fewkksj antiquities of mesa verde national park 33 



Refuse Heaps 



Almost every Mesa Verde cliff-dwelling has an unoccupied space 

 back of the rooms," as in the rear of rooms 28 to 40. which served as 

 a depository for all kinds of rubbish. Here the inhabitants of Cliff 

 Palace also deposited certain of their dead, which became mummified 

 on account of the dryness of the air in the cave. 



There is also a vacant space between the rear of the Speaker-chief's 

 House and the cave wall, but this space was almost entirely free of 

 refuse. The amount of debris in the refuse heaps back of the so-called 

 plaza quarter lends weight to other evidence that this is one of the 

 oldest sections of Cliff Palace. 



The accumulation of debris was so deep in these places, and the 

 difficulties of removal so great, that it was not attempted. It had all 

 lieen dug over by relic seekers who are said to have found many 

 specimens therein.'' 



Secular Rooms 



The majority of the rooms in Cliff Palace were devoted to secular 

 purposes. These are of several types, and differ in form, in position, 

 and in function. Their form is either circular or rectangular, or 

 some modification of these two. As a rule, the secular rooms lie deep 

 under the cliffs, several extending as far back as the rear of the cave. 

 The front of Cliff Palace shows at least two tiers or terraces of 

 secular rooms, the roof of the lower one being level with that of the 

 floor of the tier above. The front walls of secular rooms lower than 

 the fourth terrace are as a rule destroyed, but the lateral walls are 

 evident, especially in the tower quarter. The passage from one of 

 these terraces to the room above was made by means of ladders or 

 by stone steps along the corners. 



The following classification of secular rooms, based on their func- 

 tion, may be noted: (1) Living rooms; (2) milling rooms; (3) storage 

 rooms; (4) rooms of unknown function;*' (5) towers; (6) round 



" Isolated cUff -dwenings are scattered throughout the Southwest, but there are several 

 areas, as the Mesa Verde, in which they are concentrated. Among these clusters may 

 be mentioned the Canyon de Chelly, the Navaho National Monument, the Red Rocks area, 

 and that of the upper Gila. One characteristic feature in which the cliff-dwellings of 

 the Mesa Verde differ from some others is the independence of all of the upright walls 

 from support of the sides of the cliffs. In the cliff-houses of the Navaho Monument a 

 large majority of the houses have the rear wall of the cave as a wall of the building ; 

 a few of the houses in Cliff Palace have the same, but the largest number are entirely 

 free from the cliff. This separation on all sides is due largely to the geological structure 

 of the rear of the cavern in which the cliff-house stands. 



* Workmen could operate in these parts only by tying sponges over their nostrils, so 

 difficult was it to breathe on account of the fine dust. 



•■ Possibly some of these may have been used sometimes for ceremonial purposes, or 

 rather for the less important rites. 



4472G°— Bull. 51—11 3 



