Perspectives on Collector Collaboration

Matthew J Rowe,Dan Clark,Ricky Cundiff,E Charles Adams,Danielle R Soza,Kassi Sue Bailey

doi:10.1017/aap.2021.44

Abstract

AbstractIn 2019, we launched the Northern Arizona Paleoindian Project to expand on findings from the Rock Art Ranch (RAR) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU; NSF#1262184). The REU recovered 24 Paleoindian artifacts in association with drainages. Expansion of the research required mitigation of the patchwork landownership in the area, which encouraged a collector-collaboration model following Pitblado (2014) and Douglass et alia (2017). We held public events in collaboration with a network of agencies, avocational groups, collectors, and landowners to assess potential for Paleoindian archaeology in the area. In March 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic halted our efforts, allowing us to evaluate our project and practice. We find that tapping into existing local networks of responsible resource stewards (RRS) can greatly accelerate project development. We also find that private collections are endangered, and preserving this portion of the archaeological record requires documentation and long-term curation. Most importantly, we find that archaeologists working with collectors are uniquely positioned to build bridges between Indigenous communities, RRS, and professional archaeologists to help stabilize legacy collections and that this focus should drive collector-collaboration research design. Ultimately, the project must move toward a community-based participatory research design to seek equitable and culturally appropriate curation plans for local legacy collections.

Highlights

Understanding of Clovis in northeastern Arizona remains ephemeral because few archaeological sites and artifacts have been reported in this region (Adams 1985; Haynes 2011; Lange 1989)
Haynes’s report highlights that most Clovis finds in the state of Arizona from outside of the San Pedro River valley are concentrated around Flagstaff, Sierra Vista, and Tucson, and that there is a paucity of points reported from the Northern Arizona Paleoindian Project (NAPP) study area (Haynes 2011)
On May 15, 2019, we presented a talk called “Standing on a Corner Looking for Paleoindians: A Citizen Scientist Survey” at the monthly meeting of the Homol’ovi Chapter of the Archaeological Society (AAS) at the Winslow Historical Society and Museum

Summary

Introduction

Understanding of Clovis in northeastern Arizona remains ephemeral because few archaeological sites and artifacts have been reported in this region (Adams 1985; Haynes 2011; Lange 1989). The total numbers of known Clovis points have steadily increased, our understanding of the Arizona Paleoindian record remains biased, in part, because of the intense focus on buried megafauna sites in the San Pedro River valley, such as Lehner (Haury et al 1959; Mead et al 1979), Naco (Haury et al 1953), and Murray Springs (Agenbroad and Haynes 1975). Combined, these sites produced nearly 40% (43) of the total Clovis points recovered in the state of Arizona (Haynes 2011). Clovis finds are often isolates (e.g., Geib 1995; North et al 2005; Roth 1993), or in the case of the modified point near Chevelon Ruins, clearly out of original context (Hesse 1995)

Methods

Results

Conclusion