Backfilling Completion Report for FY2001 Aztec Ruins ... · River near the modern town of Aztec, New Mexico. Aztec Ruins was built after the primary fluorescence at Chaco Canyon,

Backfilling Completion Report for FY2001 Aztec Ruins National Monument

BACKFILLING COMPLETION REPORT FOR FY2001 AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Brian Culpepper Archeologist

National Park Service Aztec Ruins National Monument

Aztec, New Mexico and

Gary M. Brown Archeologist

National Park Service Aztec Ruins National Monument

Aztec, New Mexico

September 30, 2002


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MANAGEMENT SUMMARY The following report describes backfilling efforts at the West Ruin at Aztec Ruins

National Monument in fiscal year 2001. Backfilling, a form of preservation treatment, is part of a multi-year project aimed at reducing the ruins stabilization workload and enhancing long-term preservation of the West Ruin. Backfilling, in this case, is only partial. The tops of walls will be left exposed for public presentation. Partial backfilling allows the site plan to remain visible while still protecting a majority of the rooms.

Work during fiscal year 2001 focused on the northeastern corner. This portion of the West Ruin consists mainly of two-story rooms connected by north/south doorways. The height of the standing walls above floor levels created logistical problems and safety concerns. The purchase of a new skid-steer loader (Bobcat) and tube and clamp type scaffold helped to remedy many of the problems.

Backfilling was conducted from late November 2000 through September 19, 2001. AZRU archaeologist Gary Brown and maintenance work leader James Brown served as project co-leaders until the arrival of archaeologist Brian Culpepper in May. The crew consisted of James Brown, masonry workers Raymond Torrivio and Carl Jim, two local laborers, one student (STEP) laborer, and one laborer hired on an emergency basis at the end of the field season. Carl Jim served as the work leader and Raymond Torrivio operated the Bobcat.

The FY01 backfill project completed the addition of fill to eight rooms and one kiva that were begun in FY00 under the FY00 scope-of-work. Three rooms and one kiva that had not received any level of fill, part of the FY00 scope-of-work, were also completed. Five rooms targeted for backfilling in the FY01 scope-of-work were completed. An additional six received all but the final two layers to allow for scaffold construction and backfilling in Kivas H and J in FY02. They will be completed in 2002. Thus the FY01 backfilling project completed the addition of fill to sixteen rooms and two kivas and added around 90% of the fill to six other rooms.

Backfilling also entailed the installation of 4” polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe drainage system prior to the addition of any fill. Thus over 130 meters (417 feet) of pipe now drain the surface run-off of twenty-eight rooms in the northeastern corner of the West Ruin through silt trap drain boxes. Circular evaporative basins were placed on the surface of the kivas. Most of the pipe runs through prehistoric doorways. However, the drainage system required three wall perforations through the north wall and one through the east wall for water to exit the ruin.

An experimental sacrificial coping of unamended mortar was applied to the base of walls with new fill levels in the East Wing. The approximately 380 meters (1247 feet) of coping is expected to minimize the damage from wet/dry cycling and salt phase change because it changes the evaporative front from the prehistoric masonry to the coping.

The total cost of the backfill project in FY01 was $191,991.13. Funding for labor and materials came from the National Park Service's Special Emphasis Program Allocation System's (SEPAS) Cultural Resource Preservation Program Base (CRPP) and Cyclic Maintenance for Historic Properties (Cultural Cyclic), and also base (ONPS) funding sources. Within the base funding sources category, the Vanishing Treasures Initiative (VT) provided $88,814.80 for labor.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One Introduction.....................................................................................................................................5 Project Purpose................................................................................................................................5 Project Area.....................................................................................................................................5 Compliance......................................................................................................................................7

Chapter Two

Administrative Summary.................................................................................................................8 Backfilling Strategies.......................................................................................................................9 Backfill Soils..................................................................................................................................12 Wood Preservation.........................................................................................................................13 Delivery System.............................................................................................................................13

Chapter Three

Backfilling the West Ruin..............................................................................................................16 Drainage System............................................................................................................................20 Wall Perforations...........................................................................................................................26 Sacrificial Coping..........................................................................................................................30

References......................................................................................................................................31

Appendix A: FY01 Backfilling Project Cost Details.....................................................................33

Appendix B: FY01 Project Updates..............................................................................................37


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LIST OF FIGURES

1.1. Overview map of West Ruin at Aztec Ruins National Monument........................................6 2.1. Sketch of the general backfill stratigraphy............................................................................9 2.2. Geoweb? cellular confinement material...............................................................................10 2.3. Sketch of the specialized backfill stratigraphy.....................................................................11 2.4. Loading end of the delivery system......................................................................................14 2.5. Blended fill delivered to Room 95........................................................................................15 3.1. Rooms/Kivas receiving fill in FY01.....................................................................................17 3.2. Room specific backfill strategies in FY01............................................................................18 3.3. Tube and clamp scaffold construction in Room 90..............................................................19 3.4. Drainage system as built in FY01.........................................................................................20 3.5. Installation of the evaporative basin in Kiva G....................................................................21 3.6. Leveling of a 90? elbow fitting in Room 92.........................................................................22

3.7. Y-fitting in Room 94.............................................................................................................23 3.8. T-fitting in Room 83.............................................................................................................24 3.9. Drainage modification in Room 84.......................................................................................25 3.10. Perforation in Room 54.........................................................................................................26 3.11. Perforation in Room 82.........................................................................................................27 3.12. Perforation in Room 90.........................................................................................................28 3.13. Perforation in Room 93.........................................................................................................29 3.14. Coping along north wall of Room 51...................................................................................30

LIST OF TABLES

3.1. Rooms/Kivas completed or initiated in FY00 and FY01......................................................16


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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION The National Park Service (NPS) continued backfilling selected portions of West Ruin at

Aztec Ruins National Monument during fiscal year 2001. Work followed the general plan developed by the Architectural Conservation Projects Division of the Intermountain Support Office (Trott 1998). The FY01 backfill project succeeded in backfilling part of the area identified in the FY01 scope-of-work (Simpson 2001), and completed work identified in the FY00 scope-of-work (Simpson 2000) that began during the FY00 backfill project. Work identified in the FY01 scope-of-work continued into fiscal year 2002. This report describes work that was executed before the end of FY01 on September 30, 2001. Previous fiscal year backfill projects are described elsewhere (Barthuli 2000; Brown 2001). PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of backfilling is to preserve in-situ masonry and architectural features, thereby decreasing the need for cyclic maintenance and stabilization repairs. Even the best stabilization work affects the integrity of cultural resources, and even the most expedient stabilization work is expensive. The rationale and basic strategy of preservation through backfilling at West Ruin are discussed in the general backfilling plan. The plan characterizes the East Wing and the adjacent portion of the North Wing (referred to collectively as Section L) as an intensively excavated area with large amounts of exposed masonry, creating an unmanageable maintenance situation (Trott 1998:29). Over the long run, preservation of the site should be improved and the cost of maintenance reduced under the backfilling program. In the short run, however, backfilling is a labor-intensive process. The various tasks and costs associated with the project are documented in this report. Other preservation repairs at West Ruin were also included in the FY01 work to enhance the long-term preservation of the site (see Culpepper 2002). PROJECT AREA

By proclamation under the Antiquities Act of 1906, President Warren G. Harding established Aztec Ruins National Monument on January 24, 1923 to preserve and protect the ancestral Puebloan archeological sites that comprised a prehistoric community along the Animas River near the modern town of Aztec, New Mexico. Aztec Ruins was built after the primary fluorescence at Chaco Canyon, with most construction in the largest and earliest major component (West Ruin) of the Aztec Ruins complex occurring in two major episodes dating between A.D. 1110 and 1120, and subsequent occupation and building at West Ruin and elsewhere in the complex continuing well into the 1200s (Windes and McKenna 2001).

Despite this relatively late period of Chacoan construction and occupation, most archeologists consider Aztec Ruins to be a Chacoan “outlier” which played an essential role in the complex regional system connected by roadways and other archeological evidence with Chaco Canyon. The Aztec complex provides a clear instance of formal architecture and landscape modifications using design principles and construction techniques that originated at Chaco (Stein and McKenna 1988). Definitions of the Chacoan “great house” site type are somewhat variable and difficult to apply uniformly, but West Ruin, East Ruin, and at least one of the smaller pueblos (LA 5603) in the northern part of the monument are classifiable as great


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houses by almost any definition. The principal project area is located in the northeastern corner of the ruin at the juncture

of the North Wing and East Wing (Figure 1.1). Metzger (1988) included most of the current project area within the East Wing, although the original excavator placed most of this area in the North Wing (Morris 1928). Whether the northeastern corner of the pueblo is lumped with the East Wing or North Wing is arbitrary. See Brown (2001) and Metzger (1988) for further discussion.

Figure 1.1. Overview map of West Ruin at Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Project area is outlined in red.

Numerous two-story rooms originally stood in the project area, including a second-story kiva (Kiva F) and an adjacent three-story section. Most of the upper-story rooms in the East and North Wings burned in a catastrophic fire at the time of abandonment or shortly afterwards. Deterioration over the past 900 years has reduced most of this part of the roomblock to walls that stand one to one-and-a-half stories. The only portions that evidently never reached more than one story in height were Kiva G and Rooms 97 and 98. The latter two rooms comprise a rather unusual arrangement at the extreme northeastern corner of the roomblock that may have been largely dismantled during construction of the great house (Morris 1928:316-317).

Early in the excavations at Aztec, Morris identified “archaic” pottery and speculated that Rooms 97 and 98 represented an earlier roomblock (Lister and Lister 1990:46), but his final descriptions mention Chacoan pottery and other indications that these two rooms, if they did predate the major roomblock construction, were not that much older than the great house. Their spatial relationship with the overall roomblock layout indicates they were incorporated into the great house when it was built.

The tall walls and deep rooms in the project area have eroded and the prehistoric fabric has been repeatedly stabilized over a period of more than 80 years with various materials and


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techniques. Some of the walls and roofs of rooms had been exposed and vandalized even before Morris began his work in 1916. Some of the tallest exposed walls at Aztec Ruins occur in this part of West Ruin. A few stand as high as 6 m (20 ft) above current grade.

Most of the especially deep rooms collected and retained moisture from the natural environment; differential fill levels weree acute due to filled interstitial space around kivas and the elevation of unexcavated fill outside the exterior north and east walls of the roomblock (Trott 1990:29-31). The rooms enclosed by the tall walls were internally drained. The walls also shielded the ground surface from the sun which made precipitation slow to evaporate in warmer months and thaw in colder periods.

The lower stories are not visible from the point of view of public visitors; thus, backfilling in the northeastern part of the roomblock provided an opportunity to enhance the long-term survival of the site without adversely impacting visitors’ experience. Backfilling simultaneously shielded lower stories from the elements and helped to preserve the upper stories by adding support to the lower walls.

COMPLIANCE

The main ruin complex at Aztec Ruins National Monument (LA 45) is a designated significant archeological site that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Dippel 1972). The historic preservation work described in this report was performed to enhance the long-term survival of this valuable and unique cultural resource. The work was done in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, particularly Section 106 and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 800), as well as NPS policies and procedures for historic preservation. The FY00 scope-of-work was written in accordance with 1995 NPS procedures and protocols identified in NPS-28, Cultural Resource Management Guidelines, Release No. 5 (see Simpson 2000:26).

The New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviewed the Trott's 1998 general backfilling plan (Trott 1998). A Section 106 compliance review was initiated by filing an Assessment of Action form with the SHPO before backfilling began. The SHPO offered constructive feedback and concurred with the assessment of No Adverse Effect for this undertaking (AZRU Project No. 98-03).


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CHAPTER TWO ADMINISTRATIVE SUMMARY

The focus of FY01 work was on the continuation of backfilling in Section L (Trott 1998). Unlike FY00 backfilling treatment, which was performed mostly under a project agreement between Aztec Ruins National Monument (AZRU) and the Intermountain Support Office (IMSF), Santa Fe, FY01 backfilling was completed entirely by Aztec Ruins National Monument permanent and seasonal staff except for the writing of the scope-of-work. The project was designed to implement a specific phase of the general backfilling plan developed previously by IMSF (Trott 1998). For the most part, it followed the specific design as described by FY00 and FY01 scopes-of-work written by Architectural Conservation Projects Program exhibit specialist Glenn Simpson (2000 and 2001).

