DEPARTMIENT OF THE INTERIOiR.
UNITEiD STATES (EOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF TIlE TERRITORIES.
F. V. HAYDEN, U. S. Geologist-in-Charge.
I.-A NOTICE OF THE ANCIENT REMAINS OF SOUTIIWESTERN
COLORADO EXAMINED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1875.
By  W'H. H'. HOLMES.
II.-A NOTICE OF THE ANCIENT RUINS IN ARIZONA AND UTAH
LYING ABOUT THE RIO SAN JUAN.
By W. H. JACKSON.
III.-THE HUMAN REMAINS FOUND NEAR THE ANCIENT RUINS
OF SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO.
By Dr. EMIL BESSELS.
EXTRACTED FROM[ BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY
OF THE TERRITORIES, VOL. II, No. I.
WASHINGTON, March 21, 1876.
lx








A NOTICE OF THE ANCIENT RUINS OF SOUTHWESTERN
COLORADO, EXAMINED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1875.
BY W. H. HOLMINES.
In addition to my duties as geologist to the southwest or San Juan
division of the survey for 1875, I was assigned the very agreeable task
of making examinations of such ancient remains as might be included in the district surveyed.
Much information had already been given to the public in relation to
the ruins of Southwestern Colorado by Mr. Jackson, who paid them a
short visit in 1874, and many similar remains had been described by
early explorers in New Mexico and Arizona, but nothing like a complete
survey of this particular region had been made.
The district examined by our party covers an area of nearly 6,000
square miles, chiefly in Colorado, but including narrow belts in the
adjacent Territories of New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. It lies wholly
on the Pacific slope, and belongs almost entirely to the drainage-system
of the Rio San Juan, a tributary of the Colorado of the West.
- Lying along the west base of the mountains is a comparatively flat
country, the eastern border of the great plateau-region that reaches
westward toward the Sierras. The surface-geology is chiefly Cretaceous,
and the various large streams formed on the west slope of the Rocky
Mountains have cut long cafioned valleys down through the nearly
horizontal beds. In the greater part of this region, there is little
moisture apart from these streams, and, as a consequence, vegetation is
very sparse, and the general aspect of the country is that of a semidesert. Yet there is bountiful evidence that at one time it supported a
numerous population; there is scarcely a square mile in the 6,000 examined that would not furnish evidence of occupation by a race totally
distinct from the nomadic savages who hold it now, and in every way
superior to them.
At first, it seems strange that a country so dry and apparently barren
could support even a moderate population, and it is consequently argued
that the climate has grown less moist since the ancient occupation.
Be this as it may, I observe the fact that the great bulk of remains are
on, or in the immediate neighborhood of, running streams, or by springs
that furnish a plentiful supply of water during the greater part of the
year. The ever-present pottery may in many cases have been broken
and left by hunting and wandering parties, and the remnants of dwellings far out from water may be but temporary abodes used only in the
winter or during rainy seasons.
I also notice that the country is by no means an entire desert. All
along the stream-courses there are grass-covered meadows and broad
belts of alluvial bottom, affording, if properly utilized, a considerable
area of rich, tillable land.
The ruins of this region, like most others of the extreme West and
South, are the remnants in a great measure of stone structures. To




4
what extent wood and adobe were used can hardly be determined. It
is evident, however, that the greater portion of the villages and dwellings of the lowlands have been of material other than stone, frequently
doubtless of rubble and adobe combine]d.
As to situation: they may be classified very properly under three
heads: (1) lowland or agricultural settlements; (2) cave-dwellings; and
(3) cliff-houses or fortresses.
Those of the first class are chiefly on the river-bottoms, in close proximity to water, in the very midst of the most fertile lands, and located
without reference to security or means of defense.
Those of the second are in the vicinity of agricultural lands, but built
in excavations in low-bluff faces of the Middle Cretaceous shales. The
sites are chosen also, I imagine, with reference to security; while the situation of the cliff-houses is chosen totally with reference to security and
defense, built high up in the steep and inaccessible cliffs, and having
the least possible degree of convenience to field or water.
As to use, the position for the most part determines that. The lowland ruins are the remains of agricultural settlements, built and occupied much as similar villages an(l dwellings would be occupied by peaceable and unmolested peoples of to-day. The cave-dwellers, although
they may have been of the same tribe and contemporaneous, probably
built with reference to their peaceable occupations as well as to defense,
and it is impossible to say whether or not they made these houses their
constant dwelling-places. The cliff-houses could only have been used
as places of refuge and defense. During seasons of invasion and war,
families were probably sent to them for security, while the warriors
defended their property or went forth to battle; and one can readily
imagine that when the hour of total defeat came, they served as a last
resort for a desperate and disheartened people.
In form, the parallelogram and circle predominate, and a considerable degree of architectural skill is displayed. Where the conformation of the ground permits, the squares are perfect squares and the
circles perfect circles. A greater part of the ordinary structures are
square or rectangular; while attached to each group, and sometimes
without indications of contiguous buildings, are the circular ruins frequently resembling towers. These are the most pretentious structures,
being often as much as forty feet in diameter, and in many cases having
double or triple walls. They are solidly built of hewn stone, dressed on
the outside to the curve, neatly jointed, and laid in mortar.
The space between the outer walls is invariably divided by heavy
partition-walls into a number of apartments, while a circular depression,
or estufa*, occupies the center of the inclosure.
It seems evident, fromn the extraordinary form of these structures
and the unusual care shown in their construction, that they were not
designed for the ordinary uses of dwelling or defense. It has been
observed that, among nearly all the ancient tribes of North America,
the grandest and most elaborate works of art were the offspring of their
superstitions, and it does not seem at all improbable that these great
towers had a religious origin.
It is stated that the eternal fire —an essential of their worship-has
always been kept in circular inclosures, and that the circle symbolizes
the sun, their deity. The occurrence, therefore, of one or more of these
circular inclosures in each of their settlements can be rationally
accounted for; but it is with less certainty we arrive at conclusions in
regard to the triple walls and the cell-like apartments. In the inhabited
* A Spanish word signifying "sweat-house" or council-house.




pueblos of to-day, there are underground rooms, mostly circular, used
as council-chambers as well as for the performance of the mysterious
rites of their religion. Similar chambers occur, according to Lieutenant
Simpson, in all the ruined cities of New Mexico, buthaving single walls
of no great height or thickness. It is stated by Squier and Davis* that
in Mexico the sacred inclosures were also used for defensive purposes,
and it certainly seems probable that these curious structures served the
double purpose of temples and fortifications, and that the apartments
between the walls were the cells of the priesthood or the receptacles of
sacred or valuable property.
The smaller single-walled towers, which are scattered at intervals
along the river-coursesand cafions, frequently in commanding situations,
were probably watch or signal towers.
The cave-dwellings are made by digging irregular cavities in the faces
of bluffs and cliffs formed of friable rock, and then walling up the front,
leaving only a small doorway for entrance and an occasional small window at the side or top.'The cliff-houses conftrm in shape to the floor of the niche or shelf on
which they are built. They are of firm, neat masonry, and the manner
in which they are attached or cemented to the cliffs is simply marvelous.
Their construction has cost a great deal of labor, the rock and mortar
of which they are built having been brought for hundreds of feet up the
most precipitous places. They have a nmuch more modern look than the
valley and cave retmains, and are probably in general more recent, belonging rather to the close than to the earlier parts of a l9ng period of
occupation. Their position, however, has secured them in a great measure from the hand of the invader as well as from the ordinary effects of
age.
Of works of art other than architectural that might assist in throwing light upon the grade of civilization reached by these people, but
meager discoveries were made; although I imagine that careful search
and well-conducted exhumation might develop many things of great
interest. A small number of arrow-heads, stone-implements, ornaments,
and articles of fictile manufacture, that may fairly be attributed to the
age of the cliff-builders, were collected. The greater part of these are
figured in plates XIII and XIV. There are no evidences whatever that
metals were used.
Numerous hieroglyphics were observed, both engraved and painted
upon the cliffs. Drawings of a large number were made, and some of
the more notable examples are given in plates X'I and XII.
A great number of burial-places were noted, but of the graves examined few yielded further evidences of occupation than small quantities
of charcoal and bits of painted pottery. These burial-places, which
are in a number of cases covered by a heavy growth of full-grown pifon
pines and cedars, are usually foiund on the summits of high ridges and
promontories, and are still marked by slabs of sandstone set on edge and
arranged in circles, and parallelograms of greatly-varying dimensions.
But that they did not always bury their dead in high places is proven
by the frequent discovery of human remains in the arroyos or deep
washes in the valleys. Three skeletons were obtained, in the vicinity
of ruined villages, from the sides of recent washes.
The accompanying plates are, with one exception, reproductions of
pen-drawings, and are arranged for convenience, rather than from any
method of classification. The plans are not drawn to a uniform scale,
because of the inconvenience of such an arrangement; but measure-: Ancient Mornumernts of the Mississippi Valley, page 102.




