At Shumopavi (Pl. XXXV), however, most of
the walls are smoothly plastered. In this respect they resemble Zu?i and
the eastern pueblos, where but little naked masonry can be seen. Another
feature that adds to the effect of neatness and finish in this village
is the frequent use of a whitewash of gypsum on the outer face of the
walls. This wash is used partly as an ornament and partly as protection
against the rain. The material, called by the Mexicans "yeso," is very
commonly used in the interior of their houses throughout this region,
both by Mexicans and Indians. More rarely it is used among the pueblos
as an external wash. Here, however, its external use forms quite a
distinctive feature of the village. The same custom in several of the
cliff houses of Canyon de Chelly attests the comparative antiquity of
the practice, though not necessarily its pre-Columbian origin.
Shumopavi, compared with the other villages, shows less evidence of
having been built on the open court idea, as the partial inclosures
assume such elongated forms in the direction of the long, straight rows
of the rooms; yet examination shows that the idea was present to a
slight extent.
At the southeast corner of the pueblo there is a very marked approach to
the open court, though it is quite evident that the easternmost row has
its back to the court, and that the few rooms that face the other way
are later additions. In fact, the plan of the village and the
distribution of the terraces seem to indicate that the first
construction consisted only of a single row facing nearly east, and was
not an inclosed court, and that a further addition to the pueblo assumed
nearly the same form, with its face or terraced side toward the back of
the first row only partly adapting itself by the addition of a few small
rooms later, to the court arrangement, the same operation being
continued, but in a form not so clearly defined, still farther toward
the west.
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