Archeologist Gary Brown and Maintenance Work Leader James Brown served as project co-leaders until May 2001. From May to September 2001, Archeologist Brian Culpepper assumed oversight of the operation. Chief of Visitor Services and Resource Management, Theresa Nichols provided additional administrative control. At some point during the fiscal year, the backfill crew included James Brown, Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Wilson Trujillo, Matthew Tso, Darwin Ellison, and Douglas Norberto.

James Brown, an Aztec Ruins N.M. employee since 1981, had been an integral member of the backfilling operation. But because of the reorganization of the Facility Maintenance Division and the arrival of Vanishing Treasures Archeologist Brian Culpepper, Mr. Brown's duties shifted away from preservation/stabilization to strictly maintenance. Archeologist Gary Brown was hired primarily to conduct architectural documentation. He had assumed a large portion of the project oversight, including planning, procurement of materials, monitoring, and budget control. Raymond Torrivio had been a seasonal employee at Aztec Ruins N.M. since the early 1980's. In 1998, he became permanent employee, hired as a Masonry Worker under the Vanishing Treasures Initiative. Carl Jim was brought on in December 2000 as an emergency hire to temporarily replace another Vanishing Treasures Initiative Masonry Worker, Harry Etcitty. Mr. Etcitty suffered a heart attack in November 2000. He had also been a seasonal employee at Aztec Ruins for many years until he too was made permanent in 1998. Regrettably, Mr. Etcitty passed away in January 2001. Carl Jim then accepted a temporary laborer position. In May, he was promoted to Masonry Worker and became the backfill crew work leader, but he still occupied a temporary position. Wilson Trujillo was hired as a seasonal laborer in March. Matthew Tso was hired as a seasonal laborer in April. Darwin Ellison was hired through San Juan Community College as a Student Training Employment Program (STEP) in May. Matthew Tso was dismissed in July and Wilson Trujillo was dismissed in August. In August, Douglas Norberto was brought on as an emergency hire laborer to offset the loss of Mr. Tso and Mr. Trujillo. The fiscal Year 2001 backfilling project was funded by Special Emphasis Program Allocation System (SEPAS) funds and ONPS base funds. The total project cost of FY01 backfilling work was $191,991.13. Roughly three-fourths of the project cost was used to cover salaries for NPS personnel. Labor expenses include funding for permanent staff paid through ONPS base accounts ($116,349.25) and salaries for emergency hire, seasonal and temporary positions paid through project accounts ($63,394.10). ONPS accounts utilized on the FY01 backfilling project included 7380-CZZ (Vanishing Treasures), 7380-IZZ (Visitor Services and Resource Management), and 7380-MZZ (Facility Operations and Maintenance). SEPAS project


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accounts included 7380-0002-CCS ($105,000 for West Ruin Backfilling) and 7380-1201-CMS ($48,500 for Cultural Cyclic). The Vanishing Treasures Initiative provided 59.76 % ($90,268.40) of the total labor cost ($148,627.11). In addition to providing 21.72 % ($32,277.86) of the labor expenses, the two SEPAS accounts funded all additional services, equipment, and supplies ($43,364.02). The total labor expenditure consisted of 7939.75 person hours, most of them spent in the field. Project cost details are provided in Appendix A. BACKFILLING STRATEGIES

The basic backfilling procedure for treating rooms and kivas in the FY01 project area called for three stratigraphic units or “layers” to be placed within the structure along with drainage and other infrastructure features that varied from room to room (Simpson 2001). The basic sequence of the general backfill stratigraphy is depicted in Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1. Sketch of the general backfill stratigraphy (from Simpson 2001:16, Figure 5). From bottom to top, the sequence is as follows: Layer 1. A geotextile horizon marker separates the first layer from the prior ground surface. A moderately well-drained sandy loam soil (blended fill) is then placed on top of the geotextile. This first layer is substantial, comprising most of the total backfill area. Lifts of 10 to 12 inches of fill are placed in the room. Each lift is compacted with hand tampers before adding additional fill. The pipes of the PVC drainage system and all of the Geoweb? cellular confinement system are contained within Layer 1. Layer 2. Another sheet of geotextile fabric is laid on top of Layer 1 and a fairly thin lift of fine-grained sediments (clay) between 4 to 6 inches placed on this second geotextile horizon marker. Layer 2 brings the elevation of the final grade almost to the final configuration.


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Layer 3. The final grade is determined by another thin layer of fine-grained sediments (clay) between 1 to 2 inches is laid over Enkamat® nylon matting, an erosion control fabric. Generally, just enough sediment is used to cover the Enkamat®. Layer 3 was smoothed and raked into the Enkamat® without tamping. Other than the clay, only drain box silt-traps and cleanouts connected to the PVC drainage system or evaporative basins were exposed on the surface.

The general backfill stratigraphy was implemented in most of the FY01 project area. However, the backfilling general plan emphasized that differential fill levels, lack of drainage, and moisture retention in the deep rooms of northeast corner (Section L) were major problems requiring specialized treatment during implementation of the plan (Trott 1998). Differential fill levels are recognized to have an adverse effect on the walls of rooms with lower fill levels. Unimpeded moisture will pass from the room with a higher fill level through the wall and into the room with the lower fill level causing chemical changes to the stone and mortar over time. Also, a room with a higher level of fill than an adjacent room will naturally apply static load forces to the wall between them. The result is force that can cause bulging, wall instability, accelerated mortar loss, and veneer separation.

Angelyn Rivera's (1998) scope-of-work for the East Wing proposed that static loading and pressure associated with differential fill levels could be alleviated by installing soil retention structures within the backfilled environment of rooms whose final grade levels would be significantly higher than those of adjacent rooms. Retention walls built by stacking layers of Geoweb?

cellular confinement material were selected as the means to accomplish this task. Geoweb? consists of expandable, honeycombed, synthetic fabrics with cells that are filled with granular sediment or angular rock chips. Its use in backfilling prehistoric architecture is considered experimental (Rivera 1998; Simpson 2000, 2001). Successful implementation of this technique during the FY99 backfill project in the southern half of the East Wing led to its adoption in the FY00 and FY01 scopes-of-work (Simpson 2000, 2001) - areas of the West Ruin that targeted the complicated and taller architecture in the northeastern corner of the East Wing.

Figure 2.2. Photo of Geoweb? cellular confinement material.

To mitigate the problem of moisture movement caused by differential fill levels when using Geoweb? , ¼" crushed gravel chips were used as the interface between the wall and the Geoweb? . Simpson (2001:19) called for the prescription "to be composed of sub-angular particles no greater in size than ½”, that is, any matter that does not pass through a #40 sieve". Soils with large


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capillaries absorb water fast but the movement of water within the capillary spaces is slow. The idea is that the sub-angular gravel chips will minimize capillary movement of water into the wall from the fill because sub-angular gravel chips have a greater porosity than compacted soils.

Figure 2.3. Sketch of the specialized backfill stratigraphy (from Simpson 2001:19, Figure 6).

The basic sequence of the specialized backfill strategy is shown in Figure 2.3. From bottom to top, the sequence is as follows Layer 1. A geotextile horizon marker is laid down on the ground surface. The first layer of Geoweb? is then laid down against the wall opposite the room that will have the lower fill level. The layers of Geoweb? are filled with a mixture of ¾" gravel chips and topsoil (roadbase). At the same time each layer of Geoweb? is laid down, a layer of fill, the same moderately well-drained sandy loam soil (blended fill) that is used in the general backfilling stratigraphy is placed concurrent with the Geoweb? . The soil is then packed down with a hand tamper. Subsequent Geoweb? layers are stacked in a stair-step fashion towards the center of the room. As mentioned above, where Figure 2.3 calls for "course sand", ¼" angular gravel chips are placed between the wall and the Geoweb? . The pipes of the PVC drainage system are contained within Layer 1. Layer 2. Another sheet of geotextile fabric is laid on top of Layer 1 and a fairly thin lift of fine-grained sediments (clay) between 4 to 6 inches placed on this second geotextile horizon marker.


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Layer 2 brings the elevation of the final grade almost to the final configuration. Layer 3. The final grade is determined by another thin layer of fine-grained sediments (clay) between 1 to 2 inches is laid over Enkamat® nylon matting, an erosion control fabric. Generally, just enough sediment is used to cover the Enkamat®. Layer 3 was smoothed and raked into the Enkamat® without tamping. Other than the clay, only drain box silt-traps and cleanouts connected to the PVC drainage system or evaporative basins were exposed on the surface. BACKFILL SOILS The main medium for backfilling in FY01 was the same used in FY00, a sandy loam, referred to as "blended fill". Extensive soil texture and chemistry analyses were conducted to locate a source for adequate soil. The major problems with most local quarry sources are high sulfate levels that produce soils detrimental to masonry preservation.

Only one local supplier was found that could produce a customized mix of topsoil and sand within specifications (Trott 1998). Newco Aggregates, Inc. had washed concrete sand within the allowable sulfate limit and fine sandy loam topsoil that is extremely low in sulfates (33 milligrams per liter). The sandy loam consists of almost pure fine-grained sands, with insufficient medium- and coarse-grained sands (only 5 percent), while the concrete sand is so low in finer particles that it lacks cohesion. However, the two were mixed to create a suitable medium. After experimentation, a mix of approximately 80 percent sand and 20 percent sandy loam topsoil was finalized that is low in sulfates and plasticity yet contains moderate quantities of both fine sands and medium to coarse sands to provide adequate drainage.

The blended fill is the result of mixing Newco concrete sand and sandy loam topsoil. It is classifiable as well-sorted sandy loam. The blended fill consists of 11 percent coarse sand, 42 medium sand, 28 percent fine sand, and 19 percent silts and clays. The material is screened at the quarry and contains no gravel or artifacts. It has minimal organic inclusions and is non-plastic. The topsoil is slightly alkaline with a pH of 8.1. Testing of a sample of the blended fill delivered in May 2001 revealed a pH of 7.84, and a sample delivered in July had a pH of 7.67.

Suitable clay fill was also difficult to locate primarily because of the high sulfate levels in most local soils. Extensive testing of local clay soils in 1998 and 1999 failed to identify an adequate source in the Aztec/Farmington area, so a supplier in Durango, Colorado (APS Top Soil, Inc.) was selected in spite of the additional trucking costs. It comes from the upper terrace on the west bank of the Animas River just south of the Durango city limits. APS clay fill is cohesive silty clay with a fairly low plasticity index (PI) of 14, which is not very susceptible to expansion or destructive frost action. The liquid limit (LL) is 39 and the plastic limit (PL) is 25. The permeability of silty clay with such PI and LL values is low (USDI 1974:27-28). The APS silty clay is also low in sulfates (110 milligrams per liter) and only slightly alkaline (pH 7.7). Although it is sieved before delivery, it still has a moderate amount of gravel after delivery, around 4 %, which requires the removal of the rocks during loading of the conveyors. After removal of gravel, the total silt and clay content is 58 percent; fine sand is 29 percent, medium sand is 10 percent, and coarse sand is 2 percent.


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WOOD PRESERVATION The scope-of-work generally identified the final grade level of each room as above the

first-story doorway and below the vents. Recommendations are to bury all wooden elements at least 18 inches deep, or to leave them exposed at least 12 inches above the final grade level (Simpson 2000:12). This recommendation was frequently difficult to achieve because of the limited vertical distance between typical wooden element types. The vertical distance between the buried doorway lintels and exposed vent lintels is usually less than 30 inches. Complex contouring of the final grade was needed to mound dirt over the doorways and leave vent lintels and vigas exposed 12 inches above grade, at the same time consistently sloping the backfill dirt away from the walls to facilitate drainage toward the central drain box/silt trap. Three-quarter inch plywood and vertical drain covered the buried door passages. The interiors of the passages were filled with washed masonry sand. Amerdrain® 500 vertical drain material, a prefabricated formed polypropylene core covered with filter fabric, was then placed over the plywood. The vertical drain is expected to facilitate the movement of moisture away from the wooden elements.

