3IO SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [VOL. 50 



from the lowest story, there is no evidence of smooth plastering on 

 the walls ; and, third, there are no evidences of doorways or win- 

 dows in these walls, as would be necessary were there a room in this 

 lower story. There could not have been windows or doorways, be- 

 cause, surrounding Casa Grande on the north, east, and south sides, 

 about eight feet from the base, there was a retaining wall which 

 formerly, it would appear, rose to the height of the floor of the 

 lowest room. Between this wall and the outer surface of the wall of 

 Casa Grande was a space which was probably filled solid with earth 

 in exactly the same fashion as the lowest story of the main building. 

 This construction formed a platform running around the three sides 

 of the building at the same level or elevation as the roofs of the other 

 one-storied rooms of the compound and floors of the lowest cham- 

 bers of the main building. Unfortunately, when Casa Grande was 

 repaired this surrounding terrace was cut away, but by digging 

 below the surface of the ground the author found evidences of this 

 retaining wall on the east, north, and south sides. 



From this terrace the ancients could pass directly, on a level, 

 through the low doorways into the lowest room ; here were probably 

 placed the ladders by which they mounted to the doorways of the 

 second story. We can imagine the part this terrace must have 

 played on ceremonial occasions or market days, when the compound 

 was crowded with visitors, or when dances of religious or secular 

 nature were taking place in the plazas. This supposition of a sur- 

 rounding terrace, which is as yet only an hypothesis, harmonizes 

 the statements of those who speak of Casa Grande as having four 

 stories and of those who record that it had only three. The latter 

 may have referred to tiers of rooms, while the former recorded the 

 total height, including the solid lowest story or that under the lowest 

 rooms. 1 



When Father Kino first saw Casa Grande he undoubtedly had 

 the impression that the lowest story, like those above it, was not 

 solid, but a room. This conclusion was natural, since there were 

 other rooms then visible, and in a good state of preservation, above 

 ground, on that level, all about the base of the building. As he ap- 

 proached from the east, it would have been natural for him to sup- 

 pose that the middle of Casa Grande had four stories of rooms, one 

 above another. 



1 On the northwest corner of Casa Grande there is a row of holes in the 

 outer wall on a level with the top of the supposed terrace, in which rafters 

 may have been inserted. 



