144 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



the Pueblo has five. Incorporated in the one group of remains in 

 eastern Arizona are vestiges of Basket Maker III, Pueblo LIT, and 

 III. Complete excavation of the site will throw light on the closing 

 days of the Basket Makers, show the beginnings of the Pueblo cul- 

 ture, and trace its growth through two subsequent periods. For some 

 reason, as yet unrevealed, the place was abandoned during the third 

 Pueblo phase and never reoccupied. 



A series of trenches dug in various portions of the site demon- 

 strated that during the early stages the people lived in a straggling 

 village of single family houses. These dwellings were semisubter- 

 ranean in structure and had been scattered about with little attempt 

 at order. As time went on the domiciles were placed in more com- 

 pact groups and a certain system of arrangement developed. Later 

 the pit type of house was given up and buildings were erected above 

 ground. Ultimately two large communal houses capable of shelter- 

 ing many families evolved. These last structures occupied only a 

 small portion of the area covered by the older horizons in the village. 

 As a consequence it is not necessary for the archeologist to com- 

 pletely excavate the more recent ruins before investigating some of 

 the earlier remains. Activities during the summer of 193 1 were con- 

 fined to the outer fringes of the site, the excavating of pit houses and 

 the trenching of their accompanying trash mounds. 



When the field season was brought to a close late in September the 

 subterranean portions of 14 structures had been cleared of the debris 

 which accumulated in them during the centuries which have passed 

 since their abandonment. The excavations showed that several of 

 the dwellings bad been destroyed by fire. The charred remnants of 

 timbers lying on the floors demonstrated clearly the methods of roof 

 construction. This evidence, together with the nature of the pits which 

 remain, makes possible the drawing of an accurate picture of the type 

 of dwelling in vogue during the early stages in the occupation of the 

 site. As a matter of fact the details were so clearly shown that one of 

 the houses was restored in order that visitors may see just what 

 the domiciles of that type were like. In doing this it was necessary 

 to use new timbers, but every effort was made to erect a structure as 

 near like the original as possible. 



The semisubterranean houses were rather crude but no doubt ser- 

 viceable. They had consisted of a circular, oval, or rectangular exca- 

 vation roofed over with a pole, brush, bark and plaster superstructure. 

 The earth walls of the pits were covered with plaster made from adobe 

 mud in which there was a slight admixture of ashes (fig. 137). One 

 example differed in that the walls were lined with large stone slabs 



