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The Getty Conservation Institute Field Trip Report By F. LeBlanc, Head, Field Projects Conservation of Decorated Surfaces on Earthen Architecture Colloquium Mesa Verde National Park 22-25 September, 2004

Mesa Verde National Park – On December 18, 1888, two cowboys found cliff Palace, the largest of the cliff dwellings.

CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn ooff DDeeccoorraatteedd SSuurrffaacceess oonn EEaarrtthheenn AArrcchhiitteeccttuurree CCoollllooqquuiiuumm The colloquium was organized within the framework of the GCI’s Initiative on Earthen Architecture. It was held in Mesa Verde National Park, September 22-25, 2004 It brought together international professionals specializing in the conservation and care of decorated surfaces on earthen architecture, and was a forum for in-depth discussion of the problems that are faced in their conservation. These architectural surfaces include decorated earth plasters on a variety of architectural supports, and on diverse plaster materials on earthen buildings in the context of archaeological sites, historic buildings, living traditions, and museum settings. The conservation at Mesa Verde, a spectacular ancestral Puebloan site with cliff dwellings displaying painted plaster finishes, served

DSEAC Colloquium logo

Mesa Verde National Park Plan

Mesa Verde canyon view; the park was hit by several wild fires during the past four years.

Far View Motor Lodge main entrance

Museum auditorium, venue of Colloquium

Participants arriving in the museum auditorium

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as a point of departure for discussion, given the richness of the resource at hand, and the extensive conservation work that has been carried out there. The colloquium was limited to 60 invited participants, and was international in scope as well as representation, comprised of decision-makers, site managers, scientists, artists, architects, field and museum conservators. The program consisted of oral presentations, posters, and video presentations, as well as study visits to sites in Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following the colloquium, there was an optional 4-day tour to visit earthen sites in southwestern Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico which exhibit decorated architectural surfaces. Larry Wiese, Superintendent of Mesa Verde National Park and Mary Hardy, Project Leader for the GCI Earthen Architecture Initiative welcomed the participants. Larry gave a brief overview of the US National Park Service and explained that there are 24 Indian Nations associated with the Park with which he deals on a government-to-government basis. It is a constant challenge not only to manage the natural and cultural conservation issues in the Park but also to involve and keep informed the 24 nations and the residents in the area who are concerned about the Park’s activities and projects. Mary presented the GCI and explained its role. She said that the seeds for this colloquium were sown in 1993 in Grenoble during a CRATerre-EAG meeting. She also thanked all the partners who made this colloquium possible. Mary Hardy, Giacomo Chiari and GCI Guest Scholar George Abungu moderated sessions as well as Linda Towle, Anthony Crosby, and Susan Thomas-Harden. Papers were presented by L. Rainer, H. Houben, F. Matero, L. Nordby, R. Carr, L., D. Singleton & E. Miller, A. Northedge, F. Piqué, S. Thomas-Harden, L. Kochanski, L. Shekede, I. Odiaua, Z. Jun, J. Weeransinghe, S. Moriset, K. Bakker, G. Taxil, A. Bourgès, T. Mauger, A. Bass, L. Rainer, L. Vagts, K. Garland, and E. Miller. The Colloquium was organized around five themes:

1. Mesa Verde 2. Archaeological Sites 3. Historic Buildings 4. Living Traditions 5. Museum Practice

Larry Wiese, Mesa Verde Park Superintendent welcomed participants to the DSEAC colloquium

Mary Hardy welcomed participants on behalf of the GCI

Hugo Houben from CRATerre-EAG, a Terra Initiative partner

Larry Nordby, Park Archaeologist who led and commented on many of the site visits.

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SSoommee OOff TThhee PPaappeerrss…… Frank Matero: The conservation of earthen plasters at Mesa Verde national Park.

