Some of the best preserved circular ceremonial chambers (kivas) in the
Southwest are to be seen in Square Tower House. The majority of the kivas
belong to the pure type, distinguished by mural pilasters supporting a
vaulted roof.
Kiva A is particularly instructive on account of the good preservation of
its roof. Its greatest diameter is 13 feet 6 inches; or, measuring inside
the banquettes, 11 feet 1 inch. The interior is well plastered with many
layers of brown plaster. The pilasters are six in number, one of which is
double. Two depressions are visible in the smooth floor, in addition to a
fireplace and a sipapû. These suggest ends of a ladder, but no remains of
a ladder were found in the room.
Kiva B is the largest ceremonial chamber in Square Tower House, measuring
16 feet 9 inches in diameter over all. This kiva is not only one of the
best preserved, but also one of the most instructive in Square Tower
House, since half of the roof, with the original cribbing, is still in
place, extending completely around the periphery. It has six pilasters
and as many banquettes. Where the plaster had not fallen, it was found to
have several layers.
[Illustration: Sun Temple, a mysterious form of ruin.]