6
ments are so frequently given on the plates themselves that no confusion need occur. Measurements were taken by tape-line in all the more
important structures; but in many of the ordinary ruins, where exact
dimensions were not considered essential, the distances were estimated.
It is to be greatly regretted that extreme haste frequently prevented
close and accurate work.
The accompanying map will give the location of all the more important
groups of ruins.
-The fragments of information collected in this notice are given with
the hope that they may throw a little additional light upon the very
interesting problems of ancient American history.
RUINED VILLAGE ON THE RIO LA PLATA.
Plate I.
The first group of ruins observed is situated on the Rio La Plata, about
twenty-five miles above its junction with the San Juan, and three or
four miles south of the New Mexican line. It is doubtless the remains
of a large, irregular village, and stands on a low terrace, some 20 feet
above the river-bed, and near the center of a large, fertile valley.
It will be seen, by reference to the plate, which includes only the
more important part of the town, that the buildings have been isolated,
and, in a measure, independent of each other, differing in this respect
from most of the groups of ruins farther south.
The forms are chiefly rectangles and circles; one or two seem to have
been elliptical, while a number have consisted of irregular groups or
clusters of apartments. All that now remains to mark the site of these
ancient structures is the low, rounded heaps and lines of debris, composed
of earth, water-worn pebbles, and small fragments of sandstone. The
walls of four of the main structures are quite distinctly marked. That
of the circle c is still 4 feet high on the outside, and incloses a depression, probably an estufa, which, in the center, is 2 or 3 feet below the
terrace-level.
North of this, about 300 feet, is a truncated rectangular mound, 9 or
10 feet in height and 50 feet in width by 80 in length. On the east end,
near one of the angles, is a low, projecting pile of debris that may have
been a tower. There is nothing whatever to indicate the use of this
structure. Its flat top and height give it more the appearance of one
of the sacrificial mounds of the Ohio Valley than any other observed in
this part of the West.' It may have been, however, only a raised foundation, designed to support a superstructure of wood or adobe.
North of this again, and 100 feet distant, is a rectangular inclosure
about 60 by 100 feet. It is slightly excavated in the center, and the
rounded and irregular wall is from 4 to 6 feet in height. The space between this and the last-mentioned structure is filled in to the depth of 2
or 3 feet, and the amount of debris about their bases indicates original
walls of considerable height. North of this are scattered a number of
inferior ruins, the walls of which are Iot always distinctly marked. These
extend back toward a row of low hills, the remnants of a superior terrace, on the summits of which a number of artificial depressions were
found. Such'dug holes " are generally quite numerous in the vicinity
of these ruins, and have doubtless in many cases been made by throwing up earthworks for defensive purposes. South of the large circle is
a mass of ruins covering some 15,000 square feet, but so much reduced
that nothing further could be determined than the fact that it had contained a large number of irregular apartments. Next to this is a rect



Plate I.
-1~' i~.'".-~.~ i")  ",,     PLATE I.
"",,.:.      ANCIENT RUINS......on the,.
a`    Oft"9In  deep  10 ft high 
ft. high,, -- 11                                               I
4,        i.(' 
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j-I~:.~. ~,.                  ~. 
~; k.._.~i:~~~..~.6 F.44%7%,5








7
angular ruin, containing three well-marked apartments. Its walls are
6 or 7 feet high, and, unlike those of the preceding examples, do not
coincide with the cardinal points. South of this, and occupying the
extreme southern end of the terrace, are a number of small circles and
mounds, while an undetermined number of diminutive mounds are distributed among the other ruins.
To the east of the Indian trail, as shown in the plate, are a number of
inclosures of lesser importance, which, from want of time, were not
closely examined.
Nowhere about these ruins are there any considerable indications of
defensive works, and the village, which is scattered over an area fully two
miles in circuit, has no natural advantages whatever. Neither are there
traces of ditches, nor of anything that might throw important light upon
the habits or occupations of the people. A few arrow-heads and minute
cutting-implements were picked up. Countless chips of jasper, obsidian,
and flint were scattered around, and the soil was literally full of fragments of painted and ornamental pottery.
On the opposite side of the river, and at intervals above and below,
are isolated groups of ruins and heaps of debris —certainly the remains
of dwellings. These seem to have been distributed very much as dwelling-houses would be in the rural districts of civilized and peaceable
communities.
It is possible that there are undiscovered ruins on this stream equally
important with that described; for, in pursuing my geologic investigations, I was compelled to take a long detour to the westward from
this point, returning to the La Plata again a few miles above its junction with the San Juan. On this occasion, while riding through a desertlike locality, quite naked and barren, much resembling the well-known
Mlauvaises terres, I was surprised to observe fragments of pottery strewn
around, and presently a number of ruins, in a very reduced state and
almost covered by the drifting sand, and this six or eight miles from
water. On the hifh, dry table-lands, on all sides, fragments of pottery
were picked up. What could have induced people to build and( dwell
in such a locality it is useless to surmise.
GROUP OF CAVE DWELLINGS AND TOWERS ON THE RIO SAN JUAN.
Plate II.
On the San Juan River,'about thirty-five miles below the mouth of
the La Plata and ten miles above the Aancos, occurs the group of ruins
figured in Plate II.
The river is bordered here by low lines of bluffs formed from the more
compact portions of the Middle Cretaceous shaies. At this particular
place, the vertical-bluff face is from 3.5 to 40 feet in height.
I ob)served, in approaching from  above, that, ruined tower stood
near tile brink of the cliff, at a pIoint where it curves outward toward
the river, and in studying it with my glass detected a number of cavelike openings in the cliff-face about half-way up. On examination, I
found them to have been shaped by the hand of man, but so weathered
out and changed by the slow process of atmospheric erosion that the
evidences of art were almost obliterated.
The openings are arched irregularly above, and generally quite shallow, being governed very much in contour and depth by the quality of
the rock. The work of excavation has not been an extremely great