The approximately 600 cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park represent the apex of architectural sophistication of the Northern San Juan Ancestral Puebloan culture and represent the final product of 600 years of cultural development on the Mesa Verde, were built between CE 1200 and 1300, and were abandoned shortly thereafter. The spectacular setting and

the well-preserved state of these structures resulted in Mesa Verde being the first nomination by the United States government to the World Cultural Heritage Sites List. Moreover, descendants of these ancient peoples, the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico, continue to venerate these sites, representing a cultural continuity unique for North America and much of the world. Excavation and preservation has been continuous since Mesa Verde became one of the first National Parks in 1906. The structures interpreted to the public have been preserved over the years with a minimum of repair and replacement, resulting in a cultural resource of great integrity and authenticity. A renewed project of conservation and site management developed by the Architectural Conservation Laboratory (ACL) of the University of Pennsylvania and the National Park Service was undertaken from 1994 to 2004, in part with funding from the Getty Grant Program and the Save America's Treasures Program. The conservation program was based on a four-fold approach including: (1) archival research into the published and unpublished archaeological reports and field notes on the finishes as-found and their conditions during and after excavation; (2) technical analysis and characterization of selected samples using standard wet-chemical, microscopical, and instrumental analytical techniques; (3) a detailed recording of existing conditions and monitoring of site conditions; and (4) the design, testing, and execution of a treatment program specifically focused on the in situ stabilization of plain and symbolic architectural surface finishes. A. Northedge: Abbasid earth architecture and decoration at Samarra, Iraq Samarra (Iraq), the second capital of the Abbasid caliphs on the Tigris (AD 836, is not only one of the largest urban sites in the world to have survived

Prof. Frank Matero presenting a paper.

Conservator recording building condition and documenting using AutoCAD drawings.

Rectified photographs of building walls are used to record condition.

Prof. Alastair Northedge has worked more than twenty years in Iraq and the Middle East

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(58 km2), but also one to exploit earth architecture extensively. The first excavations were made by the German expedition of Herzfeld (1911-13), followed by Iraqi excavations from 1936 up to the present time. The Samarra Archaeological Survey, directed by this author, from 1983 has planned the entire city, and recorded excavated remains. As a royal city based upon the Mesopotamian tradition of earth architecture, built rapidly, the most important areas were in fired brick and mud-brick construction, but tens of kilometers of earth buildings have survived in plan, the details only to be revealed by excavation. Mosques were mainly built in brick, the houses and some of the palaces in earth. The decoration of the secular buildings was mainly of carved stucco dadoes, of which three styles have been identified: a vine-leaf style derived from Classical architecture, a second style of cross-hatched lobes, possibly derived from India, and a third type of beveled abstract motifs from Central Asia. In the most important residences there are wall paintings on stucco above the dadoes. The paintings, found in fragments, include animals, birds and human figures dressed in Iraqi style, but little iconographical analysis has been made. Samarra comes at the end of a long tradition of Mesopotamian earth architecture, and represents a transitional style before the later Islamic architecture of fired brick. The survival of these decorations in the face of the war of 2003 remains an unknown factor: the fragmentary paintings excavated are preserved in Western museums. The stucco dadoes are preserved in museums, or heavily restored in place: copies were made for Saddam's palaces. J. Weerasinghe: Conservation of bomb damaged murals of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Most of the ancient rock and wall paintings of Sri Lanka from fifth century AD murals of Sigiriya to 18th century murals of Kandy have been executed on clay-based plasters. Of these wall paintings, a majority of those belonging in the 17th through 18th centuries are on buildings of earthen architecture, many of which are Buddhist temples. Conservation and restoration of these aged and deteriorated wall paintings is one of the most challenging tasks faced by Sri Lankan mural conservators. In this paper, conservation and restoration of bomb damaged murals of the 17th century Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy are discussed. Special attention is given to the methods and materials used for consolidation and reattachment of detached areas and fallen fragments using both modern and traditional materials. Conservation and restoration methods used on the bomb-damaged murals of the Tooth Relic temple were based on decade long experience working at Dambulla Golden Rock Temple. The Dambulla murals date to the 18th century and are on clay-based plasters. The murals suffered from loss of adhesion between plaster layers and the support, decohesion of the clay based plaster, flaking paint, and moisture related problems. In developing treatments, the conservators utilized the knowledge of a traditional muralist who was the last of a traditional crafts family that had painted the Dambulla

Samarra, Iraq, Great Mosque minaret in earth.

