![]() | Preliminary report on the 1937 excavations, Bc 50-51, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, with some distributional analyses | ![]() |
Section A
Introductory
Excavation Methods.—These were essentially as described for
Bc 50. The excavations were under the general supervision of Kluckhohn
and the laboratory work under that of Hawley. Hibben was in
immediate charge of the excavation of rooms and Senter of refuse
mound excavation. Wesley Bliss did the photography and mapping.
James Ford acted as recorder and William Mulloy as a general assistant.
Robert Lister assisted in the laboratory.
The Site.—The position of Bc 51 with reference to Bc 50 is shown
on Map 1[1]
and Plate 1. Mound Bc 51 is about 100 yards from the cliff
on the west side of the wash from the rincon. Before excavation, the
mound averaged about 6′ in height, was roughly 150′ long and 40′ wide.
The south end was overlapped by a small outwash fan from a point of
the cliff so that the south end of the mound was only about 4′ above
the general ground level while the north end was about 7′ above the
ground level. The walls did not show very clearly above the surface,
but several depressions, indicating kivas, stood out plainly. Room 1
was largely excavated during the 1936 season. Otherwise the surface
of the mound did not appear to have been disturbed.
Nineteen rooms and 6 kivas were completely or partially excavated.
There are clear indications of a number of rooms which were
not excavated. Substructures of Bc 51 appeared only at the very end
of the season and a detailed report on them is not possible without
further excavation. It may be said, however, that in addition to pithouses
found in the lower levels of the refuse deposits there were indications
of a portion of a pithouse below level 10 in room 1 and that
definite masonry substructures appeared below rooms 16, 17, 22, and
23.
![]() | Preliminary report on the 1937 excavations, Bc 50-51, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, with some distributional analyses | ![]() |