﻿404 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  about 
  1 
  mile 
  (1.60 
  k.) 
  east 
  of 
  Pueblo 
  Bonito 
  and 
  was 
  exposed 
  by 
  

   caving 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  arroyo 
  bank 
  during 
  the 
  heavy 
  rains 
  of 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   vious 
  summer. 
  Here 
  the 
  arroyo 
  is 
  fully 
  30 
  feet 
  (9.14 
  m.) 
  deep 
  and 
  

   the 
  ancient 
  dwelling 
  was 
  almost 
  equally 
  divided 
  when 
  the 
  huge 
  

   masses 
  of 
  adobe 
  crashed 
  from 
  their 
  resting 
  place 
  and 
  rolled 
  out 
  50 
  or 
  

   75 
  feet 
  (15.2-22.8 
  m.) 
  from 
  the 
  bank 
  (pi. 
  2, 
  fig. 
  1). 
  

  

  Some 
  idea 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  geophysical 
  changes 
  which 
  have 
  taken 
  place 
  

   in 
  Chaco 
  Canyon 
  since 
  this 
  prehistoric 
  dwelling 
  was 
  inhabited 
  may 
  

   be 
  gained 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  rim 
  of 
  the 
  fireplace 
  (pi. 
  2, 
  fig. 
  2, 
  

   directly 
  above 
  the 
  Indian) 
  is 
  12 
  feet 
  2 
  inches 
  (3.708 
  m.) 
  below 
  the 
  

   present 
  valley 
  surface 
  and 
  that 
  approximately 
  6 
  feet 
  (1.82 
  m.) 
  of 
  

   silt 
  had 
  been 
  deposited 
  above 
  the 
  original 
  roof 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  its 
  abandonment. 
  

  

  The 
  cross 
  section 
  (pi. 
  2, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  of 
  this 
  second 
  pit 
  house, 
  when 
  

   first 
  seen 
  by 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Pueblo 
  Bonito 
  Expedition, 
  revealed 
  a 
  

   tangled 
  mass 
  of 
  burned 
  and 
  rotting 
  roofing 
  poles 
  closely 
  packed 
  in 
  

   blown 
  sand 
  and 
  adobe. 
  This 
  debris 
  largely 
  occupied 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  

   the 
  pit 
  tying 
  below 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  a 
  broad 
  bench, 
  plainly 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  

   western 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  room; 
  above 
  the 
  bench 
  were 
  successive 
  layers 
  of 
  

   sediment, 
  deposited 
  both 
  through 
  wind 
  and 
  water 
  action, 
  which 
  had 
  

   gradually 
  filled 
  and, 
  later, 
  completely 
  hidden 
  this 
  underground 
  

   habitation. 
  A 
  bench 
  corresponding 
  to 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  did 
  not 
  at 
  

   first 
  appear 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  side 
  but 
  a 
  split 
  posthole, 
  9 
  inches 
  (22.8 
  cm.) 
  

   in 
  diameter 
  by 
  22 
  inches 
  (55.8 
  cm.) 
  deep, 
  quickly 
  attracted 
  one's 
  at- 
  

   tention. 
  The 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  room 
  was 
  slightly 
  dished, 
  its 
  middle 
  being 
  

   3 
  inches 
  lower 
  than 
  its 
  periphery. 
  Although 
  but 
  half 
  of 
  it 
  remained 
  

   for 
  examination, 
  this 
  subterranean 
  dwelling 
  appeared 
  to 
  offer 
  so 
  

   much 
  of 
  interest 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  problem 
  of 
  human 
  

   occupancy 
  of 
  Chaco 
  Canyon 
  in 
  prehistoric 
  times 
  as 
  to 
  warrant 
  its 
  

   excavation, 
  a 
  not 
  inconsiderable 
  task 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  depth 
  and 
  extreme 
  

   hardness 
  of 
  the 
  clay 
  which 
  filled 
  and 
  covered 
  the 
  pit. 
  

  

  Once 
  the 
  earth 
  had 
  been 
  removed 
  from 
  that 
  portion 
  remaining 
  

   in 
  the 
  bank 
  this 
  ancient 
  pit 
  dwelling 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  agree 
  closely 
  

   with 
  those 
  described 
  by 
  other 
  explorers. 
  Its 
  form, 
  its 
  manner 
  of 
  

   roofing, 
  and 
  the 
  culture 
  of 
  its 
  builders 
  could 
  be 
  pictured 
  with 
  satis- 
  

   fying 
  accuracy. 
  Although 
  smaller 
  than 
  that 
  excavated 
  in 
  1920, 
  this 
  

   second 
  pit 
  house 
  was 
  likewise 
  round, 
  being 
  12 
  feet 
  9 
  inches 
  (3.88 
  m.) 
  

   in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  middle 
  of 
  its 
  slightly 
  concave 
  floor 
  was 
  occupied 
  

   by 
  a 
  slab-lined 
  fireplace 
  9 
  inches 
  deep 
  by 
  22 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  

   (22.8 
  by 
  55.8 
  cm.). 
  A 
  bench 
  35 
  inches 
  (88.9 
  cm.) 
  high 
  and 
  26 
  

   inches 
  (66 
  cm.) 
  wide 
  enlarged 
  the 
  room 
  on 
  its 
  northern 
  half, 
  but 
  

   on 
  the 
  east, 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  from 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  bank, 
  this 
  bench 
  

   is 
  unexpectedly 
  interrupted 
  by 
  a 
  broken 
  wall 
  of 
  undisturbed 
  adobe 
  

   which 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  16 
  inches 
  (4.64 
  cm.) 
  high. 
  

  

  