SOUTHWESTERN MONUMENTS
SPECIAL REPORT

Assistant Archeologist
Region III
National Park Service

1. Introduction:

The main ruin at Wupatki National Monument is a large masonry pueblo on a spur of rock below the edge of Woodhouse Mesa overlooking the valley of the Little Colorado. The major portion of the site was excavated and restored by a CWA project, directed by the Museum of Northern Arizona; it is planned to leave part of the rest unexcavated indefinitely. For some time, however, Room 7, from which some of the upper fill had been removed by the CWA, on the side of the lower (northern) portion of Wupatki, had been washing out badly and it was feared that sherds of restorable vessels were being lost.

Accordingly the Regional Assistant Archaeologist spent the period of October 13 to November 3, 1936, at Wupatki National Monument excavating Room 7. Ordinarily eighteen man-days would not be required for the excavation of a room 20' x 12' with average depth of fill about 2-1/2', but, mainly because of the abundance of sherds, all of which I want to recover with as little breakage as possible, the work was done very slowly and painstakingly. Five burials were encountered; fifty-nine listed specimens and a number of uncatalogued ones were found; a number of interesting architectural details were worked out and studied. These are discussed in detail below.

Reluctantly, I left the job unfinished, because of the pressure of other matters, when it became evident — upon entering the trash pit at the south end of the room — that considerably more time would be required. On the one hand I left the room in passable condition, the trash pit cleared and levelled to a slightly deeper level than that of the floor, so that washing out will do little damage; on the other hand, custodian James W. Brewer, Jr., is sure he can find time to finish up the job (there is no doubt at all of his ability to do the work properly — he was field supervisor in general charge of the CWA work here and is a Research Associate of the Museum of Northern Arizona). Incidentally, I wish to express here my appreciation of Mr. Brewer's help throughout my work.

The artifacts and burials found in Room 7 were given serial numbers following the system of the Museum of Northern Arizona and continuing their Wupatki catalog. The majority of the cultural material recovered will be turned over to the said Museum for safe-keeping and for study (the specimens recovered by the CWA here are also in the custody of the Museum). These, and the CWA collections, will be returned to Wupatki for exhibit whenever a museum is arranged there. Dr. Colton and. Mr. Hargrave of the Museum are publishing a general study on the Pueblo III period shortly, and plan to publish on Wupatki — primarily the CWA excavations — eventually they have always cooperated with the Park Service to the fullest extent, and everything found at Wupatki should be placed at their disposal.

Burials 38 and 42 were not preservable at all; burial 41 is not yet excavated; burials 39 and 40 were cleared and left in place, and it is my opinion that they should be shellacked and the pits covered with some sort of lid and left permanently undisturbed as insitu exhibits. I am content to leave the disposal of burial 41, and any further burials found by him, up to Mr. Brewer.

Insitu exhibition of burials (of other phenomena, for that matter) in Room 7 is particularly to the point if Room 7 is utilized for a museum room as has been suggested. I heartily support this idea; the room can be made into a very suitable small museum, with no vast expense. If this is done, I suggest that a large skylight, or pair of skylights, be incorporated in the roof, rather than making unsuitably large window in the west wall; that the entrance be placed at the northeast corner of the room (i.e., using the present (original door); that the outward-leaning section of the north wall be left sprung and simply finished up — there is no likelihood of its collapsing; that on the other hand the wall in the northeast corner be restored (to use the old door as the entrance); that the floor be of 'dobe plaster as it is now and has always been.

2. Method of Excavation:

Room 7 was filled to an average depth of about two and a half feet above the floor (some of the fill had previously been removed by CWA crew directed by Ten Broeck Williamson) with sand and adobe, largely fallen roof and wall material, containing lenses, layers, and pockets of ash and charcoal, and containing a great quantity of sherds. Due to the amount of sherds and the possibility of restorable vessels, practically all the fill was first trowelled down; and then shovelled out, being thrown across the trail on the west side of the ruin to fill in depressions there.

