Usually the kiva roofs have collapsed, but in Square Tower House two kivas have the original roofs almost intact. Following the plan of these original roofs, three of the kivas in Spruce Tree House have been reroofed and upon descending the ladder into one of these the details of construction may be noted.
Kivas in the Mesa Verde are always underground and are nearly always circular. The average diameter is 12 to 13 feet and the depth is such that the roof would clear a man’s head. At a point about 3 feet above the floor is a narrow ledge running entirely around the room. This ledge is known as the banquette and its exact use is unknown. On this ledge were built six stone buttresses or pilasters, and these, rising to within 2 or 3 feet of the top of the kiva, served as roof supports. Short beams were placed from pilaster to pilaster around the room and a second set of beams was laid across the angles made by the first set. This was continued until five or six sets of beams had extended this cribwork almost to the ground level. Horizontal beams were then placed across the top and the whole structure was covered with bark and earth. In the center of the roof a small square hole was left that served as a door and smoke vent.
On the south side of the kiva the banquette is wider between two of the pilasters than anywhere else around the room. This deep recess is often referred to as an altar, although its exact use is not known. Just back of the wall of this deep recess is a vertical shaft that leads down to meet a horizontal shaft that opens into the kiva just above the floor. This is the ventilator shaft. The fire, burning in the small pit in the center of the room, sent the smoke up through the hole in the roof, and the fresh air was drawn down through the ventilator shaft. Between the ventilator and the fire pit a small wall, known as the “deflector”, was constructed to keep the fresh air current from blowing on the fire.
Two or three feet from the fire pit, and in a straight line with the ventilator shaft, the deep recess, the deflector and the fire pit is a small hole in the floor of the kiva. This hole is usually about 3 inches in diameter and from 4 to 6 inches deep; its walls and bottom often covered with a smooth layer of mud. In the present day kivas this hole is known as the “sipapu”, and is considered to be the symbolic entrance to the underworld. The kiva was a combination ceremonial, club, and workroom for the men. Even in the present day villages the women are rarely ever allowed to enter the kivas because of the fact that the men take almost entire charge of the religious work. It is believed that each clan had its own kiva, and it will be noted that in almost every case the kiva is surrounded by a group of living rooms. The members of the clan no doubt lived in these rooms and the men held their ceremonies in the adjoining kiva. Two of the kivas in Spruce Tree House have side entrances that lead to nearby rooms. These rooms may have been the homes of the priests, or dressing rooms for them.
DATE OF OCCUPATION
Twenty-one of the roof beams in Spruce Tree House have been dated by tree-ring chronology. These dates show that the houses were constructed during the years between 1230 A. D. and 1274 A. D. In 1276 A. D. a 23-year period of drought began that caused the cliff dwellers to move to regions where there was a more permanent supply of water. In those same regions are the homes of the modern Pueblo Indians and no doubt some of these people are the descendants of the Cliff Dwellers.
CLIFF PALACE
Cliff Palace lies in an eastern spur of Cliff Canyon under the roof of an enormous cave that arches 50 to 100 feet above it. The floor of the cave is elevated about 200 feet above the bottom of the canyon and is just under the rim of the mesa. The entrance of the cave faces west, toward a great promontory upon which stands Sun Temple.
The total length of the cave is over 300 feet and its greatest depth is just under 100 feet. The vaulted roof is so high that the cave was always light and airy and offered a perfect home site to the cliff dwellers who were seeking protection from the elements as well as from their enemies.
Fortunately, the configuration of the cliffs above the ruin makes it possible to get a fine birdseye view from the rim of the mesa. Views obtained from the heads of the two trails are most striking and give an idea of the setting and size of the building before it is entered for closer inspection. The most spectacular view of Cliff Palace is from Sun Temple, across the canyon. This is the only spot from which the entire ruin may be seen.