Many first floor doorway passages had to be buried. Passages were blocked off on both sides of the passage with CDX plywood cut to fit the selected architectural feature. Since two rooms share a passage, but only one room was filled at a time, a piece of plywood and the vertical drain were always fit over the backfilled room side first. Then, as backfilling progressed in the adjacent room sharing the doorway, the plywood and vertical drain were positioned with a gap at the top to allow for the washed masonry sand to fill the interior of the passage.

Vents were not treated in the same manner. All vents were either covered with blended fill or left open. Where the ground surface is even or nearly even with the bottom of the vent, or where it is suspected that animals might use the vent as a "tunnel" to get to one room and the next, wire mesh screen will be installed.

Some first floor vigas were buried. In such case, they were not wrapped in geotextiles. As prescribed by the scope-of-work (Simpson 2001), the vigas are at least twelve inches above the final fill level. Often, the distance is greater.

DELIVERY SYSTEM

Plants growing in the rooms were pulled and all rocks or other items were removed before backfilling began. A geotextile horizon marker (Typar 3401) was then stretched across the existing ground surface to separate the older ground level from filling materials. U-shaped metal pins fastened the corners of the geotextile to the ground surface. The first room to be backfilled was then filled according to the particular backfill strategy, either general or specialized.

Regardless of the strategy, backfilling was accomplished using a combination of mechanical and manual techniques. The basic procedure involved loading the blended fill or other fill material onto electric and/or motorized conveyors from a staging area alongside the exterior walls. Sometimes this called for overlapping the conveyors to reach rooms farthest from the exterior wall. Loading was done with a skid-steer front-end loader and the aid of a large hopper to help feed dirt onto the conveyor. A worker raked dirt from the loader bucket into the conveyor hopper at a rate conducive to smooth operation of the conveyor, at the same time removing rocks or other objects not suited to backfilling. Scaffolds supported the conveyors for the most part. A scaffold platform, large enough for workers to operate safely was erected on the outside of the exterior wall. The earthen ramp,


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formed from the blended fill, allowed the skid-steer loader to reach the conveyor hopper at the proper height. The loading end (proximal) of the conveyor was supported by the scaffold platform. Scaffolds constructed within rooms supported the conveyors as they stretched across rooms. The delivery end (distal) of the conveyor normally rested on one of the interior prehistoric walls. However, most of the weight was born by the scaffolds set up within a room intermediate between the exterior wall and the room being filled. Each conveyor was secured to the scaffold with adjustable chains. At points where conveyors rested upon masonry walls, a cushion of Styrofoam and wood was placed under the conveyor to reduce vibration and damage to wall tops and door thresholds. A walkway of OSHA-approved scaffold planks constructed using alongside the conveyors allowed the crew to monitor safely conveyor operation, remove rocks, and access rooms.

Figure 2.4. Loading end of the delivery system. Note the overlapping conveyors, hoppers, and the walkway.

The conveyors normally dumped fill dirt directly into the interior rooms (Figure 2.5). Occasionally a sheet of plywood or a piece of fashioned aluminum siding was attached to the conveyor endpoint and positioned within the room being filled. The slope directed the fill material toward a particular target area and to keep dirt off the masonry or prehistoric wooden elements. As dirt piled up, workers used shovels and rakes to distribute it evenly across the room, taking care as they spread dirt outward toward walls and around other architectural


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features. The fill dirt was compacted with hand tampers after 10 to 12 inches had accumulated, and then another lift then was begun.

Figure 2.5. Blended fill delivered to Room 95.

Rooms nearest the plaza were usually filled first. For example, conveyors were placed on scaffold constructed across Rooms 82, 83, 84, and 65 to fill Room 66. When Room 66 was complete, the scaffold in Room 65 was dismantled and the conveyors adjusted accordingly to begin backfilling Room 65, and so on. When the outermost room was ready to be filled, the conveyors were removed and the fill dumped directly into the room with the skid-steer loader. A crane, operated by a private contractor, was called in to remove and position conveyors until a safe method of moving the conveyors with the skid-steer loader was devised.


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CHAPTER THREE BACKFILLING AT AZTEC'S WEST RUIN

Backfilling in FY01 took place between November 27, 2000 and September 19, 2001. The project completed work begun during the FY00 backfill season under the FY00 scope-of-work. Project labor on the FY01 scope-of-work did not begin until June 8, 2001.

In his scope-of-work, Simpson (2000:7) identified 21 rooms and 2 kivas to receive partial backfill treatment in fiscal year 2000. The FY00 backfill project completed eight of those rooms and initiated varying degrees of backfilling in ten rooms and one kiva. The FY01 backfill project completed backfilling eight rooms and the kiva in which work was initiated in FY00. Rooms 97 and 98, partially backfilled in FY00, were not completed in FY01. The final grades for rooms 97 and 98 will be determined when an exterior berm is completed in either FY04 or FY05. The FY01 backfill project also initiated and completed filling three rooms and one kiva identified in the FY00 scope-of-work. Since Kiva F only received one lift of fill equal to 6.75 meters3 in FY00, one could argue that it was initiated and completed in FY01.

A total of five rooms identified by Simpson (2001) in the FY01 scope-of-work were completed. Six other rooms in the FY01 scope-of-work, Rooms 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, and 95 received only Layer 1. It was decided to leave them without Layers 2 and 3 and just cover them with geotextile over the winter. The reason for this was that it would require fewer scaffolds to reach Kivas J and H in FY02, thereby reducing the height of scaffold and making it safer for the crew by limiting the height of potential falls.

Room/Kiva Initiated in FY00 &

Completed in FY01 Initiated & Completed in

FY01 Initiated in FY01

Not completed 48 x 49 x 54 x 63 x 64 x 65 x 66 x 72 x 75 x 78 x 79 x 80 x 81 x 82 x 83 x 84 x 90 x 91 x 92 x 93 x 94 x 95 x F x G x

Table 3.1. Rooms/Kivas completed or initiated in FY00 and FY01.


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Figure 3.1. Rooms/Kivas receiving fill in FY01.

Rooms 48, 49, 66 and Kiva G had Geoweb? installed on their south walls. Kiva F had Geoweb? installed on the eastern wall starting at the level of the banquette. Geoweb? was installed on the east and north walls in Room 79. All other rooms received the generalized backfill stratigraphy. The doorway of Room 66 was sealed to allow it to be backfilled (see Culpepper 2002).

Initiated in FY00 Completed in FY01

Completed in FY01

Initiated in FY01 Not completed


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Figure 3.2. Room specific backfill strategies in FY01.

The backfill project as a whole is behind schedule for several reasons. Most obviously, a large segment of FY01 was taken up with completing FY00 work. Secondly, in the author's opinion, the FY01 scope-of-work was overly ambitious in its goals. Compared to the northeast corner, the southern part of the East Wing was easy to fill. All of the rooms backfilled in FY01 had walls standing between nine and eleven feet from the surface of the floor prior to the addition of fill. The rooms were much shallower in the southern part of the East Wing. Delivery

Specialized Backfill Stratigraphy

General Backfill Stratigraphy


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of dirt in the southern portion of the East Wing mostly involved wheelbarrow work or simple dumping with the skid-steer loader. The northeast corner required the use of scaffold and conveyors almost exclusively to deliver the dirt. Additionally, Geoweb? installation is time consuming. The specialized backfill stratigraphy requires roughly four times the amount of time to fill a room that the general backfill stratigraphy takes. Thirdly, the operation was suspended three times over the course of the fiscal year due to safety concerns. The suspension of activity delayed backfilling work for approximately 12 weeks during the fiscal year.

Some miscellaneous notes worth mentioning include the purchase of a skid-steer loader and new scaffolding. Until FY01, AZRU had been renting a skid-steer loader from a local source for approximately $2000 per month. It was realized that purchasing a skid-steer loader for around $17,000 would be more cost effective in the long run. Tube and clamp type scaffolding was purchased to augment the existing frame type. The advantage of tube and clamp scaffolding over the frame type is its versatility. Tube and clamp can adjust to various heights whereas frame scaffolding height is fixed. Also, tube and clamp scaffolding can adjust to accommodate slopes and angles that frame scaffold cannot.

Figure 3.3. Tube and clamp scaffolding construction in Room 90.


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DRAINAGE SYSTEM Most rooms in the project area are drained through a comprehensive network of

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes to remove surface moisture to locations away from the roomblock. Subsurface PVC drainage systems with surface drain boxes and cleanouts, and interconnected subsurface pipes, buried in the backfill sediments, were designed in the FY99 (Rivera 1998), FY00 (Simpson 2000), and FY01 (Simpson 2001) scopes-of-work.

Figure 3.4. Drainage system as built in FY01.

F

low

Flow

Drain Box

Cleanout

Evaporative Basin

PVC Cap

Wall Perforation


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Kivas F and G do not have subsurface PVC drainages linked to the larger system. The necessity of perforating kiva walls for passage of PVC pipes made the approach impractical for draining blocked-in kivas to extramural areas outside the roomblock and would require potentially excessive damage to architectural elements. Instead, evaporative basins were installed. The steel evaporative basins are circular in plan and dish-shaped in profile. They measure four feet in diameter and ten inches deep in the center. Rebar “legs” were welded onto the bottom and handles onto the sides to facilitate handling and to reduce shifting after installation. The basins were painted with tan paint that matches the ambient color of the backfilled landscape.

Figure 3.5. Installation of the evaporative basin in Kiva G. Note the Geoweb? along the south wall. The FY01 backfill project completed the drainage system begun in FY00. Most of the

horizontal subsurface pipes and the vertical pipes for connection to drain boxes and cleanouts in the twelve rooms in the northeastern corner were already in place at the beginning of fieldwork. The system draining Rooms 48, 49, 54, and Kiva G, part of the FY00 scope-of-work, was not. It was installed entirely in FY01. Therefore, it is necessary to talk about FY00 work in context with FY01 work.

The FY00 and FY01 scopes-of-work (Simpson 2000, 2001) designed for surface water within rooms to run into drain boxes/silt traps and down 4-inch Schedule-40 PVC pipes into the system. The horizontal network runs from one room to the next, finally leading through two perforations in the eastern exterior wall to discharge water east of the East Wing and three perforations in the northern exterior wall to discharge water north to the french drain running


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west to east. Drainpipes pass through prehistoric doorways wherever possible. Four interior wall perforations were opened in FY00. Comprehensive pipe specifications were calculated to pass surface runoff from an area comparable to six rooms during heavy rainfall (2 inches per hour) (Simpson 2000:13). Installation of the drainage system was initiated after rooms had been backfilled up to the height of the first-story doorsills. PVC pipes were laid horizontally at this level. Following scope-of-work specifications, the distal ends of the pipes were raised slightly more than ¼-inch per horizontal foot of pipe to create a suitable grade for drainage (Simpson 2000:13). A consistent grade was maintained using either a string and line level or a laser level as the horizontal pipes were connected in 20-foot sections or shorter segments. Blocks of wood and cinder blocks were used to raise and support the pipes at an elevation that followed the prescribed grade and removed when leveled at the proper elevation using fill dirt. Vertical sections were stabilized by attaching them temporarily to fence posts or other stakes until backfilling had proceeded to the point where the vertical pipes were also supported by fill dirt. Standard PVC primer and cement were used to glue sections and fittings.

Figure 3.6. Leveling of a 90? elbow fitting in Room 92.

