78 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 68 



laborers, and proceeded northward some 200 miles by trail to Beta- 

 takin ruin, an imposing structure which occupies a shallow cave in 

 a branch of Sagie (Laguna) Canyon. Work was inaugurated at 

 Betatakin in preference to one of the other two large pueblos within 

 the boundaries of the monument chiefly for the following reasons: 

 (i) More than one ruin could not be excavated and restored in the 

 time available, from the sum appropriated; (2) Betatakin was, per- 

 haps, in greatest need of repair ; and (3) the site was more accessible 

 than the others and furnished abundant water for camp purposes. 



Extremely unusual and, oftentimes, discouraging conditions were 

 experienced from the very beginning of the undertaking. Snow, 

 rain, hail, and the severe wind and sand storms so common in the 

 Marsh Pass region, followed each other incessantly, tending to delay 

 and handicap the work in hand. In addition, greater difficulty than 

 that anticipated was experienced in obtaining provisions and in 

 engaging Indians either for work in the ruins or for transportation 

 of supplies. Removal of the cave accumulations had been completed 

 by mid-April, however, and the houses and retaining walls in greatest 

 need of repair or restoration received proper attention before the 

 expedition returned to blagstaff, late in June. 



The accompanying illustrations show the nature of some of the 

 problems encountered at Betatakin and the methods adopted by Mr. 

 Judd in meeting them. In restoring the ancient habitations, every 

 eiTort was made to preserve the prehistoric atmosphere of the village. 

 Mud mortar similar to that utilized by the original builders was 

 employed in repairing their shattered dwellings and in replacing 

 those house walls which had completely collapsed. In so far as pos- 

 sible, the sandstone blocks and weathered timbers uncovered during 

 the course of the excavations were utilized in the structures as 

 restored. Marks left by the tools of the recent party were carefully 

 erased and imprints of the fingers were intentionally made in the 

 newly laid mortar, the more completely to reproduce the handiwork 

 of the aborigines. Unlike the ancient masonry, however, the new 

 walls appear with joints carefully broken to insure greater strength 

 and durability. The general appearance of the restored dwellings 

 was so far above expectation that this sliglit distinction between the 

 prehistoric walls and their modern counterparts will prove, in many 

 instances at least, the chief means of distinguishing the latter. 



A new trail was made across the talus below the cave, connecting 

 with a series of rude stei)s which originally formed the principal 

 entrance to the village. These and similar steps in other sections 



H 



