HOLMES ANNIVERSARY VOLUME 



fined to the northern and eastern, and a part of the western wall; the 

 southern wall, having fallen, shows no pictures. The majority of these 

 paintings are damaged or wholly illegible, but such as remain, shown 

 in the accompanying illustrations, represent rain-clouds, various spe- 

 cies of animals, and human beings. Two of the latter have been 

 purposely erased by some visitor, but from drawings lent by Dr Kidder 

 it will be evident that the figures resemble a phallic being and suggest 

 the Hopi katcina called Kokopelli, associated with fire ceremonies. 

 It is possible that New Fire ceremonies not unlike those of present 

 Pueblos were once performed in this chamber, in which case possibly 

 the court may have been used for the performance of the elaborate 

 dances that accompany this rite. 



Fig. 3. — Ground-plan of Painted House. 



In studying the ground-plan (fig. 3) of Painted House it will be 

 noticed that, although this ruin is by no means a small one, there 

 are no signs of circular kivas so constant in Mesa Verde cliff -dwellings, 

 but that the structure consists of a long room, or court, with houses 

 at each end. This court may have been used for ceremonial dances 

 and the rectangular rooms built for secret rites. The paintings on 

 the rear or northern wall of the court and the existence of square 

 rafter holes along its face, favor the belief that this court once had 

 a roof. 



At a higher level on a ledge of the cliff, to the east, above the top 

 of the talus on which Painted House stands, there are the fallen walls 

 of several rooms which may be regarded as connected with the main 

 structure. The most easterly of these rooms were two-storied, a line 



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