September 19, 2023

The meeting commenced at 7:00 PM. 

There were 26 people in attendance.

Heather Leonard read the July minutes as the August minutes were not available. Minutes were accepted by all minutes. Caitlin was absent, Nick read the Treasurer's Report, which was accepted by all members present. 

Nick Morgan discussed the upcoming Annual Meeting. We received a grant from Humanities Texas. 10 students received the meeting scholarship out of 34 applicants. Recipients were chosen using an online randomizer. Arrangements Committee, Becky Shelton, added that the program has a lot of students presenting papers, posters, etc. There are 124 individual presenters, over 157 with the coauthors. The program will be released next week once it's finalized and goes to the printer. It's almost all about Texas Archaeology, broken down into Texas regional symposiums. Nick praised the ladies on the Local Arrangement Committee for their sensational job organizing for the Annual Meeting. Pat, chair of the silent auction, said there is an abundance of out of print books and other items that are more artistic in nature, many of them from the library of Jonelle Miller.  

Nick mentioned that volunteers are needed for the Annual Meeting and to see him for information, especially for symposium time keepers. Pat made a motion to make a donation in Jonelle Miller's name to the TAS Collegiate and Diversity Scholarship Fund. Nick said we would look at the budget and see what we could donate. We are saving a motion to accept until after we've looked at the budget. Pat also mentioned that Milton Bell passed away and there was a motion also for a future donation in his name.

Pioneer Farms is having two archeology days on October 21st and the 28th from 10-5 and is looking for volunteers to help out with digging and curation. Bob Ward added that the site has artifacts popping out of the ground and that aerial photography from the 1940's revealed a house there and a road.  

Steve Davis said that the Journal of Texas Archaeology and History is celebrating its 10th anniversary. They are now publishing volume number 7. All volumes are available free and are open source online. He also mentioned that Thirsty Third Thursday is starting up again on October 19th at Austin Beerworks. Also, at the Annual Meeting there will be the JTAH Book Festival. At the silent auction the JTAH is donating a complete set of seven full color printed journals. 

Tonight's speaker was Dr. Sergio Ayala from the Gault School of Archeological Research and Director of The Prehistory Research Project at TARL.

His presentation was entitled “The Clovis and Older-than-Clovis Assemblages from the Gault site, Area 15 Excavation Block, Texas.” The presentation was about the Area 15 Excavation Block at the Gault site proved that the Buttermilk Creek locality, well known for its abundance of Clovis evidence, also held deeper, older cultural deposits. Serigo spoke about the Clovis and Older than Clovis assemblages and their distinctive technological patterns.

Nick Morgan said next month's speaker is Bob O'Dell. Subject TBA. 

Meeting concluded at 8:29 PM.