Vertical and horizontal changes in direction were normally affected using 30-degree and 45-degree elbows, T-fittings, or Y-fittings where two pipes were joined into one. For the most


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part, Y-junctions were used to accommodate separate vertical pipes for cleanouts and drains. Y-fittings are emphasized in the scope-of-work to decrease the likelihood of drainage obstructions and to facilitate cleaning with a plumbing snake. However, multiple gradations using Y-fittings require more linear feet of pipe than a simple T-fitting or a 90-degree elbow. 90-degree elbows were used in Rooms 66, 92, 95 and for the cleanout in Room 84 where vertical pipes within rooms are joined to the horizontal drainage runs. T-fittings were used in Rooms 65, 84, 83, and 82 - but they probably shouldn't have. It is quite possible that they will cause cleaning problems in the future.

Figure 3.7. Y-fitting in Room 94. Numerous cleanouts were installed to facilitate drain cleaning and maintenance in FY00. For more information see Brown (2001). Only two cleanouts were installed in FY01, both in Room 84. Access plugs (PVC caps) were installed on each cleanout. Additional cleanouts for the pipes exiting the north wall to drain into the french drain will be installed near the north wall in FY03.

Most rooms in the North Wing occur in suites with north-south doorways. A few architectural openings in the East Wing connect rooms from west to east. There are two rows of four north/south-connected rooms sharing one PVC drainage system; a second system collects water from two rows of three north/south-connected rooms farther west and passes through a


24

wall perforation to join the first system within Room 72 and parallel it through Room 71 and then Room 70, discharging through the east wall. The west end of the pipe was passed through the west wall of Room 64 into Room 84 where it had been capped prior to FY01 work. Perforations were needed to get pipe through the east/west walls, but doorways provided natural openings from north to south.

Figure 3.8. T-fitting in Room 83.

Rooms 48, 49, 54 and Kiva G in the south of the FY00 project area comprise a third smaller drainage where construction was initiated and completed in FY01. East/west doorways were used for the PVC drainage route that join these rooms. A wall perforation was needed through the exterior wall of Room 54. No backfilling or preparations for installing the drainage system in this area were started before the end of the FY00. Also, vertical pipe sections within Rooms 63 and 64 were not installed in FY00. They were completed in FY01. The final PVC pipe cuts and attachment of drain boxes/silt traps and cleanouts begun in FY00 were also completed in FY01 when the final backfill grade was established.

The horizontal and vertical pipes in Rooms 90 through 95, as prescribed in the FY scope-of-work (Simpson 2001) were installed. Because Rooms 90 through 95 had yet to receive the final grade (Layers 2 and 3) in FY01, the drain boxes were not installed. Final placement and gluing of the drain boxes was done late in the process. PVC caps were placed on the vertical


25

pipe ends to prevent water storage in the pipes over winter. Wall perforations were opened in Rooms 90 and 93 and the horizontal pipes threaded through the perforations. The pipes exiting the north wall were not connected to the french drain as prescribed. They extended approximately one meter north of the north wall and were capped. It is anticipated that the system will be coupled to the french drain in FY03.

Figure 3.9. Drainage modification in Room 84. View of pipe running through Doorway 84/65.

Brown (2001) outlines drainage system modifications originally prescribed in the FY00 scope-of-work. Modification to the FY01 scope-of-work was also necessary. The scope designed the drainage of Rooms 82 and 83 to carry water south to Room 84, and Rooms 66 and 65 to carry water north to Room 84. In Room 84, the system would then drain to Rooms 64, 63, 72, 71 and exit through the east exterior wall of Room 70. However, the horizontal PVC pipe entered Room 84 too high to allow for drainage of Rooms 66, 65, 82, and 83. If completed as planned, because the pipe came into Room 84 too high, the horizontal pipe running from Rooms 82 and 83 would slope down to those rooms from Room 84 instead of sloping towards Room 84 because the tops of the doorways through the rooms did not have sufficient clearance to allow for the designed slope. The eventual result would be the collection of water in the drainage system and on the surface of the Rooms 82 and 83 after heavy precipitation. Also, if completed as planned, the drain boxes in Room 82, and probably Room 66, would not be flush with the new


26

fill surface - and it was not possible to adjust the fill level without possible creating additional problems associated with differential fill levels elsewhere. To remedy the situation, the horizontal pipe in Room 84 was rerouted to the surface and made into a cleanout. The horizontal pipe was then made to slope north from Room 66 and exit the exterior wall of Room 82. Unfortunately, the modification made the wall perforation between Rooms 84 and 64 unnecessary. Also, it now required an additional wall perforation in the north exterior wall of Room 82. WALL PERFORATIONS

Wall perforations were designed for the drainage system to allow the exit of water through the system. The FY00 scope-of-work (Simpson 2000) has two perforations permitting an exit for three pipes on the east exterior wall. At this time, a decision has not been made as to the waters exact course once it drains away from the ruin on the east side. The FY01 scope-of-work (Simpson 2001) has three perforations in the north exterior wall to allow the exit of water to drain into the french drain. As explained above, a fourth exit was created in Room 82.

As mentioned above, the southern portion of the drainage outlined in the FY00 scope-of-work (Simpson 2000) was completed in FY01. This includes the wall perforation. The FY01 scope-of-work (Simpson 2001) prescribed three perforations in the north exterior wall in Rooms 90, 93, and 99. Only perforations in Rooms 90 and 93 were completed in FY01. With the addition of the perforation in Room 82, the total number of perforations in FY01 was four.

Figure 3.10. Perforation in Room 54. View of interior wall.


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The backfill crew opened wall perforations. An AZRU Archeologist monitored all of the work. Gary Brown monitored Room 54. Brian Culpepper monitored Rooms 82, 90, and 93. Before, during, and after photos were taken. The work was accomplished with hand tools, generally a chisel, hammer, trowels, and a large pry-bar. The archeologist collected samples of stabilization and original mortars. Unlike FY00, no artifacts were encountered.

After perforating the walls and adjusting the drainage system to suit final specifications, the perforations were sealed around the PVC pipes using stones removed from the wall and mortar amended with Daraweld? soil adhesive. The mortar used was the same mixture of sand, silt, and clay from local sources used in FY01 stabilization (see Culpepper 2002). Although each of the wall areas affected by drainpipe perforations had been repointed during past stabilization activities, intact original masonry fabric was encountered within each of the walls. Every effort was made to limit the size of the wall perforations, but final adjustments in the grade of the drainpipes and the difficulty removing masonry stone, especially within the core of the walls, resulted in holes larger than expected.

Figure 3.11. Perforation in Room 82. View of interior wall. Room 54 May 18, 2001. The crew consisted of Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Wilson Trujillo, and


28

Matthew Tso. The top of the perforation was 1.75 meters from top of the wall measured directly above the perforation. In previous stabilization, the interior wall veneer stones were reset in bitumen amended mortar and repointed later with Portland cement. The exterior wall had been repointed using Rhoplex® amended mortar. Room 82 June 8, 2001. The crew consisted of Carl Jim, Matthew Tso, Wilson Trujillo, and Darwin Ellison. The top of the perforation was 1.7 meters from the bottom of the northwest viga and measured form the center in the north wall. The interior wall veneer mortar joints were a mix of Portland cement and bitumen. The core is mostly aboriginal, although a small amount of bitumen mortar was present. The exterior wall veneer mortar joints were a mix of bitumen and untinted Portland cement. The perforation was opened on June 8th and dug only to the exterior veneer. On July 25th, the exterior wall veneer was removed and the pipe threaded through the wall.

Figure 3.12. Perforation in Room 90. View of interior wall. Room 90 September 4, 2001. The crew consisted of Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Darwin Ellison, and Douglas Norberto. The top of the perforation was 1.65 meters from top of the wall directly


29

above the perforation. The interior wall veneer mortar joints had been repaired using Rhoplex® amended mortar. The core was entirely aboriginal. Untinted Portland cement had been used to repoint the exterior wall. Room 93 September 17, 2001. The crew consisted of Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Darwin Ellison, and Douglas Norberto. The top of the perforation was 80 centimeters from the top of the wall directly above the perforation. The interior wall veneer mortar joints had been repaired using Rhoplex® amended mortar. Some of the stones surrounding the perforation may have been replaced or reset during previous stabilization. The core was entirely aboriginal. Both tinted and untinted Portland cement had been used to repoint the exterior wall.

Figure 3.13. Perforation in Room 93. View of interior wall.

The classification of architectural style for each wall might best be described as McElmo style masonry. Yet a classification of McElmo doesn't quite fit because a lot of the masonry is not entirely composed of the classic tabular pieces and horizontal and vertical chinking as seen at Chaco (Lekson 1984). Aztec's McElmo style has many more irregular shaped stones, and stones exhibiting less pecking in general. Flaked and natural faces are much more common. Chinking is generally not present. Properties of the stone may have had more to do with this result than


30

any intentional design by the original masons. Also, years of stabilization undoubtedly had played a large part in the present appearance, especially in the absence of chinking. Most of the veneer on each wall that was perforated had undergone a fair amount of repointing. Almost no aboriginal mortar is left on either side. The stone arrangement of each wall was mostly intact however. Yet it is obvious that some stones have been replaced in modern times, especially near the tops of walls. SACRIFICIAL COPING

An experimental application of an impermanent coping of mortar at the interface between the final backfill grade and standing masonry walls was applied in FY01. The unamended mortar coping is designed to minimize basal erosion where moisture within the backfilled walls rises and forms an evaporative front. The evaporative front will be transferred from the masonry wall to the sacrificial coping, which will be replaced periodically as it deteriorates.

The clay coping is nothing more than unamended mortar composed of sand, silt, and clay. Several mortar batches were made and exposed to the sun for a period of three to five days. Many of the experiment samples cracked and were deemed unsuitable. By adjusting the mixture incrementally, a mortar blend equivalent to approximately 60% sand, 15% silt, and 25% clay was concocted.

Each backfilled room in the East Wing, up to and including Rooms 82, 82, 84, 65, and 66, underwent the first treatment in June 2001. Approximately 380 meters (1247 feet) of coping was applied. The positive and negative effects have yet to be evaluated.

Figure 3.14. Coping along the north wall of Room 51.


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REFERENCES Barthuli, Kaisa 2000 Aztec Ruins National Monument FY1999 Completion Report. Architectural

Conservation Projects Program, Intermountain Support Office, Santa Fe, NM Brown, Gary M. 2001 Backfilling and Stabilization Completion Report for FY2000 Aztec Ruins National

Monument. MS on file, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, NM. Culpepper, Brian 2002 Stabilization Completion Report for FY2001 Volume One Aztec Ruins National

Monument. MS on file, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, NM. Dippel, Elizabeth A. (editor) 1972 The National Register of Historic Places 1972. U.S. Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C. Lekson, Stephen H. 1984 Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Publications in

Archeology No. 18B. National Park Service, Albuquerque, NM Lister, Robert H., and Florence C. Lister 1987 Aztec Ruins on the Animas: Excavated, Preserved, and Interpreted. University of

New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM 1990 Aztec Ruins National Monument: Administrative History of an Archeological

Preserve. Professional Papers No. 24. Southwest Cultural Resources Center, National Park Service, Santa Fe, NM

Metzger, Todd R. 1988 Structure Numbering System at West Ruin, Aztec Ruins National Monument, New

Mexico. Southwest Cultural Resources Center, National Park Service, Santa Fe. MS on file, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, NM

Morris, Earl H. 1928 Notes on Excavations in the Aztec Ruin. Anthropological Papers No. 26, Part 5, pp.

259-420. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY Rivera, Angelyn B. 1998 Scope of Work for Backfilling a Portion of West Ruin, Aztec National Monument.

Conservation Projects Program, Intermountain Support Office, National Park Service, Santa Fe, NM

Simpson, Glenn D. 2000 FY00 Scope of Work for Backfilling a Portion of the West Ruin of Aztec Ruins

National Monument. Architectural Conservation Projects Program, Intermountain Support Office, Santa Fe, NM


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2001 FY01 Scope of Work for Backfilling a Portion of the West Ruin of Aztec Ruins National Monument. Architectural Conservation Projects Program, Intermountain Support Office, Santa Fe, NM

Stein, John R., and Peter J. McKenna 1988 An Archeological Reconnaissance of a Late Bonito Phase Occupation near Aztec

Ruins National Monument, New Mexico. Southwest Cultural Resources Center, National Park Service, Intermountain Support Office, Santa Fe, NM

Trott, Jim 1998 Aztec Ruins National Monument Backfilling Plan for West Ruin. Architectural

Conservation Projects Program, National Park Service, Intermountain Support Office, Santa Fe, NM

Windes, Thomas C., and Peter J. McKenna 2001 Going Against the Grain: Wood Production in Chacoan Society. American Antiquity

66(1):119-140.