Jagath Weerasinghe, Sri Lanka and Eric Miller, UK

Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam bombed the temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy

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and Kandy murals. Conservators experimented with several traditional plaster recipes for reattaching and grouting the Dambulla murals. For subsequent reattachment of the Tooth Relic murals, the conservators selected traditional recipes of plaster and mortar using ant-hill clay and plant gums and mixed these with other adhesive mediums. This clay-based mixture utilized both traditional ingredients and modern conservation materials that gave satisfying results in drying speed and bonding strength. In addition to these technical problems, the conservation of bomb-damaged murals of Tooth Relic also entailed a complex series of issues relevant to national politics, and ethics of conservation, which directly affected the conservation and restoration approaches and materials used. G. Taxil & A. Bourgès: Conservation and safeguard of the decoration tradition of the Nankani women in Navrongo Earth has always been one of the principal materials used in construction, however it becomes fragile if it is exposed to conditions, which can create its erosion. The design of earthen architecture, through the centuries, has taken this into account, which gives today, an astonishing richness in terms of architectural solutions and creativity of decorated surfaces. Distinct building traditions in Western Africa have produced visually striking vernacular architecture and decoration. In Northern Ghana, before the rainy season, groups of Nankani women render the wall surfaces of their mud dwellings with colorful painted low relief adornments. These are unique, sophisticated, and of an extraordinary quality reflecting a high technical knowledge of the use of indigenous materials. However the impermanent nature of these plasters and the effects of modernization have brought a rapid decline of the know-how. "Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows" Cathedral in Navrongo reveals an extraordinary example of this tradition. Constructed in 1920, following the arrival in 1906 of the White Fathers, it is the last remaining cathedral built of earthen materials in Ghana. Its beautiful specificity lies in its interior decorations made 35 years ago by a group of seven Nankani women at the request of Monsignor Kizito Avereyire who wanted to enhance the cathedral. Recognized as an important historical and cultural property, the safeguard of the cathedral was seen as necessary. The restoration, carried out with the support of the Getty Grant Program and the French Embassy in Ghana

Wall painting destroyed by bomb

Wall painting restored

Gisèle Taxil artist from France presenting a paper

Ann Bourgès, GCI, Science Department also worked on the Navrongo project and presented a paper

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addresses specific conservation solutions, which could be useful for many other communities within a similar context. The most critical of them is the preservation of the vanishing skills and know-how of this traditional art form. A complementary study in collaboration with the Laboratory of Research of Historical Monument (Champs sur Marne) on the possibility to recover ancient techniques was completed with laboratory analysis of the decoration materials. The project results are disseminated within the UNESCO Chair network on Earthen Architecture and linked to important programs, such as "Africa 2009" (UNESCO, ICCROM, CRATerre-EAG), which aim at improving the conditions for the conservation of immovable cultural heritage in Sub-Saharan Africa." K. Garland & J. Rogers: The examination of clay-based wall painting, ceiling and gates from China

When the Nelson-Atkins Museum was built, in Kansas City in 1933, a central gallery was designed specifically to display a Yuan Dynasty wall painting on clay, 7m high x 23m wide. The architectural atmosphere of a traditional Chinese temple was created by adding a wood and clay-based, gilded lacquer, 15th-century temple ceiling. The space is enclosed by a set of 17th century painted clay and wood gate panels. This paper outlined the results of a survey undertaken on the wall painting, the Paradise of Tejaprabha Buddha and Attendants, c.

1300-1310, the Zinhua Ceiling, c. 1444, and the Gate Panels, 17th c. with some observations about past treatments and final appearance on this and other related pieces in museum environments. In 2001 the Museum was generously assisted by the Getty Grant Program to do a conservation survey of these three pieces. A team of American and Chinese experts including Ms. Zhang Zhiping, Director and Senior Engineer to the Conservation Center for Monuments and Sites, Eric Gordon, Paintings Conservator, The Walters Art Gallery, and Professor Luo Zhewen, architectural expert on the Advisory Committee to the State Bureau of Cultural Heritage are consultants on the project. Past photographic documentation of the wall painting and ceiling was poor because of the constraints of the architectural setting, making accurate condition monitoring since installation impossible. New digital technology has allowed for high quality photography and improved documentation. The equipment and process was described. The results of the survey have been recorded using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 to graphically demonstrate both the deterioration and the physical history of the three pieces. Historical refurbishments done in China, and restoration history prior to and during installation was discussed. This was compared to past treatment approaches

The Chinese Temple

Kathleen Garland , Conservator of objects at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO

Joe Rogers, Conservation Associate at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Yuan Dynasty wall painting on clay digital photographic survey. The results of the survey were recorded using Adobe Photoshop 7.0

J.J. Brody gave a public lecture at the Anasazi Heritage Center on the subject of Anasazi art in time and space continuum

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undertaken on other related wall painting fragments, at the Nelson-Atkins Museum and other American museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Conservation scientist John Twilley took over 40 samples to analyze the original materials, the Chinese refurbishments, and the more modern restorations. The results provide insight into historical technology, and may also influence future treatment options. Some emergency treatment required during the examination was described.

