June 2021
Summer is so bright here at Shumla.

We've got a full house at Shumla HQ in Comstock with interns and staff busy at work. There's never a dull moment at Shumla. This month we've welcomed two outstanding interns, revealed new interpretive research from Carolyn Boyd, confirmed new Shumla Trek dates for the fall, kept up the momentum on the curation of the Alexandria Project Archive, and continued field and lab preservation and research.

Sometimes people ask me how it all fits together. That's why the Lunch and Learn for the month of July will be "The Business of Saving Rock Art." I'll break down how all of our programs, research projects, outreach and even management works seamlessly together to achieve our mission of preserving the oldest "books" in North America. Scroll down to register and join me!

Till then, we hope you are all keeping cool this summer and making time for rest and wonder.

All the best,
Jessica
THE FUTURE'S FINEST
Let us introduce you to our two newest interns!

Shumla takes great pride in training the next generation of researchers and scientists. Our Archaeology and Chemistry internships offer highly-motivated students the mental, physical, and professional challenges to grow in their studies and future professions. Meet our two newest interns!
Brittany Bailey is a senior Anthropology and Applied Sociology double major student at Texas State University. She found her passion for the rock art of the Lower Pecos two summers ago when she attended our 2019 Field School. She is very excited to be working with us once again. Brittany's main project during her internship will be to translate and demystify recently collected Alexandria Project rock art data and imagery.
Photo credit: Jerod Roberts
With this information she'll develop Shumla's first webpage dedicated to showcasing and defining the rock art styles of the Lower Pecos for viewers of all ages, education levels, geographical locations and interests. Developing this educational page has long been a dream of ours. Brittany's experience and skills makes her the perfect person to make this dream a reality.
Jesse Velasco recently graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a major in Chemistry and minor in Mathematics. Since beginning his internship in June, he has gotten a crash course in plasma oxidation in the Chemistry Lab, disassembling, assembling, testing, trouble-shooting and oxidizing samples with Dr. Karen Steelman. He is also learning how to analyze paint samples using a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument. In addition, Jesse has participated in archaeological field work for a project studying the chronology of the Red Linear style. His long term goal is to work in environmental restoration near his home on the Navajo reservation.

Join us in welcoming Brittany and Jesse to the Shumla family! The passion of students like Brittany and Jesse give us an inspiring glimpse into the future of preservation and research.

THEY STILL SPEAK TODAY
New interpretive research from Carolyn Boyd out now!

Latin American Antiquity just published, "Speech-Breath: Mapping the Multisensory Experience in Pecos River Style Pictography," by Dr. Carolyn Boyd and Ashley Busby, a former Shumla intern and practicing fine artist in New York.
This ground-breaking research has been published as an Open Access article, which means that it is FREE to download by anyone. You can read this exciting research now!
Ashley Busby pictured here at far right with Carolyn and the Shumla group at the Society for American Archaeology meetings in 2017 when she was a Shumla intern.
Excerpt from the article's conclusions:
"The choices made by Pecos River Style artists to denote speech-breath reflect their cosmology and the framework of ideas and beliefs through which they interpreted and interacted with the world. It was a reality in which speech and song were intimately tied to creation and human origins, to the establishment of all things. Color, shape, and context infused graphic devices with meaning, sound, and life."
FALL SHUMLA TREK DATES ARE HERE!
With four incredible treks under our belt, we are so excited to share some of our fall dates with you! We'll add more in the coming weeks as well.

Are you ready for your very own unforgettable experience? Click the link below to start planning your next adventure today.
Each trek costs $160 per person. Fees fund the Shumla Treks program (expert guide, entrance fees, etc.) and a portion contributes to our preservation efforts.

Be on the look out, we will be revealing new sites soon!
September Shumla Treks
  • September 04 - Fate Bell Shelter and Running Horse
  • September 05 - Halo Shelter and the Devils River
  • September 18 - Black Cave and Sword Shelter
  • September 19 - Vaquero Shelter and Painted Shelter
October Shumla Treks
  • October 10 - Meyers Springs
  • October 16 - Fate Bell Shelter and Running Horse
  • October 17 - Vaquero Shelter and Painted Shelter
November Shumla Treks
  • November 06 - TBD
  • November 07 - Black Cave and Vaquero Shelter
  • November 23 - TBD
  • November 26 - Fate Bell Shelter and Running Horse
  • November 27 - TBD
LUNCH & LEARN WITH US
The Business of Saving Rock Art

Do you ever wonder how Shumla works? Does it feel like we've got so much going on but you're not sure how it all fits together? NEH, NHL, NSF... do all our acronyms have your head spinning? Do you wonder how Shumla's preservation archaeology dovetails with our community outreach and educational programs? Never fear! I'll explain it all!

Join me for our July Lunch & Learn where I'll be discussing what truly makes Shumla tick. This is a virtual FREE event, I hope you'll join me!
Once you've registered, you'll receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link for the event. We will also send a reminder email on the day of the event. We look forward to seeing you on zoom!
If you love us, let us know by supporting us.
You make all this possible.
Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center 
P.O. Box 627, Comstock, TX 78837
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