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APPENDIX A: FY01 BACKFILLING PROJECT COST DETAILS


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Aztec Ruins National Monument Project Cost Details 10/01/00 to 9/30/01 FY2001 Backfill of West Ruin GPRA Code:Ia5

Account #: 7380-0002-CCS

Cost Category Item Total Amount Total Hours

Equipment GSA Truck $1,236.75

Equipment $1,236.75

Labor Carl Jim $5,031.00 482.50 Darwin Ellison $5,075.20 488.00 Douglas Norberto $2,142.40 206.00 Matthew Tso $5,853.62 539.25 Wilson Trujillo $8,411.00 807.50

Labor $26,513.22 2523.25

Mat/Serv Angular gravel $186.00 Auger parts $196.00 Backfill misc $313.53 Backfill tools $141.23 Blended fill dirt $4,988.90 Bobcat $17,084.00 Bobcat parts $400.21 Bobcat rental $2,600.00 Bobcat service $1,612.91 Bobcat supplies $81.22 Bobcat training $375.00 Conveyor supplies $344.33 Crane service $290.81 Crew locker $407.61 Cushman motor $418.49 Diesel fuel $578.33


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Drain boxes $552.62 Enkamat $2,536.90 Enkamat staples $98.00 Extension cords $127.67 Galvanized wire $71.00 Geoweb $2,470.11 Gravel road base $270.52 Ladders $227.38 Lumber $69.80 Masonry sand $244.53 Office supplies $59.96 Physical Exams $259.07 PVC $769.38 Rebar $32.23 Safety supplies $934.58 Safety Training $75.00 Sand shaker $68.95 Scaffolding $2,476.82 Scaffolding planks $417.42 Unleaded fuel $62.72 Vertical sheet drain $269.22

Mat/Serv $42,112.45

Miscel Check Charges $14.82

Miscel $14.82

Account # Total: 7380-0002-CCS $69,877.24* 2523.25

*The remaining $35,122.76 of the $105,000 went towards salaries, materials, and travel associated with architectural documentation project which is funded by the backfill account but treated as a separate project and therefore not included in the total.

Account #: 7380-1201-CMS


Labor Gary M. Brown $5,764.64 322.00

Labor $5,764.64 322.00

Account # Total: 7380-1201-CMS $5,764.64 322.00


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Account #: 7380-CZZ


Labor Brian Culpepper $19,303.20 720.00 Carl Jim $13,877.60 760.00 Gary M. Brown $14,776.00 800.00 Raymond Torrivio $40,858.00 1720.00

Labor $88,814.80 4000.00

Account # Total: 7380-CZZ $88,814.80 4000.00

Account #: 7380-IZZ


Labor Theresa Nichols $4,801.65 134.50

Labor $4,801.65 134.50 Account # Total: 7380-IZZ $4,801.65 134.50

Account #: 7380-MZZ

Labor James D. Brown $22,732.80 960.00

Labor $22,732.80 960.00 Account # Total: 7380-MZZ $22,732.80 960.00

Project Totals $191,991.13 7939.75


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APPENDIX B: FY01 BACKFILLING UPDATES


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Backfilling Project Update Dec. 4, 2000

Accomplished last week:

?? Backfilling restarted after safety issues resolved satisfactorily. ?? Resumed truck deliveries of sandy soil for backfilling. ?? Gary initiated moisture monitoring with use of digital meter capable of readings to depth

of 1.5 ft. ?? System devised to help dry out backfill rooms during winter season by reflective solar

heating of shaded areas. ?? Other modifications of backfilling strategy devised to deal with winter weather (e.g.,

basin topography to drain rain/snowmelt away from walls). ?? Limited backfilling in Kiva F. ?? Backfilling crew was shorthanded because of Harry’s absence following his heart attack.

Crew consisted of James and Raymond who spent most of week on project. ?? Gary assisted with some backfilling work to assist understaffed field crew. ?? IRMS folks from Santa Fe (Kaisa Barthuli) and Albuquerque (Michael Young) worked

on computers Thursday and Friday. Two main IRMS computers (AZRU 22 and 25) in library were updated, but other computers on which IRMS is to run will require hard-drive maintenance to create space for the new version and installation of Windows or Office, 1998 or 2000 versions, by AZRU personnel prior to next visit from IRMS specialists.

?? Other needs they identified were delegation of technical tasks (e.g., CD drive problem on Terry’s computer and setting up tape backup on Gary’s) to AZRU specialists (Grady?).

Goals for current week:

?? Continuation of backfilling in Kiva F. Should be able to fill up to the bench level and get started on GEOWEB installation, needed against east wall.

?? Emergency hire to assist backfilling during Harry’s absence. Have a candidate (Carl Jim) referred by Larry Baker who has lots of stabilization experience. Hope to get him or somebody else started this week.

?? Gary and Terry are working on project programming on AFS and procedures for tracking current project budgets and work on IRMS. Long-term planning and projections for logistics and personnel needs.

?? Both in-house and IAS lab soil testing will be initiated. In-situ moisture monitoring continues.

?? Mortar samples from last summer’s wall penetrations submitted for lab analysis. ?? Test excavation in plaza will be continued only if backfilling is halted because of weather

or other factors.


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?? Backfilling continued in Kiva F, about 2 ft of dirt filled in kiva and GEOWEB installation initiated at level of interior bench. Weather was favorable throughout the week and helped immensely to dry up moisture from previous snowfall.

?? Trouble with electric conveyor (overheating) was resolved by replacing motor with a larger one and heavier cord.

?? Truck deliveries of pea gravel and road base for use with GEOWEB structures. ?? Emergency hire, Carl Jim, started Wednesday as WG-2 laborer to help backfilling crew.

Harry suffered a relapse and was hospitalized again, so Carl will be an integral crew member until Harry’s condition is better known. Primary crew personnel currently consist of James, Raymond, and Carl.

?? Gary began sieve analysis of soil and mortar samples to provide data for backfilling and stabilization. Process is time consuming and requires considerable concentration and skill, so delegating work to a volunteer is probably not currently feasible.

?? Preliminary programming for 7380-CMS (Backfill 2001) dummy account was completed by Terry and Gary.

?? Beth continued scanning and linking data categories in IRMS room folders. ?? Progress and tasks identified in last week’s goals are on track.


?? Backfill crew will continue backfilling in Kiva F. Should be able to complete most of the Layer 1 sandy fill. GEOWEB installation will continue against the east wall of the kiva.

?? Gary will continue sieve analysis and try to figure out ways to speed up and possibly streamline the process.

?? Gary will begin budget data entry on IRMS for current fiscal year. ?? Beth will continue scanning and data links on IRMS.

Backfilling Project Update

Dec. 18, 2000 Accomplished last week:

?? Backfilling continued in Kiva F, including the installation of GEOWEB and Layer 1 sand fill. Layer 2 clay was begun and evaporative basin was put in place. Weather was favorable throughout the week.

?? Crew consisted of James, Raymond, and Carl Jim. Prospect of Harry returning to work appears bleak.

?? Gary continued sieve analysis of soil and mortar samples to provide data for backfilling and stabilization. Process continued to go slow, but several ways to streamline analysis were identified.

?? Preliminary programming and IRMS data entry for 7380-CMS (Backfill 2001) dummy account continued.


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?? Beth continued scanning and linking data categories in IRMS room folders. Volunteers Glen and Martha assisted scanning.

?? Martha helped prepare past years’ stabilization photos under Beth’s direction. ?? Progress and tasks identified in last week’s goals are on track.


?? Complete backfilling in Kiva F. ?? Reposition electric conveyor to deposit fill into Room 63 (directly north of Kiva F) and

resume backfilling started last summer in that room. Drainage pipes have already been installed.

?? Gary will continue sieve analysis and initiate certain chemical tests. ?? Gary will continue budget data entry on IRMS for current fiscal year. ?? Beth will begin her 5 week absence from work. Tasks started by Glen and Martha should

be able to continue with Gary fielding questions.



?? Backfilling completed in Kiva F. Layer 2 clay was finished with Enkamat geofabric around evaporative basin and the basin was painted to match surrounding environment.

?? Conveyor setup was moved manually from Kiva F to Room 63. ?? Crew consisted of James, Raymond, and Carl. Weather was favorable throughout the

week. ?? Used Bobcat was traded for rental skidloader with agreement from Aztec Rentals that

month’s rent on the Bobcat would be deducted if we decide to purchase it. Cost would be $10,500.

?? Gary continued sieve analysis of mortar samples collected from prehistoric wall perforations on last summer’s backfilling. In-house chemical tests for texture analysis were run on samples, and Gary does not think results are reliable. Outside lab analyses will probably be necessary. The sieve analysis procedure does appear to be yielding good results.

?? Updated preliminary AFSII programming and IRMS data entry for 7380-CMS (Backfill 2001) dummy account continued.

?? Volunteers Glen and Martha continued scanning in Beth’s absence with some assistance from Gary.

?? Martha helped prepare past years’ stabilization photos. ?? Progress and tasks identified in last week’s goals are on track.


?? Begin backfilling in Room 63 which was partially filled last summer. Drainage pipes have already been installed.

?? Gary will continue sieve analysis and other soil tests. ?? Tasks started by Glen and Martha will continue.


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Backfilling Project Update Jan. 2, 2001


?? Snow over Christmas holiday prevented backfilling on Tuesday. Short week and crew is shorthanded. Raymond on annual leave and James working at Chaco much of the week. Carl worked two days.

?? Used Bobcat hard to start in the morning. Bad tire replaced by Western Tires on Tuesday at Aztec Rental expense. Wouldn’t start on Wednesday. Aztec Rental switched the used one for another skidloader.

?? Tom Growney sent a representative to meet with James and Gary regarding purchase of Bobcat under GSA contract. We have literature and price list and will discuss with Terry and Char upon their return from annual leave.

?? Backfilling resumed in Room 63. This room had filled last summer up to the door sills and the drainage pipes were installed.

?? Gary continued sieve analysis of mortar samples collected from prehistoric wall perforations on last summer’s backfill project.

?? Volunteers Glen and Martha continued scanning and setting up stabilization photos. Goals for current week:

?? Begin backfilling in Room 63 which was partially filled last summer. Drainage pipes have already been installed.

?? Gary will continue sieve analysis and other soil tests. ?? Tasks started by Glen and Martha will continue.


Jan. 8, 2001 Accomplished last week:

?? Backfilling completed in Room 63, including Layer 2 clay and Enkamat. ?? Layer 2 clay and Enkamat completed in Room 81. Layer 1 had been filled in this room

last summer, but grade and drainage box had to be modified before final layer. ?? Backfill crew consisted of James, Raymond, and Carl. Weather was cold and clear, and

backfilling conditions quite dry. Short work week because of New Year’s holiday on Monday.

?? Gary finished sieve analysis of mortar samples collected from prehistoric wall perforations and began compiling data for completion report.

?? Volunteers Glen and Martha continued scanning and setting up stabilization photos. Goals for current week:

?? Move conveyor position to dump into Room 72 which was partially filled last summer. ?? Install moisture monitoring system in Room 72 and finish backfilling it. ?? Order Bobcat from Tom Growney. ?? Continue with documentation, budgeting, and report tasks.


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Backfilling Project Update Jan. 16, 2001


?? Backfilling completed in Room 72, which was started last summer. Layer 1 sand was completed and Layer 2 clay, along with Enkamat, was placed in the room.

?? Moisture monitoring system was installed in Room 72. Contact pins were inserted in vigas in north wall of room and wires were buried from contact pins through vent in SE of room, running through corner of Room 71 and through vent into NW corner of Room 70. Wiring runs along west wall of Room 70 and through doorway on south into roofed structure (Room 59) where the station selector panel is installed in a protected spot.

