2009 Begole Archaeological Research Grant Recipients

The Colorado Desert Archaeological Society has awarded three research grants for 2009. Grants were awarded to Dr. Mark W. Allen, Dr. Barbara J. Roth and Dr. Patrick Sean Quinn.

Dr. Allen’s research will investigate the effects of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly on settlement patterns during the late Gypsum and Rose Spring periods. He will also determine if associated economic changes in subsistence or in access to obsidian, shell beads, ceramics or other resources took place.

Dr. Roth’s project will address the late prehistoric (AD 500 – 1500) subsistence practices at a site located in dunes on the shoreline of Soda Playa near the Mojave River “delta”. The primary goal is to determine if the groups were targeting the abundant mesquite present in this area and/or were farming on the river delta. This project is part of on-going research examining prehistoric land use strategies in this portion of the Mojave Desert.

Dr. Quinn will perform a detailed investigation of late prehistoric ceramic production and distribution at the excavated site of Mine Wash in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The project will examine the composition of ceramics from a stratified and dated assemblage of ceramics using petrography. The data will be integrated with complementary archaeological information from another site to provide new insights into how and why ceramics were produced and distributed in this region. This project is a continuation of the work Dr. Quinn began with earlier Begole grants.

The Begole Archaeological Research Grant program was instituted to support scientific research in the Colorado and Mojave Desert areas. This program was endowed by Robert “Bob” Begole, an avocational archaeologist who worked many years in Anza-Borrego Desert Park. Grants totaling up to $10,000 per year may be awarded. The program is administered by the Colorado Desert Archaeological Society and Anza-Borrego Foundation.