Perishable: Yucca Coil AMNH 29.0/9490

Yucca Coil, Accession AMNH29.0, Catalog #9490. Morris FS 2974. Analyzed by Laurie Webster, 2006. Coiled and wrapped yucca strips. Image: AMNH 29.0/9490A: small coil of yucca leaves. Recovered from Earl Morris' excavation of Room 139, Aztec West Ruin. Earl Morris’ description of Room 139 at the time of excavation is as follows: “When the writer broke through the veneer of masonry which sealed the north side of the door leading into Room 139 from Room 143, the condition of the ceiling dictated a hasty retreat. The supports were of cedar instead of pine. Evidently realizing the brittleness of this kind of wood, the builders spanned the room with two pairs of logs, each pair taking the place of the customary single beam of pine. On the floor of the room was dry refuse with a fairly large admixture of vegetable substance. This refuse was very rich in specimens.” (Morris 1928:366) 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.