Mi.vDELEFF] RUDE MASONRY PLASTERING. 251 



iuteriors of the lodges, perhaps because no finer finish than the rough 

 surface of the rock was considered desirable. 



The cavate lodges seem to have been excavated without the aid of 

 other tools than a rough maul or a piece of stone held in the hand, and 

 such a tool is well adapted to the work, since a blow on the surface of 

 the rock is sutHcient to bring oft' large slabs. Notwithstanding the 

 rude tools and methods, however, some of the work is quite neat, 

 especially in the passageways (which are often 3 or 4 feet long and 

 quite narrow) and in the smaller chambers. In the excavation of these 

 chambers benches were left at convenient places along the wall and 

 piclies and cubby-holes were cut, so that in the best examples of 

 cavate lodges the occupants, it would seem, were more comfortable, 

 so far as regards their habitation, than the ordinary Pueblo Indian of 

 today, and better supplied with the conveniences of that method of 

 living. It should be stated in this connection, however, that although 

 the group of cavate lodges gives an example of an extensive work well 

 carried out, the successful carrying out of that work does not imply 

 either a large population or a high degree of skill; the only thing 

 necessary was time, and the amount of time necessary for the work is 

 not nearly so great, in proportion to the population housed, as was 

 required for the better types of pueblo work in the San Juan country 

 (the village ruins of the Chaco canyon for example), and probably no 

 more than would be required for the construction of rooms of equal size 

 and of the rather poor grade of work found in this region. 



Although no examples of interior wall-plastering were found in the 

 group of cavate lodges described, such work has been found in neigh 

 boring lodges; and in this group plastered floors are quite CDUimon. 

 The object of plastering the floors was to secure a fairly even surface 

 such as the soft rock did not provide, and this was secured not by the 

 application of layers of clay but by the use of clay here and there 

 wherever needed to bring the surface up to a general level, and the 

 whole surface was subsequently finished. This final finishing was some- 

 times omitted, and many floors are composed partly of the natural rock 

 and partly of clay, the latter frequently in spots and areas of small size. 



The floors were often divided into a number of sections by low ridges 

 of clay, sometimes 8 inches broad. These ridges are shown on the 

 ground plans ( figures 294 to 298, and in i)late xxv). Their purpose is not 

 clear, although it can readily be seen that in such domestic operations 

 as sorting grain they would be useful. 



DOOR AND WINDO\V OPENINGS. 



The masonry of this region was so roughly and carelessly executed 

 that little evidence remains in the stone villages of such details of con- 

 struction as door and window openings. Destruction of the walls 

 seems to have commenced at these openings, and while there are 