?? Initial readings were recorded by plugging the moisture monitor into the station selector. Monitor gives some faulty readings (which are obviously erroneous negative values), possibly due to a bad device. Good readings indicate that both vigas were very dry at the time of burial.

?? Upper conveyor was removed. Crane service had scheduled a visit at end of week to check out work needed to set up our next conveyor arrangement. However, they didn’t show up.

?? Backfill crew consisted of James, Raymond, and Carl. ?? Gary began selection and preparation of mortar samples collected from prehistoric wall

perforations for hydrometer tests to accurately determine sand, silt, and clay percentages. Coordination with IAS lab in Phoenix regarding these and additional soil analyses, both for preservation and data recovery.

?? Gary worked on IRMS budget report, AFSII programming, and compiling data on FY00 fieldwork and analysis for completion report.

?? Gary and James continued research on Bobcat purchase. Still need to decide whether or not to get enclosed cab. G-series 773 model turbo has been selected as best choice for backfilling and future needs.

?? Volunteers Glen and Martha continued IRMS and past stabilization photo report work. Goals for current week:

?? Get conveyor set up for backfilling additional two-story rooms. James will call crane service to get work scheduled and planned. Scaffolding will be moved to get ready for crane.

?? Final grade for Layer 1 in Room 71 will be worked on and final Layer 2 clay layer will be completed.

?? Continue moisture monitoring system in Room 72. ?? Order Bobcat from Tom Growney. ?? Continue with documentation, budgeting, and report tasks.



?? Short week with holiday on Monday and two snow days when Carl didn’t work. Raymond was also off Tuesday because of vehicle trouble.


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?? Backfilling completed in Room 71. This room was started last summer, but halted to accommodate scaffolding for conveyor setup to dump into Kiva F. Last week excess sand fill was removed and Layer 2 clay and Enkamat were placed into room.

?? James and Gary met with Gilbert Eaves of Crane Service, Inc. Arrangements were made to move double-conveyor setup from east side to north side of backfill area. Crew moved scaffolding into Room 80 where the two conveyors will overlap to transport backfill into Room 64. Scaffold also set up on north side of exterior wall for placement of north end of lower conveyor.

?? Gary did some final analyses of mortar samples and prepared 14 additional samples for texture analysis at IAS Lab. Samples were mailed to the lab in Phoenix.

?? Volunteers Glen and Martha continued scanning and setting up stabilization photos. Gary helped sort out the various stabilization and other past work photos for curation and final reports.

?? Gary got updated on all DI-1s, IRMS data entry, and checking programmed vs. actual labor expenditures and Commitment Control Register. AFS programming also brought up to date and some additional programming through fiscal year completed.

?? Bobcat DI-1 and sole-source justification for purchase through Tom Growney completed and submitted to Teri Jaquez for processing.

?? Some data compilation for FY00 backfill completion report was accomplished. ?? Gary assisted Tom Windes over weekend on volunteer basis with tree-ring coring in

Room 7 on East Ruin. Goals for current week:

?? Move conveyor position to dump into Room 64 with assistance of crane. Get conveyor setup secured and work out safety procedures for backfilling in this deep, 2-1/2 story room.

?? Work out final grade in Room 70 and complete backfilling it. ?? Start backfilling Room 64, if time and weather permit. ?? Continue moisture monitoring in Room 72. ?? Continue with documentation, budgeting, and report tasks. Beth returned to work on

Monday after 5 weeks and will need to be updated. ?? Coordinate with Kaisa and others in Santa Fe regarding project agreement and IRMS

database work. ?? Try to get going on completion reports.



?? Lost considerable time on project during the week. James took two days annual leave, Raymond off Monday, Carl off during snow days (Monday and Thursday).

?? Excess backfill was removed from Room 71 and final grade level worked out. ?? Gary got results of texture analyses of mortar samples from lab in Phoenix and began to

prepare results for report. Some additional data compilation for FY00 backfill completion report was accomplished.


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?? Gary looked over Kaisa’s FY99 completion report and began outlining report for FY00 backfill work.

?? Terry and Gary worked on budget programming and working out needs from Santa Fe staff so that project agreement can be finalized.

?? Beth returned to work after 5 weeks and reported torn rotator cuff believed to be result of lifting and carrying ladders. Injury report done by Terry and Beth, Gary worked on amendment to Job Safety Analysis to more thoroughly address ladder safety. Also worked on safety issues for backfill project to ensure that we’re ready for Galen Warren’s visit next week.

?? Beth worked on room documentation folders for IRMS database. ?? Volunteers Glen and Martha continued scanning and setting up stabilization photos under

Beth’s supervision. Goals for current week:

?? Apply final clay layer in Room 70. ?? Start backfilling Room 64, which was started last summer. ?? Considerable time will be devoted to meetings and working with Galen on safety. ?? Continue with documentation, budgeting, and report tasks. ?? Coordinate with Kaisa and others in Santa Fe to finalize project agreement and IRMS

database work. Gary will need to schedule trip to Santa Fe.

Backfilling Project Update Feb. 5, 2001


?? Last week for Carl Jim. Not too much accomplished on backfilling because of safety meetings. Weather was cold but clear. Crew included James, Raymond, and Carl.

?? Final Layer 2 clay was put into Room 70 and final grade level worked out. ?? Snow from previous week was removed from Rooms 64 and 80, and conveyor setup was

adjusted. Ground is frozen; these rooms are still too moist to backfill as yet. ?? Bobcat was used to build loading ramp, but it will have to be built up further on Monday

(or conveyor lowered). ?? Gary worked on data compilation for FY00 backfill completion report. ?? Gary and Terry reviewed Santa Fe staff’s project agreement and made some revisions so

that it can be finalized. ?? Gary and James toured backfill project area with Galen Warren and discussed safety

issues. Galen was satisfied with safety except for unattended ladders and other items. ?? Beth worked on room documentation folders for IRMS database. Scanning

documentation materials is almost complete. ?? Beth conferred with Kaisa and Emily regarding problems with previously scanned

materials done by Santa Fe staff. Considerable re-scanning will be needed to produce readable documents in IRMS Room Archives. It probably will be best to have this work done by AZRU.


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?? Gary got started on mapping East Ruin’s Kiva S enclosure to provide model for how blocked-in kivas/interstitial rooms, and related features should be handled in IRMS research database.

?? Martha continued scanning and sorting stabilization photos from past years’ work. ?? PO for Bobcat purchase from Tom Growney finally got through!


?? Start backfilling Room 64, which was started last summer. Continue with documentation, budgeting, and report tasks.

?? Continue work on FY00 backfill completion report, IRMS, backlogged stabilization documentation, and budgets.

?? Gary will finish East Ruin Kiva S enclosure map and make additional plans for his and Beth’s trip to Santa Fe to work with Kaisa on architectural documentation refinements and research database. Trip will be week of Feb. 20.


Feb. 12, 2001 Accomplished last week:

?? Not too much backfilling accomplished because of snow and small crew. Crew included James and Raymond, with Raymond off Friday.

?? Conveyor setup was firmed up in Room 64 and some backfilling accomplished before snowfalling Thursday. Room was not tarped and got vary wet.

?? Gary worked on data compilation for FY00 backfill completion report. ?? Gary also completed mapping of roofed rooms and other architectural features in Kiva S

complex on East Ruin. ?? Beth worked on room documentation folders for IRMS database. Scanning

documentation materials was completed and she began OCR tracing of previous excavation and stabilization text.

?? Martha completed scanning of stabilization photos from past years’ work and she and Beth worked on organizing the scanned photo files for reports. They also sorted through boxes of other photos from James’ past documentation which will not be used in reports. These photos are now sorted by year and location so that they can be archived.


?? Continue backfilling Room 64. ?? Continue work on FY00 backfill completion report, IRMS, backlogged stabilization

documentation, and budgets. ?? Have Martha print out scanned stabilization photos for use in reports. ?? Prepare for Gary and Beth’s trip to Santa Fe during week of Feb. 20.


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Backfilling Project Update Feb. 20, 2001


?? Crew included James and Raymond. Some lost field time because of snow early in week. ?? Backfilling in Room 64 nearly completed. ?? Snow shoveled off protective roof in Room 132/133-2. Original roof is quite wet. Vent

was caulked and James decided protective roof might need replacing. ?? Gary worked on data compilation for FY00 backfill completion report. ?? Coordination with folks for Santa Fe documentation meeting next week. ?? Cultural fill slumped thru Doorway 205/223. Gary started remedial excavation and

cleanup with assistance of Larry Chalmers, ?? Beth worked on photodocumentation archives and directories of documentation files

OCR tracing of previous excavation and stabilization text was completed. ?? IRMS was inventoried for scanning problems and calculations for corrective work.

Budget for rescanning presented to Jeff Brown ?? Martha worked on organization and printing scanned stabilization photos.


?? Raymond will work on backfilling with Harold and John from Chaco (James on annual leave).

?? Complete backfilling in Room 64. ?? Begin backfilling in Room 80. ?? Raymond will work on list of odd jobs on Friday when Chaco crew is off. ?? Have Martha continue printing scanned stabilization photos for use in reports. ?? Gary and Beth will take trip to Santa Fe for work on IRMS database.


Feb. 26, 2001 Accomplished last week:

?? Crew included Raymond with assistance from Chaco. James on annual leave. John Atencio and Harold (last name?) worked with Raymond as field crew leader. Short week (holiday on Monday).

?? James and Gary away from Aztec most of week, with Terry overseeing the backfilling activities.

?? Room 64 completed. Second conveyor moved out of way in order to commence with Room 80. John fell when ladder collapsed (not clipped correctly). He finished working the day, but was unable to continue.

?? Raymond and Harold worked on backfilling in Room 80 on Wednesday and Thursday. Backfilling got almost up to top of first-story doorways.

?? Raymond worked on odd jobs Friday. ?? Gary and Beth traveled to Santa Fe to work with documentation staff. Worked

intensively with Kaisa on field recording procedures and preliminary outline of computer database for room documentation.


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?? Tom Windes worked with us Thursday on incorporating wood documentation and dating results into IRMS database.

?? Gary met with Pete McKenna in Albuquerque on Friday to discuss his architectural documentation and mapping, mainly at East Ruin. He is going to provide us with lots of photocopies of his “in-progress” (i.e., unfinished) work.


?? Investigate last week’s accident and evaluate ladder needs and procedure. ?? Attempt to dry out Room 80 which was not tarped to protect against weekend rain. ?? Beth and Gary will continue coordination with Santa Fe on IRMS. ?? Kaisa turned over lots of old files, photos. etc. to AZRU which will need to organized,

archived, etc. Martha can assist. ?? Additional past stabilization photos turned up which will need to get mounted for

scanning. ?? Gary will work on Doorway 205/223 which still has unstable fill, some which already

slumped. ?? Reassess backfilling schedule and course of action. ?? Gary and Terry will work on budget.


March 5, 2001 Accomplished last week:

?? Crew consisted of James for whole week and Raymond for first part (he was off from Tuesday afternoon on with vehicle problems).

?? Rain and snow Friday and Friday night of previous week, but backfilling room (Room 80) was not tarped. Some precipitation early in week and partially backfilled room got very wet. James tarped in Wednesday and then uncovered it to dry over weekend.

?? New Bobcat was delivered on Wednesday. ?? Don Griffen from Tom Gowney provided Bobcat operation and safety orientation on

Thursday morning, attended by James and Gary but Raymond was not at work. ?? Gary talked with Lyndel Smith about setting up a custom course on Bobcat safety thru

San Juan College. ?? James, Gary, and Raymond inspected ladder involved in accident the previous week on

Monday and put together preliminary memo on that sitation. Gary has been trying to schedule ladder JSA session but it gets delayed on account of Raymond’s absence.

?? Gary spent Friday and Saturday monitoring demolition of hogan in Aztec North which is being done by A.R.M. Environmental.

?? Beth and Martha continued to work on backlogged stabilization photos and other old stuff to get ready for reports and archiving..


