Kiva 4
Kiva 4 is easternmost of the four kivas of Tseh So, and lies
adjacent to Rooms 5, 6, and 15. It most greatly resembles
Kiva 2 in general structure, in its pit-like appearance, and in
the absence of a southern extension and pilasters. Its walls are vertical,
well-formed, and of fair masonry of the same type as the rest of
the pueblo. A goodly amount of plain unpainted and unincised plaster,
of some seven distinct coats, yet adheres to the walls. The usual bench
encircles the kiva, twenty-five to thirty inches above the kiva floor, for
all its circumference with the exception of that portion immediately in
front of and adjacent to the ventilator and the fire screen. The bench
is especially wide at the north side of the kiva, and erratically narrows
to a point and blends into the wall on the east side. On the west it
ends in a well-rounded shoulder, as usual. The kiva floor lies at about
nine feet from the original surface.
The ventilator opening is eighteen inches high by twelve inches
wide and rectangular. It enters the south wall of the kiva for some
three feet, then turns at right angles to the surface as in Kiva 2.
The deflector is similar to that of Kiva 3 in that it does
not adjoin the walls of the kiva on either side of the fire pit. This deflector
lies thirty inches from the ventilator opening, is twenty-one
inches in length and eighteen inches high, and is of single stone thickness.
The fire pit lies just to the north of the deflector and in dimensions
is eighteen by fourteen by nine inches deep. It is lined with
squared sandstone slabs.
No sipapu was definitely located as such, but two receptacles or
cists occurred in the walls of the kiva. One of these is a semi-circular
opening twenty-four inches wide and fourteen inches high at its apex
which was let into the end of the west bench five inches above the floor.
This is a plain ungarnished opening, fashioned in the masonry and lined
with adobe. Another of these wall cists or openings occurred on the
west wall above this last named, although of somewhat smaller dimensions.
It presented the same features, and was lined with adobe, as
the previous one.
