The Bioarchaeology of Individuals

2. The Magician: An Ancestral Hopi Leader

11 2 d  The Magician An Ancestral Hopi Leader Jill E. Neitzel Individual Profile Site: Ridge Ruin (AR-03-04-02-885; also NA 1785) Location: Approximately 30 km east of Flagstaff, Arizona Cultural Affiliation: Elden phase Sinagua, ancestral Hopi, early Pueblo III Date: A.D. 1150–1175, based on decorated ceramics and tree-ring dates Feature: Burial 16 Location of Grave: Room 13, subfloor Burial and Grave Type: A single primary inhumation extended in an approximately 1 m deep oval pit covered with log roof Associated Materials: 613 cataloged objects Preservation and Completeness: Skeleton—almost complete, fair preservation with most elements fragmentary; Teeth—4 missing, good preservation Age at Death and Basis of Estimate: Approximately 35 years, based on dentition Sex and Basis of Determination: Male, probably based on pelvis morphology Conditions Observed: Very tall, cradleboard modification of skull, enamel hypoplasia, antemortem tooth loss, periodontal disease, healed forearm fracture, arthritis of jaw and ankles Specialized Analysis: None Excavated: 1939, Museum of Northern Arizona; project directed by John C. McGregor Archaeological Report: McGregor 1941, 1943 Current Disposition: Curated at Museum of Northern Arizona; repatriation and reburial being negotiated by representatives of the Hopi tribe, the Coconino National Forest, and the Museum of Northern Arizona 12 · Jill E. Neitzel A burial from the site of Ridge Ruin in northern Arizona is renowned among archaeologists who work in the U.S. Southwest. When excavated in 1939, the grave was found to be one of the richest ever documented in the region. Because the mortuary offerings included ritual artifacts similar to those used by the Hopi in a sleight-of-hand ceremony, the interred man was named “the Magician .” Physical anthropologists have studied the Magician’s skeleton, and both archaeologists and Hopi cultural advisers have analyzed his associated grave goods. These numerous and unusual artifacts are the primary reason why Ridge Ruin and its surrounding sites were nominated to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The nomination described Ridge Ruin as being associated with the Magician, who met the National Register criterion of being a significant individual in the nation’s past. Ridge Ruin and the Magician’s Discovery Ridge Ruin is a small pueblo located in the Coconino National Forest, approximately 30 km east of Flagstaff, Arizona (figure 2.1). Built on a low hill, the site offers a panoramic view of the surrounding region, with the most visible landmark being the San Francisco Peaks, which are sacred to the Hopi. Dating to the Elden phase (A.D. 1100–1200) of the Sinagua cultural tradition, Ridge Ruin consists of roughly 20 ground-floor rooms, some of which once had a second story (figure 2.1). Other notable features include a raised platform; two rock enclosures ; several small plazas; rooms with fancy masonry similar to that found in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico; and two earlier ball courts at the base of the hill. Ridge Ruin was excavated in the spring of 1939 by the Museum of Northern Arizona under a grant from the Works Projects Administration (WPA) (McGregor 1941). Project personnel included director John C. McGregor, field foreman Milton Wetherill, and a WPA crew of roughly 50 men. They completely excavated three rooms, tested along the walls of several more down to their floors, and exposed the tops of the remaining rooms’ walls. The project also tested the two ball courts and several trash mounds. The Magician’s burial was uncovered beneath the floor of a trash-filled room located just off the north side of the pueblo (figure 2.1). The room’s excavation began with the removal of the trash and the discovery of a ventilator and two parrot skeletons, possibly of Mesoamerican origin (Creel and McKusick 1994). Thinking that the work was done, McGregor (1941) tentatively identified the room as a ceremonial chamber or kiva. Luckily, when Wetherill was cleaning up, he noticed that the middle of the floor seemed disturbed (McGregor 1987, n.d.). Closer examination revealed several painted sticks just below the surface, The Magician: An Ancestral Hopi Leader · 13 and further testing uncovered a collapsed log roof above an oval pit. Inside the approximately 1 m deep pit was an extended skeleton accompanied by lavish grave goods. The burial was carefully excavated the next day by Wetherill and James Kewanwytewa , a Hopi Indian employed by the Museum of Northern Arizona (McGregor 1987, n.d.). After being mapped, photographed, and inventoried Figure 2.1...