Will and I ended up opening a second unit adjacent to our first, as did most of the other teams.  At the end of the process, we lined our excavated units with plastic and backfilled the site.  It was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a lot of learning!

LET THE DIGGING BEGIN! THE SURFACE AREA OF OUR FIRST UNIT.
MY PARTNER WILL...STARTING TO MAKE A LITTLE PROGRESS ON OUR UNIT.
SEAN AND JULIE WORKING ON THEIR UNIT WHICH LOCATED NEAR WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE BACK WALL.
DANA AND OLIVIA WORKING ON THEIR UNIT, LOCATED NEAR WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE EAST WALL.
MICHAEL AND AMANDA. I THINK THIER UNIT HOPED TO HIT THE ENTRANCE TUNNEL TO THE FARMSTEAD.
YOU COULD ALWAYS EXPECT EMMA TO BE SMILING! SHE AND HER PARTNER SHERIDAN CHOSE A UNIT TO THE WEST OF THE MAIN WALL OF THE STRUCTURE.
LUNCH WAS ALWAYS A WELCOME BREAK, ESPECIALLY THE SHADE!
CAITLIN (DR. BOUSMAN'S GRADUATE ASSISTANT) WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO HELP.
I REALLY ENJOYED MY TIME HIGH ABOVE THE CANADIAN RIVER!
STARTING TO MAKE PROGRESS...
ONE OF THE PROJECTILE POINTS WE FOUND AT THE SITE.
DR. BAUSMAN GAVE US A DAY OFF FOR LAUNDRY AND A MOVIE, BUT SEAN, JULIE, AND I TALKED HIM INTO LETTING US GO OUT TO THE SITE AND WORK INSTEAD.
GETTING STARTED ON THE SECOND UNIT.
SHERIDAN FOUND THIS PERFECT LITTLE PROJECTILE POINT.
GETTING DEEPER!
AS WE NEARED THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND UNIT, WE HIT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE EDGE OF THE HEARTH.
ONE OF THE SMALL PEICES OF POTTERY WE FOUND AT THE SITE.
A GROUP SHOT TAKEN AS WE WERE ALMOST FINISHED BACKFILLING. FROM L TO R, BEGINNING ON BACK ROW: SEAN, EMMA, MICHAEL, TOM, OLIVIA, AMANDA, DANA, WILL, CAITLIN, AND SHERIDAN.

Each of the participants in the Field School kept meticulous records reflecting their work on their respective units.  The goal was to have a clear record of the artifacts and features that we encountered as we excavated the units.  Using our written records archaeologists doing future work on the site will be able to know exactly what and where we found during our investigations.  I really enjoyed the record keeping aspect of the project, and took great pride in the product I generated.  Below are some examples of that work.  

DRAWING AND NOTES RELATING TO A BURNED ZONE ABOVE THE FLOOR OF OUR UNITS.
A DRAWING I DID OF THE WEST WALL OF UNIT TWO.

Field Trips and FOBs (Friends of Bousman)…

The 2016 Cross Bar Ranch Field School was not all work and no play.  Dr. Bousman arranged a number of field trips to give us a break from the day to day work in the field.  Dr. Bousman also arranged for us to meet a number of his friends who dropped by the project to say hello and to share their knowledge and expertise.  Here are some of the friends of Dr. Bousman that we met, and some pictures I took on the field trips that he took us on during the course of our field school.  

Dr. Veronica Arias and The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum…

The morning after the tornado forced us to flee our camp, Dr. Bousman decided we needed to kill some time to let the roads dry out before we attempted to make it back to our camp and project area.  So he took us to visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and his friend Dr. Veronica Arias, who was the Curator of Archeology there.  Dr. Arias was very gracious, especially considering the short notice.  She gave us a tour of the public area of the museum, pointing out exhibits that dealt with the Antelope Creek Phase and Alibates chert and settlements.  A few days later Dr. Arias paid a visit to our site so she could see our excavations first hand.  

DR. BOUSMAN AND DR. ARIAS AT OUR PROJECT SITE ON THE CANADIAN RIVER.
DR. KATZ ALSO VISITED US ON SITE THE SAME DAY THAT DR. ARIAS CAME OUT.
THE ART DECO BRANDS DISPLAY OVER THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM.
DR. ARIAS SHOWING US AROUND THE MAIN HALL OF THE MUSEUM.
MODEL OF AN ANTELOPE CREEK SETTLEMENT AT THE MUSEUM.
SIGNAGE AT THE MODEL.
MANY OF THE EXHIBITS CONTAINED ARTIFACTS FROM THE CULTURE WE WERE INVESTIGATING IN OUR PROJECT.

