Because of the fact that the inhabitants of Cliff Palace were forced to
store enough corn each fall to last until the next harvest a great many
storage rooms were constructed. Any small nook or cranny that was too
small for a home was utilized for that purpose. Far back in the cave a
number were constructed of large, thin sandstone slabs. These slabs were
placed on end to form small rectangular rooms, and when the door slabs
were in place and all of the crevices were well chinked with mud the
grain was safe from the rodents. High up under the roof of the cave, at
the back, was a long narrow shelf that was also utilized for storage
space. A wall was built along the front of the ledge, closing it up
completely, and the space back of the wall was divided into 14 small
storage rooms. A ladder on the roof of one of the houses below gave
access to the ledge.