The excavation was conducted systematically, by dividing the fill into horizontal and vertical sections of varying size. The fill sloped sharply from north to south, so the uppermost layer was taken at first arbitrarily to the lowest point on the then surface; later it appeared that this was nearly down to the uneven level of the fallen ceiling, so this latter was taken as the division point between layers 1 (upper fill, above the fallen roof) and 2 (fill between the fallen roof and the floor). Layer 3 is subfloor trash. The horizontal divisions within each layer were arbitrary and of varying size according to conditions and convenience; they are designated by alphabetical letters. They do not necessarily correspond from layer to layer. Thus, block 1 A is the fill above the fallen ceiling in the entire south half of the room (this block was extended so much because of its extreme shallowness); block 2 A is only four feet square in the southwest corner (between the ceiling and the floor); block 3 A is the entire trash pit in the south end of the room, since this area constitutes a unit as against the presumably much earlier subfloor trash. (It is also possible that the trash pit is really sub-floor trash, the floor having for some reason disintegrated over the south end of the room. Light will be thrown on this by Mr. Hargrave's study, by comparison of artifacts from 3 A and 3 B (subfloor trash)). Material from sections 1M and 1E belong actually with layer 2, since these blocks were almost entirely behind (under, in effect) the upturned northeast corner of the fallen ceiling. The small section of wall north of the door in the east wall fell before the roof did, obviously, and a certain amount of soil washed and or blew in among these rocks, also before the fall of the ceiling; any cultural material therein belongs temporarily, though not literally spatially, between the ceiling and the floor.

Layer 1 was removed down to the fallen ceiling (most of blocks 1E and 1M being left untouched accordingly), and the latter was cleared off and photographed; then layer 2 was removed and the floor cleared. The small pits in the floor were investigated and infant burials found in most of them. One burial, No. 41, over which the floor had been replaced, was not worked on, and excavation of the trash pit was carried down only to floor level. These two things are being worked on by Custodian Brewer, who informs me that he has already found a very fine burial in the trash-pit (area 3 A).

3. Architectural Features:

The floor of Room 7 is of adobe plaster, in good condition; it has been replastered once. The replastering is one inch thick; there is no refuse fill between the floors, so no break in occupation is indicated.

The walls are of small slabs of Moencopi limestone and evidently were plastered completely with adobe during occupation. Some of this wall plaster is preserved quite well in the northeast corner of the room (protected by the fallen rock and consequent early accumulations of soil).

The ceiling evidently fell in all at once, atop the rock-fall in the northeast corner and atop about 9' (in the north end) to 3" (in the south end) of mostly windblown (?) refuse fill. Impressions of rafters (running north-south, poles about 3" in diameter), in some cases still containing decayed fragments of the poles themselves, and of small sticks, brush and grass (mainly running east-west approximately), with remnants of the grass itself, were clearly observable in the north end upper side of the ceiling. In other words, what is referred to herein as the ceiling is only a part of it - the underneath, or inside, plaster. (A major portion, accordingly, of the fill above the ceiling, layer 1, is the adobe and earth which were piled on top of the timber and brush that constituted the basis of the roof. As a matter of fact, the two metates which we found, and perhaps some of the pottery — restorable plainware jars especially in — layer 1 were probably on the roof when (and before) it collapsed). The three transverse (east-west) rafters, did not appear in the fallen ceiling itself; but three beam holes in the east wall attest their former presence. The center one of these, in the middle of the wall, is now 1'6" by 2'3" and presumably the central rafter was a log about 15" to 18" in diameter. This would have been the primary support of the roof. The other two beam-holes are spaced about halfway from the central one to the north and south walls and contained rafters not over 10" in diameter. The three-inch north-south poles were laid across these three main supports which were firmly held in the walls and brush, grass, adobe and earth, piled successively atop them.

These three-beam-holes extend down to one and the same course of masonry, so that these are the original lower limits, at 6'6" to 6'10" above floor level. The present upper borders of the rafter holes are 7'10" to 8'1" above the floor, which is about a foot above what appears to have been the top of the door in this wall. There can be no question but that the fallen ceiling which we have been discussing is the one which was supported by these three beams, as on the one hand there is no trace of any fallen ceiling between it and the floor and on the other hand there are no rafter holes whatever between these three and the floor. Accordingly, then, the ceiling was approximately 8' above the floor; forming a room unusually large vertically as well as horizontally.

