Conservation Technology
Conservation methods have changed drastically over the last several decades, as the understanding of materials and impacts (weather, geologic, etc.) have become better understood––and understood from the standpoint of a single dynamic. In other words, all impacts and forces are studied as a whole rather than an attempt to treat a single problem, which too often results in creating other, more extreme, problems. Conservators, archaeologists, and architects now approach preservation from the standpoint of diagnosis and treating the underlying cause rather than simply reacting to the symptom. The modern architectural conservation movement is largely credited to the late Morgan W. Phillips, whose national and international work is well known throughout the scientific community. Indeed, Morgan is credited with coining the term 'architectural conservator.'Stabilization is a cyclic process that typically recurs every 5-7 years, but often it is much longer. It involves repointing the mortar joints to stabilize the stone, protecting the integrity and original fabric of the structure. Every site tailors its own mortar mix and there are a variety of mortar types that can be used, ranging from cements to polymer amenders to true adobe mortar. At Gran Quivira, the pueblo and kiva structures originally consisted of a very high-ash mortar that frequently contain potsherds and animal bone––obviously made from midden material with some clay mixed in, although for the most part it is very loose and friable. The historic period mortar (in the Spanish churches and convento) is markedly different: primarily consisting of a high clay-lime soil known locally as 'caliche'.
