Arizona republican., 1917-08-27
HOP| INDIAN LURE
 VERIFIED BY J. $.
(New York Trihune)


 In a recent publication of the Smith sonian institution Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, of the bureau of American ethnology, describes some interesting prehistoric human habitations discovered during what Dr. Fewkes calls archaeological scouting in New Mexico and Utah during the summer of 1916. In New Mexico the work undertaken was an attempt to verify existing legends of the migrations of a Hopi clan that once lived in ruined pueblo called Slkyatki. The legends say that the clan origin ated in the mountains around Jemez, New Mexico, and gradually migrated westward. until they reached SikyatM in Arizona, which was eventually de- stroyed and it's inhabitants absorbed by the conquerors, whose descendants now live in Walpi. While the time was too short for Dr. Fewkes to trace the
 migration trail throughout its entire length, he studied Fire House, Arizona, one of the stopping places on the west ward migration mentioned in the Hopi legends, and made a reconnaissance of a number of heretofore undeScribed ruins between Fire House and the an- cestral home of the Hopi near Jemez.
 Fire House, or Tebungki in the Hopi language, is a circular structure about 94 by 79 feet in greater and lesser diameter. with the outside wall still ten feet in height at some places and averaging three feet in thickness. There are evidences of an external pas sageway through the outer wall, indi- eating a central court, while within the | inclosure there are many indications of
 rooms. some of which appear to be | circular but the interior is so filled | foI1 tp | ground plan could not be drawn with
 out extensive excavation. The stones ! forming the walls are as a rule cubical blocks, well dressed and accurately fit ted, showing good masonry. At the ] base of the cliff below Fire House is
 fine spring used by the former in-
 habitants for drinking water the trail
 from here to a gateway in the outer
 wall being well marked. AS one climbs
 from the spring to the top of the pla-
 teau the way passes between the cliff and a flat stone set on edge and pieced
 with hole about five feet above the
 pathway. This stone was evidently a
 means of defence; behind it the war | riors may have stood peering down 1 upon their enemies through this ori- flee. Although the form of Fire House J is circular and that of Sikyatk, the | | tarsular, nevertheless Dr. FewkeS es
 tablished to his own satisfaction from
 his study of the architecture, masonry,
 and other characteristics that Fire
 House is in reality one of the halting
 places of the clan on its westward mi
 grafton.
 reconnaissance was made of a
 number of ruins to the eastward of Fire House, among the most interest ing Of which were two ruins near Crown Point The largest of these.
 named I<in-a-a, is compact, rectang- ular structure with imbedded llivas, or , ceremonial chambers, and measures approximately 150 feet long by 100 feet wide. the north walls rising m places to fifty feet, showing evidence of five
 stories one above the other. The large kiva, or ceremonial room, fifteen feet : in diameter, represented the under world out of which, according to legends the early races of men emerged through an opening in the roof Among , the Hopi this hiva is never covered by another room, and this is carried so fa7 ; that it is forbidden to walk on the rool z of a kiva, especially at times when | rites are being performed. At certain times in Hopi ceremonies a thin layer of sand is sprinkled over the kiva roof and on this sand are drawn in mea foUr rain -clouc figures, around Whicl are performed certain secret rites. II this respect, however, Kin-a-a is ex- l ceptional, as there are evidences o1
 four rooms superimposed on the kiva
 A possible explanation of this is tha there were four kivas, one above tht other, to represent the underworlds il : which the ancestors of the human rac= 5 | have passed