322 



KEPAIH 01'' CASA GRANDE KUIN 



[kTII. ANN. 15 



The iiaiiic lias Ix-cii ordinarily a|ii>Iietl to a single house structure 

 standing near the southwestern corner of a large area covered by 

 mounds and ol her di'bris; but some writers have aijplied the term to 

 the sttutlnvi'stcrn i)ortion of the area, others to the whole area. 



I'robably no two investigators would assign exactly the same limits 

 to this area, as its margins merge imperceptibly into the surrounding 

 country. The accompanying map (jilate cxii) shows the limits of the 

 ruins as interpreted by the writer. The surface covered by well-defined 

 remains, as there shown, extends about 1,800 feet north and south and 

 1,500 feet east and west, or a total area of about G.j acres. 



Casa Grande ruin occupies a position near the southwestern corner 

 of the group, and its size is insignificant as compared with the entire 

 cluster of ruins, or even with the remains of the large structure which 

 occupied the north-central ])art of the area. The contour interval on 

 the map is 1 foot, sufficiently small to show much surface detail. The 

 depressions arc indicated by dotted contours. 



Within the area shown on the map there are a large number of 

 mounds, more or less leveled by long-continued exposure to the ele- 

 ments. Some appear to be quite old, others represent buildings which 

 were standing within the historic period, and many interesting features 

 arc i)resented which can not even be alluded to here. 



Casa Grande i)roper was one of the smallest of the house clusters, 

 bnt it is unique in that the walls are still standing to a height of more 

 than 25 feet. While fragments of standing wall are not uncommon, 

 either in the area mentioned or in the valleys of Gila and Salt rivers 

 generally, no other example exists, so far as known, so well preserved 

 as the one under consideration. 



For miles around Casa Grande the ground surface is so fiat that from 

 the summit of the walls an immense stretch of country is brought 

 under view iu' every direction. In the whole southwest, where there 

 are thousands of ruins, many of which represent villages located 

 with especial reference to outlook, there are few, if any, so well 

 situated as this. 



A ground plan of the ruin is shown in i)late cxii and a general view 

 in plate cxiv. The area covei'ed and inclosed by standing walls is about 

 43 by 59 feet, but the building is not exactly rectangular, nor do its 

 sides exactly face the cardinal points, notwithstanding many pub- 

 lished statements to that effect. The building compriseil three central 

 rooms, each ap])roximately 10 by 24 feet, arranged side by sidi; with 

 the longer axes north and south, and two other rooms, each about 9 by 

 35 feet, occupying, resi)ectively, the northern and southern ends of the 



buildii 



and arranged transversely across the ends of the central 



rooms, the longer axes running east and west. Excepting the central 

 tier of rooms, which was three stories high, all the walls rose to a height 

 of two stories above the ground. The northeastern and southeastern 

 corners of the structure have fallen, and large blo('ks of tlie material of 

 Avhich they were composed are strewn upon the ground in the vii-inity. 



