89 
MINDELEFF. } TAAATYALANS : 
The above suggestions are confirmed by another feature in the same 
house-cluster. On continuing the line of this buttress through the 
governor’s house we find a projecting fragment of second story wall, 
the character and finish of which is clearly shown in Pl. Lyi. Its 
general similarity to ancient masonry and contrast with the present 
careless methods of construction are very noticeable. The height of 
this fragment above the ground suggests that the original pueblo was 
in a very good state of preservation when it was first utilized as a 
nucleus for later additions. That portion under house No. 1 is probably 
equally well preserved. The frequent renovation of rooms by the ap- 
plication of a mud coating renders the task of determining the ancient 
portions of the cluster by the character of the masonry a very difficult 
one. Ceilings would probably longest retain the original appearance 
of the ancient rooms as they are not subjected to such renovation. 
Mr. Cushing thought that the outer western wall of the ancient pueblo 
was curved in outline. It is more probable, however, that it regulated 
the lines of the present outer rooms, and is reflected in them, as the usual 
practice of these builders was to put one partition directly over another 
in adding to the height of a building. This would suggest a nearly ree- 
tangular form, perhaps with jogs and offsets, for the old builders could 
not incorporate a curved outer wall into a mass of rectangular cells, 
such as that seen in the present pueblo. On the other hand, the outer 
wall of the original pueblo may have been outside of rooms now occu- 
pied, for the village had been abandoned for some time before the 
colony returned to the site. 
TAAAIYALANA. 
On the abandonment of the pueblos known as the Seven Cities of 
Cibola, supposed to have occurred at the time of the general uprising 
of the pueblos in 1680, the inhabitants of all the Cibolan villages sought 
refuge on the summit of Taaaiyalana, an isolated mesa, 3 miles south- 
east from Zuni, and there built a number of pueblo clusters. 
This mesa, otherwise known as “Thunder Mountain,” rises to the 
height of 1,000 feet above the plain, and is almost inaccessible. There 
are two foot trails leading to the summit, each of which in places tra- 
verses abrupt slopes of sandstone where holes have been pecked into 
the rock to furnish foot and hand holds. From the northeast side the 
summit.of the mesa can be reached by a rough and tortuous burro trail. 
All the rest of the mesa rim is too precipitous to be scaled. Its appear- 
ance as seen from Zuni is shown in PI. Lrx. 
On the southern portion of this impregnable site and grouped about 
a point where nearly the whole drainage of the mesa top collects, are 
found the village remains. The Zunis stated that the houses were dis- 
tributed in six groups or clusters, each taking the place of one of the 
abandoned towns. Mr. Frank H. Cushing! was also under the impres- 
1See Millstone for April, 1884, Indianapolis, Indiana. 