one, even with the imperfect implements that must have been used, as
the shale is for the most part soft and friable.
A hard stratum served as a floor, and projecting in many places made
a narrow platform by which the inhabitants were enabled to pass along
from one house to another.
Small fragments of mortar still adhered to the firmer parts of the
walls, from which it is inferred that they were at one time plastered. It
is also extremely probable that they were walled up in front and furnished with doors and windows, yet no fragment of wall has been preserved. Indeed, so great has been the erosion that many of the caves
have been almost obliterated, and are now not deep enough to give
shelter to a bird or bat.
This circumstance should be considered in reference to its bearing
upon the question of antiquity. If we suppose the recess to be destroyed
is six feet deep, the entire cliff must recede that number of feet in order
to accomplish it. If the rock were all of the friable quality of the middle part, this would indeed be the matter of a very few decades; but it
should be remembered that the upper third of the cliff-face is composed
of beds of comparatively hard rocks, sandstones, and indurated shales.
It should also be noted still further that at the base of the cliff there is
an almost total absence of debris, or fallen rock, or even of an ordinary
talus of earth, so that the period that has elapsed since these houses
were deserted must equal the time taken to undermine and break down
the 6 feet of solid rock, plus the time required to reduce this mass of
rock to dust; considering also that the erosive agents are here unusually
weak, the resulting period would certainly not be inconsiderable.
Figure 2 gives a fair representation of the present appearance of these
dwellings, while their relations to the group of ruins above will be
understood by reference to figure 1. These ruins are three in numberone rectangular and two circular. The rectangular one, as indicated in
the plan C, is placed on the edge of the mesa, over the more northern
group of cave-dwellings; it is not of great importance, being only 34
by 40 feet, and scarcely 2 feet high; the walls are 1I, feet thick, and
built of stone.
The small tower B is situated on the brink of the cliff; directly above
one of the principal groups of cave-houses. It is neatly built of stone,
which, although not hewn, is so carefully chosen and adjusted to the
curve that the wall is quite regular. That the stone was procured from
the neighboring cliffs is indicated by the presence of great numbers of
characteristic fossils. The wall is 18 inches thick and from 2 to 6 feet
in height.
Long lines of debris, radiating from all sides, indicate that it has been
much higher, and has.but recently fallen. This tower is inclosed by
a wall, also circular in form, but open toward the cliff, as seen in the
drawing; the ends projecting forward and irregular and broken as if
portions had fallen. Its construction is like that of the inner wall, but
the height is not more than 3 feet at any point. The diameter of the
inner circle is 12 feet, that of the outer 22 feet; the distance, therefore,
between the walls is a little less than 4 feet. In this space, there are
indications of partition-walls that have originally divided it into a number of apartments.
About one hundred and fifty yards to the southwest of this ruin are
the remains of another similar structure. It has been, however, on a
much grander scale. The walls are 26 inches thick, and indicate a
diameter in the outer wall of aJbout 140 feet. They are not above 4 feet
high at any point, and in the parts toward the cliff can only be traced




Plate 2.
rSIt,
rs.'.I F,I
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9
by a low ridge of earth. The remaining fragments of wall are at the
remoter parts of the circles, and are ini every respect like the walls
already described. The inner wall, which can be traced but a short distance,'is 8. feet from the outer, and has been connected by partitionwalls, as in the other case.
The first impression given by this curious inclosure is that it was
designed for a "corral," and used for the protection of herds of domestic
animals; but since these people are not known to have possessed
domestic animals, and when we further consider that inclosures of pickets
would have served this purpose as well as such a massive and extraordinary structure, we can hardly avoid assigning it to some other use,
which use, doubtless similar to that of the smaller tower, is very naturally suggested by its location and construction.
That they both belonged to the community of cave-dwellers, and served
as their fortresses, council-chambers, and places of worship, would seem
to be natural and reasonable inferences. Being on the border of a low
mesa country that rises toward the north, the strong outside walls were
doubtless found necessary to prevent incursions from that direction,
while the little community by means of ladders would be free to pass
from dwelling to temple and fortress without danger of molestation.
The original height of these structures must necessarily be a matter
of conjecture, and it is true that although there is every evidence of age,
both in the cave-dwellings and in the walled inclosures above, the lack
of great quantifies of crumbling walls and debris. and the general bareness of the ruins, give rise to the notion that they were but meager
affairs. If we conclude, however, that the outer walls were constructed
for defense, and their thickness and form favor such a hypothesis, their
height would probably have been as great as fifteen or twenty feet,
while the inner walls, being equally heavy and well built, would be sufficiently high to accommodate two or three stories. With these conclusions in view, I have ventured to present a sketch showing a restoration
of the smaller tower (plate III). This sketch illustrates the probable
appearance of the dwellings and tower, and the supposed means of
communication between them.
The manner of walling up the fronts of the cave-dwellings, as here
given, was observed frequently on the Rio Mancs, where, in corresponding cliffs of shaly sandstones, there are many well-preserved specimens.
A large group situated on this stream, about ten miles above its mouth,
was subsequently examined. The walls were in many places quite well
preserved and new-looking, while all about, high and low, were others
in all stages of decay. In one place in particular, a picturesque outstanding promontory has been full of dwellings, literally honeycombed
by this earth-burrowing race, and as one from below views the ragged,
window-pierced crags, he is unconsciously led to wonder if they are not
the ruins of some ancient castle, behinid whose moldering walls are
hidden the dread secrets of fa long-forgotten people; but a nearer approach quickly dispels such fancies, for the windows prove to be only
the doorways to shallow and irregular apartments, hardly sufficiently
commodious for a race of pigmies. Neither the outer openings nor the
apertures that communicate between the caves are large enough to
allow a person of large stature to pass, and one is led to suspect that
these nests were not the dwellings proper of these people, but occasional
resorts for women and children, and that the somewhllat extensive ruins
in the valley below were their ordinary dwelling-places. On the brink
of the promontory above stands the ruin of a tower, still twelve feet
high, and similar in most respects to those already described. These




10
round towers are very numerous in the valley of the Maneos. From
this point alone at least three others are in view, some on the higher
promontories, others quite low, within twenty or thirty feet of the riverbed. I visited and measured seven along the lower fifteen miles of the
course of this stream. In dimensions they range from ten to sixteen
feet in diameter and from five to fifteen feet in height, while the walls
are from one to two feet in thickness. They are in nearly every case
connected with other structures, mostly rectangular in form. At the
mouth of the Mancos, however, a double circle occurs, the smaller
one having been the tower proper. It is fifteen feet in diameter, and
from eight to ten in height. The larger circular wall is forty feet in
diameter and from two to four feet high, and is built tangent to the
smaller. This ruin is at the point where the Mancos reaches the alluvial bottom bordering the Rio San Juan, and about one mile above its
junction with that river. On the opposite or south side of the river are
traces of somewhat extensive ruins, but so indistinct that the character
of the original structures cannot be made out, and indeed no single
mile of the lower fifty of the Mancos is without such remains.
CASNCN OF THE RIO 3MANCOS.
Fifteen miles fronm its junction with the Sau Juan, this streain emerges
from the southwest border of the Mesa Verde, through which it has cut
its way, producing a most remarkable calion. This calion has already
been once or twice described; but in order to make my subsequent descriptions better understood, I shall give here an outline. The Mesa Verde is
a somewhat irregular table-land, comprising an area of about seven hundred square miles, and is formed of a great series of nearly horizontal
sedimentary rocks, of which the surrounding country has been denuded.
This series of strata consists, in the upper part, of massive sandstones; in
the middle part, of alternating sandstones and shales; and in the lower
one thousand feet, chiefly of shales and clay. These softer beds are,
when once exposed to the erosive agents, carried away with great rapidity, and, as a consequence, the firmer rocks above are undermined and
break down in vertical cliffs, and, where soft and hard beds alternate,
a series of steps, with intervening slopes, is formed. It will readily be
seen that a cation thus formed would consist in general of a narrow,
irregular river-bottom, long steep slopes of debris rising like the arms
of a letter V from this, then a succession of steeps aznd slopes, culminating above in a series of lofty, embattled cliffs.  The cation is nearly thirty
miles in length, and ranges from one to two thousand feet in depth. It
seems to have been a favorite reoort of the cliff-building people, and
traces of their industry may be found everywhere, along the bottoms,
in the cliffs, and on the high, dry table-lands above.
The four following plates will be taken tip in the delineation of the
more interesting portions of these remains.
PLATE IV.
Figure 1 illustrates the mletlhod of iwalling up the cave-fronts as
described on a preceding page. This sketch was made at the lastmentioned locality on the Rio Mancos. The group occurred in the cliff
about thirty feet froim the base. The three doorways opened into as
many small apartments, and these were connected with each other by
very small passage-ways. The farther door could not be reached from
the outside, as the platform of rock had btroken away.