WWrraapp UUpp SSeessssiioonnss Following the formal presentations, a wrap up session offered the participants the opportunity to discuss many of the issues raised during the Colloquium. Following are some of these issues.

• What are we trying to preserve? Are we trying to preserve the original wall painting fabric? Or the traditions that produced the wall painting? Or the history associated with it? Or are we more interested in preserving the designs, forms and colors of the wall painting? Or is it the art or the art in context that we are trying to preserve? Or all of the above?

• The importance of maintenance was raised on many occasions; most if not all treatments will not survive for very long if appropriate maintenance of the site and the wall paintings is not done.

• It was acknowledged that treatments that require injections or use of contemporary consolidation materials are really not reversible.

• It was also acknowledged that retreatability is possible on most projects.

• In many parts of Africa, building and building decoration is a community affair and the community should always be consulted and involved in the decisions for treatment of decorated surfaces; in the end, it is the community that will be responsible for its maintenance. As an example, in Mesa Verde, after consulting the Native people on the treatment of certain decorated surfaces, they insisted that the conservators not use synthetic materials for consolidation. This led the conservators to experiment and use a mixture with gelatin, a natural product, for consolidation of the wall paintings.

• Distinction should be made between the concepts of preserving and reviving traditions and reviving disappeared building technologies or know-how for conservation purposes. For instance, if construction was traditionally a community affair, then reviving the tradition would require involving the entire community in the conservation process; if what is needed is reviving a construction tradition or know-how to restore a few buildings, then the problem is different.

• It was acknowledged by the participants that there is great value and richness in cultural diversity and that trying to homogenize everything is not the answer.

Karel Bakker from Pretoria, South Africa

Rachel Burch from L.A. and Ishanlosen Odiaua from France

Claudia Cancino, GCI, Conservator, Organizing Committee

David Carson, GCI, Science Department

Giacomo Chiari, GCI, Chief Scientist

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• The importance of touching and working with earth as a building or decorating material was raised. Very often, if the tradition of working with earth still exists in a community, then it may not be necessary to involve science into the process of restoration. Simply reviving the building or decorating traditional techniques will generate good conservation.

• Detaching wall paintings from their original support, once considered an acceptable practice is no longer considered acceptable except in extreme situations such as the total demolition of a building planned for the construction of public works or for the repair or reconstruction of a crumbling wall supporting a wall painting if the wall painting is to be re-attached to the reconstructed support.

• When is treatment successful? The conservation professionals are very good at saying when a treatment has failed, but they have not yet determined what they consider to be a “good” treatment. This question raised all sorts of discussions on the importance of establishing standards for the profession. Standards can be established at regional, national and international levels. Without standards, every conservator does his own “thing” and custodians have no way of knowing if work has been well or poorly executed.

• The importance of documentation was raised on many occasions. All activities related to the conservation of decorated surfaces should be thoroughly documented. What this means still has to be defined (hence the need for documentation standards),

CCoollllooqquuiiuumm CClloossiinngg The Colloquium closed September 25, 2004 with a joyful Bar-b-q, the appearance of a rainbow on the Mesa and a beautiful and colorful sunset.

..

Anthony Crosby, Chair, US/ICOMOS Earthen Architecture Committee

Kecia Fong, GCI, Organizing Committee

Divay Gupta from New Delhi, India

Clemencia Vernaza, Conservator, N.Y., USA

Michael Kabotie, Hopi Artist said the cclloossiinngg pprraayyeerr

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MMoorree CCoollllooqquuiiuumm PPaarrttiicciippaannttss……

Linda Towle, Research & Resource Mgmt. NPS

Pamela Jerome from Columbia University

Annette Snelling, GCI, Organizing Committee

Jun Zheng, Wall painting conservator, China

Francois LeBlanc, GCI, Head of Field Projects

Francesca Pique and Angelyn Bass Rivera, NPS

Leslie Rainer, GCI, Wall paintings conservator, Organizing Committee

Stephen Rickerby, Wall paintings conservator from the UK

Alex Seowtewa, Artist, Zuni Pueblo blessed the colloquium opening

Lisa Shekede, Wall Paintings conservator from the UK

David Singleton from the Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, UK

