- Andrew Zipkin
The SAS sponsored two student prizes at the the 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗔𝗿𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 (CLASMAC) that took place in September 2024 in Mexico City. The Student Oral Presentation Prize has been awarded to Héctor Javier Matzumiya Ballesteros, BA student at Centro de Estudios Antropológicos, Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, UNAM, for the presentation titled "Mobility of semisedentary groups in the Sonoran Desert: emphasis in the production and archaeometric determination of prehispanic ceramics". The extended abstract for this project is provided below.
"Mobility of semisedentary groups in the Sonoran Desert: emphasis in the production and archaeometric determination of prehispanic ceramics"
By: Héctor Javier Matzumiya Ballesteros, César Villalobos Acosta, Alejandra Marisela Gómez Valencia
This work is a product of the research conducted for the undergraduate thesis of the same name (Matzumiya Ballesteros 2024). The analyzed materials were collected during the projects Cambio Climático y Diversificación Cultural en el Noroeste de México, Bahía Tepoca, and Manifestaciones en la Proveedora, Sonora, both conducted by Dr. César Villalobos Acosta (2003, 2016, 2018)
The sites studied by these projects are located in the Mexican state of Sonora, along the coastline between the localities of Desemboque and El Desemboque, as well as in La Proveedora and Cerro San José, near the locality of Caborca. The research analyzed 80 ceramic sherds from the Trincheras and Costa Central traditions, as well as 18 sediment samples collected in the study region.
Figure 1: Study region
Read more: Student Presentation Prize Winner at CLASMAC 2024
- AJ White
The SAS Student Ambassador Program invites interested attendees to its February Journal Club meeting on February 12, 2015. Further information is provided below:
Passcode: 018206
- Andrew Zipkin
The SAS sponsored two student prizes at the the 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗔𝗿𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 (CLASMAC) that took place in September 2024 in Mexico City. The Student Poster Prize has been awarded to Andrés Francisco Sánchez Guerrero, MA student at El Colegio de Michoacán, Centro de Estudios Arqueológicos, for the poster with title "Análisis tecnológico sobre metalurgia través de las escorias en un contexto arqueologico en Jicalán Viejo". The extended abstract for this project is provided below. Stay tuned for the extended abstract from the student oral presentation prize winner!
“Technical Analysis about Metallurgy through Slags found in an Archaeological Context in Jicalán Viejo, Michoacán”
By: Andrés Francisco Sánchez Guerrero, David Larreina, Blanca Maldonado, Hans Roskamp, Fernando May, Mario Retiz, Luis Velázquez.
The present research was part of the first stage of the research project called “Preindustrial Mining and Metallurgy in Mexico: Research on Copper Smelting in Michoacán”. This research had for objective the scientific analysis of 18 samples of slags collected from the prehispanic and colonial site of Jicalán Viejo, Michoacán, Mexico. As background, the importance of this place can be highlighted. Jicalan Viejo, is located in a hill and presumably the site was a borderland between the Lowlands and the Tarascan Highlands (Maldonado y Roskamp 2019:6). Furthermore, Jicalán Viejo is the key place of the story described in the Lienzo de Jicalán (Roskamp 2005:6), a pictographic document from the XVI century A.C. (Roskamp 1998:77) which referred the place as Xiuhquilan, inhabited by a nahua speaking society (Roskamp y Retiz 2013:46). This pictographic historic document highlights a lot of information about the xiuhquilteca society, for example: their migration from their place of origin (Roskamp 2010:71), their economic dynamics related to mining, reducing copper and gourds manufacturing (Roskamp 2010:72) also it shows about their integration to the Tarascan State economic dynamics, for which they paid tribute in pottery wares and copper tools in order for maintaining their rights to the exploitation of the mines, which were also recognized by the colonial authorities (Roskamp 2005:4). The Lienzo de Jicalán also is important because it describes the three routes that the xiuhquilteca society developed in order to obtain the minerals for their metallurgical activities (2010:3).
- Andrew Zipkin
As a member organization of the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS), The Society for Archaeological Sciences (SAS) once again played a central role in shaping the program at this year’s SciX conference in Raleigh, North Carolina in October. SAS members Andrew Zipkin and Mary Kate Donais co-chaired the Art & Archaeology Section together with graduate student Kristen Livingston. Three invited speaker symposia were organized across two conference days: 1) Student Research in Archaeological Chemistry; 2) LA-ICP-MS Applications in Art and Archaeology; and 3) Imaging Technologies for Cultural Heritage.
- AJ White
Authors' comments: “High-resolution volumetric estimates generated using satellite-derived elevation models are still underutilised in archaeological studies. The authors hope that the contributions towards best-practice workflows made here contribute to the wider adoption of this approach as technological solutions become more affordable. The transformative impact will be particularly relevant in the context of rural development impact assessments and heritage studies.”
- AJ White
The Society for Archaeological Sciences is seeking nominations for two administrative roles in the Society: The SAS General Secretary and a new SAS Communications Officer role.
The role responsilbilities for General Secretary are available here and the responsibilites for Communications Office are available here.
Please consider submitting a nomination yourself, or encouraging qualified and enthusiastic colleagues to apply.
Interested candidates should forward a short nomination statement (ca. 250words) and their CV to the SAS President Camilla Speller (