Plate 4.
7 ~ \
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— c, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ —, —-----— ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Y ~ i
I/ZS
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35,x 4,0
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11
Figure 2 gives a plan of the double tower near the mouth of the NMancos; it has already been described.
The ruin, of which a plan is given in figure 3, occurs on the left bank
of the Mancos about eight miles above the foot of the caton. It is one
of the best preserved specimens of the ruined towers, and seems to have
been built with much skill. It. is 9 feet in diameter on the inside and
about 16 feet high. There are three rectangular apartments attached,
the walls of which are almost leveled with the, ground. In the side of
the tower facing the river is a window, about 8 feet from the ground and
2 feet high by 14I wide. I had been previously led to the conclusion that
these towers were in all cases built without windows or openings of any
kind within reach of the ground from without, and it is not improbable
that this opening did not communicate with the outside, but served as a
doorway between the tower and one of the adjoining apartments. The
advantage of such an arranugement in a defensive work, such as we may
suppose this to have been, is clearly apparent, and evinces not a little
intelligence and forethought on the part of the builders. Being built
in connection with dwellings and places of resort, they could, in case of
alarm, be reached with ease from within, but be altogether secure from
without.
This ruin was visited by MIr. Jackson last year, and a sketch of it has
been published.
Figure 4. The large circular ruin, of which a ground-plan is given in
this plate, was also visited by Mr. Jackson, photographs were made, and
a brief description given; but I deem it best to give a more detailed
descrip)tion, the result of such observations and measurements as
could be made in a period of time entirely tco short for a work of such
importance.
This ruin is situated on a narrow strip of alluvial bottom about midway in the cation of the Mancos. On first approaching it, one does not
observe that it differs greatly from the ordinary fragmentary structures
below, as it is much decayed and almost hidden by artemisia and vines.
Closer inspection, however, develops the greater part of the outline,
and I imagine that a little excavation would bring all the foundations
to light. The inner wall can be traced throughout the entire circle, and
is in places 6 or 8 feet high. A portion of the outer wall, at the point
farthest from the river, is still 12 feet in height and in a fair state of
preservation. The space between the walls has been divided into cells,
as in the two examples given in plate II. Four of the cross walls are
still a number of feet high, while others can be traced by lines of debris.
The diameter of the outer wall is 43 feet; that of the inner, 25 feet. They
are faced up with larger stones than usual (the heaviest of which, however, could be lifted with ease by a single workman), and have been
filled in with rubble, adobe, and wood. The outside courses have been
dressed to the curve, and the implements used,judging from the appearance of the picked surfaces, have been of stone. The main walls are 21
inches in thickness, while the partition-walls are somewhat lighter, and
seem to have been but slightly built into the circular walls.
In order to determine the probable number of these cells, I measured
the two having complete walls, and found the inner side of each to be
8 feet. As these were both on one side of the circle, I had but to
measure the remaining space to complete the semicircle, and on so doing
found that there was just room for three additional cells and the necessary partition-walls; two of these were still traceable. To complete the
circle, therefore, ten apartments would be necessary. Being desirous
of confirming this conclusion, I took the diameter of the inner circle




12
as given in my notes, and, tby adding twice the thickness of the wall,
obtained a circumference of 89~ feet; just sufficient space to accolmmo~date ten apartments, with an equal number of partition-walls a fraction
less than 12 inches in thickness.
By adding to the diameter of the inner circle the total thickness of
the walls, plus twice the distance between them, I obtained a diameter
of 43 feet for the outer circle. The circuit of the structure is, therefore,
135 feet. Although these figures are greater than those previously given
(estimated), I am confident that they cannot vary greatly from the truth.
There were no indications of windows or doors in the fragment of
outer wall, but two nearly rectangular openings in the inner wall seem to
have served as doorways between the central inclosure and the cells.
We may suppose that each cell had similar means of communication with
the interior. The one doorway that remains entire is 6 feet from the
ground, and measures 2 feet in width by 3 in height. The stone-work
of the facing is very neat and exact, and the lintel is of a single slab
of sandstone. It may be fairly presumed that the outer wall had no
doorways or windows within reach of the ground, and that entrance
was obtained by means of ladders, through high windows or by way of
the roof. The central inclosure has doubtless served as an estufa, and
there are still evidences of a considerable depression.
That this ruin is quite ancient is attested by the advanced stage of
decay, and that it has been of considerable height may be inferred from
the large quantities of debris. A similar and somewhat more perfect
example of double-walled tower is illustrated in plate VIII.
There seem to have been no buildings of importance in connection
with this ruin, but many in the vicinity. On the point of a low rocky
promontory that extends down fromn the mesa on the west to within a
few yards of the circular ruin are some masses of decaying wall, and a
large circular depression, not differing in appearance from the usual
estufa.
It is probable that there are other remains higher up on the rocky
slope; indeed, others could be seen from the trail, but I found no time
to visit them.
A few hundred yards below the great tower, and very near the trail,
a smaller tower occurs, having other ruins connected with it, and in a
weather-worn cavity in a massive crag near by is; the cosy little dwelling shown in figure 5.
The rude little fire-place illustrated in figure 6 was observed by Mr.
Brandegee in connection with a cliff-house on the opposite side of the
cafion, a little farther up. It is remarkable as being the only example
discovered by our party. There seem to be no traces whatever of fireplaces, ovens, furnaces, or chimneys in or about any of the ruins
described, which is rather remarkable, since fires must have been used
in baking pottery and for domestic purposes, and we cannot suppose
that a people so well advanced in architectural skill were unable to
build fire-places and furnaces.
PLATE V. —CLIFF-I-IOUSES OF THE MIAANCOS.
In this plate are given sketches of two of the more interesting groups
of cliff-houses, or fortresses, as they may quite as appropriately be
called. Figure 1 represents a portion of a group found about ten miles
from the foot of the cation in a subordinate cliff on the west side. This
low cliff is of massive sandstone, and is washed by the river, the trail
being crowded back against the steep wall. At the height of about




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-77,&,'a GWIJd








13
forty feet above the river, a bed of shale occurs in the sandstone, which,
being easily disintegrated, has been weathered out and carried away,
leaving a sort of horizontal groove some four feet high and from four to
six feet deep. In this a row of diminutive houses has been built. Three
of these are almost perfect, having a fresh, new look that certainly belies
their age. Four others are much more decayed, and fragments of wall
only cling to the cliffs. They have been made to occupy the full height
and depth of the crevice, so that when one reaches it at the only accessible point, he is between two houses and must pass through these to
get at the others. The doorways are quite small and bear no evidence
of the fitting or ainging of doors; and the windows, of which a number
open to the front, are but a few inches square.
-The walls are strongly built and are from eight to ten inches thick.
The stones are small, dressed roughly on the outside, and laid in mortar.
In many places the heavier seams of mortar have been chinked with
bits of pottery and small flakes of sandstone. The marks of the mason's
pick are as fresh as if made within a few years, and the fine, hard
mud-mortar, which has been applied with the bare hands, still retains
impressions of the minute markings of the cuticle of the fingers.
The house at the left hand in the drawing has two apartments, the
farthest of which has a curved wall conforming with the rounded end
of the crevice floor, which, beyond this for some distance, is broken
down.
Specimens of the mortar and of the dressed stoneFwere procured from
this house and brought east. Below the middle part of this line of
houses, on an irregular projection, are the remains of a number of walls,
in such a state of ruin, however, that the character of the original
structure could not be made out. In digging among the debris of this
ruin, I came upon a bin of charred corn, in which the forms of the ears
were quite perfect. It seems to be of a variety similar to that cultivated
by the tribes of the neighborhood at the present time.
That this corn had been placed there by the ancient occupants seems
probable from the fact that it occupied a sort of basement apartment
or cellar, and had been buried beneath the fallen walls of the superstructures. Imbedded in this mass of charcoal, I found the very perfect
specimenof stone implement figured in plate XIV (figure3). Many large
fragments of the ordinary painted pottery were also picked up here. A
certain new look about portions of this group leads one to suspect that
it cannot boast of great antiquity; but it is very difficult to calculate
the effects of age upon walls so perfectly protected and in such a climate.
The group given in figure 2 is of a much more interesting and remarkable character.  It was first observed from the trail, far below and
nearly three-fourths of a mile away. From this point, by the aid. of a
field-glass, the sketch given in the plate was made. So cleverly are the
houses hidden away in the dark recesses, and so very like the surrounding cliffs in color, that I had almost completed the sketch of the tpper
house before the lower or "sixteen-windowed" one was detected. They
are at least eight hundred feet above the river. The lower five hundred
feet is of rough cliff-broken slope, the remainder of massive bedded
sandstone full of wind-worn niches, crevices, and caves. Within one
hundred feet of the cliff-top, set deep in a great niche, with arched, overhanging roof, is the upper house, its front wall built along the very
brink of a sheer precipice. Thirty feet below, in a similar but less
remarkable niche, is the larger house, with its long line of apertures,
which I afterward found to be openings intended rather for the insertion of beams than for windows.