Mary Slater, NPS, Arch. Conservator, .Los Alamos, NM

Lydia Vagts, Painting Conservator, USA

Sébastien Moriset, Arch. CRATerre-EAG

Larry Nordby, NPS, Archaeologist guided many of the tech. visits

Henri Van Damme, Scientist, Paris, France

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MMeessaa VVeerrddee NNaattiioonnaall PPaarrkk

Cliff Palace, the largest of the cliff dwellings - panoramic view.

Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve the archeological sites which "Pre-Columbian Indians" built on the mesa tops and in the alcoves of a score of rugged canyons. The park, containing 52,073 acres of Federal land, is a unit of the National Park System and is administered by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. Mesa Verde, Spanish for "green table", rises high above the surrounding country. For about 1,300 years, agrarian Indians occupied the

mesa and surrounding regions. From the hundreds of dwellings that remain, archeologists have compiled one of the most significant chapters in the story of prehistoric America. If you are able to leave your modern self behind and think only in the past, you may be able to understand and enjoy a fascinating story of life in earlier times. There are over four thousand known archeological sites in Mesa Verde National Park. Approximately 600 of these are cliff dwellings. Only a few of these sites have been excavated. Unoccupied for many centuries, they have been weakened by natural forces. Some were badly damaged by looters before the area was made a national park. Maximum protection must be given to the dwellings in order to preserve them. One regulation is strictly enforced: Visitors may enter cliff dwellings only when accompanied by a Park Ranger. However, there are over 20 mesa top sites and viewpoints that may be visited on your own. Some sites are closed during winter. More than 1,000 years ago, an industrious and creative people thrived on this high green plateau in what are now the remains of their cliff dwellings. During the seven centuries they inhabited the Mesa Verde, they prospered and developed from a basic hunter/gatherer society into a culture known for its agriculture, intricate artistry, and magnificent architecture.

Cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde date from 1200 AD

Winter is cold and snowy in Mesa Verde

Anasazi Heritage Center

Anasazi Heritage Center entrance hall

Exhibit hall

Interactive display with microscopes and computers

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Today, Mesa Verde National Park seeks to protect and preserve these ancient cliff dwelling sites scattered across the deep canyons and mesas throughout Mesa Verde in Colorado, and to answer certain timeless questions. Who were these people? Why did they leave their cliff dwellings? Where did they go? What can we learn from them? The spectacular mountains, mesas, and canyons of Mesa Verde Country have been home to Native American communities for thousands of years. The earliest inhabitants of the area were nomadic peoples who lived in the area from at least 10,000 B.C., sustaining themselves by hunting game and gathering food plants. The Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) occupied the area from approximately A.D. 1 to A.D. 1300 and left remarkable remnants of their civilization throughout the region. The Ancestral Puebloans created a thriving populous civilization that eventually raised towers and built hundred-room cities into the cliffs of Mesa Verde. There are thousands of sites in the area, earning Mesa Verde Country the honor of being North America's richest archaeological area. Many sites are open to the public for visitation, and there are local museums and institutions dedicated to exploring and interpreting this culture and archaeology. The most famous of these is award-winning Mesa Verde National Park, but visiting others provides a deeper look into the fascinating culture of the Ancestral Pueblo People.

TThhee AAnncceessttrraall PPuueebbllooaann PPeeooppllee ooff MMeessaa VVeerrddee CCoouunnttrryy

From approximately A.D. 100 to 1300, the Ancestral Puebloans farmed the Four Corners Area. Their primary crops were corn, beans, and squash. They domesticated the turkey, and continued to gather wild plant foods and hunt game in order to supplement their diet.

The Ancestral Puebloans are known for their remarkable building techniques. From pit houses to multi-storied cliff dwellings, these structures remain as a tribute to their remarkable architectural abilities. The Ancestral Puebloans were also highly skilled potters, and beautiful decorated bowls, ladles, mugs, and other intricate ceramic items have been found in sites throughout the region. There are many theories about why the Ancestral Pueblo people

Anasazi pottery styles

Diorama illustrating cliff dwellings and activity

Diorama illustrating cliff dwellings and activity

Anasazi Heritage Center documentation

Lorinda Wong, GCI, Wall paintings conservator

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gradually abandoned the area by A.D. 1300. Their movements seem to be related to drought, climatic change, soil erosion, or overuse of the area's resources. We do know that the modern day Pueblo People are their descendants. A visit to Mesa Verde Country, the archaeological center of America, is a must for anyone who desires a very special glimpse into the heritage of today's Pueblo people.

