suggest
themselves. Occupying a conspicuous point in the village of Kin-tiel
(Pl. LXIII) is an upright slab of sandstone which seems to stand in its
original position undisturbed, though the walls of the adjoining rooms
are in ruins. A similar feature was seen at Penasco Blanco, on the east
side of the village and a short distance without the inclosing wall.
Both these rude pillars are, in character and in position, very similar
to an upright stone of known use at Zuni. A hundred and fifty feet from
this pueblo is a large upright block of sandstone, which is said to be
used as a datum point in the observations of the sun made by a priest of
Zuni for the regulation of the time for planting and harvesting, for
determining the new year, and for fixing the dates of certain other
ceremonial observances. By the aid of such devices as the native priests
have at their command they are enabled to fix the date of the winter
solstice with a fair degree of accuracy. Such rude determination of time
was probably an aboriginal invention, and may have furnished the motive
in other cases for placing stone pillars in such unusual positions. The
explanation of the governor of Zuni for a sun symbol seen on an upright
stone at Matsaki has been given in the description of that place. Single
slabs are also used, as seen in the easternmost room group of
Taaaiyalana, and in the southwestern cluster on the same mesa, in the
building of shrines for the deposit of plume sticks and other ceremonial
objects.

An unusual employment of small stones in an upright position occurs at
Zuni. The inclosing wall of the church yard, still used as a burial
place, is provided at intervals along its top with upright pieces of
stone set into the joints of a regular coping course that caps the wall.
This feature may have some connection with the idea of vertical grave
stones, noted at K'iakima. It is difficult to surmise what practical
purpose could have been subserved by these small upright stones.

Notwithstanding the use of large stones for special purposes the pueblo
builders rarely appreciated the advantages that might be obtained by the
proper use of such material. Pueblo masonry is essentially made up of
small, often minute, constructional units. This restriction doubtless
resulted in a higher degree of mural finish than would otherwise have
been attained, but it also imposes certain limitations upon their
architectural achievement. Some of these are noted