WALPI.
Of all the pueblos, occupied or in ruins, within the provinces of
Tusayan and Cibola, Walpi exhibits the widest departure from the typical
pueblo arrangement (Pl. XX).
The carelessness characteristic of Tusayan architecture seems to have
reached its culmination here. The confused arrangement of the rooms,
mainly due to the irregularities of the site, contrasts with the work at
some of the other villages, and bears no comparison with much of the
ancient work. The rooms seem to have been clustered together with very
little regard to symmetry, and right angles are very unusual. (See Fig.
8.)
The general plan of the village of to-day confirms the traditional
accounts of its foundation. According to these its growth was gradual,
beginning with a few small clusters, which were added to from time to
time as the inhabitants of the lower site upon the spur of the mesa,
where the mission was established, moved up and joined the pioneers on
the summit. It is probable that some small rooms or clusters were built
on this conspicuous promontory soon after the first occupation of this
region, on account of its exceptionally favorable position as an outlook
over the fields (Pl. XXI).
Though the peculiar conformation of the site on which the village has
been built has produced an unusual irregularity of arrangement, yet even
here an imperfect example of the typical inclosed court may be found,
at one point containing the principal kiva or ceremonial chamber of the
village.
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