Site Mapping and Modeling Project

For this project, challenge grant students assisted in the refinement of the main site plan. Exposed walls were mapped with an edm/theodolite and the resulting mapping data were entered into a digital mapping program. The students also integrated information from all of the excavation areas for the calculation of a digital terrain model of the original occupation surface.

 

1997 Map of Homol'ovi I

Earthwatch Challenge Grant Team Members located and mapped rooms of the northern roomblock.

---

This image shows the current shape of the ruin of Homol'ovi I. The main research question for this project was "how much of this hill is a cultural construction, and how much of the topography is a natural formation?" To answer this question, team members combed three years worth of excavation notes, to find data on the depth at which each test unit found non-cultural or "sterile" soils. Each excavation unit which had encountered these deposits were mapped in a three dimensional modeling program to calculate the original surface topography.

The resulting model showed that much of the modern hill surface is a cultural construction. The southern room block sits on top of a 1 to 2 meter thick layer of cultural trash and fill, probably built to avoid the occasional flooding from the Little Colorado River.

In calculating the model of the occupation surface, the team members created a surface to be used for the rendering of a three dimensional model of the prehistoric village. These images show how this surface is being used in the development of interactive media to show park visitors a clearer picture of prehistoric life at Homol'ovi.

Conjectural Reconstruction of Homol'ovi I

Homol'ovi I, The kiva in the northwest part of the plaza is Structure 901.

Return to Challenge Grant Index