Dear Friends,
The end of the month always sneaks up on me and I realize, "Oh! It's time to write the eNews!" Then, I get to sit down with Veronica, who helps me draft the eNews, and we think back on the month that has just passed us by.
It's become a cherished ritual to us. It gives us a chance to pause and reflect when we would likely just keep go, go, going. I refer back to the eNews a lot too, when I'm trying to remember events of the past few years. The eNews has become a kind of personal journal that I get to share each month with you!
This journal entry, as you've come to expect, is chock full of exciting news. You'll see that we're embarking on a fantastic new preservation and analysis effort. We are inviting you (yes, you!) to come visit rock art with us here in the Lower Pecos through our new Shumla Treks Program. I'll also be offering another Lunch and Learn next week. I hope you'll join me!
Thank you for sharing in our reflections and our excitement for the future.
Wishing you all the best from all of us,
Jessica, Veronica, and Shumla crew
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In case you're new to Shumla. Pictured above, top: Me, Jessica Lee Hamlin, Executive Director; bottom: Veronica Hackett, Finance and Operations Coordinator. |
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The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded Dr. Carolyn Boyd at Texas State University a grant (one of 225!) through the Archaeological and Ethnographic Field Research grant program. Her collaborators include Dr. Phil Dering and the team at Shumla, as well as Dr. Stacy Schaefer, professor emerita, Department of Anthropology at California State-Chico and Dr. Jim Bauml, retired senior biologist at the Los Angeles Arboretum. The project is entitled, "Origins and Tenacity of Myth, Ritual, and Cosmology in Archaic Period Rock Art of Southwest Texas and Northern Mexico."
As part of this project, Carolyn and the Shumla team will identify and photograph pictographic elements in three Pecos River Style murals, conduct digital microscopy of intersecting paint layers to analyze mural stratigraphy, conduct formal analyses to identify the compositional structure of each mural, identify relationships among figures, create written descriptions of the art, create artistic reproductions of each panel, and note observations regarding the artistic process.
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The project also involves travel to the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in Mexico to share the results of the analyses with members of the Huichol (Wixáritari) community. In prior studies, Carolyn has identified strong parallels between the rock art and the myths and beliefs of the Huichol and ancient Aztec. Dr. Schaefer and Dr. Bauml, who have lived and worked with the Huichol for more than 40 years, will be collaborators, guides and translators for Carolyn and Phil. Together they will record how Huichol consultants relate the rock art images to their cosmology. Read more about the project in the Corridor News.
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What does this mean for Shumla?
This project launches us into our next phase of in-depth rock art documentation at three of the most complex murals in the Lower Pecos. This is in line with our original plan to return to highly complex and endangered sites for deeper preservation and analysis after the Alexandria Project.
Through the NEH grant awarded to Texas State, Shumla will receive around $60,000 over two years to cover activities associated with the NEH grant project. In our next eNews we'll be sharing our plan for how this project works into Shumla's larger goals and how you can help to keep Shumla on the path toward achieving our mission.
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YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE AWAITS |
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Trek the Lower Pecos Canyonlands with Shumla!
We're excited to introduce the Shumla Treks Program. We will offer day-long guided treks to promote engagement and public education in support of our mission. We’ll share our latest discoveries and show you how modern science is helping us to understand the complex worldview and fantastically rich culture of the people who created these masterworks.
Join one or both of our Shumla Treks this Memorial Day weekend to see ancient and historic art in the rockshelters of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands.
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.
UPCOMING SHUMLA TREKS
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Saturday, May 29th: Visit Painted Shelter and Vaquero Shelter
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Sunday, May 30th: Visit Fate Bell Annex and Fate Bell Shelter and Running Horse
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Meet Your Trek Guide!
Vicky Roberts, Shumla Archaeologist and Outreach Coordinator, has lived and worked in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands for nearly 10 years. She has experienced the landscape and archaeology in a variety of settings and roles. Each Shumla Trek will be informed by Vicky’s personal experience and Shumla’s 23+ years of rock art preservation, research and education.
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Last month's Lunch & Learn was a hit!
We had such a wonderful turn out and great conversation. We're excited to bring you more!
Next Wednesday, May 5th, Jessica will be discussing the various forces that endanger the rock art of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands and why we're in such a hurry to save it!
Join our Lunch and Learn titled "What's the Rush?" It's FREE! Click below to register.
We look forward to seeing you on zoom!
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Once you've registered, you'll receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link for the event. We will send a reminder email on the day of the event. |
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Believe it or not, our smiles can get even bigger. Help make a difference for Shumla while you shop in the Amazon app or on your internet browser, at no extra cost to you!
To choose us as your organization to support on your Amazon app, follow the instructions below.
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
Amazon will donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to Shumla. Thank you!
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You'd like to contribute to Shumla's mission directly?
Thank you! Click below!
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Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center
P.O. Box 627, Comstock, TX 78837
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Shumla eNews is a free eNewsletter published by Shumla.
Copyright © 2021 by Shumla. All Rights Reserved.
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