UINDELEFF] 



OCCURRENCE OF DEPRESSIONS. 305 



To the east aud to the west are two large depress'ous, each about 5 

 feet below the surrounding- ground surface, evidently the places -whence 

 the material for the construction of the mound was obtained. Yet the 

 amount of material removed from these excavations must have been 

 considerably in excess of that used in the construction of the mound, 

 and this excess was doubtless utilized in neighboring constructions, 

 since it is hardly to be supposed that it was carried away to any con- 

 siderable distance. 



The purpose of this hollow mound, which is a fair type of many sinji- 

 lar structures found in this region, is not clear. Mr. Frank Hamilton 

 Gushing, while director of the Hemenway southwestern archeological 

 expedition, found a number of these structures and excavated some of 

 them. From remains thus found lie concluded that they were sun- 

 temples, as he termed them, and that they were covered with a roof 

 made of coiled strands of grass, after a manner analogous to that in 

 which pueblo baskets are made. A somewhat similar class of struc- 

 tures was found by the writer on the upper Rio Verde, but these were 

 probably thrashing floors. Possibly the structure under discussion 

 was for a similar purpose, yet its depth in proportion to its size was 

 almost too great for such use. The question must be left for determina- 

 tion if possible by excavation. 



In the southern central part of the map is shown another excava- 

 tion, covering a larger area than any of the others, of very irregular 

 outline and from 3 to 4 feet deep. It is apparently older than the others 

 and probably furnished the material for the house structures northeast 

 and southwest of it. Bordering- the dejiression on the south there are 

 some low mounds, almost obliterated, which probably were the sites of 

 other house structures. 



Scattered about the area shown on the maj) there are several small 

 depressions, usually more regular in outline than those described. The 

 best examjile is situated near the northeastern corner of the area. It 

 is situated in the point of a low promontory, is about -i feet deep, almost 

 regularly oval in outliue, and measures about 50 by 100 feet. A. similar 

 depression less than 2 feet deep occurs near the northwest corner of the 

 area, and immediately south of the last there is another, more irregu- 

 lar in outline, and nearly 3 feet deep. There are also some small 

 depressions in the immediate vicinity of the Casa G-raude ruin and of 

 the mounds north of it. 



With a single exception none of these depressions are so situated that 

 they could be used as reservoirs for the storage of water collected from 

 the surface, and the catchment area of the depressions is so suiall and 

 the rate of evaporation in thi s area so great that their use as reservoirs is 

 out of the question. It is probable that all of the smaller depressions 

 represent simply sites where building material was obtained. Possibly 

 the ground at these points furnished more suitable material than else- 

 ■where, and, if so, the builders may have taken the trouble to transport 

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