File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (18163304401).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo18amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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606 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL
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In this section through refuse wliich had lain buried for five or more centuries can be seen a plaited yucca san- dal, a wooden disk strung on a long cord, and packed all about them corn husks, yucca leaves, and strips of cedar bark. As if by a conspiracy of nature the five feet of refuse of vegetable origin which covered the floor of one room at Aztec had been completely shielded from dampness, and from it were taken a quantity and diversity of ordinarily perishable specimens never surpassed in the history of southwestern exploration contrary, the kiva (ceremonial chain- ground ber) belonging to this part of the ings of house, built of quarried sandstone, is as angles neat a piece of construction as lias been found in tlie entire ruin. Because of the thickness of the standing walls, and the depth of the debris which was removed, it seems indubitable tliat the structure of which rooms 16-36 give the ground ))lan was at least two stories in lieight. The east wing was l)uilt long before this section was erected, as proved by the fact that three feet of refuse of human origin had accumulated on the ground occupied Ijy the later structure before its foun- dations were laid. One may venture the statement that this "unit house" was an architec- tural unit added to the pueblo to accommodate a social unit —a family, clan, or secret so- ciety—which desired to be- come affiliated with the larger viUage and had been received as an integral part of the com- munity. The remainder of the ground ))lan of the excavated area, namely, the main east Aving and the east end of the north wing, seems to have been built at al)out the same time. The longitudinal walls are con- tinuous, and the masonry uni- form throughout. Quarried sandstone blocks are the build- ing material, and these were faced and laid with admirable ))recision. In this quarter the pueblo was at least three stories in height, descending terrace fashion toward the court. Some of the walls stand to a height of twenty feet—well up on the second story. Two rooms (59 and 61) on the floor retain their original ceil- cedar beams covered at right with smaller poles, and sur-

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