Dr. Paul Katz and  the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

Early on Dr. Bousman took us to meet Dr. Paul Katz, who was kind enough to give us a tour of the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument.  Dr. Katz is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA) and the Principal of PRIAM, a cultural and natural resources consulting firm based in Panhandle, Texas started by his late wife Dr. Susana Katz. He conducts small archaeological surveys for federal and state agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations.  He is a past president of the Panhandle Archeological Society and of the Friends of Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, where he is also a Volunteer-in-Park (VIP).

We met up with Dr. Katz at the Visitor Center of the National Monument.  He gave us a brief talk about the history and pre-history of the area in general, and the importance and widespread use of the Alibates flint.  In 1965 Congress proclaimed Alibates a national monument, the only one in Texas, to preserve the native peoples’ quarries and other records of their activities in the area.    We then headed over to “Alibates 30” (41PT13) and “Alibates 28, Unit 1 & Unit 2 (41PT11), which are the ruins that were uncovered during excavations by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s. Dr. Katz provided us with handouts and showed us the different types and sizes of structures at these sites. He also showed us nearby petroglyphs and pottery sherds in the area (for a gallery of petroglyphs at Alibates, look here).  

DR. PAUL KATZ WITH DR. BRITT BOUSMAN AT ALIBATES QUARRIES NATIONAL MONUMENT, JUNE 11, 2016.
DR. PAUL KATZ GIVING AN ONSITE LECTURE AT ALIBATES RUINS 28/30, JUNE 11, 2016.
A PEICE OF FLINT AT ALIBATES 28, UNIT II, WITH DR. KATZ'S HANDOUT AS A BACKDROP.
MY CLASSMATE SEAN WITH ONE OF THE TURTLE PETROGLYPHS AT ALIBATES QUARRIES NATIONAL MONUMENT.

After we spent some time at the ruins, we hiked to some of the quarries.  Dr. Katz first showed us a large exposed vein of Alibates flint near a ridge top that he referred to as a “ledge quarry”.  The amount of colorful flint that could be seen exposed on the surface was mind-boggling.  

DR. KATZ GIVING A TRAIL-SIDE LECTURE AT ALIBATES QUARRIES NATIONAL MONUMENT.
MICHAEL AND EMMA LOOK AT AN AREA OF "FROST HEAVING" ON AN EXPOSED PEICE OF ALIBATES CHERT.

As we walked further, we began to see shallow pits, probably dug with sticks or tools made from bison or other bone. Waste piles near the pits contained broken and discarded tools and flint flakes—the result of knapping, or striking a flint core with a heavier, harder “hammerstone,” often a river cobble.  Dr. Katz then took us to a cluster of three deeper quarries (Pit #528, Pit #415, and Pit #501).  One of the pits was covered with plywood which we removed so that Dr. Katz could point out three platforms that were part of the spiral excavation technique used at the site.   The floor of this quarry was a dark grey chert known as “dark tool stone”.  We learned that Alibates chert was popular among pre-historic peoples for 3 reasons:  1) it was very colorful and pleasing to the eye; 2) it was very hard (7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale; compare with glass and knife steel which are 5.5), and would hold an edge a lot longer than most chert; and 3) it was very available with much of it being found in surface veins and ledges.  Alibates flint has been used for 13,000 years and a lot of it was found at the Blackwater Draw site.  

THIS PIECE OF ALIBATES FLINT HAS SOME GRAY (TOOL STONE) IN IT.
DR. KATZ POINTING OUT ONE OF THE LEDGE FEATURES IN A PARTIALLY EXCAVATED QUARRY PIT AT ALIBATES NATIONAL MONUMENT.

A Visit From “The High Plains Sifter”, Dr. Christopher Lintz

Dr. Christopher Lintz visited our project for a couple of days.  He is a friend of Dr. Bousman and very knowledgeable when it comes to the pre-history and archaeology of the Texas Panhandle.  He camped with us and spent time at our excavation site, sharing his thoughts and expertise on the people who once lived in the Antelope Creek area along the Canadian River.  It was a real pleasure to meet this gentleman!  (On his business card, he, tongue in cheek, identifies himself as “The High Plains Sifter”). 

DR. CHRISTOPHER LINTZ EXAMINING SOME OF THE ARTIFACTS AT OUR SITE.
DR. CHRISTOPHER LINTZ HELPING SHERIDAN WITH SOME SCREENING.
DR. LINTZ AND DR. BOUSMAN EXAMINE THE PICTOGRAPH SITE NEAR OUR CAMP.
DR. LINTZ ENJOYING A GAME OF DOMINOES WITH JULIE, EMMA, AND DR. BAUSMAN AT OUR CAMP.