14
PLATE VI.
I subsequently climbed the cafion-walls to make a closer examination
of these ruins, and the plans given in plate VI were obtained.
The lower house was easily accessible, and proved to be of a very
interesting character. It occupies the entire floor of a niche which is
about sixty feet long and fifteen in depth at the deepest part. The front
walls are built flush with the precipice, and the partition-walls extend
back to the irregular wall of rock behind. Portions of the wall at the
left, viewing the house from the front, are greatly reduced; but the main
wall, that part which contains the window-like openings, is still thirteen
or fourteen feet high.
The arrangement of the apartments is quite complicated and curious,
and will be more readily understood by a reference to the ground-plan
(figure 1). The precipice-line, or front edge of the niche-floor. extends
from a to b. From this the broken cliffs and slopes reach down to the
trail and river, as shown in the accompanying profile (figure 3). The line
b c d represents the deepest part of the recess, against which the walls
are built. To the right of b, the shelf ceases, and the vertical face of rock
is unbroken. At the left, beyond a, the edge is not so abrupt, and the
cliffs below are so broken that one can ascend with ease. Above, the
roof comes forward and curves upward, as seen in the profile.
The most striking feature of this structure is the round room, which
occurs about the middle of the ruin and inside of a large rectangular
apartment.
The occurrence of this circular chamber in this place is highly significant, and tends greatly to confirm my previously-stated opinion that the
circle had a high significance with these people. Their superstitions
seem to have been so exacting in this matter that, even when driven to
the extremity of building and dwelling in the midst of these desolate
cliffs, an inclosure of this form could not be dispensed with; a circular
estufa had to be constructed at whatever cost of labor and convenience.
Its walls are not high and not entirely regular, and the inside is
curiously fashioned with offsets and box-like projections. It is plastered smoothly, and bears considerable evidence of having been used,
although I observed no traces of fire. The entrance to this chamber
is rather extraordinary, and further attests the peculiar importance
attached to it by the builders, and their evident desire to secure it from
all possibility of intrusion. A walled and covered passage-way,J;f, of solid
masonry, ten feet of which is still intact, leads from ati outer chamber
through the small intervening apartments into the circular one. It is
possible that this originally extended to the outer wall, and was entered
from the outside. If so, the person desiring to visit the estufa would
have to enter an aperture about twenty-two inches high by thirty wide,
and crawl, in the most abject manner possible, through a tube-like passage-way nearly twenty feet in length. MIy first impression was that
this peculiarly-constructed doorway was a precaution against enemies,
and that it was probably the only means of entrance to the interior of
the house; but 1 am now inclined to think this hardly probable, and
conclude that it was rather designed to render a sacred chamber as free
as possible from profane intrusion. The apartments 1, k, mn, n, do not
require any especial description, as they are quite plain and almost empty.
The partition-walls have never been built up to the ceiling of the niche.
and the inmates, in passing from one apartment to another, have
climbed over. The row of apertures indicated in the main front wall
are about five feet from the floor, and were doubtless entered for the




