90 THE CLIFF RUINS OF CANYON DE CHELLY [ETH. ANN. 16 
Many hundreds of ruins have been examined by Mr Bandelier, and 
doubtless the classification above afforded a convenient working basis 
for the region with which he is most familiar, the basin of the Rio 
Grande and its tributaries. It does not apply very well to the western 
part of the pueblo region. 
The distinguishing characteristics of the first group (of five classes) — 
houses several stories high—are as follows: Each building consisted of 
an agglomeration of a great number of small cells, without any larger 
halls of particularly striking dimensions. AIl the buildings, except 
outhouses or additions, were at least two stories high, and the lower 
story was entered only from the roof. The various stories receded 
from the bottom to the top. The prevalence of the estufa (kiva) gen- 
erally, or often, circular in form. 
Ruins of class 11~—detached family dwellings—consist sometimes of a 
single room; more often of several rooms. The rooms are generally 
built of stone, although examples constructed of mud and adobe are 
also found in certain regions. The average size of the room is larger 
than in the communal building, and there is a gradual increase in size 
of rooms from north to south. There are front doorways and light and 
air holes are larger than in the communal houses. Mr Bandelier sug- 
gests that the detached family dwelling was the early type, and that 
only when enemies began to threaten were the communal houses 
resorted to for purposes of defense. 
This classification is apparently based on external form alone, with- 
out taking into account the numerous influences which modify or pro- 
duce form; and while no doubt it was sufficient for field use, it is not 
likely to be permanently adopted; for there does not appear to be any 
essential or radical difference between the various classes. Moreover, 
there does not appear to be any place in the scheme for the cliff ruins 
of the variety especially abundant in De Chelly and found in many 
other localities, unless indeed such ruins come under class 11—detached 
family dwellings; yet this would imply precedence in time, and the 
ruins themselves will not permit such an inference. 
The essential uniformity of types which prevails over the immense 
area covered by the ancient pueblo ruins is a noteworthy feature, and 
any system of classification which does not take it into account must 
be considered as only tentative. What elements should be considered 
and what weight assigned to each in preparing a scheme of classifica- 
tion is yet to be determined, but probably one of the most important 
elements is the character of the site occupied, with reference to its con- 
venience and defensibility. There are great differences in kind between 
the great valley pueblos, located without reference to defense and 
depending for security on their size and the number of their popula- 
tion, of which Zuni and Taos are examples, and the villages which are 
located on high mesas and projecting tougues of rock; in other words, 
on defensive sites where reliance for security was placed on the char- 