There is no indication and no likelihood of any door except the one in the north end of the east wall, which is mostly gone, rising at present only about 30" above floor level. There is nothing suggesting any opening in what is left.

The door in the north end of the east wall extended vertically from 4' above the floor to 7' above the floor. Presumably a short ladder was set against its sill. This peculiarity of one small door so far above the floor, may have been for defensive reasons; more probably it is simply because the floor level in the adjoining room (unexcavated) into which it opens is presumably higher—not necessarily a full four feet higher—than that of Room 7. The door is about 20" wide, set out about 18" from the corner. (Those measurements are given as approximate because the section of wall between the door and the north wall, and the east part of the wall above the door, have collapsed.) The fallen lintel is still in the doorway, extending diagonally across it (and across where the fallen section of wall stood); above it are displaced stones it previously supported.

A ventilator extends through the west wall close to its south end just below floor level. A similar ventilator, filled in with building stones, occurs in the west wall near its center just at (that is, extending up from) floor level. It is quite possible that this ventilator was used at first, was blocked when the replastering took place. Why, I have no idea.

Several pits in the floor appeared when it was cleared off. The most striking of these was the large trash pit across the south end of the room, constituting 3 A. This is being worked out by Mr. Brewer. The others turned out to be burials (discussed below) or simply disintegrated places in the floor. A weak part of the floor just north of the center of the room contained a pocket of ash; this resembled a burnt post more than a firepit. I found neither definite postholes nor a definite firepit. These, at least the firepit, may perhaps be found by Mr. Brewer. It is to be expected that further pits will appear in the lower floor level when the replastering is removed. Very possibly weak places in the upper floor are due to such pits. A clay-lined pit in the northwest corner of the room, 1'2" in diameter and 4" deep, contained a shattered polychrome bowl.

Late chronological position of Room 7 is amply evidenced by the curving-out of the base of those of its walls which are parts also of other rooms; clearly the east and south walls and part of the north wall were built as exterior walls and Room 7 added later by extending the north wall and constructing a west wall. This is particularly definite and clear in the north wall, where the added section was not tied in with the already existing part and has leaned out away from it.

Sketch of the east wall, Room 7, Wupatki.

Sketch of the north wall, Room 7, Wupatki.

4. Burials:

Five inhumations were encountered; two of these were completely removed; two cleared but left in place; one has not yet been worked on. They were assigned numbers beginning with 38, in continuation of the Museum of Northern Arizona series of Wupatki burials. All four of the excavated burials were children; two flexed, one extended, one extended and twisted or semiflexed. All four were in pits cut through the floor beside one or another wall, and the floor was not replaced over them. Possibly these four children died at the time of, or shortly after, the abandonment of the room. The unexcavated burial is evidently in another pit under the floor; but the floor was replaced over it. (Perhaps only the upper floor or replastering). Two burials were not accompanied by grave-goods; two had as offerings two small pottery vessels each, a jar and a bowl in each case. In one of those a twilled, yucca mat was spread under the pots and above the skeleton. The other was covered with thin slabs of stone.

Thirteen complete or restorable pottery vessels are listed in the catalog; in addition there are, probably restorable, several polychrome bowls and a number of redware and plainware jars which were not catalogued because they had not been completely sorted out and worked on. In addition there are the following minor ceramic objects: clay figurine leg with a eleven-hoof; two ladle-handles, two pottery disks (spindle-whorls—flat sherds worked down to an approximately circular shape and to a diameter of about an inch and a half), one perforated black-on-white, one unpierced corrugated.

Of the thirteen pottery vessels, only two are jars; both of these are small (one, black-on-white, 4-1/2" by 4-1/2", the other, corrugated, 4-1/2" in diameter and 3" high) and both were found with child burials. The black-on-white jar could well be termed a pitcher; narrow orifice (to-wit, 2-1/2"), and a single large vertical handle. The other is a small flat indented corrugated vessel without handles. The uncatalogued redware jars are large ollas.

