On continuing the line of this buttress through the
governor's house we find a projecting fragment of second story wall, the
character and finish of which is clearly shown in Pl. LVIII. Its general
similarity to ancient masonry and contrast with the present careless
methods of construction are very noticeable. The height of this fragment
above the ground suggests that the original pueblo was in a very good
state of preservation when it was first utilized as a nucleus for later
additions. That portion under house No. 1 is probably equally well
preserved. The frequent renovation of rooms by the application of a mud
coating renders the task of determining the ancient portions of the
cluster by the character of the masonry a very difficult one. Ceilings
would probably longest retain the original appearance of the ancient
rooms as they are not subjected to such renovation.
Mr. Cushing thought that the outer western wall of the ancient pueblo
was curved in outline. It is more probable, however, that it regulated
the lines of the present outer rooms, and is reflected in them, as the
usual practice of these builders was to put one partition directly over
another in adding to the height of a building. This would suggest a
nearly rectangular form, perhaps with jogs and offsets, for the old
builders could not incorporate a curved outer wall into a mass of
rectangular cells, such as that seen in the present pueblo. On the other
hand, the outer wall of the original pueblo may have been outside of
rooms now occupied, for the village had been abandoned for some time
before the colony returned to the site.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158