24 BUREAU or AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 51 



While the sections known as the old quarter, the plaza quarter, and 

 much of the tower quarter are protected by the roof of the cave, even 

 here there has been exposure and destruction from the same cause. 

 Torrential rains on the mesa in the late summer form streams of 

 water which, following depressions," flow over the rim of the cave 

 roof and are precipitated into the trees beyond the lowest terrace of 

 the ruin. The destruction of walls from these flows is much less 

 than that from smaller streams which, following the edge of the cave 

 roof, run under the roof and drip on the walls, washing the mortar 

 from between the component stones, and eventually undermining 

 their foundation and leading to their fall. The former presence of 

 these streams is indicated by the black discoloration of the cave roof 

 shown in photographs. 



A visitor to Clitf Palace in the dry season can hardly imagine the 

 amount of rain that occasionally falls during the summer months, 

 and it is difficult for him to appreciate the destructive force it exerts 

 when precipitated over the cliU'. When Cliff Palace was occupied, 

 damage to walls could be immediately repaired by the inhabitants 

 after every torrent, but as the ruin remained for centuries uninhab- 

 ited and without repair, the extent of the destruction was great. The 

 torrents falling over the ruin not only gain force from the distance 

 of the fall, but sweep everything before them, bringing down earth, 

 stones, small trees, and bushes. At such a time the bottom of the 

 canyon is filled with a roaring torrent fed by waterfalls that can be 

 seen at intervals far down the gorge. The observer standing in 

 Cliff Palace during such a downpour can behold a sheet of water 

 falling over the projecting cliff in front of him. These cataracts 

 fortunately are never of long duration, but while they last their 

 power is irresistible.^ 



Vandalisjm; 



No ruin in the Mesa Verde Park had suffered more from the rav- 

 ages of "pot hunters" than Cliff' Palace; indeed it had been much 

 more mutilated than the other ruins in the park (pis. 1, 4, 5). Par- 

 ties of workmen had remained at the ruin all winter, and many speci- 

 mens had been taken from it and sold. There was good evidence 

 that the workmen had wrenched beams from the roofs and floors to 

 use for firewood, so that not a single roof and but few rafters re- 

 mained in place. However, no doubt many of the beams had been 



" In some of these waterways are found good pxainples of " potholes," some of con- 

 siderable size, which often retain water for a Ions time. Their capacity was increased in 

 prehistoric times by the construction of dams. 



>> While there has probably been considerable erosion in the bed of the canyon since Cliff 

 Palace was constructed, this does not mean that " the action of the water carved out the 

 valley, leaving at an inaccessible height buildings originally constructed on almost level 

 land." See History N. Y. State Chapter, Colorado Cliff Dwellings Assoc, p. 11. 



