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Sul Ross State University recently awarded two coveted Research Enhancement Grants to three CBBS faculty members: Dr. Bryon Schroeder, Dr. Devin Pettigrew and Dr. Charles Koenig.
Schroeder and Pettigrew are taking a new look at old finds at the Museum of the Big Bend to understand hunting weapon kits that were excavated/collected in the Big Bend through dating, species identification, glue composition, residues, and more.
“In most places organic components do not preserve, but these form the majority of past technologies and other material culture,” Schroeder said. “Luckily, dry conditions in the Big Bend favor that type of preservation.”New scientific techniques have emerged to help find additional answers in collected artifacts.
“This study will lead to a better understanding of the complexity and skill behind hunting weapon manufacturing and use through time,” Pettigrew said.
Over the next year, Koenig’s project will involve radiocarbon dating and macrobotanical analysis at two sites near the Rio Grande (Sundown and Canta Arriba) to learn more about how earth ovens — and agave — were integrated into the La Junta food production systems.
“Ethnohistoric accounts demonstrate Indigenous peoples at La Junta were practicing some form of agriculture by the 16th-17th century growing crops such as corn, beans and squash,” Koenig said. “Although we don’t know how long these agricultural-style systems incorporating introduced cultivars were in place along the Rio Grande and Rio Conchos, the frequent occurrence of earth oven processing sites at La Junta dating between AD 1200-1545 indicates that agave certainly served important roles within La Junta foodways.”
Both sites contain Chupadero Black-on-white ceramics, indicating linkage with La Junta groups living at sites like Canta Recio.
The competitive Research Enhancement Grant accolade recognizes exceptional proposals with the potential to make significant contributions to their respective fields and faculty members who have demonstrated exemplary dedication to advancing knowledge and innovation through their proposed research projects. By providing financial support and resources, the grant empowers researchers to conduct rigorous inquiries, generate new insights and disseminate their findings to the broader academic community and society.
“We are immensely proud of our faculty members who have been recognized with this prestigious grant,” said Dr. Lisa Thompson Sousa, chair of the Research Council at SRSU. “Their dedication to advancing knowledge and pushing the boundaries of scholarly inquiry exemplifies the spirit of inquiry and innovation that defines Sul Ross State University.”
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