Notes on Excavations in the Aztec Ruin

This report by Earl H. Morris summarizes his observations and interpretations of excavated rooms at Aztec West Ruin between 1916 and 1922. To quote Morris' introduction to the monograph "In compiling these notes, it was the desire of the writer to set down each and every condition observed that might aid in explaining the building of the pueblo, the cycle of its inhabitation, and the agencies of its destruction, and make possible the reconstruction of at least the cultural history of those who found shelter within its walls. In places the notes are meager; in others, perhaps too voluminous. Some meet the writer's approval; others fall far short; and always there is the haunting thought that the details which might have been of most significance escaped attention altogether" (Morris 1928:267).