A Visit to Blackwater Draw…

To give us a break from the hard work at our site, Dr. Bousman took us on a three day field trip to visit archaeological sites in New Mexico.  We left our camp on the morning of Thursday, June 23, 2016 and our first stop was at the Blackwater Draw National Landmark.  This historic site is the type-site for the Clovis Culture and is a few miles outside of Portales, New Mexico.  George Crawford, the Director of the Landmark, guided us during our visit and provided a wealth of interesting details and facts about the site.  I need to go back someday and visit the museum in Portales.  Here are a few photos from our stop at Blackwater Draw.  

GEORGE CRAWFORD, DIRECTOR OF THE BLACKWATER DRAW NATIONAL LANDMARK, WELCOMED OUR GROUP AT THE VISITOR CENTER AND TOLD US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SITE.
AS WE WALKED THE TRAILS AT THE SITE, GEORGE CRAWFORD DISCUSSED THE GEOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY AND THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE SITE.
THE IMPRESSIVE INTERPRETIVE CENTER HOUSED THE EXCAVATIONS ON THE SOUTH BANK OF THE DRAW.
DR. BAUSMAN AND GEORGE CRAWFORD DEEP IN DISCUSSION AT THE BLACKWATER DRAW INTERPRETIVE CENTER.

Bandelier National Monument With Dr. Bradley Vierra…

We spent most of Friday, June 24, 2016 exploring Bandelier National Monument with a friend of Dr. Bousman, Dr. Bradley Vierra.  We met Dr. Vierra at the Tsankawi Unit (located about 12 miles northeast of the main Monument off Highway 4), where we began the day with a roadside lecture.  After Dr. Vierra’s introductory lecture (which was excellent!) we spent several hours hiking around Tsankawi.  This is an amazing site that features cavetes, trails and moki steps worn into the tuff, petroglyphs, pottery sherds, and the remains of Tsankawi Village on top of the mesa. We spent most of the morning at this wonderful place and thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Vierra’s insights and commentary.  

DR. BRADLEY VIERRA GIVING HIS ROADSIDE LECTURE AT TSANKAWI.
IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE THESE TWO ARCHAEOLOGISTS DEEP IN CONVERSTAIONS WHILE WE WERE AT TSANKAWI. HERE ARE DR. VIERRA AND DR. BAUSMAN ON TOP OF THE MESA.
AMANDA NEGOTIATES ONE OF THE MANY LADDERS FOUND AT TSANKAWI.
ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING FEATURES FOUND AT TSANKAWI ARE THE MANY TRAILS AND STEPS WORN INTO THE SOFT STONE AROUND THE MESA. HERE IS DR. BOUSMAN AT PART OF ONE OF THE WORN TRAILS.
YOURS TRULY NEGOTIATING ONE OF THE UNUSUAL TRAILS AT TSANKAWI.
ONE OF THE LONGER LADDERS FOUND ALONG THE TSANKAWI TRAIL.
EMMA EXPLORING ONE OF THE SMALL CAVETES AT TSANKAWI.
sHERIDAN NEXT TO SOME STEPS AT TSANKAWI THAT WERE ALMOST VERTICAL.
DR. VIERRA POINTING OUT AN ELEMENT AT ONE OF THE PETROGLYPH PANELS AT TSANKAWI.
MICHAEL POINTING TO A PETROGLYPH OF A FLUTE PLAYER AT TSANKAWI.
PART OF THE GANG AT ONE OF THE CAVETES AT TSANKAWI. A LOT TO EXPLORE HERE!
JUMBO-SIZED MOKI STEPS AT TSANKAWI.

After spending the morning hiking and exploring at the Tsankawi Unit, we headed down to the main part of Bandelier National Monument.  We hiked the Pueblo Loop Trail, stopping at the Big Kiva, Tyuoni, Talus House, and Long House.  We also hiked the nature trail and climbed up to Alcove House…what a beautiful place!  

TYOUNYI WAS ONCE TWO STORIES TALL AND HAD OVER 400 ROOMS. IN THIS PHOTO DR. VIERRA IS TELLING US ABOUT THE SITE.
THIS PHOTO GIVES A BETTER IDEA OF THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF TYUONYI.
YOU CAN CLIMB UP TO MANY OF THE CAVETES ALONG THE PUEBLO LOOP TRAIL.
THIS STRUCTURE HAD BEEN PARTIALLY RESTORED.
SOME OF THE CAVETES WERE QUITE LARGE, AND INTERCONNECTED.
A FEW OF THE CAVETES HAD MASONRY REMAINING IN THE DOORS AND WINDOWS.
DR. BOUSMAN AND DR. VIERRA TAKING A BREAK ON THE NATURE TRAIL. I LEARNED A LOT EVESDROPPING ON THEIR CONVERSATIONS!
THE WOODED NATURE TRAIL WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE TRAILS AT TSANKAWI.
WARNING SIGN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIMB UP TO ALCOVE HOUSE. IT IS AMAZING THAT THEY STILL LET YOU CLIMB UP THERE!
SEAN ON THE FIRST LADDER AT ALCOVE HOUSE.
PART OF THE GROUP CLIMBING THE FINAL LADDER UP TO ALCOVE HOUSE.
THE GANG IS ALL HERE. MY CLASSMATES AT THE ALCOVE HOUSE IN BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT.