Plate 6.
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A~~~~~~~~~~~J q <q Ft sskve~ 0 anE2Lc
t'            S~~~~~~~~~e Sanstne
Oa v
S&9e'rt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vol -e W-v
T  Ss 1                                       Bean
=Ska beds
m        e  /Cout, measusr"X
ma/)~                               -I I Xmzst,         I
w     /         Sha~~s        |    1am
X    /        ~~~~~SanzltonxD|       d 
and-    ~lca
To b ~ ~ -==2 —~~   Ks~v  L~
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/  y3.
-  ~~~~   Col-t~~~~~~ nzeasut ~ f  ori-b o e r  /
~I~~~~~~~~a~~








15
insertion of beams, although there is no evidence that a second floor
has at any time existed. In that part of the ruin about the covered
passage-way, the walls are complicated, and the plan can hardly be
made out, while the curved wall inclosing the apartment e is totally
overthrown.
In digging among the debris with our hamners. we came upon a large
earthen vessel at h7, and shortly afterward discovered another near i.
They were so situated in a small recess under the sheltering walls that
the falling rubbish had not reached them. Roughly-hewn stone lids
were fitted carefully over the tops, but both were empty. One had been
slightly broken about the rim, while the other had been pierced on the
underside by some sharp instrument, and had been mended by laying a
small fragment of pottery over the aperture on the inside and cementing it down with clay. They are of the ordinary corrugated pottery,
and have a capacity of about three gallons.
Beneath the vessels, spread out on the floor, was a large piece of rushmatting, and beneath this a quantity of fine vegetable tissue from the
interior bark of some kind of tree. The vessels are illustrated in plate
X~III, and the matting in plate XIV.
The rock-race between this ruin and the one above is smooth and vertical, but by passing along the ledge a few yards to the.left a sloping
face was found, up which a stairway of small niches had been cut; by
means of these, an active person, unincumbered, could ascend with
safety. On reaehing the top, one finds himself in the very doorway of
the upper house (a, figure 2) without standing-room outside of the wall,
and one can imagine that an enemy would stand but little chance of
reaching and entering such a fortress if defended, even by women and
children alone. The position of this ruin is one of unparalleled security,
both from enemies and from the elements. The almost vertical cliff
descends abruptly from the front wall, and the immense arched roof of
solid stone projects forward 15 or 20 feet beyond the house (see section,
figure 3). At the right the ledge ceases, and at the left stops short
against a massive vertical wall. The niche-stairway affords the only
possible means of approach.
The house occupies the entire floor of the niche, which is about 120
feet long by 10 in depth at the deepest part. The front wall to the
right and left of the doorway is quite low, portions having doubtless
fallen off. The higher wall fg is about 30 feet long, and from 10 to 12
feet high, while a very low rude wall extends along the more inaccessible part of the ledge, and terminates at the extreme right in a small
inclosure, as seen in the plan at c.
In the first apartment entered, there were evidences of fire, the walls
and ceiling being blackened with smoke. In the second, a member of the
party,* by digging in the rubbish, obtained a quantity of beans, and in
the third a number of grains of corn, hence the names given. There
are two small windows in the front wall, and doorways communicate
between rooms separated by high partitions.
The walls of these houses are built in the usual manner, and average
about a foot in thickness.
The upper house seems to be in a rather unfinished state, looking as
if stone and mortar had run short. And when one considers that these
materials must have been brought from far below by means of ropes, or
carried in small quantities up the dangerous stairway, the only wonder
is that it was ever brought to its present degree of finish.:Mr. Brandegee.




16
Figure 3 is given for the purpose of making clear the geologic conditions that give shape to the cliffs as well as to show the relations of these
houses to the cliffs. The hard and massive beds of rock resist the
erosive agents; the soft and friable beds yield, hence the irregularitythe overhanging cliffs, the niches and benches. a is a section of the
lower house, b of the upper.
It has heretofore been supposed that the occupants of these houses
obtained water, either from  the river below or from springs on the
mesa above; but the immense labor of carrying water up these cliffs, as
well as the impossibility of securing a supply in case of siege, made me
suspect the existence of springs in the cliffs themselves. In three or
four cases these springs have been found, and it is evident that with a
climate a very little more moist than the present, a plentiful supply
could be expected. Running water was found within a few yards of the
group of houses just described, and lMr. Brandegee observed water
dripping down the cliffs near a group of small houses on the opposite
side of the cation.
About one mile farther up the caion, I came upon the ruin photographed by Mr. Jackson in 187A1, and minutely described by him as the
two-story cliff-house of the Rio Mauncos. It is also in the cliffs of the
north side, about seven hundred feet above the river, and although
not so large or complicated in design as the houses just described, it
shows higher skill in construction and is in a better state of preservation. It is also exceedingly difficult of access. It seems hardly necessary for me to enter into a detailed description, as little can be added to
what has already been published;* but for the purpose of having as much
of the matter together as possible I present plate VIT, illustrating some
of the interesting features of this house.
Figure 1 gives the ground-plan, and shows the position of the house
in relation to the floor of the niche. There are four small apartments
only; the front one, a, being 10 feet long by 6 wide. Of the back
rooms, one is 9 by 10 and the other 6 by 6 feet, while the apartment with
the curved wall is much smaller. The walls are about twelve feet high
and reach within from two to three feet of the overhanging roof. They
are built in the ordinary manner of stone and adobe mortar, and what
is rather remarkable are plastered both inside and out. T'his plaster
does not differ greatly from the common mortar, is lightly spread over
the walls, probably with the hands, and in color imitates very closely
the hues of the surrounding cliffs, a: pleasing variety of red and yellow
grays. Whether this was intended to add to the beauty of the dwelling
or to add to its security by increasing its resemblance to the surrounding cliffs, I shall not attempt to determine.
Another remarkable feature of this house is the conu summate skill with
which the foundations are laid upon and cemented to the sloping and
overhanging faces of the ledge. The buttresses b, b, which have probably at one time supported a superstructure of wood or stone, now
totally obliterated, are most striking illustrations of this; and just here
is a fact that has an interesting bearing upon the question of the
antiquity of this structure. These wall-supports, or buttresses, have
originally been four in number, one evidently having falling off, and are
built in continuation of the front wall, on a smooth, sloping surface of
rock. Now the sandstone of which this rounded slope is composed is
rather coarse and soft, and hence easily disintegrated. It is here also
not greatly protected from the weather, since the cliffs above do not
* Bulletin No. 1, second series, p. 20.




Plate 7.
411'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4
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17
overhang to any extent, and must, year by year, 3ield a little to the elements; but I observe that since the construction of these foundations
no perceptible change has taken place; the thickness of a sheet of paper has hardly been washed from the surface of the rock, and the mortar, which is of almost equal firmness with the rock, lies upon it as if
placed there within a dozen years, and the plaster on the outer wall,
although somewhat cracked and broken off, does not add greatly to our
impressions of antiquity.
There is also a fact worthy of notice in regard to the question of occupancy. I have already stated my impressions that these houses were
not used as constant dwelling-places, but rather as places of occasional
resort. I notice that, although the building seems complete, and has
had its floors laid and its door-ways and windows conveniently and carefully arranged, the plastering of the interior is almost untouched, that
with the exception of three names scratched in the soft, thick coat of
adobe by Mr. Jackson's party, there is almost no trace of the presence
of man; yet this plaster may have been applied only shortly before the
final desertion, and hence no definite conclusion can be drawn.
A sketch of one of the doorways is given in figure 2. The outline is
accurately drawn, but there is a little too much regularity in the stonework. It will be seen that the aperture is of very nearly the same width
above and below, which is rather unusual, since, in these ruins, as well
as in those farther south, the door ways and windows are, as a rule, narrower at the top. This drawing also shows the manner of employing a
number of small straight beams of wood as lintels, for the purpose, evidently, of strengthening the masonry above.
There are two of these exterior door-ways only, one opening into each
story of the front room from the unoccupied part of the niche; these
are shown in figure 3, a sketch of the interior of the front room taken
from the side f. There is only a low wall between this room and the
room c, while small door-ways communicate with the other apartments.
There is a small rectangular window, 22 inches high by 30 wide, in the
front wall, from which a fine view can be had of the deep narrow valley
below.
Figure 4 is designed to show the extraordinary situation of these
houses. Whether viewed from below or from the heights above, the
effect is almost startling, and one cannot but feel that no ordinary circumstances could have driven a people to such places of resort.
There are no ruins of importance in the cafon of the Mancos above
the two-story house. Indistinct remains occur on the bottoms in a number of places, and a few small houses were observed in the cliffs. The
most interesting of these is built upon a ledge about 40 feet above the
trail, and is nearly midway between the two-story house and the head
of the canion. It does not differ in any essential point from the ruins
already described. I shall therefore pass it by, in order to take up two
very interesting groups of ruins that occur about twenty miles to the
northwest.
Between the Mesa Verde and the Late Mountains, of which Ute peak
is the culminating summit, there is a long, deep valley or strip of lowland that connects the great lowland of the Lower Mancos with the