WWhhyy ddiidd tthhee IInnddiiaannss bbuuiilldd iinn tthhee CCaavveess?? It is impossible to look at the cliff dwellings without wondering why the Pueblo Indians chose to build their hoes in the cliffs. A few of the ruins are in large, open, airy, easily accessible caves, that to the casual observer might seem like rather decent places in which to live. But most of the caves are not of this type. The majority is high on the cliff faces – many are merely narrow high ledges on which a few rooms could be perched. For many centuries the Pueblo Indians of the Mesa Verde area lived on the open mesa tops and in the broad fertile valleys. They were a settled agricultural group, highly skilled in all their arts and crafts. Then, rather suddenly, they left their pleasant pueblos and moved into the caves. Within a short time there were few Indians left out in the open. What caused this sudden change in their way of life? In order to answer this question it is necessary to consider the entire background of the Pueblo Indians of this area. The earliest evidences of these people indicate that they were well established in the Mesa Verde region shortly after the birth of Christ. Originally a hunting people, they had received corn and squash from more southern neighbors and were turning to a settled agricultural life. At first they seem to have had no houses so, at least for part of the year, they occupied the caves. After a time they began to experiment with simple pit houses. When substantial houses had developed they left the caves and built their villages in the open. For many centuries they lived in the open valleys and on the broad mesa tops. The population grew and the tribe spread over a wide area. The architecture developed steadily and by the twelfth century the people were living in hundreds of pueblos, constructed of stone and adobe masonry. Late in the twelfth century the people began to move and the population began to diminish. Some of the people left the area, drifting off to the south. The rest began to search for defensive locations for their villages. In the Mesa Verde the villages were moved to the caves of which there were many hundreds in the numerous canyons. By the early part of the thirteenth century most of the Indians had moved to the caves and during the last few generations the people were in the Mesa Verde it appears that few lived in the open. There can be little doubt that the movement to the caves was caused by the arrival of an enemy group. In many parts of the Southwest, the same thing happened. Evidently some nomadic group, perhaps the earliest of the

Reconstitution of traditional loom

Historic photograph showing Native with loom

Conservation labs tour

Tracy Murphy showing conservation lab objects

Typical Anasazi sandal

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Apaches, came into the area and began to harass the Pueblo Indians. In the interest of health the peaceful farmers began to build their homes where they could defend them against marauders. After living in the open for many centuries the Pueblo Indians of the Mesa Verde moved to the4 caves and constructed the cliff dwellings. There can be little doubt that this move was prompted by a desire for defensive locations.

SSoommee OOff TThhee TTeecchhnniiccaall VViissiittss…… Spruce Tree House This site visit was lead by Larry Nordby, NPS Archaeologist.

Spruce Tree House, the third largest cliff dwelling among several hundred within park boundaries (Cliff Palace and Long House are larger), was constructed between A.D. 1200 and 1276 by the Anasazi. The dwelling contains about 114 rooms and eight kivas (kee-vahs), or ceremonial chambers, built into a natural cave measuring 216 feet (66 meters) at greatest width and 89 feet (27 meters) at its greatest depth. It is thought to have been home for about 100 people. Spruce Tree House was opened for visitation following excavation by Dr. Jesse Walter Fewkes of the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Fewkes removed the debris of fallen walls and roofs and stabilized the walls approximately as you see them now. Due to the protection of the overhanging cliff, Spruce Tree House had deteriorated very little through the years and has required little supportive maintenance.

Larry Nordby explaining Spruce Tree House

Spruce Tree House and cliff

Father and son descending into a Kiva

Participants at site

Ladder to Kiva and “T” shape doors

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The cliff dwelling was first reported in 1888, when two local ranchers chanced upon it while searching for stray cattle. A large tree, which they identified as a Douglas spruce, was found growing from the front of the dwelling to the mesa top. It is said that the men first entered the ruin by climbing down this tree, which was later cut down by another early explorer. Cliff Palace This site visit was lead by Prof. Frank Matero.

