has been abruptly turned at right angles to the main
flight, and is supported upon rude poles and beams. The restriction of
this feature to the corners of upper rooms where they were most likely
to conflict with chimneys is undoubtedly a survival of ancient practice,
and due to the necessary vertical alignment of walls and masonry in this
primitive construction.

[Illustration: Fig. 50. Stone steps in Shumopavi.]

COOKING PITS AND OVENS.

Most of the cooking of the ancient Pueblos was probably done out of
doors, as among the ruins vestiges of cooking pits, almost identical in
character with those still found in Tusayan, are frequently seen. In
Cibola the large dome-shaped ovens, common to the Pueblos of the Rio
Grande and to their Mexican neighbors are in general use. In Tusayan a
few examples of this form of oven occur upon the roofs of the terraces,
while the cooking pit in a variety of forms is still extensively used.

[Illustration: Plate LXXIX. Zuni terraces.]

The distribution of the dome-shaped ovens in Cibola and in Tusayan may
be seen on the ground plans in Chapters III and IV. The simplest form of
cooking pit, still commonly used in Tusayan, consists of a depression in
the ground, lined with a coating of mud. The pit is usually of small
size and is commonly placed at some little distance from the house; in a
few cases it is located in a sheltered corner of the building. Fig. 51
illustrates a series of three such primitive ovens built against a house
wall, in a low bench or ledge of masonry raised 6 inches above the
ground; the holes measure about a foot across and are about 18 or 20
inches deep. Many similar pits occur in the Tusayan villages; some of
them are walled in with upright stone slabs, whose rough edges project 6
or 8 inches above the ground, the result closely resembling the ancient
form of in-door fireplace, such as that seen in a room of Kin-tiel. (Pl.
C.)

[Illustration: Fig. 51. A series of cooking pits in Mashongnavi.]

[Illustration: Fig. 52. Pi-gummi ovens of Mashongnavi.]

[Illustration: Fig. 53. Cross sections of pi-gummi ovens of
Mashongnavi.]

In its perfected form the cooking pit in Tusayan takes the place of the
more elaborate oven used in Zuni. Figs. 52 and 53 show two specimens of
pits used for the preparation of pi-gummi, a kind of baked mush.

These occur on the east side of Mashongnavi. They project 6 or 8 inches
above the ground, and have a depth of from 18