On the east side a
noticeable feature is the overlapping of the boundary wall of the south
wing, forming an indirect entranceway. The remains do not indicate that
this passage, like the one just described, was roofed over. In some
cases the modern passageways, as they follow the jogs and angles of
adjoining rows of houses, display similar changes of direction. In
Shupaulovi, which preserves most distinctly in its plan the idea of the
inclosed court, the passageway at the south end of the village changes
its direction at a right angle before emerging into the court (Pl. XXX).
This arrangement was undoubtedly determined by the position of the
terraces long before the passageway was roofed over and built upon. Pl.
XXII shows the south passageway of Walpi; the entrances are made
narrower than the rest of the passage by building buttresses of masonry
at the sides. This was probably done to secure the necessary support for
the north and south walls of the upper story. One of the walls, as maybe
seen in the illustration, rests directly upon a cross beam, strengthened
in this manner.
One of the smaller inclosed courts of Zu?i, illustrated in Pl. LXXXII,
is reached by means of two covered passages, bearing some general
resemblance to the ancient defensive entrances, but these houses,
reached from within the court, have also terraces without. The low
passage shown in the figure has gradually been surmounted by rooms,
reaching in some cases a height of three terraces above the openings;
but the accumulated weight finally proved too much for the beams and
sustaining walls--probably never intended by the builders to withstand
the severe test afterwards put upon them--and following an unusually
protracted period of wet weather, the entire section of rooms above fell
to the ground.
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