Arizona Archaeological Society Stabilization Project at Homol'ovi I & II Part 1: Introduction & Homol'ovi II

Summary

The primary interpretive site open to the public at Homol'ovi State Park (the Park) is Homol'ovi II. To enhance the visitors experience and understanding of what they are seeing, one large Kiva (structure 708) and five rooms and an outside activity area (structures 211, 212, 215, 216, 217, and 221) were excavated and previously stabilized. The Park's interpretive trail and signage lead the visitor to these areas and provide information. These areas have been impacted by visitation and weathering since their opening in 1993 for the kiva and 1984 for the rooms. Given the priority of these structures in the interpretive plan of the Park and their deteriorated condition, these structures were the highest priority for stabilization. As a result, AAS completed stabilization of the large kiva in September 2010 with a final report submitted to the SHPO in February 2011. Some initial work was also conducted in the five room area of Homol'ovi II in September 2010; however, most of this work was completed in May 2011 along with work in a small vandalized kiva southwest of the stabilized rooms called the small clan kiva.

Homol'ovi I is the other significant site open to the public in the Park and receives considerable visitation as it is closest to the campground. Because there are no designated trails on the site nor brochures to guild visitors, the site has been impacted by erosion from the formation of trails and damage to exposed walls from people standing on or kicking them during their visits. As a result, the Park would like to increase visitation and improve the visitor's experience at the site while reducing the impacts. One of the authors (Adams) created a trail guide for visitors and a trail has now been marked. In addition a podcast has been created for the visitor. As part of this focus on Homol'ovi I, it is essential that walls be repaired and erosion be treated. Thus, during the May 2011 work Adams and Britton visited Homol'ovi I and established stabilization priorities there. In addition, Britton collected soil samples to try to find the best soil to be amended as mortar for the stabilization of the rooms at Homol'ovi I.

In this report, we discuss the previous stabilization work on the areas scheduled for stabilization, the adverse conditions observed in areas prior to stabilization, suggestions as to how the damage can be repaired, and results of the actual stabilization work in the previously stabilized room blocks at Homol'ovi II and Homol'ovi I. A report for the stabilization work done on the large kiva, Structure 708, at Homol'ovi II was submitted to the SHPO in February 2011. The 2011 report describes the general condition of walls at both pueblos and the process involved in deciding how to proceed with the general stabilization work. Please refer to that report for those details. The stabilization project is seen as preserving and protecting cultural resources significant to the Hopi Tribe, Arizona State Parks, the State Historic Preservation Office and the cultural resource community. As a result of this broad interest, support for the proposed treatment plan, summarized in the 2011 report, came from the Hopi Tribe, ASP, and the SHPO. This report is submitted to the SHPO as fulfillment of our obligation to document the location and nature of treatment to walls of structures at Homol'ovi I and II.

The goal of the present stabilization projects is to use soil amendments that are most compatible with previous stabilization work where Daraweld C was used at times and soil cement using white cement in various ratios was used at other times. It should be noted that all amended mortar used within the Park is slightly pinker or lighter than the aboriginal mortar. To correct this color problem, Hohmann (1994) suggested using gray Portland Cement. This color difference and the detailed records kept by previous stabilization projects made the task of determining which mortar is aboriginal and which is not easier to differentiate.

A total of 17 members of AAS from 7 chapters and Chad Meunier (ASP-HSP) worked a total of 680.75 hours the weekends of May 7-8 and 14-15, and September 17-18 under the general supervision of Dr. E. Charles Adams with supervision of stabilization crews and detailed documentation by Jim Britton to bring the room block and small (clan) kiva at Homol'ovi II and various walls and one room at Homol'ovi I back to a stable condition while preserving as much of the original fabric of the walls as possible.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Homolovi State Park Reports and Documentation

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Arizona State Parks

Contributor(s): Wilson Allen; Fred Brink; Marie Britton; Darlene Brinkerhoff; Tol Cherry; Frank Grinere; Gay Kinkade; Susie Kinkade; Dick Lord; Cameron Robidoux; Ronald Robinson; Phyllis Smith; Ed Spicer; Dan Voci; Elizabeth Wescott; Tom Woodall

Prepared By(s): Arizona State Museum; Arizona Archaeological Society

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