This is still quite commonly done, large openings being often
seen in which the lower portion on one or both sides is narrowed by
means of adobe bricks or stones loosely piled up. In this connection it
may be noted that the secondary lintel pole, previously described as
occurring in both ancient and modern doorways, serves the additional
purpose of a hand-hold when supplies are brought into the house on the
backs of the occupants. The stepping of the doorway, while diminishing
its exposed area, does not interfere with its use in bringing in large
bundles, etc. Series of steps, picked into the faces of the cliffs, and
affording access to cliff dwellings, frequently have a supplementary
series of narrow and deep cavities that furnish a secure hold for the
hands. The requirements of the precipitous environment of these people
have led to the carrying of loads of produce, fuel, etc., on the back by
means of a suspending band passed across the forehead; this left the
hands free to aid in the difficult task of climbing. These conditions
seem to have brought about the use, in some cases, of handholds in the
marginal frames of interior trapdoors as an aid in climbing the ladder.
[Illustration: Fig. 85. A large Tusayan doorway with one notched
jamb.]
One more characteristic type of the ancient pueblo doorway remains to be
described. During the autumn of 1883, when the ruined pueblo of Kin-tiel
was surveyed, a number of excavations were made in and about the pueblo.
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