Our Visit To Taos Pueblo…

The last full day of our 3 day field trip started with a visit to Taos Pueblo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Taos Pueblo is over 1,000 years old and is still in use today.  Most of the use is for commerce (shops) and rituals, but it did appear to me that there are in fact a few old-timers who still live there full time.  The Pueblo consists of two parts,  known as Hlauuma (north house) and Hlaukwima (south house). San Geronimo Church, at the center of the pueblo, was built in the mid-19th century to replace the Spanish mission (built in 1620) that was destroyed in 1847, when U.S. troops bombarded it as part of a campaign to quell a rebellion.  We had a guided tour of the church by a docent– a young high school girl, and she did a great job!  We also did a little shopping to round out our time at the Pueblo. 

THE WELCOME SIGN AT TAOS PUEBLO.
DR. BOUSMAN, SHERIDAN, AND DANA IN FRONT OF SAN GERONIMO CHURCH AT TAOS PUEBLO.
OUR TOUR GUIDE, IN FRONT OF THE REMAINS OF THE ORIGINAL CHURCH BUILT IN 1620. SHE WAS VERY POISED, AND VERY BEAUTIFUL.
OUR GUIDE, TELLING US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PUEBLO AND IT'S PEOPLE.
OUR GUIDE TELLING US ABOUT THE 'HORNOS' OR OVENS, SOME OF WHICH ARE STILL IN USE TODAY.
AFTER THE OFFICIAL TOUR WAS OVER, OUR GRACIOUS GUIDE STUCK AROUND FOR MORE CONVERSATION AND LEARNING.
A STREAM SEPARATES THE TWO PARTS OF THE PUEBLO.
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE THE LADDERS STICKING OUT OF SEVERAL SMALL KIVAS, WHICH ARE STILL USED TODAY.
A CLAN SYMBOL (BEAR) ON A DOOR AT THE PUEBLO.
THE PART OF THE PUEBLO THAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREAM.
YOURS TRULY, STANDING IN FRONT OF SAN GERONIMO CHURCH AT TAOS PUEBLO.

The Pecos National Historical Park (Pecos Pueblo)…

Our last stop on our three day field trip was a visit to the Pecos National Historical Park.  We had a pleasant walk around the grounds and the reconstructed Pecos Pueblo Mission Church and the nearby Great Kiva.  Our visit helped me put a face on the place where Alfred Kidder did his ground breaking excavations and work between 1915 and 1929.  He developed a chronology of the Southwest by using pottery sherds he found while excavating Pecos Pueblo.  

ON THE TRAIL AT PECOS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.
OLIVIA ENTERING THE RESTORED KIVA AT PECOS PUEBLO.
DR. BOUSMAN EXPLAINING SOME OF THE FEATURES OF A GREAT KIVA.
SOME OF MY CLASSMATES INSIDE THE GREAT KIVA AT PECOS PUEBLO.
CAITLIN EXITING THE GREAT KIVA AT PECOS PUEBLO.
ONE OF THE AREAS AT PECOS PUEBLO THAT ALFRED KIDDER EXCAVATED IN THE EARLY 1900s.
SIGNAGE AT ONE OF THE PECOS PUEBLO EXCAVATION SITES.
SEAN AND I IN FRONT OF THE RESTORED MISSION AT PECOS PUEBLO.
THE PECOS PUEBLO WAS QUITE LARGE, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THIS PHOTO.

Epilogue….

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2016 Cross Bar Ranch Field School.  It was challenging in many ways (physically, emotionally, and mentally), but well worth the effort.  I will always have fond memories of our project site, our camp, Dr. Bousman and his many friends that visited and helped us, and my fellow students from Texas State.  

A Final Thought and a Final Picture…

During the course of our field school, Dr. Bousman introduced us to some of his favorite colleagues.  He also introduced us to some of his favorite eating establishments, including Blue Sky in Amarillo,  an excellent Mexican food place in Chamira, New Mexico, and the coffee shop and bakery at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe.  

DR. BOUSMAN AND FRIENDS AT LA FONDA IN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO.