54 BUEEAU OF AMERICAN" ETHNOLOGY [bull. 41 



kno^vn whether it originated in the Mesa Verde canyons or was com- 

 pletel}^ evolved when it reached there. 



Ahhough Ave know little about the culture of the prehistoric in- 

 habitants of Mesa Verde, it does not follow that we can not find out 

 more. There are many ruins aw^aiting exploration in this region 

 and future w^ork will reveal much which has been so long hidden. 



The pressure of outside tribes, or Avhat may be called human en- 

 vironment, probably had much to do originally with the choice of 

 caves for houses, and the magnificent caverns of the Mesa Verde 

 naturally attracted men as favorable sites for their houses. The 

 habit of huddling together i^i a limited space, necessitated by a life in 

 the cliffs, possibly developed the composite form which still persists 

 in the pueblo form of architecture. 



