Message from the Editor	by Steven R. Cooper
Central States Archaeological Societies 2024 October Journal	Cary, North Carolina

 

 

As we near the end of 2024, we have lots to be thankful for. The days of the pandemic are over. Collecting appears to be stronger than ever, with more groups appearing daily on Facebook – spreading information (and sometimes disinformation) to thousands of collectors and others interested in archaeology. Sure, there is ongoing turmoil in the world, but that never changes. It seems conflict is part of the human condition, and has been since the dawn of time. We laugh about the caveman using the big club to overcome his enemies, but that is more true than not.

Discoveries continue to be made that move back the timeline of the habitation of the Americas. It has been confirmed that the footprints found at White Sands National Park are really old. In fact they have been scientifically dated to 21,000-23,000 years old. A small island in Chesapeake Bay, Parsons Islands, has provided evidence of possible habitation reaching back 20,000 years or more. This find was the result of a collector – not an archaeologist and as usual, most of the archaeological community rejects it. Why? Because they themselves did not uncover it. Many professionals still shout “Clovis first”! This is the state of archaeology today. Students are still taught collecting is wrong – and that collectors give artifacts monetary value, thus encouraging looting. While this is true in some cases, in the United States it rarely occurs today. Laws and prohibitions have secured all but a few archaeological sites. I don’t hear stories from collectors about clandestine looting, nor do I see a black market of looted items – contrary to what they teach in school to young aspiring archaeologists. There are some archaeologists who are “old school” and still value the information collectors share with them. If you see one of these guys at a show, be sure to thank them. They are the only way to bridge the gap and keep our two communities communicating.

The trend continues, started by a small group, of closing down museum displays and repatriating nearly everything – sometimes down to the smallest flint chips and broken arrowheads. What is remarkable is how rapidly this trend has overtaken American archaeology. The new viewpoint is to exclude anything that is mortuary associated from scientific study and discussion. Amazingly, there was a recent outburst by the Navajo protesting a spaceship taking some human ashes to the moon. Why? Because the Navajo claim the moon is sacred and sending ashes there would be a desecration in their eyes. In 2018, Emory University adopted a “Land Acknowledgement” statement that is utilized today at the beginning of university ceremonies, performances and conferences. It essentially apologizes for the university sitting on what was once Indian land. Do we all need to make such a statement, since every community in the USA sits on lands that were once inhabited by indigenous peoples? I am sure there are some who would like this. Were the Indian removals fair? The obvious answer is “no” (read the book by Steve Inskeep, Jacksonland if you want the full story). But we cannot constantly be apologizing for those who came before us. Time moves on. The real fact is most indigenous peoples throughout the world, in every nation, have had their land taken. If you want to move way back in time, Neanderthals had their land taken over by Homo sapiens. What these current trends are doing is taking away our ability to learn about the prehistoric past of our nation. Science is being superseded by emotion and religion. If attitudes like this had been practiced throughout the centuries, we would still believe the sun circled the earth and lightning was caused by supernatural entities.

After attending shows for over 20 years, I must say that collectors have the utmost respect and honor for those who walked this earth before us. Collectors treasure their artifacts and the majority try to learn as much as they can about what they have in their collections. Furthermore, they are open to sharing their knowledge with others. Most Americans are astounded when a collector shares with them an Archaic scraper and then tells them how someone who lived on the same land they are standing on, made this thousands of years before the Great Pyramid of Egypt was even an idea. The prehistory of America needs to be studied and shared, not locked away or be reburied!

This is the final issue of the year. It is time to renew. Do it now, so that you do not miss the deadline – December 1st – otherwise your issues may be delayed in the coming year. An envelope is provided for your check. You can pay via PayPal or check via our www.joincsasi.org web site. You will be assigned your state society based on your address.

This ends my 16th year as editor. It has been an honor.

Steven R. Cooper