This paper presents the inspection, diagnosis and monitoring activities conducted at the Wupatki Pueblo in Arizona, USA, to assess the conservation state and performance of this archaeological site, which has been exposed to increasingly harsh environmental conditions. On-site inspections, including visual damage surveys and non-destructive testing, revealed that the archaeological remains – masonry walls consisting of sandstone units laid with earth-based mortars – experience severe degradation phenomena, posing risks to their structural stability and long-term durability. These findings underscored the need for an in-depth study of the walls’ hygrothermal behaviour to understand how environmental fluctuations in temperature and moisture affect the performance of the masonry. To avoid invasive testing on the archaeological remains, four test walls were built nearby the site, using representative materials and building system, namely earth-based mortar prepared from a locally sourced soil and sandstone units from the Moenkopi formation obtained from a local quarry. During construction, temperature and moisture sensors were embedded into the mortar joints to enable continuous monitoring of the hygrothermal conditions. Data are being collected over a 2-year period and are expected to allow the characterisation of the masonry’s response to local environmental conditions, which are concurrently monitored by an on-site weather station. Regular visual inspections are also being conducted to monitor surface degradation.
Gambilongo et al. (Wed,) studied this question.