FEWKES] RUINS ON THE UPPER VERDE RIVER 191 
rock left in place. There was evidently once a passageway (pl. 83, b) 
along the ledges in front of the line of entrances into the cavate 
rooms, and it likewise appears that many walls formerly closed the 
fronts, whose positions are now indicated by great jagged apertures. 
While only fragments of these front walls remain, it appears from 
one (in the middle series) still standing (pl. 81, 6) that walls of this 
kind formerly extended along the whole length, from floor to roof, 
and were pierced for entrance. 
There is no evidence that a building once stood on the talus in front 
of this line of cavate lodges (pl. 83, 6), as found in connection with 
some similar habitations. The situation of the caves with relation 
to the cliff above would seem to afford evidence against such sup- 
40 FEET 
Fic. 56. Ground plan of cave rooms on Oak Creek (western end and middle). 
position. It is doubtful also whether there were any rooms on the 
river bank, which was flooded regularly at high water. 
The rooms of the western and middle series of Oak Creek caves are 
indicated on the ground plan (fig. 56) by the letters A-M. East of 
room J the partition separating the rooms of the western series from 
those of the middle series approaches so close to the edge of the cliff 
that it is impossible to pass around it from one room to another. The 
entrance to this series of rooms lies at the point A; the aperture is small 
and bounded by broken walls (pls. 81, 6; 83, 6). Once on the ledge, 
however, one can walk on a projection the whole distance from room A 
to room J without inconvenience, passing through many connecting 
passages. Room B, which is somewhat more spacious than A, has in 
one corner asmall closet orniche; in C there are two of these niches, once 
used for containing food or water. No sign of front walls appears in 