Today only swifts and swallows chitter and swoop in and out of the airy alcove that protects Cliff Palace. But eight hundred years ago the dwelling was bustling with human activity. This stunning structure, deep in the heart of Mesa Verde, was the place where people carried on the routine of their daily lives, but it was more too. Archeological research in the late 1990s, applying computer technology to this ancient site, reveals that Cliff Palace stands apart from other alcove dwellings, not only in its size but also in how it was built and how it was used. Cliff Palace. The crown jewel of Mesa Verde National Park, an architectural masterpiece by any standard, is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. From the rim top overlooks, the collection of rooms, plazas, and towers fits perfectly into the sweeping sandstone overhang that has largely protected it, unpeopled and silent, since the thirteenth century. We can only make educated guesses why the Ancestral Puebloans decided to move down into the alcoves and build such elaborate dwellings in the first place. And why, after staying only a relatively short time, they left for good. "An Enchanted Castle" One snowy December day in 1888 two cowboys from Mancos, a town at the foot of the Mesa Verde, chanced upon Cliff Palace when they were out

View of canyon where Cliff Palace is located

Walking down the cliff to reach Cliff Palace

Alex Seotewa from Zuni Pueblo blessing the participants and the colloquium

Prof. Frank Matero explaining conservation work at site

Participants examining site

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herding cattle. Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law Charlie Mason emerged from the dense pinyonjuniper forest at the edge of the canyon. Through the veil of blowing snow they spied in the cliffs across the canyon what they said looked like "a magnificent city." After that sighting, others stepped forward and claimed to have seen it earlier. Richard's brother, Al, probably did see Cliff Palace the year before, but he was too tired to enter the site. Other old-timers made similar claims. Despite their sometimes conflicting stories, it was the Wetherills who named Cliff Palace, guided many people into the site, and brought fame to the area almost overnight. Balcony House This site visit was lead by Archaeologist Kathleen Fiero.

In most respects, Balcony House is a typical Mesa Verde cliff dwelling -a medium-sized masonry structure, two stories high, built about the same time as the other cliff dwellings in the park. The builders used materials available all around them - blocks of sand stone, sometimes shaped into rectangles and pecked on the surface. The stones were nestled in wet mortar mixed from tan, sandy soils and smoothed by the people's own hands. Smaller "chinking" stories were inserted into the mortar, and might have helped level the walls or create tighter joints. Some parts of Balcony House show careful attention to craftsmanship, while in other places the masonry is less meticulous, and looks hastily done. Once the walls were laid up, some surfaces were completely plastered over, hiding the fine rockwork. Original plaster, sometimes several layers thick, can still be seen in a few rooms. Archeologists count 38 rooms and two kivas in Balcony House, and they divide the site into three plazas, or courtyards-lower, north, and kiva plazas. Fitting two fairly deep kivas side by side in the center of the site took some doing. Both are examples of the signature "Mesa Verde style" kiva-keyhole

Archaeologist Kathy Fiero explains Balcony House site

Balcony House is way down the cliff…

… way down

… way, way down!

The Balcony

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shape, six pilasters, a banquette or bench around the interior, fireplace and ventilator shaft, and sipapu in the floor. Originally the kivas were roofed and a ladder led down through a hole in the roof; today they are open. In most other ways, the layout of Balcony House does not appear to follow a plan. The size and shape of the rock alcove determined the size and shape of the dwelling. Balcony House was named for the primary architectural feature. One of the finest balconies remains intact between the first and second stories of the central rooms in the north plaza. Balconies permitted the residents to pass from one second-story room to another; from the balcony, these unquestionably were "rooms with a view." A retaining wall runs along the entire front of the alcove. Fill behind this wall created level surfaces to build on, and the parapet undoubtedly provided some measure of security for those who lived on the very edge of this 650foot-deep canyon.

The end… a Bar-B-Q to celebrate the conclusion of a rich and successful Colloquium

Nightcaps and Margaritas to celebrate Gretchen’s birthday, Giacomo’s spouse and say farewell to everyone.

Participants had to climb and crawl through very small passageways

Alex Seowtewa explaining Native traditions and presence of ancestors on site

Rebecca Carr and Kathy Fiero explaining planning and conservation issues

Participants at Balcony House

Maribel Beas, Arch. Conservator, Philadelphia, PA