Hello Everybody!
While searching for the email address of an old friend, a BLM archaeologist, we stumbled upon the Face Book page of Project Archaeology. What a wonderful find! The BLM is helping to fund the teaching of archaeology for educators through a program called, “Project Archaeology: Teachers Professional Development in Archaeology.” If you are a teacher, or know someone who might be interested in this program, please take a look at the Face Book page. We’re absolutely delighted by it. Having teachers who can educate children about the past, and why studying it is important, is one of the best ways, we think, to help the future of humankind.
We’re in the midst of a grand blizzard today. Springtime in the Rockies is always unpredictable. That’s its charm. We saw our first Mountain Bluebird yesterday. We’re feeling sorry for the little guy today. We hope he’s hiding in the cliffs somewhere and is at least finding spiders to eat. Every other insect and bird has taken cover.
Best Regards,
Mike and Kathy
0 thoughts on “Project Archaeology”
October 7, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Hello,
I have been a fan for several years. Recently, I decided to re-read several sci-fi books and for three months tried to remember the name of the author and series of books that contained the word “light” in the title. I have MS and struggle with memory loss. While working on a poem for a chapbook contest, I remembered the title of of one of the books , “Abyss of Light”…I started googling (thank goodness for internet) and was rewarded with your name..LOL. My question – Are any of the Power of the Light books available anywhere as an ebook? I rarely purchase hard copy since I purchased my first ereader two years ago. I simply don’t have the room for books, since I consume 1-3 books weekly. If not, off I go to Amazon, who thank goodness have all three books.
Many regards,
November 5, 2011 at 5:23 am
Where can I get a list of characters in the book People of the Raven? This is the first book of yours that I’m listening to on CD. I love this genre; however, I’m having trouble with remembering the list of characters.
Thanks,
Roz
November 12, 2011 at 8:26 am
Dear Ron: Wow! Now, that’s a question. Once upon a time we had character descriptions in a notebook. Then the copyeditor makes a list of names, but they never send that to us, and who knows what the publisher did with them. And yes, that’s one of the inevitable problems with Native American fiction, they had names that don’t fit into a western European mental framework. Actual Native names could be something like “He Who Runs Like the Desperate Deer” or “He Who Took the Blood Spotted Shield of the Choctaw” or “Falling Leaf in Morning Sunlight.” We try to shorten these, of course, so that they are easier on the reader. For example, “Deer Runner,” “Blood Shield” or “Falling Leaf.” Also, had we originally written the story for audio, I suspect we’d have figured out a way to deal differnetly with the names.
May 13, 2012 at 10:16 am
the complexity of the “people’ books is part of its draw to me, but in the ‘people of the silence’ i resorted to highlighting and rereading as if studying for a history exam. who are badgertail and nightshade and where are they referenced, if other than the last page. thanks.
also, is there a listing that separates out the various series of books the gears have written in a complete form? are the anaszi books part of the ‘people’ series or are there separate books completing southwest studies that include ‘the visitant’? i am drawn to these books and these characters in a very special way…thank you kindly.
May 15, 2012 at 5:41 am
Steven: Badgertail and Nightshade first show up in PEOPLE OF THE RIVER. Nightshade also plays a major role in PEOPLE OF THE MOON. The Anasazi mystery series, THE VISITANT, SUMMONING GOD, and BONE WALKER are set a couple of generations later. Several of the people on the Gear fan club have compiled extensive bibliographies about the characters, events, and so forth. You can reach the fan club by clicking on the Gear-Gear.com home page where it says, “Join the fan club.”
Thanks for your kind comments, Steven. The People novels are our way of making the archaeological information live again.
July 23, 2012 at 8:18 am
I am going to visit Mea Verda and the clifftop dwellings in September. I have read alot of your books but can’t remember which is about what!! Have you written any about the Pueblo Indians in this area. If so I owould love to read them before I go. Love the books I have read. Thanks for your help Betty
July 30, 2012 at 8:18 am
I recommend that a person read the “People…” books in order. I started reading what ever I got my hands on a found that somethings were confusing until I read another. Some charactors and themes, like Badgertail and Nightshade which arrear first in the People of the River and their story is central in that story, reappear and if you don’t know the history you miss part of the story. Also in my opinion reading the People of Silence is essential before reading the Anasazi series, it give you background and perspective. There are several references throught all of the books to “Power”, “the Wolf Bundle”, and “the Raven Bundle”, these things are introduced in the first couple of books and their origins and means carry through the whole series.
July 31, 2012 at 4:14 am
Dear Sabrina: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It’s always tough to tell people how to read the series, and to be honest, it’s kind of an untraditional series at that, given that we’re covering 15,000 years and an entire continent. We always have to balance between scaring people off by the thought of having to read 20 books in order, or letting them start with a novel of their own interest. Thanks so much for contacting us. We wish you all the best and hope that you read in health!
July 31, 2012 at 4:18 am
Dear Betty:
Our books that deal with the Southwest, and the Mesa Verde area in particular are PEOPLE OF THE SILENCE, PEOPLE OF THE MOON, THE VISITANT, THE SUMMONING GOD, and BONE WALKER. We hope that you enjoy your trip, and since so many of the sites are close together, stop and see Aztec Ruins just across the line in New Mexico. Also, the Chimney Rock Archaeological site just outside of Pagosa Springs, Colorado shouldn’t be missed. The Anasazi Heritage Site just north of Cortez is wonderful, as is Crow Canyon Archaeological Park.
August 8, 2012 at 8:57 am
It is with eager anticipation that I look forward to your upcoming books! From the return to the cities of great Cahokia to anything that has to do with Vikings. As a costume designer for historical recreations, it has been my pleasure to research many time periods and often rely on what archaeologists have discovered to recreate the costumes. I gravitate to anything that has to do with ancient fabrics and why people put on what they wore. I have all of your books – each one has high-lighted reference and corners bent over! My favorite characters are the Traders….. Thank you!
August 17, 2012 at 4:20 am
Costumes, huh? What a fascinating occupation. Probably the fanciest of all were the Mississippian dancers and Medicine Chiefs. Check out some of the books listed in the bibliography of PEOPLE OF THE WEEPING EYE and PEOPLE OF THE THUNDER on Mississippian art. We’d love to see a recreation of one of the Eagle Man costumes complete with face painting. If you ever do one, let us know how it turns out.