APRIL 2016
A Note from the Director

April has been so busy that I'm afraid my April eNews is arriving the 2nd of May. Let's call it April 32nd.

You won't be surprised when I report that the Shumla team did spectacularly well at the Society for American Archaeology Meetings in Orlando. You'll see a note from the organizer of the Rock Art Symposium below. Spoiler alert: It sings Shumla's praises...

Also this month, Dr. Carolyn Boyd received the galley proof of The White Shaman Mural: An Enduring Creation Narrative . The "galleys" show the pages as they will be printed so the author can make last tweaks. The book is absolutely beautiful. The full color images on almost every page bring the art and the interpretation to life. 

This book represents a major shift in the way rock art is viewed and studied. We want to launch it with a "bang," but we will need help. If you are interested in organizing and managing a book signing in your area, please let me know at jlee@shumla.org. 

Shumla continues to push the limits of what can be accomplished by a small non-profit. You, our friends and donors, make it all possible. We rely on your generosity and, in 19 years, you've never failed us. 

The Match: 2016 is the final year of our five-year $100,000 matching grant offer from our foundation partner. Once again, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. In this eNews, you'll find a list of Shumla's needs for the rest of 2016. Please take a moment to select a project or item to support. Our gratitude is as limitless as our passion for the "books" we work to preserve. 

Thank you,
Jessica Lee, Director


Hint: Turn your smartphone on it's side to read the eNews more easily. 


This month Carolyn has her last chance to make edits to the book she and Kim Cox have been working on for almost 10 years! 

Here's what some of the best researchers in the field are saying about it!

It is rare that a book completely changes our perspective on a major body of rock art. Yet that is what Carolyn Boyd's The White Shaman Mural
will do for the spectacular Pecos River murals. Combining an impeccable ethnological approach with hard data obtained via new recording methods, this groundbreaking book is eminently readable despite the complexity of the concepts involved. It should appeal to lay readers as well as professionals.
-- Jean Clottes, Internationally acclaimed rock art researcher
 
The White Shaman Mural not only provides a thorough  demonstrati on of technique, but it also raises provocative issues regarding the history and cosmovision of Native America. Boyd penetrates the cosmological conceptions of the past as she unveils an amazing text painted on a rock shelter wall thousands of years ago in southwest Texas.
-- Alfredo López Austin, UNAM

This volume is surely the most important publication on Lower Pecos rock art in this-and perhaps even in the last-millennium. Boyd uses Mesoamerican ethnohistoric data and pan-Mesoamerican concepts to interpret what others have regarded as uninterpretable. This book will not simply challenge the field but will redefine it.
-- Thomas Guderjan, University of Texas at Tyler
 
This is a milestone in the study of ancient American visual culture. This work  makes a major contribution to the literature on the expansive interaction spheres and fluid boundaries between the US Southwest, Mesoamerica, and south Texas. It provides a solid model for the interpretation of visual imagery from societies without alphabetic writing and especially for the study of Mesoamerican and Native American art.
-- Carolyn Tate , Texas Tech University


What more could we say except PRE-ORDER THE BOOK HERE through Amazon Smile!

Don't forget to select Shumla as your Amazon Smile charity. We will receive a small portion of your book purchase. 

Shumla in Orlando

Shumla has done it again. We attend the Society of American Archaeology (SAA)  meetings each year to present our ever-improving methods and amazing discoveries to our peers. Each year we impress. 

But don't take my word for it. Here's what Lenville J. Stelle, the Chair of the SAA Rock Art Interest Group (RAIG) and the organizer and moderator of the RAIG Symposia for the last 10 years had to say:

This year's contribution by Dr. Carolyn Boyd and her Shumla crew members to the RAIG sponsored symposium was once again outstanding. The research designs, data collection methodologies, data analyses, and archiving methodologies shared in the several papers display a corpus of technique and work at the edge of our knowledge of rock art. Dr. Boyd and her colleagues are to be congratulated for illuminating the future of scientifically driven rock art research.

Additionally, I want to personally thank everyone that lends financial support to Shumla's efforts. Shumla's continued performance in a leadership role is very much respected and appreciated by the broader archaeological community.

Thank you, Professor Stelle!

How Can I Help? 

Find a project or item that speaks to you and 
generously support us by donating to Shumla.
 

Yes! Your gift will be matched! 2016 is the last year of our $100,000 Match Campaign provided by our foundation partner.
 

This button will take you to our website. 
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Spotlight on Karen Steelman

Have you ever wondered how we know the ages of the Lower Pecos rock art murals? We know, in large part, because of the work of this amazing scientist - Dr. Karen Steelman.

Karen is an archaeological chemist. She uses chemistry to answer questions about what the paint was made of and how old it is. Her methods include portable x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, plasma oxidation and accelerator mass spectrometry. You totally knew that...right?  In an upcoming newsletter, Karen will how explain how her high-tech chemistry works. 

Thank you, Karen! Your research and your friendship make such a difference to us!
Baby Registry
 

Rock art is our baby!!  We've registered for the things we need to take care of it.  Check out our  Amazon Wish List!

And don't forget to make Shumla your charity on Amazon Smile. We'll receive .05% of every purchase you make at no additional cost to you.  You won't feel a thing except great for giving! 
Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center 
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Questions and comments can be sent to:  jlee@shumla.org