The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-11-08
RESTORE ANCIENT
CLIFF DWELLING
Scientists Preserve Batatakin
Located in Navajo ReSer-
Vation.
REQUIRED SIX MONTHS WORK
Repairing Of Prehistoric Structure 10
Completed by Representatives OF
Uncle Sans National
Museum.

Nell NJ. Judd of Uncle Sans nation
al museum recently completed SIX
months of archaeological work In Arl-
zona consisting of the repairing and re-
storntlon of n prehistoric cliff dwell
ing named Batatakin "a Navajo word
meaning Hillside House") located In
the Navajo National Monument, which
is in the northern part Of the Navaho
Indian reservation.
Mr.. Judd left the railroad at Flag
staff, where he gathered a small force
of wOrkmen, and followed the road
north about $50 miles to Kayenta,
where the party Outfitted. From Kay
enta they Travelled by pack train about
twenty miles to the ruin, which is To-
Gated in branch of Sagie Canyon.
Batatakin Is one of the most inter-
esting cliffhOuses in northern Arizona.
1t consists of nearly 100 rooms. built
on the sharply slOping floor Of cres-
cent-shaped cave. In parts of the VII
lage the houses were originally two
and even three stories In height. The
walls are of stone, bound together
with adobe mortar.
No "Break Joint" Masonry.
AS has been previously noted else
where in the Southwest the ancient
builders did not ""break joints" In their
masonry, that is, one joint frequently
came directly above another and read
lily accounts for the weakening of the
ancient walls and the gradual collapse
OF the entire structure.
The roofs were constructed with
cedar or pine beams, Overlaid with lay
ers of willows, cedar bark, or grass and
mud in succession. In many cases
the front walls were built of waffle
construction instead Of stone, that ts'
willows, placed upright, were bound to
crOsspieceS embedded In the side Walls
and the whole covered with mud.
About half Of the rooms were found
to be in a good state of preservation
with the roof still intact. The ceilings
are usually from four and One-half tC
five feet above the floor. This fact, to
gether with the low, narrow dOorways
accounts for the popular impression
that the cliff dwellers were n race OF
pygmies. AS matter Of fact, they
were people of average stature and
built rooted structures with small
openings only for warmth and shelter
They lived mostly out Of doors, grind
ing corn, cooking and performing otheI
domestic operations in the numerous
open courts found among the dwellings
proper.
Several Clans Lived There.
Besides the ordinary dwelling-roOm:
and these open courts of Batatakin
there are stOrage-rooms and ceremon
ial rooms, or kivas, these latter differ
ing from similar rooms in other reg
ions in being rectangular Instead o.
circular. Here were performed thu
various sacred rites and ceremonies
accompanying the religious beliefs o
these people. From the number o
kiyas of Batatakin 1t is evident tina
several clans lived here, as 1t was Gus
tomary for each clan to use separate
kiva, and the total number Of inhabi
tants of the cliffhOuse was prObabl'
between 100 and $50.
Besides several interesting smalle
ruins in the Navajo National Monu
ment there are two other large clif
villages, Keet Seel (Broken Potter
Housed and Inscription House,