Perishable: Cornhusk Container AZRU8-1398

Cornhusk Container, Accession AZRU-00008, Catalog #1398. Morris FS 3698. Analyzed by Laurie Webster, 2006. Small, flattened cornhusk container in a framework of wrapped and knotted yucca strips. Round in outline. Object contains a small bundle of prepared yucca fiber and an unidentified gray-green leafy material, all tied together with an overhand? knot. Measurements: L 14.0, W 12.5 CM (Flattened). Images: AZRU8-1398 A: cornhusk container in framework of yucca strips. AZRU8-1398 B: close-up of yucca fiber and unidentified plant material inside the container. AZRU8-1398 C: other face showing yucca fiber bundle at upper right. AZRU8-1398 D: slightly different view. Recovered from Earl Morris' excavation of Room 136-2, Aztec West Ruin. Earl Morris’ description of Room 136-2 at the time of excavation is as follows: “A great quantity of Mesa Verde refuse had been cast into Room 136-2 and evenly distributed, its upper limit being nearly level at a height of 3½ feet from the floor. There was a predominant proportion of organic matter, mostly vegetable, and owing to the air space afforded by the open room beneath (Room 147) and to the 5 to 10 feet of debris above, preservation of perishable, objects was practically perfect, except in the upper 3 to 6 inches which had been moistened by rain water before the ceilings above gave way…At the center of the room, beginning 1½ feet from the floor, was about one-half cubic yard of corn tassels (Fig. 24). The tips of the plants had been broken off and tied into bouquet-shaped bundles, as flowers might be…” (Morris 1928:380).
Reference: Earl Morris, 1928, Notes on Excavations in the Aztec Ruin, Volume XXVI, Part V, Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, New York.

玉米壳容器，馆藏号AZRU-00008，目录号1398，标本号Morris FS 3698。2006年由劳里·韦伯斯特（Laurie Webster）完成分析。

该器物为小型扁平状玉米壳容器，以捆绑打结的丝兰条作为框架，整体轮廓呈圆形。容器内装有一小捆预处理丝兰纤维，以及一种未鉴定的灰绿色叶状材料，所有物品均以疑似单结（overhand knot）捆绑固定。

尺寸：长14.0厘米，宽12.5厘米（扁平状态下）。

影像资料：AZRU8-1398 A：带有丝兰条框架的玉米壳容器；AZRU8-1398 B：容器内部丝兰纤维与未鉴定植物材料的特写；AZRU8-1398 C：器物另一面，右上角可见丝兰纤维束；AZRU8-1398 D：略有不同的视角影像。

该器物出自厄尔·莫里斯（Earl Morris）对阿兹特克西遗址（Aztec West Ruin）136-2号房址的发掘遗存。

厄尔·莫里斯在发掘时对136-2号房址的描述如下："大量梅萨维德（Mesa Verde）废弃堆积被倾倒进136-2号房址并均匀分布，堆积上限距房址地面约3.5英尺，近乎平整。堆积中有机物质占比极高，且以植物类有机质为主。由于下方连通的147号房址提供了空气空间，加之上方覆盖有5至10英尺的堆积层，易腐朽遗物的保存状态近乎完美，仅上方3至6英寸的堆积层因在顶部天花板坍塌前遭雨水浸湿而受损……房址中心距地面1.5英尺处，堆积有约0.5立方码的玉米雄穗（图24）。这些玉米植株的穗尖被折断，被捆扎成花束状的束捆，如同鲜花束一般。"（莫里斯1928：380）

参考文献：厄尔·莫里斯，1928年，《阿兹特克遗址发掘笔记》，第26卷第5部分，美国自然历史博物馆人类学论文集，纽约。