Five black-on-white bowls and six redware bowls are listed. One of the former is particularly interesting, a variation that neither I, nor any archaeologist I've talked with since finding it, had previously observed or heard of: After the bowl was dry, but before firing, a layer of coils was added around the exterior, and not indented or thumb-marked ("corrugated"). One of the black-on-white specimens was originally a large bowl; part of the rim broke off, presumably, and the vessel was ground down to form an almost flat place. Another black/white plate, incomplete, was found—this one deliberately and originally a flat plate (a typical shape in the Pueblo area). This object is also of interest in that it is decorated on both sides; ordinary Flagstaff-type designs on the top of interior, hatched bands on the bottom or exterior. Another black/white bowl is slightly unusual in its sparsity of design—a succession of long, narrow horizontal triangles around the interior of the rim; nothing more. The fifth is surprisingly, quite average—a typical and fairly good large Kayenta black-on-white bowl.

All the redware vessels have black interiors, varyingly well polished. The three large (about 9" diameter) bowls are smudged also on the outside. One small (2/8" diameter) redware bowl was with one burial, another slightly larger with another. The latter has an interesting detail—it is crimped at two points on the rim, forming a corner or, so to speak, a spout. Finally, one is not only a small black-interior redware bowl with thumbnail marks on the exterior suggesting the Plains, it is an effigy type of Hohokam, or Mexican, affinity carried on the back of a quadruped.

The polychrome bowls are of at least two, perhaps three, varieties, all on an orange base. One vessel has a black/orange interior and a white orange interior; the others are various developments of red/orange with, or without, white or black added and with horizontal stripes around the orange exterior an inch or so below the rim.

Among the sherds (all of which are being kept) the following wares are represented in addition: gray plainware, black-on-red, Rio de Flag brown, Elden corrugated.

Floor plan, Room 7, Wupatki.
(omitted from the online edition)

6. Objects of Stone:

a. Four metates of the shallow trough type (the trough open at one end only). A large number of manos were else found, most of them of the ordinary type (flattish, one side showing use), but several were of the late Hopi type, bevelled so to speak, two smooth faces adjacent.

b. Two small sub-hemispherical lava mortars, one so tiny it must have been a toy, and part of an oblong shallow mortar 4" across the short side and 1-1/2" high, the larger (diameter 3") hemispherical one near the surface of the fill, the other two mortars close to the floor.

c. Only two arrowpoints, a typical concave base and side notch chalcedony point and a small broken obsidian one.

d. Several small rounded-cylindrical pebbles (rather, worked-down fragments) of vesicular basalt, averaging about 2-1/2" long. Many of these have been found at Wupatki before, their function or purpose is unknown.

They are most nearly comparable to "net sinkers".

e. Two "hoe blades", thin flat limestone slabs.

f. A very thin perforated dice of hard stone similar to the pottery "spindle-whorl" discs.

g. A small (7/8" high) keg-shaped diorite (?) object with a deep transverse groove in one side.

h. A perforated pendant 1" long of red igneous stone.

i. Also a number of hammerstones, cores, flakes and spalls.

7. Objects of Shell:

Several small articles or worked-down marine shell were recovered—olivella or oliva beeds and glycymeris bracelets, "tinklers" of (apparently) small conchs.

8. Objects of Bone:

In addition to unworked faunel remains (including birds, small mammals, deer), ten artifacts of bone were found. Five were typical bone awls of mammal bones (mostly deer metatarsals), three were small needles, of rodent or bird bones, one of which is eyed, one is a "bodkin"—a large needle with a slightly hooked end; one a variety of awl with a deep groove from front to back across the proximal epiphysic.

9. Objects of Perishable Material:

Squash seeds and small corn-cobs constituted the only remnants found of vegetal foods. A number of fragments of wood, and wood charcoal, of varying size were recovered; those which were in fairly good condition were saved in the hope that they might prove of use in dendrochronological determinations. Unfortunately only a few look like pine (the only wood utilizable in tree-ring dating).

