8o 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 'J2 



where the discoverers stood when their eyes first beheld this most 

 impressive cHff dwelHng of the Southwest. 



The most important discovery of the past season was the determina- 

 tion by excavation that a large cliff house was not a dwelling, but 

 specialized for some communal purpose. This ruin (fig. 98) was 

 devoted to fire worship, a cult which up to this year, although sus- 

 pected, had not been demonstrated as existing among cliff dwellers— 

 at least no specialized building for that function had been recognized. 



In 191 5 there was discovered on the promontory opposite Cliff 

 Palace a building with semicircular ground plan that was interpreted 



Fig. 96. — Western end of Fire Temple Court, half excavated. Photograph 



by Fewkes. 



as a specialized religious structure and called Sun Temple. While 

 work on it was in progress a reconnoissance was made of cliff' houses 

 situated in the canyon below, to one of which was given the name 

 Painted House. Like Sun Temple, it was suspected of having also 

 been dedicated to some religious cult of the cliff dwellers, but its true 

 significance was not apparent until the spade of the archeologist last 

 season verified this suspicion and revealed its true purpose. Painted 

 House, upon excavation, proved to be one of the most exceptional 

 cliff ruins yet recognized in the Southwest. The results of the exca- 

 vation have led Dr. Fewkes to designate it Fire Temple, and by 