?? Finish backfilling Room 80. ?? Finish monitoring demolition at Aztec North. ?? Meet with Lyndel Smith on Monday to set up Bobcat safety course.


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?? Conduct ladder JSA. ?? Finish work on Doorway 205/223 slump. ?? Update budget and IRMS data entry. ?? Work on scanning and organizing the old stabilization photos and records. ?? Review FY01 backfill scope of work. ?? Work on FY00 backfill report.



?? Crew consisted of James and Raymond (James was at Chaco). ?? Some precipitation, but also some warm and dry weather to help dry out Room 80 which

had not been tarped over weekend when heavy rain and snow occurred ?? No backfilling was accomplished. ?? Gary met with Lyndel Smith about setting up custom course on Bobcat safety thru San

Juan College. They can do one-day course for $600. ?? Gary presented training session and JSA on ladder safety attended by Terry and AZRU

backfilling, maintenance, and documentation staff. ?? Gary finished monitoring on demolition of hogan in Aztec North and compiled report

documenting removal of structure on edge of site LA 60022. No significant damage to cultural resources but substantial disturbance to surface of site and area did occur.

?? Beth and Martha continued to work on backlogged stabilization photos and other old stuff to get ready for reports and archiving. Terry’s files were included in ongoing compilation of backlogged stabilization data.

?? Matilda and Gayle ranked applicants for backfilling project, but references still need to be interviewed and Gary and James need to confer.


?? Finish backfilling Room 80. ?? Hire laborers for backfilling project. ?? Finish work on Doorway 205/223 slump. ?? Update budget and IRMS data entry. ?? Work on scanning and organizing the old stabilization photos and records. ?? Finalize FY01 backfill scope of work. ?? Work on FY00 backfill report.



?? Crew consisted of James and Raymond (James was at Chaco Tuesday and Thursday, Raymond was off sick Tuesday thru Thursday).

?? Carl Jim accepted backfill position to start next pay period. SF-52 filed.


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?? No backfilling was accomplished. Backfill dirt was mixed with the Bobcat to facilitate drying.

?? James and Raymond assisted wood documentation crew by helping with scaffolding in Rooms 112 and 113.

?? Bobcat electrical problems—no horn or backup signal. Raymond found faulty fuse which fixed horn, but backup problem could not be located. Service call from Tom Growney scheduled for Monday.

?? Tom Windes and his assistant Hannah Fretwell, along with volunteers and help from Gary and Beth, conducted wood documentation and tree-ring sampling in North Wing. Roughly 300 samples collected. Area scheduled for FY01 backfilling has now been completely sampled.

?? Martha worked on scanning stabilization records for 1990s projects. ?? Gary monitored postholes for sign and mailbox at admin. Some artifacts were found but

archeological deposits do not appear to be substantial. Goals for current week:

?? Backfilling in Room 80. ?? Hire two more laborers for backfilling project. ?? Finish work on Doorway 205/223 slump. ?? Update budget and IRMS data entry. ?? Work on scanning and organizing the old stabilization photos and records. ?? Finalize FY01 backfill scope of work. ?? Work on FY00 backfill report.



?? Crew consisted of James and Raymond (James was at Chaco Tuesday and Friday). James also worked on maintenance tasks and acting Supervisor in Char’s absence.

?? Wilson Trujillo and Matthew Tso accepted backfill positions. Wilson will start next pay period, but Matthew was too late to start before PP9. SF-52s filed for both of them.

?? No backfilling was accomplished. Backfill dirt was mixed with the Bobcat to facilitate drying.

?? Raymond retrieved scaffolding used by wood documentation crew the previous week. ?? Raymond repaired broken protective door in East Room. ?? Raymond stabilized Doorway 110-122/2 after Gary did pre-stab documentation. ?? Beth and Martha worked on backlogged stabilization records, photos, and other data for

1990s projects which are being compiled in fiscal year folders and scanned. Directories for the electronic files were set up on P-drive.

?? Gary went thru Backfill expenditures so they can be moved from dummy account to permanent account (7380-0002-CCS).

?? Gary monitored postholes for another sign and wrote report on monitoring of the signs and mailbox at admin.


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?? Gary participated in safety board meeting Thursday afternoon, which included review of three incidents related to backfill/documentation project--Beth’s torn rotator cuff, John Atencio’s ladder accident, and James’ ear injury while tamping.

?? Beth and Gary attended Four Corners archeological meeting at Crow Canyon in Cortez on Friday. Gary presented an overview and slides on the backfill and pre-backfilling documentation project. In addition to other interesting presentations, there were several Mesa Verde talks, including architectural documentation.


?? Orientation for Wilson Trujillo and Carl Jim who are starting work Monday. ?? Finish backfilling in Room 80. ?? Finish work on Doorway 205/223 slump. ?? Beth will continue work on backlogged stabilization reports. ?? Work on FY00 backfill report. ?? Beth and Gary will attend class on MS Access, the software on which IRMS and the

documentation database are built.

Backfilling Project Update April 2, 2001


?? Crew consisted of James, Raymond, Wilson, and Carl. Weather was good. ?? James and Gary gave backfill orientation on Monday for new people and review for the

rest. ?? Sandy fill in Room 80 was finished. Conveyor was moved to Room 79 to backfill with

sand (room had filled to lower door sills last summer). ?? Waiting on clay from Durango for final layer. Snow has melted and they hope to start

quarry next week. Will be a week or two before they have clay to deliver. ?? Beth and Martha worked on backlogged stabilization records. ?? Gary did stabilization documentation for Doorway 110-122-2 which Raymond had

stabilized the previous Friday. ?? Gary updated backfill budget and programming. ?? Beth and Gary completed 8-hour computer course on MS Access database software at

San Juan College which was very productive. ?? Gary and Beth screened additional slump through Doorway 205/223 just off Interpretive

Trail. Fill is classified as postoccupational roof and wall fall and it does contain lots of sample potential and some artifacts (a worked slate pendent was collected).


?? Finish backfilling sand in Room 79. If clay is delivered, Rooms 79 and 80 can be finished. If not, start constructive of drainage system in Rooms 48, 49, 54.

?? Kaisa will be here all week to work on IRMS database development and room documentation field checking. Beth and Gary will confer on this work and assist.

?? Beth will continue work on backlogged stabilization reports.


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?? Gary will work on FY00 backfill report as much as possible.

Backfilling Project Update April 10, 2001


?? Crew consisted of James, Raymond, Wilson, and Carl. Weather was good except for rain Thursday night.

?? Clay deliveries from APS in Durango were resumed. Final clay layer was put into Rooms 79 and 80, so they now are complete.

?? Conveyor was set up in Room 75 which was partially filled last summer. ?? Backfilling not possible Friday due to rain Thursday night. Nothing was tarped so Room

75 and backdirt piles are wet. ?? Friday was too wet to backfill. Backfill crew was moved to previously backfilled area in

lower East Wing which needs 1-2 inches of clay to cover the red dirt presently covering this area. Bobcat was used to level area for dumping clay into Room 37, but a buried PVC drainage pipe was hit. Most of day was spent repairing the pipe.

?? Kaisa was at Aztec from Monday thru Thursday. Field recording forms were revised with input from Gary and Beth.

?? Kaisa and Beth field checked Rooms 48, 49, 54, and 75, and Kiva G, updating room folders consistent with revised forms.

?? Gary did stabilization documentation for Room 99 which Raymond had stabilized. Established procedure for inputting stabilization data in IRMS database and updating room condition assessments in IRMS.

?? Gary updated backfill budget and checked latest CCR. ?? Arrangements made for Bobcat safety course scheduled for Monday, April 9.

Coordination with Kaisa for return trip in two weeks and for two-week session with Art Ireland from April 30-May 11.


?? Bobcat safety training on Monday. Orientation for Matthew Tso. ?? Finish backfilling Room 75. ?? Use crane to move conveyor setup to southern end of FY00 backfill area. Figure out

routine for transporting fill dirt from exterior of Room 54 to Kiva G. ?? Gary will map Kiva G, the portion of field checking that Kaisa was unable to complete

during her visit. ?? Gary will work on FY00 backfill report. ?? Beth will resume work on backlogged stabilization reports.


April 16, 2001 Accomplished last week:

?? Crew consisted of James, Raymond, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew Tso. Matthew started on Monday and was given brief orientation.


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?? Bobcat safety training session was Monday. James missed training due to Family Leave. Gary was sick on Monday and also missed. Raymond, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew passed individual behind the wheel session and will receive certification.

?? Backfilling was completed in Room 75. GEOWEB was laid along north and east walls. Clay layer was finished.

?? Scaffolding was set up outside exterior wall of Room 54 and to the west in preparation for conveyors to deliver dirt into Kiva G. Crane will be required to move conveyors from north to east side.

?? Beth worked on annual summaries of stabilization work for backlogged years. Martha assisted with some scanning.

?? Gary updated backfill budget and checked latest CCR. Will need to check some things after Matilda returns.

?? Gary made some progress on FY00 backfill report. ?? Scheduled Crane Service to assist conveyor moving on Tuesday morning. ?? Received ranking on Masonry Worker position. Gary looked over applications, but

James did not have a chance to review them. Goals for current week:

?? Apply finish coat of brown clay to FY99 backfill area which currently has conspicuous red clay.

?? Use crane to move conveyor setup to southern end of FY00 backfill area. Figure out routine for transporting fill dirt from exterior of Room 54 to Kiva G.

?? Backfill Kiva G. ?? Gary will map Kiva G, the portion of field checking that Kaisa was unable to complete

during her last visit. ?? Kaisa will be on site for second week of field checking. Beth will assist and Gary to

lesser extent. ?? Gary will work on FY00 backfill report. ?? Make Masonry Worker selection and file SF-52.



?? Crew consisted of James, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew. Raymond was on annual leave all week. Weather was good.

?? Crane was used to move conveyors from north side of West Ruin to east side. All three conveyors are needed to reach from exterior wall of Room 54 across intervening rooms to Kiva G.

?? Backfilling begun in Kiva G. ?? Brown clay was spread across entire FY99 backfill area in East Wing (except for three

second-story rooms which are not visible from outside the rooms). Area is now ready for planting native grass seed.

?? Gary mapped Kiva G prior to backfilling.


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?? Kaisa and Beth with some assistance from Gary worked on field checking architectural documentation in Room 66-82 suite and started Kiva H.

?? Gary did some work on FY00 backfill report. ?? Selected Carl for Masonry Worker position and submitted SF-52. Tried to fill Carl’s

vacating Laborer position, but first choice (Wayne Lopez) declined. Goals for current week:

?? Continue backfilling in Kiva G. ?? Gary and Beth will attend second module of Access computer class. ?? Gary will work on FY00 backfill report. ?? Beth will continue field checking and also backlogged stabilization reports. ?? Fill laborer position which Carl will vacate at end of this pay period.



?? Crew consisted of Raymond, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew. James was on annual leave all week and Raymond was on leave Friday. Gary was on annual leave Monday. Weather was good.

?? Considerable progress was made on backfilling in Kiva G. Five GEOWEB courses were laid against south wall after filling to lintel in southern recess.

?? Hydraulic leak was identified in Bobcat. Tom Growney technician stopped by on Thursday and OK’ed continued use with vigilant monitoring. He won’t be able to repair it until next week.

?? Had two loads of clay dumped, so both sand and clay are now adequately stockpiled. Good supply of pea gravel, road base, and coarse sand also on hand.

?? Gary worked on budget and FY00 backfill report. ?? Gary and Beth attended Module II of Microsoft Access database course. ?? Arranged Native American class attendance for backfill crew at MEVE next week. ?? Attempted to fill Laborer position which Carl will vacate when he starts Masonry Worker

position in PP-11. Some previous applicants have taken other jobs and there are not many options left.

?? Beth made lot of progress on backlogged stabilization reports. Martha did some additional scanning.


