Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde

A phased program to develop coordinated methods for the survey, analysis, stabilization, and interpretation of the masonry and architectural surface finishes in the cliff dwellings.

This project has been developed by the Architectural Conservation Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania with funding from The Getty Grant Program, National Park Service, Colorado Historical Society, The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Ballantine Family Fund. The program is based on a fourfold approach including:

Archival research into the published and unpublished archaeological reports and field notes on the masonry and finishes as-found and their conditions during and after excavation.
Technical analysis and characterization of selected samples using standard wet-chemical, microscopical, and instrumental analytical techniques.
Detailed recording of existing conditions and monitoring of site conditions.
Design, testing, and execution of a treatment program specifically focused on the in situ stabilization of plain and symbolic architectural surface finishes.