Tomb 1-05 Restoration and Consolidation. Part 1: Reasons for....

When PAPAC finally accessed Tomb 1-05 (in July of 2005) we discovered that the west wall was completely collapsed--probably due to a combination of failing wall niches and earthquake activity. As a result of this collapse the tomb floor was covered with two meters of earth and rubble, originally part of the matrix into which the tomb was dug. So there, three meters underground we had to figure out how to remove hundreds of buckets of debris. The narrow formal entrance to the tomb proved an awkward and slow route for removal, so we employed another route. Before accessing the tomb we uncovered a sunken and hollowed area above and outside of the tomb compartment. Initially we imagined that this might be the remnant of looting activity, which left us slightly crestfallen that hard work and loads of time might reveal a looted chamber. After further thinking, however, we realized that the sunken and hollow features were the result of a wall collapse below. Ultimately we made the best of complex circumstances: we decided to begin excavation from above and outside the tomb, digging down through the sunken rubble until we were actually inside the tomb chamber. The subsequent hole or accessway can be viewed in several pictures on this website. The process of excavating down to the floor was difficult and dangerous because the tomb walls and vault had come to be supported by the collapse debris. In fact, when the archaeologist Ramon Carrasco (Calakmul, Mexico) visited the tomb he warned that removal of all of the collapse might bring several tons of rock down upon us. Heeding the warnings of Don Ramon and others we decided to consolidate and brace the walls, vault, and niches as we excavated down to the floor. After excavating half of the broken southwestern niche, for example, we chose to fill the empty space with a cement mezcla. This effectively served to keep the west side of the split vault from crashing down on us, and after placing wood braces and replacing lost mortar throughout the tomb interior, we felt much safer. Today the tomb is completely excavated, pollen samples have been taken from the tomb floor, the painted stucco on the walls has been treated, and pest activity (snakes, rats, tarantulas, and crickets) has been kept to a minimum. We have drawn every square centimeter of the tomb architecture, photographed and even digitally reconstructed it, and are engaged in analyses of the artifacts and data. The question now is: What happens to the tomb? Will it be opened for tourism or reburied until some later date? After numerous discussions with the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History and with archaeologists and conservators from Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and the U.S., we have decided that it is best to consolidate, preliminarily restore, and then rebury the tomb. While those involved in the discussions--and others--hate to see such a rare find removed from public view, the risks posed to the longterm integrity of the tomb are great due to its location in a largely unprotected area of the Copan National Archaeological Park. Thus, we are beginning restoration and consolidation of Tomb 1-05 so that it may be reburied this calendar year. For details on how this is being done, see my next blog.