?? Finish backfilling in Kiva G. ?? Backfill crew will be training at MEVE on Wednesday. ?? Bobcat repair and maintenance scheduled for Monday. ?? Gary will work on budget and FY00 backfill report. ?? Beth will work on field checking and backlogged stabilization reports. ?? Art Ireland will be here until May 11 working on photodocumentation. ?? Fill laborer position which Carl will vacate at end of this pay period.


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Backfilling Project Update May 7, 2001


?? Backfill crew consisted of James, Raymond, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew. They attended Native American training class at Mesa Verde on Wednesday and Aztec Ruin seasonal training on Thursday.

?? Rain on Thursday. ?? Kiva G was finished. Final clay layer and evaporative basin was installed. ?? Rooms to east of the kiva were prepared for backfilling. ?? Hydraulic leak in Bobcat was fixed. ?? Gary worked on budget and FY00 backfill report. ?? Gary and Beth attended seasonal training session on Friday when Pete McKenna toured

East Ruin and Aztec North. ?? Art Ireland spent first week on photodocumentation. ?? Beth worked mainly with Art on photomodeling and some photodoc, as well as some

progress on backlogged stabilization reports. Goals for current week:

?? Install drainage run thru Rooms 48, 49, and 54. ?? Backfill Room 49. ?? Gary will work on budget and FY00 backfill report. ?? Beth will work on field checking and backlogged stabilization report during first part of

week. ?? Beth is scheduled for shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for remainder of

week. ?? Art Ireland will perform another week of photodocumentation. ?? Still need to fill laborer position which Carl vacates on Monday when he begins Masonry

Worker position.

Backfilling Project Update May 14, 2001


?? Backfill crew consisted of Raymond, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew. Matthew was off one day and James assisted intermittently. New archeologist Brian Culpepper worked with the backfill crew on Thursday afternoon.

?? Rooms 48, 49, and 54 were filled to first-story door sills and PVC drainage system was partially installed. Several additional lifts were filled into Room 49, along with Geoweb along south wall.

?? One of the 20-ft conveyors broke down and required removal to the maintenance shop for repairs.

?? Gary worked on budget and FY00 backfill report. ?? Archeological monitoring was done by Gary for Farmers Ditch culvert and headgate

repairs done with backhoe on Friday.


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?? Art Ireland spent second week on photodocumentation. He completed most of the rooms between the FY00 documentation area and the Interpretive Trail. He is finished for now, but may be available again in late July or late August.

?? Beth worked on backlogged stabilization reports first part of week before her surgery Wednesday and recuperation for remainder of week.


?? Continue backfilling in Rooms 48, 49, and 54. ?? Gary will work on budget and FY00 backfill report. ?? Still need to fill vacant laborer position.


May 21, 2001

Backfill crew consisted of Raymond, Wilson, Carl, and Matthew. Weather was good all week. Backfilling in Rooms 48 and 49 was completed, with Geoweb along south wall in both rooms and east in Room 48. Doorway 48/54 was blocked with vertical drain to increase fill level above door lentils and avoid steep slope into Room 54 (see SOW). Drainage was extended thru east wall in Room 54. Gary monitored wall perforation and excavation beyond exterior wall where some original ground surface was scraped to lay pipe. Extra effort was made to raise pipe and avoid original ground disturbance. Worked on logistics and JSA for backfilling project. Covered orientation for the project with Gary, along with various personnel and technical aspects. First area in FY01 SOW was toured and discussed in detail. Spent half day looking at Aztec north sites with Gary. Gary worked on budget and FY00 backfill report. Dummy account should be zeroed out once few remaining charges clear and all backfilling expenses to date put into 7380-0002-CCS and photo logs for FY00 backfill report. Beth was off all week recovering from surgery on her shoulder. Three applications for vacant backfill position were received from San Juan College.


June 8, 2001 Backfill crew consisted of Carl, Raymond, Wilson, Matthew, and the newest member - Darwin Ellison. Darwin began work on June 4. Scaffold was setup in Rooms 82, 83 and 84. On May 25, I shut down backfill operation due to safety concerns of inadequate, damaged, and incomplete scaffold. Had crew remove scaffold


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then dispose of damaged and incomplete SAFEWAY scaffold. Only the WACO RED frame scaffold will be used until scaffold from Chaco can be borrowed and new tube and clamp can be purchased. In the meantime (5/28 - 6/6), the crew applied sacrificial coping (unamended mortar) to the base of walls in all backfilled rooms. Also, crew began sealing Doorway 66/67. Stone used was scavenged from the floors of various rooms. Completion is expected the week of 6/11. Preparations for resuming backfilling began this week. WACO RED Scaffold (some borrowed from Chaco) will be erected during the week of 6/11 thru the 6/15 and conveyers will be set in place. I changed the FY 2001 scope of work for the drainage of rooms 65,66,82,83,84. Instead of tying into the drainpipe extending from the east wall of Room 84, the rooms will drain north into the French drain. This required perforating a hole in Room 82. I documented and monitored the perforation and took mortar samples. The drainpipe in Room 84 will now change direction and reach the surface for use as a clean-out and be capped. A ninety degree fitting will facilitate the change in direction. The drainpipe in Room 84 enters the room too high. Thus construction of the drain system as outlined in the FY01 SOW might not work effectively in the long run requiring too frequent maintenance or simply fail due to unnecessarily complicated series of connections. The modification simplifies the system and hopefully will require less maintenance in the future and be easier to clean. A crane is expected Friday (6/15) @ 9:00 am to move the larger gas and electric conveyers into place. 3' x 4' x 3" Polystyrene was purchased to limit the impact of conveyer vibration when resting on door sills. 8 - 16' and 2 - 12' (2x12) scaffolding planks were purchased. They meet OSHA standards. Also purchased were kneepads and a new tamper.


July 30, 2001 Crew consisted of Raymond, Carl, Matthew (in part), Wilson, and Darwin. Chose not to use crane to move conveyor anymore. Figured out a way to do it safely with the Bobcat. Doorway 66/67 was sealed on 6/12. Crew setup scaffold (some borrowed from Chaco) the week of 6/11. Finished backfilling Rooms 65, 66, 82, 83, 84 last week (7/27). Work began June 18.


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Required borrowing three 10’ electric conveyors and some scaffolding from Chaco to reach Rooms 65 and 66. Geoweb was placed in Room 66. In the last month, the 21’ conveyor (yellow) broke 3 times. 1st burned out bearings = replaced bearings and sprocket. 2nd shaft bent = replaced 1/2'” shaft w/ 5/8” (new bearings, shaft, sprocket). 3rd belt worn = replaced with heavy duty belt. The 25’ conveyor (red) broke twice (sprocket worn and structural bar required welding) Perforated hole in Room 82 which was a modification of the scope-of-work. On July 25, excavated one meter past north wall exterior 30 cm wide to a depth of 30 cm. No artifacts encountered. Excess dirt from backfill operations has raised the ground surface approximately 10 cm. above previous ground surface along northeast side of north wall. Did not contact aboriginal ground surface. Dirt below present ground surface appears to 20th C, possibly as a result of previous stabilization staging outside North Wall or from later work. Began digital photo documentation of backfill operations. Took 55 still photos and two 15 second .mpg videos with the park's Sony Mavica. Terminated Matthew Tso on July 17 for insubordination. Today, 7/30, his replacement, Douglas Norberto, reported for work. Douglas, nephew of Raymond and son-in-law to the late Harry Etcitty, is a 30-day emergency hire. Will probably extend him 60 days to September 30. Began setting up scaffolding today to backfill Rooms 90, 91, and 92. Anticipate resuming backfilling operations on Friday starting with Room 92.

Backfilling Project Update August 10, 2001

Crew consisted of Raymond, Carl, Darwin, and Douglas. On July 30, began setting up scaffolding in Rooms 90, 91, and 92. On August 3, Carl Raymond and Brian removed scaffolding because it wasn’t a safe set-up (too high) for the crew. Ordered tube and clamp type scaffold. If new scaffolding arrives this, crew will start backfilling next week beginning with room 92. In the meantime, the crew re-organized preservation shed (8/6) and will began stabilization work. Anticipate crew completing stabilization in rooms 94 and 95, and Kivas J and H soon. Until new scaffold arrives, assorted other stabilization work will include resetting lattillas removed for sampling by Tom Windes and cleaning drainages clogged with sediment in throughout the west wing of the West Ruin. Offered Douglas Norberto’s services for noxious weed eradication. He will work with Marcia Tuesday thru Friday of this week, provided that Darwin and Wilson are present each day.


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Backfilling Project Update September 6, 2001

Crew consisted of Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Wilson Trujillo, Darwin Ellison, and Douglas Norberto. Terminated Wilson Trujillo’s employment for theft of government property on August 22 (official on August 23) for stealing an instrument panel from a Chevy van in the vehicle (Chaco's) boneyard in the maintenance area. No plans to hire someone in Wilson’s position. If Wilson hadn’t screwed-up, I was planning to run the backfill operation until November 2, 2001 (end of pp23). So the new date for the end of the backfill season will be September 21, 2001. That will be Douglas Norberto’s last day. Carl Jim, Darwin Ellison, and myself will go to Canyon de Chelly on September 23 to backfill rooms 42 and 47, (two small kivas) at Antelope House. I anticipate that the work will take five days. Raymond will stay behind and began backfill operations cleanup. Scaffolding did not arrive until August 23 (2 weeks late). In the meantime, crew completed prebackfilling stabilization in West Ruin rooms 94, 95, 96, 110, 114, Kivas J and H. Darwin did an outstanding job in the documentation process. Plans to reset lattillas removed for sampling by Tom Windes changed in the Winter. Crew cleaned the drainages all over the West Ruin on August 9 and 10 (I was at Pecos conference in Flagstaff). Over the weekend, the Aztec area received heavy rainfall (as did Flagstaff). On Monday August 13, I noticed that the silt boxes put in place during the FY99 backfilling silted up over the weekend from the heavy rains. All of the rooms in the East Wing up to Rooms 92-90 have been seeded. Resumed backfilling operation with scaffolding set-up using the new tube and clamp on August 24. Crew consisting of Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Darwin Ellison, and Douglas Norberto. Began backfilling room 92 on August 27. Completed backfilling rooms 92, 91, and 90 on September 4, except for geotex, enkamat, final clay layer, and drain boxes. Plan to build scaffold across Rooms 92, 91, and 90 next year to reach Kiva H and interstitial spaces. Chose not to complete final course because spilled fill dirt from conveyors would fall on top of clay layer next year and also possibly clog drain boxes. Perforated hole in north wall of room 90 on September 4. Began set-up of scaffolding to backfill rooms 93, 94, and 95 on September 5. Completed scaffolding set-up for those rooms on September 6 and will resume backfilling on September 10.


September 21, 2001

Crew consisted of Raymond Torrivio, Carl Jim, Darwin Ellison, and Douglas Norberto.


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Events of September 11th has everyone in the country and the NPS wigging out. Doesn't seem to have affected crew much but they like to watch the news at lunch now. Resumed backfilling Rooms 93, 94, and 95 on 9/10. Completed backfilling Rooms 93, 94, and 95 on 9/19 except for geotex, enkamat, final clay layer, and drain boxes. Plan to build scaffold across Rooms 93, 94, and 95 next year to reach Kiva J and interstitial spaces J-I and J-2 around kivas. Chose not to complete final layer until next year because spill fill dirt from conveyors would fall on top of clay layer and possibly clog drain boxes. Plan is to complete final layer in Rooms 91 thru 95 AFTER Kivas H and J and Rooms 68, H-1, H-2, J-1, and J-2 are completed. On 9/19 removed scaffold and broke operation down for the winter. Perforated hole for PVC drainage in Room 93 on 9/17. Will travel to Canyon de Chelly on 9/23 to backfill Rooms 42 and 47 at Antelope House. Carl and Darwin will meet me there on 9/23. Raymond will stay behind and begin maintenance and cleanup of backfill equipment.

Documents

Backfilling Completion Report for FY2001 Aztec Ruins ... · River near the modern town of Aztec, New Mexico. Aztec Ruins was built after the primary fluorescence at Chaco Canyon,