The crisis in american archeology

The current crisis in American archeology has been brought about by a combination of the greatly increased rate of destruction of unique, irreplaceable archeological information and material, and the lack of adequate funding for salvage of what is being destroyed. Since World War II, land alteration has increased almost geometrically. Land leveling, urban development, inexperienced or ignorant diggers, commercial dealers in Indian relics-these and many other agents of destruction are obliterating traces of the past. Anything that disturbs the ground where people once lived destroys forever whatever information is left about them and their way of life. Interpretations of man's cultural development through time, of his ability to cope with and use the environment wisely, and of a long, fascinating, and irreplaceable heritage are only possible if the evidence left in the ground is undisturbed and is properly recorded when it is excavated. The problem of the destruction of archeological sites and information is a complex one, with no single solution. A combination of increased support for archeological research through increased funding, and development of a knowledgeable, interested public will go a long way toward assuring this country that a significant portion of the past will be available for the benefit of future generations. If solutions are not sought and found now, it will be too late-we will have committed ourselves, irretrievably and irreversibly, to the future, without benefit or knowledge of the mistakes and the lessons of the past.     

Obsidian dating and East african archeology

New experimental procedures have made it possible to establish specific hydration rates for the numerous compositional types of obsidian to be found at archeological sites in Kenya. Two rates are applied to artifacts from the Prospect Farm site, revealing a history of occupation extending back 120,000 years.     

Podocarpus from the eocene of north america

A few leafy gymnosperm shoots were found in Eocene deposits of southeastern North America. Similar fossil material from Tertiary deposits in North America has been identified as Taxodium, Taxites, and Sequoia. This new fossil material is not related to these genera but belongs to Podocarpus section Stachycarpus. This is the first fossil record of this section in North America.     

Radiocarbon dating and archeology in North America

The history of the development of a radiocarbon chronology shows how the establishment of the times of events and the order of them has greatly improved the understanding of prehistory in North America. This is true also of other parts of the world. Too little has been said of existing discordance between archeologically determined sequences, and interregional associations, and the radiocarbon chronology. It does appear that these will be resolved as additional dates are added and as the results become more finely calibrated so that secular variations may be accounted for. The collaborative aspect of the venture was apparent at the outset. Nevertheless no one expects an archeologist to delve into nuclear physics and geochemistry, and vice versa. There is great need, nevertheless, for the man in the laboratory to comprehend the difficulties of sample collecting and of judgement of the significance of the source of organic matter to be dated. At the same time, the archeologist must become more familiar with the importance of the various steps in the processing of the sample and with, what is most vital, interpretation of the significance of the numbers that appear on the counters.     

Seasat scatterometer: results of the gulf of alaska workshop

The Seasat microwave scatterometer was designed to measure, globally and in nearly all weather, wind speed to an accuracy of +/- 2 meters per second and wind direction to +/- 20 degrees in two swaths 500 kilometers wide on either side of the spacecraft. For two operating modes in rain-free conditions, a limited number of comparisons to high-quality surface truth indicates that these specifications may have been met.