canon-cut plain that rises toward the Dolores. The southern end of this
depressed strip drains into the Mancos, the northern into the McElmo.
The latter stream heads along the north base of the Mesa Verde within
five miles of the Mancos at the point where it enters the canion, and
flows westward, passing along the north base of Ute Mountain, curving
around to the southwest and reaching the San Juan nearly ten miles
2x




18
beyond the Utah line. The large depressed area drained by this stream
contains a great number of ruins, many of which have not yet been examined.
PLATE YIII. —THE TRIPLE-WALLED TOWER.
The group partially illustrated in this plate is situated on a low bench
within a mile of the main McElmo, and near a dry wash that enters
that stream fromn the south. It seems to have been a compact village
or comumunity-dwelling, consisting of two circular buildings and a great
number of rectangular apartments. The circular structures or towers
have been built, in the usual manner, of roughly-hewn stone, and rank
among the very best specimens of this ancient architecture. The great
tower is especially noticeable on account of the occurrence of a third
wall, as seen in the drawing and in the plan at a. In dimensions it is
almost identical with the great tower of the Rio Mancos. The walls are
traceable nearly all the way around, and the space between the two
outer ones, which is about five feet in width, contains fourteen apartments or cells. The walls about one of these cells are still stauding to
the height of 12 feet; but the interior cannot be examined on account
of the rubbish which fills it to the top. No openings are noticeable in
the circular walls, but door-ways seem to have been made to communicate between the apartments; one is preserved at d.
The inner wall has not been as high or strong as the others, and has
served simply to inclose the estufa. This tower stands back about one
hundred feet from the edge of the mesa and near the border of the
village. The smaller tower, b, stands forward on a point that overlooks
the shallow gulch; it is 15 feet in diameter; the walls are 3. feet thick
and 5 feet high on the outside. Beneath this ruin, in a little side gulch,
are the remains of a wall twelve feet high and twenty inches thick.
The remainder of the village is in such a state of decay as to be
hardly traceable among the artemisia and rubbish. The apartments
number nearly a hundred, and seem, generally, to have been rectangular. They are not, however, of uniform size and certainly not arranged in regular order. The walls are marked by low lines of loose
rubble which show no stone in place, and I am inclined to believe that
they have never been raised to any great height. It is not impossible
that they have been, originally, of a species of rubble-masonry such as
is seen in some of the great casas farther south, and that these meager
remains are all that is left of an imposing structure, but the total want
of regularity both in the form and size of the apartments seems incon;
sistent with such a conclusion. In reality they are more like a cluster
of pens such as are used by the Moqui tribes for the keeping of sheep
and goats. The site of this village can hardly have been chosen on account of its defensive advantages, nor on account of the fertility of the
surrounding country. The neighboring plains and mesas are as naked
and barren as possible. The nearest water is a mile away, and during
the drier part of the season the nearest running water is in the Rio Dolores, nearly fifteen miles away. To suppose an agricultural people existing in such a locality, with the present climate, is manifestly absurd.
Yet every isolated rock and bit of mesa within a circle of miles is strewn
with remnants of human dwellings.
PLATE IX.-RUINS AT "AZTEC( SPRINGS."'
Another very important group of ruins is located in the depression
between the Mesa Verde and the Late Mountains, and near the divide




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Plate 9.
j~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
j I       if XX X~i ii, —---    1 *   jCOURT 
UPPER HOUSE
i  i ii ii I:~ ~ ~~i   ii ge  s~8o by 10) fit
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RI;I5<9k                       [1)   as.8ft..
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at                                         4
"AZTEC SPRINNG"(KiaerO
SOUTH WEST COLORADO
W.IiI l,,,ne
-             IIoUSy
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Plate 10.
15O 03
ipefuseheh.
t,
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JA                                     9,I' J: F
b                           a
s~ftwfX1\~"~~-C:...?. —,
f                  I      E1STUFA
Terrace                                         Ce..' 500 t....  140 ft.above
100 ft. high        IF                         Cr   bed. a-"-                  /X...lmstM_.t~.: m-.,#Ii <ii =
-at
OJO CALIENTE
NEW MEXICO.
WH  - Imes.
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OJ AIENT
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W.H//~lines








19
between the McElmo and Lower Mancos drainage. It is stated b.y
Captain Moss and others who have been in this locality that up to
within two or three years there has been a living-spring at this place,
and the spot has been christened by them Aztec Springs.
The site of the spring I found, but without the least appearance of
water. The depression formerly occupied by it is near the center of a
large mass of ruins, similar to the group last described, but having a
rectangular instead of a circular building as the chief and central structure. This I have called the upper house in the plate, and a large walled
inclosure a little lower on the slope, I have, for the sake of distinction,
called the lower house.
These ruins form the most imposing pile of masonry yet found in Colorado. The whole group covers an area of about four hundred and
eighty thousand square feet, and has an average depth of from three to
four feet. This would give in the vicinity of one million five hundred
thousand solid feet of stone-work. The stone used is chiefly of the fossiliferous limestone that outcrops along the base of the Mesa Verde a
mile or more away, and its transportation to this place has doubtless
been a great work for a people so totally without facilities.
The upper house is rectangular, measures 80 by 100 feet, and is built
with the cardinal points to within five degrees. The pile is from 12 to
15 feet in height, and its massiveness suggests an original height at
least twice as great. The plan is somewhat difficult to make out on account of the very great quantity of debris.
The walls seem to have been double, with a space of 7 feet between;
a number of cross-walls at regular intervals indicate that this space has
been divided into apartments, as seen in the plan.
The walls are 26 inches thick, and are built of roughly-dressed stones,
which were probably laid in mortar, as in other cases.
The inclosed space, which is somewhat depressed, has two lines of
debris, probably the remains of partition-walls, separating it into the
three apartments, a, b, c. Inclosing this great house is a net-work of
fallen swalls, so completely reduced that none of the stones seem to
remain in place; and I am at a loss to determine whether they mark
the site of a cluster of irregular apartments, having low, loosely-built
walls, or whether they are the remains of some imposing adobe structure built after the manner of the ruined pueblos of the Rio Chaco.
Two well-defined circular inclosures or estufas are situated in the
midst of the southern wing of the ruin. The upper one, A, is on the
opposite side of the spring from the great house, is 60 feet in diameter,
and is surrounded by a low stone wall. West of the house is a small
open court, which seems to have had a gate-way opening out to the
west, through the surrounding walls.
The lower house is 200 feet in length by 180 in width, and its walls
vary fifteen degrees from the cardinal points. The northern wall, a, is
double, and contains a row of eight apartments about 7 feet in width
by 24 in length? The walls of the other sides are low, and seem to have
served simply to inclose the great court, near the center of which is a
large walled depression, (estufa B.) No other ruins were observed in
the neighborhood of these, although small groups are said to exist
along the base of the Late Mountains, a few miles to the southwest.
PLATE X.-RUIN AT OJO CALIENT'E, NEW MIEXICO.
For the sake of comparison, I present in Plate X the ground-plan of
a ruined pueblo found at Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. It occurs on a high,




20
almost isolated fragment of terrace near Caliente Creek. It has been
constructed chiefly of adobe, and has consisted of rows of apartments
surrounding a number ot large open courts. Individual walls cannot
be traced, and the rows of houses are reduced to smooth rounded ridges
of earth. These are indicated on the plan, and are often as much as
8 feet high, and 30 feet wide at the base. The courts contain a number of small circles and mounds, a, a, and the single estoufa is identical in appearance with those among the ruins of Colorado. A
number of openings, b, b, through the walls indicate the location of
gate-ways. Metates, arrow-heads, and many fragments of pottery were
found. Many other groups of ruins similar to this occur in this as
well as in the neighboring valleys. Near Abiquiiu,, a large pueblo occurs,
at which I found a stone axe and a number of arrow-heads and
metates. A couple of skeletons were also obtained here. This ruin is
described at length by Dr. Yarrow in his report for 1874.*
PLATES XI AND XII.
Although it is quite impossible to read the curious rock-inscriptions of
unknown tribes, or even to conjecture to any extent their meaning, yet
it is conceded that in most cases they have a meaning and represent an
idea or record an event. Aside from this, however, they are valuable to
the historian as records of the grade of civilization reached by the
tribes who executed them.
That the examples given in the two following plates belong to the
age of the cliff-builders, cannot be satisfactorily proved, but, at the same
time, evidence that they do, is not wanting. Some are found on the
cliffs and in the niches with the cliff dwellings, while all are in localities
that must have been frequently visited by these people. Some are
found in the canon of the Mancos, others on the bluffs of the San Juan,
anti many in the cations farther west.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, Plate XI, occur on the fMancos near the group
of cliff-houses figured in Plate V. They are chipped into the rock, evidently by some very hard implement, and rudely represent the human
figure. They are certainly not attempts to represent nature, but have
the appearance rather of arbitrary forms designed to symbolize some
imaginary being.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 were found in the same locality, not engraved, but
painted in red and white clay upon the smooth rocks. These were
