18 PEOCEEDIlSrGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 'vol.77 



ing sandstone to a ceiling hatchway. Between floor and roof, one 

 additional pecked step appears in the northwest wall; two in the 

 southwest. 



The roof is supported by four northeast-southwest beams. 

 Upon these are 12 cross poles, only one of which extends the entire 

 length of the room; then layers of split cedar, reeds (Johnson grass), 

 and sand. In the west corner an 18 by 24 inch (0.46 by 0.61 m.) 

 hatchway is reached by pecked steps. From the north middle beam 

 a loop of knotted yucca leaves hangs 12 inches and is rather sharply 

 curved at the bottom as though it once supported a pole approxi- 

 mately 2 inches in diameter. We recapped the walls and patched 

 the broken edges of the roof. 



Room IS is a kiva, or ceremonial chamber, if one may judge from 

 the character of its furniture. Its floor is mostly of native rock; 

 its walls and ceiling are heavily smoked. The lower half of its 

 northeast and southeast walls is plastered and in this appear mis- 

 cellaneous scratchings^ — mostly vertical, parallel lines. Similar in- 

 cisings may be noted on the northwest, or cliff, side. A sloping ledge 

 along the face of this same wall had been leveled in the north corner 

 to form an 18 by 30 inch (0.46 by 0.76 m.) shelf about 3 feet (0.91 m.) 

 above the floor. During the initial examination of Betatakin in 

 August, 1909, the present writer found two clay pipes and other 

 articles on this shelf. They are now in the University museum at 

 Salt Lake City. 



The roof of room 18 includes 3 northeast-southwest beams, 10 

 pairs of crosspoles and layers, respectively, of willows and cedar 

 bark. As usual, the willows are tied down to the cross poles by split 

 yucca leaves. A door through the middle southwest wall has a 

 slab sill and four oak lintel sticks about 1 inch in diameter ; a 214-inch 

 post stands against the inner south jamb. (PI. 8, A.) Within the 

 room, 20 inches (0.51 m.) from the southwest wall and separated 

 from it by a platform lying 6 inches below the door sill, stands a 

 masonry fire screen, 34 inches (0.86 m.) high by 27 inches (0.68 m.) 

 wide by 10 inches (0.25 m.) thick. The platform extends a few 

 inches beyond the south end of the screen; the latter is capped with 

 a single sandstone block, 27 inches (0.68 m.) long by 13 inches 

 (0.33 m.) wide by 3 inches (0.07 m.) thick. At the northeast base 

 of this screen is a now broken, unrimmed fireplace approximately 

 2 feet (0.60 m.) in diameter; it was formerly lined with irregular 

 stone blocks. In the roof above the platform, and obviously cut 

 after completion of the ceiling, is a 7 by 10 inch (0.17 by 0.25 m.) 

 smoke vent, rimmed with adobe-covered cedar bark. A second venti- 

 lator, 9 inches (0.22 m.) wide by 12 inches (0.31 m.) high, appears 

 in the southeast wall 3 -^^eet (0.91 m.) above the floor and 4 feet 5 



