Site: LA102879 - The Maestas Homestead

maestas site overview

Figure 1.The Maestas site overview looking southwest.

Maestas site overview nw

Figure 2. The Maestas site overview looking northwest.

maestas rooftop view

Figure 3. The Maestas site view of the roof construction.

maestas beam and wall

Figure 4. Wall abutment and masonry in the northwest corner of Room 2.

maestas room abuts

Figure 5. Wall abutment of Room 3 against Room 1.

maestas jacal wall const

Figure 6. Milled-lumber and adobe construction in Room 3.

Description

LA 102879, the Maestas Homestead, is a three-room adobe-and-masonry structure on the west side of the mesa (Figures 15 and 16). The two central rooms were constructed of sandstone and mortar in a single rectangular unit. A flat roof was supported by primary timbers (Figures 17 and 18). Room 3, the addition, was appended onto the east side of the two-room core (Figure 19 and 20) and used both milled lumber and adobe in the construction. The architecture, bonded and abutted walls, indicates that the core was built as a unit and Room 3 added later.

We collected 21 samples from the homestead, five from Room 1, seven from Room 2, and nine from Room 3. The species selection included 17 pinyon, two ponderosa, one juniper, and one oak (Quercus spp.). We derived 19 dates from the structure¡ªthe only samples that did not yield dates were the oak and juniper specimens. Unfortunately, only two cutting dates were identified (BBM-192, BBM-214). All five samples from Room 1 dated and range from 1863++vv to 1916vv (n=2). Five of the samples from Room 2 yielded dates, including a 1919v comp cutting date and two 1920vv noncutting dates. These dates, combined with the architecture, indicate that Rooms 1 and 2 were built in 1920, probably in the spring before all the trees had initiated growth. All nine samples from Room 3 dated, including a 1926B comp cutting date (BBM-214) from a vertical wall post. Because all the other Room 3 dates are vv dates, and the cutting date is the latest date, we infer that Room 3 was added to the structure core in 1926, probably in the fall or winter.

Site Number LTRR # Species Proven Function Inside Date Inside Symbol Outside Date Outside Symbol
LA102879 BBM-212 PNN Room 1 Loose log 1680 P 1916 vv
LA102879 BBM-208 PP Room 1 Roof Primary 1706   1875 +vv
LA102879 BBM-209 PP Room 1 Roof Primary 1675   1863 ++vv
LA102879 BBM-210 PNN Room 1 Roof Primary 1791   1916 vv
LA102879 BBM-211 PNN Room 1 Roof Primary 1621 P 1907 ++vv
LA102879 BBM-190 PNN Room 2 Roof Primary 1716 P 1920 vv
LA102879 BBM-191 PNN Room 2 Roof Primary 1721   1920 vv
LA102879 BBM-192 PNN Room 2 Roof Primary 1725   1919 v comp
LA102879 BBM-193 OAK Room 2 Roof Primary NO DATE      
LA102879 BBM-194 PNN Room 2 Room 2 Door jamb 1710   1917 vv
LA102879 BBM-195 PNN Room 2 Room 2 Door jamb 1755 P 1890 ++vv
LA102879 BBM-196 JUN Room 2 Room 2 Door jamb NO DATE      
LA102879 BBM-197 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1817   1923 +vv
LA102879 BBM-198 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1707 P 1922 +vv
LA102879 BBM-199 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1764   1882 ++vv
LA102879 BBM-200 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1710   1924 vv
LA102879 BBM-213 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1732   1922 vv
LA102879 BBM-214 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1695   1926 B comp
LA102879 BBM-215 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1725   1923 +vv
LA102879 BBM-216 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1867   1922 vv
LA102879 BBM-217 PNN Room 3 Vertical Wall Post 1784 P 1920 vv