RUINS IN VERDE VALLEY 
CLASSIFICATION OF THE RUINS 
The ruined habitations in the valley of the Rio Verde may be consid- 
ered under three divisions or types, differing in form, but essentially 
the same in character. In adopting this classification, which is by no 
means restricted to this single valley, I do not claim originality, but 
follow that used by the best writers on this subject. My limitation 
of the types and general definitions may, however, be found to differ 
somewhat from those of my predecessors. 
The three groups of ruins in our Southwest are the following: 
1—Pueblos, or Independent habitations. 
w—Clitf Houses | oe 
11—Cavate Dwellings y Dependent habitations. 
In the first group are placed those ancient or modern habitations 
which are isolated, on all sides, from cliffs. They may be situated in 
valleys or on elevations or mesas; they may be constructed of clay, 
adobe, or stone of various kinds, but are always isolated from cliffs. 
They are single or multiple chambered, circular or rectangular in 
shape, and may have been built either as permanent habitations or as 
temporary outlooks. Their main feature is freedom, on all sides except 
the foundation, from cliffs or walls of rock in place. 
The second group includes those not isolated from natural cliffs, but 
with some part of their lateral walls formed by natural rock in situ, 
and are built ordinarily in caverns with overhanging roofs, which the 
highest courses of their walls do not join. Generally erected in caves, 
their front walls never close the entrances to those caverns. This kind 
of aboriginal buildings may, like the former, vary in structural mate- 
rial; but, so far as I know, they are not, for obvious reasons, made of 
adobe alone. 
The third kind of pueblo dwellings are called cavate dwellings or 
lodges, a group which includes that peculiar kind of aboriginal dwell- 
ing where the rooms are excavated from the cliff wall, forming caves, 
where natural rock is a support or more often serves as the wall itself 
of the dwelling. The entrance may be partially closed by masonry, 
the floor laid with flat stones, and the sides plastered with clay; but 
never in this group is there a roof distinct from the top of the cave. 
Naturally cavate dwellings grade into cliff houses, but neither of 
these types can be confounded with the first group, which affords us 
no difficulty in identification. All these kinds of dwellings were made 
by people of the same culture, the character of the habitation depend- 
ing on geological environment. 
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