Composition and interpretation of stratified deposits in ancestral Hopi villages at Homol’ovi

During more than 20 years excavating in five of the seven ancestral Hopi villages comprising the Homol'ovi Settlement Cluster in northeastern Arizona, an incredible diversity of depositional practices has been noted within and outside structures. This paper focuses on one particular class of deposits unique in its use of ash either as part of the composition of deposits or as caps to deep, complex deposits. The association of ash with ritual structures, rare or unusual objects, and structural fires is explored and explained as likely tied to purification ritual and attempts to forget the past. Recognition of these deposits was possible through a systematic study of stratigraphic patterns among all excavation units.National Science Foundation [0135492]; Earthwatch Institute; NSF; Earthwatch; Earthwatch's Student Challenge Award Program (SCAP); SCAP; Earthwatch's SCAP program; Arizona State Museum; Wenner-Gren; numerous NSF dissertation improvement grants12 month embargo; published online: 25 October 2014This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu