s as seen from the northeast, and
shows their relation to the adjacent houses. The following (Fig. 21)
illustrates the same group from the opposite point of view.

_Access._--The last described semi-subterranean kiva and the similar one
in the court of the village, show a short flight of stone steps on their
eastern side. Entrance to the ceremonial chamber is prevented when
necessary by the removal of the ladder from the outside, or in some
instances by the withdrawal of the rungs, which are loosely inserted
into holes in the side pieces. There is no means of preventing access to
the exposed trap doors, which are nearly on a level with the ground. As
a matter of convenience and to facilitate the entrance into the kiva of
costumed and masked dancers, often encumbered with clumsy paraphernalia,
steps are permanently built into the outside wall of the kiva in direct
contradiction to the ancient principles of construction; that is, in
having no permanent or fixed means of access from the ground to the
first roof. These are the only cases in which stone steps spring
directly from the ground, although they are a very important feature in
Tusayan house architecture above the first story, as may be seen in any
of the general views of the villages. The justification of such an
arrangement in connection with the indefensible kiva roof lies obviously
in the different conditions here found as compared with the dwellings.

[Illustration: Fig. 21. North kivas of Shumopavi, seen from the
southwest.]

The subterranean kiva of the Shumopavi group, above illustrated, is
exceptional as occurring at some distance from the mesa rim. Probably
all such exceptions to the rule are located in natural fissures or
crevices of the sandstone, or where there was some unusual facility for
the excavation of the site to the required depth. The most noteworthy
example of such inner kiva being located with reference to favorable
rock fissures has been already described in discussing the ground plan
of Walpi and its southern court-inclosed kiva (p. 65).

_Masonry._--The exterior masonry of these chambers seems in all cases to
be of ruder construction than that of the dwelling houses. This is
particularly noticeable in the kivas of Walpi on the mesa edge, but is
apparent even in some of the Zuni examples. One of the kivas of house
No. 1 in Zuni, near the churchyard, has small openings in its wall that
are rudely framed with stone slabs set in a stone