Smithsonian miscellaneous collections . ed about 24 feet in di-ameter and was about the same depth. Its roof served as the floorof a court surrounded by one-storied rooms. There was no largebanquette on its south side (fig. 95) as almost universally occurs ina regular Mesa Verde kiva. A conspicuous slab of rock set in the 98 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 74 floor near the rim of the shrine was possibly reserved for an idol orthe altar during ceremonies. Midway in the length of the west side of the ruin there remainfoundations of a circular tower whose wall once rose, like a minare
Smithsonian miscellaneous collections . ed about 24 feet in di-ameter and was about the same depth. Its roof served as the floorof a court surrounded by one-storied rooms. There was no largebanquette on its south side (fig. 95) as almost universally occurs ina regular Mesa Verde kiva. A conspicuous slab of rock set in the 98 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 74 floor near the rim of the shrine was possibly reserved for an idol orthe altar during ceremonies. Midway in the length of the west side of the ruin there remainfoundations of a circular tower whose wall once rose, like a minaret,several feet above the roofs of surrounding rooms. The altitude ofthis tower was no doubt formerly sufficient for a wide outlook, andits top, rising above the cedars, served as the elevation from whichthe sun priests watched the suns position on the horizon at sunriseand sunset. It was perhaps built as an observatory for determiningtime for planting and other agricultural events, and may likewisehave been used in certain solar Fig. 96.—Storage jars in place as found in northeast corner room of PipeShrine House. Four of these made of corrugated and one smooth whiteware with black decoration. (Photograph by J. W. Fewkes.) The chambers surrounding the central kiva do not appear adaptedfor habitations; several were more likely used for storage of food,or for other secular purposes. In a room situated on the northeastangle several pottery vessels were found arranged in a row (fig. 96).It would appear that the site of the kiva was dug out by the ancientsbefore these rooms were built, and that the rooms forming the northside were built later than the others and constructed of poorer masonrythan those of the south side, where the masonry compares very wellwith the best on the Mesa. The east rooms are well made andresemble those of Sun Temple. There are two entrances or passage-ways through the south side, midway between which on the outersurface there is set in the wall a l
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