Centered in the floor of this room is a small, rectangular, stone-lined firepit which was used for both heating and cooking.
7. Ventilator.
The long stone-lined channel, as at Stake No. 5, was used as a ventilator, the opening being at floor level in the cliff wall to your right. The upright slab of stone at the end of the ventilator trench deflected the incoming air so that the draft would not pass directly across the firepit, which was usually situated in the center of the room or work area.
This means of ventilation was not generally used by the Sinagua Indians, having been adopted from the neighboring Anasazi, with whom they had very close contact in this area.
8. “Amphitheater.”
From this vantage point is a good view of the “amphitheater” or “dance plaza.” This circular depression resembles in many ways the large ceremonial structures (kivas) of the neighboring Anasazi. There is no indication that it was ever roofed, and the ceremonial features normally found in a kiva are lacking. For this reason there is doubt as to the exact functions of this structure, which is unique within the Sinagua culture area.
In the foreground is a collapsed wall that fell intact.
9. Unexcavated room.
This is how the ruin looked prior to excavation. As you pass through this section of rubble notice how large sections of the walls fell intact, with individual stones still retaining their original relative positions. The walls were probably two stories high at this point.