Remnants of textiles of various types in varying condition were recovered. An almost complete cast (both upper and lower impressions) of a coiled basket about 10" in diameter, with only the merest traces of the basket itself, was just above the fallen ceiling. A roughly twilled yucca sandal, two smaller fragments of sandals, an irregular fragment of tightly woven thin cloth, and one end of a sandal-pad or belt woven of coarse cotton (?) yarn, with two longitudinal dark stripes, were recovered from the trash pit. Also, small fragments of well-knit textile, perhaps of cotton, were found with burial 39, curved pieces suggesting leggings or armlets. A mat accompanied burial 38; or narrow-leaf yucca leaves twilled one over-two under. A few other much smaller fragments of yucca matting were encountered.

No wooden artifacts were found; one cane cigaret was turned up in the trash pit.

CATALOG OF SPECIMENS

Polychrome bowls not catalogued; uncertain as to how many are restorable.

A number of evidently restorable plainware jars among the sherds. Manos, metates, hammerstones, flint chips, and cores not catalogued.

Four metates: the thickest, from surface above 1e, two metates in 1e, 3" apart, one face up at depth 15", one face down at depth 20"; at 16" from SE corner of room and 15'2" from SW corner

a metate in 1M at depth ca 4'—from surface. On 1-1/2' above floor, just to west of stack of fallen rock; thinnest and least used one, no definite trough.

Condensed Burial Notes

Burial 38: A very small baby, flexed on left side, head to north-northeast in large grave (floor not replaced) in the northwest corner of the room. The skeleton itself closely tucked up in the corner in a pocket of cinders. A yucca mat spread flat across the grave, corner turned up against west wall extending above floor level. A black-on-white pitcher and a very small redware bowl set on the mat.

Burial 39: Child about four years old, flexed on left side, head to south, in pit 1'3-1/2" in diameter, at the east well 8' from north end, floor not replaced. Uppermost point of skull (right parietal) only 1/2" below level of floor. No offerings—traces of a closely woven textile. Note peculiarity; skull and rib cage empty, but not collapsed.

Burial 40: Small baby, extended with head to north, in pit 2'4" by 1'1" along east wall just south (4-1/2" from) #39, floor not replaced. Face up. Arms semiflexed—right pulled back and up, left pulled under torso, skull about 9" below floor level. A redware bowl and a small corrugated jar on the floor of the pit, the bowl near the left foot and the jar near the right knee. A small shell bead in the fill. Covered with four thin slabs of stone set on ledge in grave at about 4" below floor. Left insitu.

Burial 41: Unexcavated. Just north of 39 against the east wall—skull of 41 one and one-half inches from right insehium of 39.

Burial 42: Tiny baby in circular pit, less well-defined and shallower than foregoing, 8" in diameter against west wall 12' south of north end. Head of cast, foot to northwest, no offerings. In poor condition, removed.

****************

The following is a laboratory report by Mr. Volney H. Jones:

NPS NA 405 R7 B.9

A fragment of a textile of plain plaiting (under-one, over-one) weave. It is rather closely woven with about 14 threads per centimeter in one direction and about 8 threads per centimeter in the other. The threads are single strand and spun in a counter-clockwise direction.

A larger two-strand cord is worked into one edge of the textile. The manner in which it is engaged does not conform to the usual pattern of edge binding. It appears to be a repair rather than part of the original weaving.

Bits of material from threads of each direction and from the heavier cord on the edge were examined and were found to be of undyed cotton, Gossypium sp. The species is likely Gossypium hopi.

NPS NA 405 R7 B.27

A fragment of a textile of twilled weave. The borders and a center portion are undyed. Two broad stripes are dyed brown.

The fragment is 7.8 cm. in the shortest dimension and about 18 cm. at the longest point in the other—but is incomplete. The material is cotton and the individual threads are single strand, twisted counter-clockwise.

The weave is basically a twilled weave with the unit over-two, under-two. The pattern is a diagonal one, and by varying the grouping of the warp elements passed over and under, the diagonals zig-zag back and forth across the fabric. This is further complicated by breaks in the pattern caused by what appears to be imperfections in the weave.

****************