Cliff Palace is the largest known cliff dwelling. Dr. Fewkes, who
excavated the ruin in 1909, placed the number of living rooms at
slightly more than 200. Very few of the walls reached the top of the
cave because of its great height, but many of the structures were as
high as two and three stories. Near the south end of the ruin is the
tallest structure, a four-story tower that reaches the cave roof.
Ground space appropriate for building purposes was at a premium in the
cave. To provide for an increasing population, second-, third-, and
even fourth-story rooms were superimposed on the original
single-story structures which predominated in the initial
cliff-dweller occupation of this site.
When the cliff dwellers started building in the cave they were
confronted with the problem of an uneven floor. The floor of the cave
slanted from the back to the front and was covered with huge, angular
boulders that had fallen from the cave roof. This problem the cliff
dweller solved by erecting terraces and filling in the irregular
places. The open spaces between the boulders were excellent for kivas,
as there was not a great deal of excavation necessary. After the kiva
walls were built the extra space was filled in with trash and dirt.
When the flat kiva roof was added a level court resulted. Around this
court the homes were constructed, often on the rough surfaces of the
big boulders. Because of the uneven floor and the terracing that was
necessary, six distinct terrace levels resulted.