REPORT OP THE SECRETARY. 59 



of the canyon, making access to the ruins easy. These ladders follow 

 the Indian trails, formed of foot holes cut in the perpendicular walls 

 of the cliff. 



One of the most interesting results of work in July, 1920, was 

 the excavation of a tower situated in the cedars about a mile north 

 of Spruce-tree Camp, and described in 1892 by Baron G. Norden- 

 skiold. This tower, which will in the future be called Cedar-tree 

 Tower, enlarges our knowledge of the use of towers, as it is a type 

 of a large number of these structures found on the Mesa Verde 

 and in McElmo and Yellow jacket Canyons. The special feature of 

 this type before excavation is indicated by a saucer-like depression 

 on the surface of the ground south of the walls above ground. The 

 significance of this depression was unknown previously to the work 

 here mentioned. It marks the existence of a circular subterranean 

 kiva which once had a vaulted roof and pilasters like those repeat- 

 edly described in cliff-house kivas. This tower was completely 

 repaired and a road built around it to make it accessible to tourists. 



In his field-work at Mesa Verde 30 years ago Baron Nordenskiold, 

 whose Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde has become a classic, par- 

 tially excavated a ruin in Soda Canyon about half a mile north of 

 Cedar-tree Tower. The approach to this cliff dwelling was very 

 difficult, but has been much improved by a trail constructed under the 

 direction of the chief, making this ruin readily accessible, aided by 

 several ladders where necessary. 



The attractive feature of this ruin is a kiva the inner wall of 

 which still retains on its plastering decorations almost as brilliant 

 as when they were first made. On this account " Ruin 9," as it was 

 formerly called, will be referred to in the future as Painted Kiva 

 House. The decoration consists of a red dado below and white 

 above, with triangles in clusters of three at intervals on the upper 

 border of the dado. These decorations are identical with those on 

 the court and rooms of Fire Temple and those used by the Hopi in 

 decorating their walls 30 years ago. The row of dots which accom- 

 panies this mural decoration is also a common feature on the archaic 

 black and white pottery from Step House, one of the most ancient 

 cliff dwellings on the park. 



Many specimens were found in Painted Kiva House, among which 

 may be mentioned pottery, stone implements, metates, axes and celts, 

 bone needles, fabrics, sandals and problematic wooden objects. Sev- 

 eral ears of corn with kernels intact, seeds of squash and pumpkin, 

 and abundant cornstalks and shucks left no doubt of the food of 

 the inhabitants. A fragment of the so-called paper bread called 

 by the Hopi piki, possibly over 500 years old, found at the bottom 

 of an Oak-tree House kiva, allays any doubt on this point. 



