MESA VEEDE PUEBLO — FEWKES. 



475 



the support of a vaulted roof, and in some of these kivas the charred 

 remnants of the rafters still remain. The most eastern and northern 

 kivas (B, C, D) show evidences of a conflagration. The amount 

 of smoke on the plastering of the walls is greater than would appear 

 on the plastered walls if the roofs had not been burnt ; moreover, the 

 surfaces of the walls are colored bright red. The central kiva, A 

 (pi. 12), is constructed on the same general lines as are the small 

 kivas. It likewise had a vaulted roof supported on pedestals, a 

 fireplace, ventilator, and deflector. No ceremonial opening or 

 sipapu ^ was detected in the floor of this kiva, which is also true of 

 B and C ; kiva D has the neck and part of the handle of an earthen 

 cup set in the east wall forming a hole just below the level of the 

 top of the banquette. Wlien seen from the top of the room this 

 insertion resembles a metallic pipe, for which it is often mistaken by 

 visitors. Whether or not 

 the opening represents a 

 ceremonial orifice is not 

 known, but if it does this 

 is the only instance known 

 to the writer where a si- 

 papu of this kind is found 

 in a side wall and not in 

 the floor between the fire- 

 place and the kiva wall 

 opposite the deflector. 



The construction of a 

 vaulted roof over a room 

 32 feet in diameter was 

 certainly a feat for stone-age masons that is worthy of more than 

 passing notice. Naturally the writer could not believe this possible 

 without the introduction of upright supports resting on the floor 

 near the middle of the room. No evidence of such verticals was 

 found and no depressions in the floor for their insertion about the 

 fireplace were observed. It seems, therefore, that the masons accom- 

 plished the vaulting by logs resting on peripheral pedestals (fig. 4), 

 as in smaller kivas.- 



The cliff dwellers are said to have been unacquainted with the arch 

 and keystone, but they were not unfamiliar with the so-called Maya 



1 The opening in the kiva floor called the sipapu is still used in Hopl ceremonials, 

 through which to communicate with the underworld where a ghostly company of the 

 dead are supposed to live engaged in the same occupations as when alive. 



* The method of construction of a vaulted kiva roof in a Mesa Verde cliff house is 

 shown in a restoration at Spruce-tree House, taken from a portion of a roof still pre- 

 served in Square Tower (Peabody) House. The illustration in the text above was drawn 

 from a photograph of the last mentioned by Mr. Gordon Parker, supervisor of the Monte- 

 zuma National Forest. 



Fig. 4. — Beams of kiva roof resting on a pilaster. 



