90 S.MI'I IISOXIAX M]SlELI.AXl-:()rS COLLECTIONS Vol.. "] 2 



use of this sanctuary. Dr. ]<"e\vkes lias called the ruin (tig-. 98) situ- 

 ated in these caves the J^ire I'emplc 1 louse and supposes it was the 

 habitation of the hre priests and their famil-.es. The rooms in the 

 lower cave were htted for habitation, and it had two, possibly three, 

 circular ceremonial rooms ; l)Ut the u])per cave ( tig. 99) is destitute of 

 kivas. The large rooms of the upper house (fig. looa) ma} have 

 been granaries for storage of provisions, although possibly some of 

 its rooms were inhabited. In the rear of the large rooms identified 

 as granaries was found a small room with a well-preserved human 

 skeleton acc(.)mpanied with mortuary pottery. ( )ne of these mortuary 

 offerings is a fine nmg made of l)lack and white ware beauliful]\- dec- 

 orated ; a specimen worthy of exhibition with the best in any mu- 

 seum. In the rear of the cave were three fine grinding bins ( fig. 102). 

 with metates still in j^lace. 



The upper house is now approached from the lower by foot-holes 

 in the clift' and a ladder shown in the illustration. Evidences of 

 a secondar\- occupation of kivas in the lower liouse apjjcar in d(juble 

 walls and those of crude masonr\- without mortar, forming a rec- 

 tangular room built diagonally across the room. The ]jlastering on 

 the rear walls of the lower house is ])anicular]\- well ])reserved, but 

 there are very few rooms in addition to the kivas. One of the kivas 

 has in ])lace of a deflector and ventilator shaft a small rectangular 

 trcncli enclosed 1)\- a well-made wall, as in Stm Temple. 



Work was done on the large clifif ruin, ( )ak Tree House ( fig. 103), 

 on the trail an eighth of a mile east of Fire Temple Grou]). Three 

 new kivas were excavated to their floors and the walls re]>aired. add- 

 ing to the foiu" alreadv known. Xo signs of these buried kivas were 

 visible when work began. All these kivas show fine masonry ; after 

 tlie most easterly had been used as a sanctuary for a time it was 

 abandoned and five well-])reserve(l grinding bins were set in the floor 

 so as almost t(j conceal it. The u])right slal)s of stone and metates of 

 these structures were reset, showing fine examj^iles of these ])rehistoric 

 mills. Many other novel features were brought to light in the exca- 

 vation of Oak free House, which mav be regarded as one of the 

 luost instructive ruins of the park. One of the exce|)tional features 

 of Oak Tree House is a fragment of a circular wall in the rear of the 

 cave, made of willow and other sticks set in mortar, like what is called 

 " stick and adobe " constrtiction in other regions. 



The groimd ])lan of one of the kivas is semicircular and shows a 

 rectangular room on the straight side commtmicating with the cham- 

 ber by means of two passageways. The ventilator opens directl\' into 

 this room, whose function is unknown. 



