NW New Mexico News

From March 2, 2023 post.

It's the first day of March! Here's our next installment of the Aztec Ruins National Monument postcard series. The image depicted on this postcard isn't too different from how it looks today: the remnants of the east wall, the restored Great Kiva, the mountains and greenery in the background. However, some might notice Kiva E, shown on the left side of the postcard, has a roof and ladder. Those features are no longer here today. 

As part of the excavations taking place in the early 20th century, archaeologists decided to repair and reroof Kiva E. To try to rebuild it accurately, Morris used a partially intact cribbed log roof of a kiva in Square Tower House at Mesa Verde National Park as reference. After its completion, a layer of concrete was added on top for protection and visitors were allowed to climb down inside.

Throughout the following decades, ground water kept continually seeping into Kiva E and threatened the integrity of the wooden roof. Park staff eventually decided to remove the roof sometime in the 1950s. A few logs were left in place to illustrate the cribbing technique used by the ancestral Pueblo people.

A lot has changed in the last century, particularly when it comes to preservation techniques. While the excavations of Aztec West helped uncover one of the most impressive ancestral Puebloan structures in the Southwest, not every effort carried out throughout the 20th century was beneficial to the overall wellness of the site. However, through lessons learned and the creation of more advanced technology (LiDAR), preservationists today better understand how to properly take care of this special place.

#AZRU100 #Centennial #YourParkStory #OldPostcards #NationalMonument #FindYourPark #FindYourPostcard 

Image description: An illustration of the Aztec West great house, showing the restored Great Kiva, a sunken smaller kiva, remnants of the east wall, and a green scenic background.

Original source can be found here.