Chetro Ketl Painted Wood Records
Collection
Identifier: Coll 0004
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents:
Gordon Vivian's records documenting the analysis and writing of the report. Includes correspondence, memos, draft reports, drawings, maps, black & white and color prints and negatives, and card files.
Gordon Vivian's records documenting the analysis and writing of the report. Includes correspondence, memos, draft reports, drawings, maps, black & white and color prints and negatives, and card files.
Dates
- 1947-1978
Creator
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Agency : U.S.) (Organization)
Biographical / Historical
Biographical/Historical:
In August 1947, a heavy rainstorm created a new channel that carried water directly into Chetro Ketl, flooding several lower rooms, weakening wall bases, and collapsing a major section of the back wall. The Ruin Stabilization Unit crew, under the direction of R. Gordon Vivian, began emergency work to prevent further wall collapse. In November 1947, work began in Room 93. It was decided to excavate the upper room to relieve the weight on the lower room walls. In the dry layer about 10 inches above the floor, an assemblage of approximately 200 artifacts, mostly fragments of carved and painted wood, were uncovered. Gordon Vivian requested assistance from his son, Gwinn Vivian, in excavating this collection. The artifacts are in the park's museum collection (Accession 10). In 1958, Gordon Vivian, based at the NPS Southwestern Archeological Center (SWAC), and with the assistance of Dulce Dodgen, began work on a descriptive report. Gordon Vivian died in 1966, before the report was completed. NPS archaeologists Jon and Karen Young began work on the collection and the report, but that work was halted when SWAC was moved to Tucson in 1971. In 1972, the NPS contracted with the Arizona State Museum (R. Gwinn Vivian, principal investigator) for the completion of the report. In 1972, C. Randall Morrison organized data and worked on the comparative sections of the report. Gayle Hartman was employed in 1974 to edit the manuscript, and assist in the final research and writing phases.
In August 1947, a heavy rainstorm created a new channel that carried water directly into Chetro Ketl, flooding several lower rooms, weakening wall bases, and collapsing a major section of the back wall. The Ruin Stabilization Unit crew, under the direction of R. Gordon Vivian, began emergency work to prevent further wall collapse. In November 1947, work began in Room 93. It was decided to excavate the upper room to relieve the weight on the lower room walls. In the dry layer about 10 inches above the floor, an assemblage of approximately 200 artifacts, mostly fragments of carved and painted wood, were uncovered. Gordon Vivian requested assistance from his son, Gwinn Vivian, in excavating this collection. The artifacts are in the park's museum collection (Accession 10). In 1958, Gordon Vivian, based at the NPS Southwestern Archeological Center (SWAC), and with the assistance of Dulce Dodgen, began work on a descriptive report. Gordon Vivian died in 1966, before the report was completed. NPS archaeologists Jon and Karen Young began work on the collection and the report, but that work was halted when SWAC was moved to Tucson in 1971. In 1972, the NPS contracted with the Arizona State Museum (R. Gwinn Vivian, principal investigator) for the completion of the report. In 1972, C. Randall Morrison organized data and worked on the comparative sections of the report. Gayle Hartman was employed in 1974 to edit the manuscript, and assist in the final research and writing phases.
Extent
1930 items
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arrangement/Organization:
Organized into eight series:
Series 001: Project Phase A - 1947-1948, R. Gordon Vivian
Series 002: Project Phase B - 1963-1967, Dulce N. Dodgen
Series 003: Project Phase C - 1968-1971, Karen and Jon Young
Series 004: Project Phase D - 1972, C. Randall Morrison
Series 005: Project Phase E - 1974-1977, R. Gwinn Vivian
Series 006: Dendro Analysis of Rooms 92-93, Chetro Ketl
Series 007: Report
Series 008: Maps
Arrangement: Series 001-006 arranged by R. Gwinn Vivian prior to donating the records to the National Park Service.
Organized into eight series:
Series 001: Project Phase A - 1947-1948, R. Gordon Vivian
Series 002: Project Phase B - 1963-1967, Dulce N. Dodgen
Series 003: Project Phase C - 1968-1971, Karen and Jon Young
Series 004: Project Phase D - 1972, C. Randall Morrison
Series 005: Project Phase E - 1974-1977, R. Gwinn Vivian
Series 006: Dendro Analysis of Rooms 92-93, Chetro Ketl
Series 007: Report
Series 008: Maps
Arrangement: Series 001-006 arranged by R. Gwinn Vivian prior to donating the records to the National Park Service.
Provenance
Provenance: R. Gwinn Vivian
Creator
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Agency : U.S.) (Organization)
- Vivian, R. Gordon, 1908-1966 (Person)
- Vivian, R. Gwinn, 1935-2022 (Person)
- Title
- Finding Aid for Chetro Ketl Painted Wood Records
- Subtitle
- Coll 0004
- Author
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park, National Park Service
- Date
- 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the NPS Chaco Culture National Historical Park Repository
Contact:
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA
Chaco Culture NHP & Aztec Ruins NM Museum & Archives Program
Hibben Center Rm 307 - MSC01 1050
450 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque NM 87106 USA