certainly done by the cliff-builders, and probably while the houses
were in process of construction, since the material used is identical with
the plaster of the houses. The sketches and notes were made by Mr.
Brandegee. The reproduction is approximately one-twelfth the size of
the original.
The examples given in figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, as well as those in
Plate XII, occur on the Rio San Juan, about ten miles below the mouth
of the Rio La Plata. A low line of bluffs, composed of light-colored
massive sandstones that break down in great smooth-fadbd  blocks. rises
from the river-level and sweeps around toward the north. Each of
these great blocks has offered a very tempting tablet to the graver of the
primitive artist, and very many of them contain curious and interesting
inscriptions. Drawings were made of such of these as the limited time
at my disposal would permit. They are all engraved or cut into the
face of the rock, and the whole body of each figure has generally been
chipped out, frequently to the depth of one-fourth or one-half an inch.
The work on some of the larger groups has been one of immense
* Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1875, page 1064.




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Plate 12.
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21
labor, and must owe its completion to strong and enduring motives.
With a very few exceptions the engraving bears undoubted evidence of
age. Such new figures as occur are quite easily distinguished, both by
the freshness of the chipped surfaces and by the designs themselves.
Figure 11 gives a specimen of the modern work; it is evidently intended
to represent a horse, and is done in the manner of the Navajoes. It
will readily be seen that among all the figures given of the ancient
work there is no animal that resembles a horse, and we can hardly suppose that artists who could so cleverly delineate birds and deer and men,
would fail in an attempt to represent an animal of so marked a character. The curious designs given in figure 10 have a very perceptible
resemblance to many of the figures used in the embellishment of pottery.
The most striking group observed is given in figure 1, Plate XI[. It
consists of a great procession of men, birds, beasts, and fanciful figures.
The whole picture as placed upon the rock is highly spirited, and the
idea of a general movement toward the right, skillfully portrayed. A
pair of winged figures hover above the traiil as if to watch or direct its
movements; behind these are a number of odd figures, followed by an
antlered animal resembling a deer, which seems to be drawing a notched
sledge containing two figures of men. The figures forming the main
body of the procession appear to be tied together in a continuous line,
and in form resemble one living creature about as little as another.
Many of the smaller figures above and below are certainly intended to
represent dogs, while a number of men are stationed about, here and
there, as if to keep the procession in order.
As to the importance of the event recorded in this picture, no conclusions can be drawn; it may represent the migration of a tribe or family
or the trophies of a victory. A number of figures are wanting in the
drawing at the left, while some of those at the right may not belong
properly to the main group. The reduction is, approximately, to onetwelfth.
Figures 2 and 3 of the same plate represent only the more distinct
portions of two other groups. The complication of figures is so great
that a number of hours would have been necessary for their delineation,
and an attempt to analyze them here would be fruitless.
PLATE XIII. -POTTERY.
It is generally conceded that the ancient tribes of the San Juan
produced fictile fabrics superior to those of the town-building tribes of
to-day. There is, however, great similarity between the ancient and
modern work, both in material and execution, and the differences are
not greater than could be expected in the manufactures of the same tribe
at periods separated by two or three centuries of degeneration.
The study of the fragmentary ware found about the ruins is very
interesting, and its immense quantity is a constant matter of wonder.
On one occasion, whie encamped near the foot of the Mancos Caton,
I undertook to collect all fragments of vessels of manifestly different
designs within a certain space, and by selecting pieces having peculiarly marked rims, I was able to say with certainty that within ten
feet square there were fragments of fifty-five different vessels. In shape
these vessels have been so varied that few forms known to civilized art
could not be found. Fragments of bowls, cups, jugs, pitchers, urns, and
vases, in infinite variety, may be obtained in nearly every heap of debris.
The art of ornamentation seems to have been especially cultivated, as




22
very few specimens are found that are not painted, indented, or covered
with raised figures. Indeed, these ornamental designs are often so admirable, and apparently so far in advance of the art-ideas of these people
in other respects, that one is led to suspect that they may be of foreign
origin. This suspicion is in a measure confirmed when we discover the
scroll and the fret struggling for existence among the rude. scrawlings
of an artisan who seems to have made them recognizable rather by accident than otherwise. It is not improbable, however, that the specimens
referred to are but rude copies of models designed by more accomplished
artists or procured from some distant tribe. There is certainly no conclusive evidence that these people ever came in contact with Europeans.
The material used in the manufacture of pottery is generally a fine
clay, (in which the country abounds,) tempered with sand or pulverized
shells. The modeling is done almost exclusively with the hand; no wheel
has been used, and no implement whatever, except for surface creasings
or indentings.
The thickness of the ware varies from k to., an inch. Lightness has
evidently been greatly desired, and vessels having a capacity of many
gallons are not more than i of an inch thick in any part.
Nearly all of the vessels and fragments collected have been baked or
burned, but not to such a degree as to greatly change the color of the
clay. Most, if not all, of the painted pottery is glazed with a very thin
vitreous coating that gives a beautiful enamel-like surface of great
hardness; upon this the coloring-matter is laid, apparently with a brush.
With one or two exceptions the corrugated pottery is without the glazing, and in no instance contains painted figures. The peculiarities of
this variety can be described more readily by reference to the examples
in the plate.
Figure 1 represents a large vessel obtained in one of the Mancos
cliffbhouses (Plate VI). It is of the corrugated variety; has a capacity
of about three gallons, and was probably used for carrying or keeping
on hand a supply of water. It is quite light, not weighing more than a
common wooden pail, and is made of a light-gray clay tempered with
coarse sand, and but slightly burned. The corrugated appearance is
given by laying on strips of clay, in somewhat regular succession, and
pressing them into place and indenting them with the thumb or a stick.
Whether a thin shell of clay is first constructed and the strips laid on
and pressed down so as to unite with it, or whether the vessel is built
up by the strips alone, cannot be determined, since the inside is perfectly smooth, excepting finger-marks, and the strips are so welded into
the general texture of the vessel that individual strips cannot be de.
tected beneath the surface when examined on broken edges.
In the specimen figured the workman has begun near the center of
the rounded bottom and laid a strip in a continuous but irregular spiral
(see Fig. 3) until the rim was reached, indenting the whole surface
irregularly with the finger. Two small conical bits of clay have been
set in near the rim, as if for ornament. Other specimens have small
spirals, while others have scrolls, and still others very graceful festoons
of clay (Figs. 2 and 2a). A number of the more distinct styles of
indentation are given in connection with this figure (Figs. 3, 3a, 3b, 3c,
and 3d).
Figure 4 is a bowl restored from a large fragment. It is painted both
inside and out, and the designs are applied with rather more than usual
care.
Figures 5, 5a, and 5b are prominent among the ornamental designs.
I have corrected the drawing, but have introduced no new element.




Plate 13.
2      — ~.....IE.                                                         -CC...
4
5b,.          








23
Figure 6 represents a very usual pattern of mug or cup. It is of the
ordinary painted ware, and is made to contain about a pint. The specimen is not entire.
Figure 7 is apparently a pipe. It was found by Mr. Aldrich, near a
ruin on the San Juan, and is made of the ordinary potter's clay; it is
2 inches in length.
Figure 8 represents part of an ornamental handle, formed by twisting
together three small rolls of clay.
Figure 9 represents a small spoon or ladle. Fragments of similar
implements are quite numerous.
Figure 10 is a portion of the handle of some small vessel.
As to whether the manufacture of pottery was carried on in certain
favorable localities only, or whether each village had its own skilled
workmen or workwomen, I cannot determine, since, as previously stated,
no remains of kilns or manufactories were discovered. The forms and
styles of ornament are pretty uniform, which is to be expected in either
case, since the inhabitants of the various villages must have had constant communication with each other.
PLATE XIV.
This plate contains drawings of a number of stone implements; arrowheads, ornaments, and other articles manufactured or used by the ancient
inhabitants of this region. Nearly all were found so associated with
the architectural remains that I do not hesitate to assign them to the
same period.
Figure 1 represents a small fragment of rush matting, a large piece of
which was found on the floor of one of the cliff-houses of the Rio Mancos.
(See Plate VI.) It is probably manufactured from a species of rush,
Scirpus validus, that grows somewhat plentifully along the Mancos
bottoms.
Figure 2 represents a bundle of small sticks, probably used in playing
some game. They are nearly a foot in length, and have been sharpened
at one end by scraping or grinding. They were found in one of the cliffhouses of the Mancos, buried beneath a pile of rubbish. The bit of cord
with which they are tied is made of a flax-like fiber, carefully twisted and
wrapped with coarse strips of yucca bark; beside this a number of short
pieces of rope of different sizes were found, that in beauty and strength
would do credit to any people. The fiber is a little coarser and lighter
than flax, and was probably obtained from a species of yucca, which
grows everywhere in the southwest.
Figure 3 is a very perfect specimen of stone implement found buried in
a bin of charred corn in one of the Mancos cliff-houses (figure 1, Plate V).
It is 8 inches in length and 2~ inches broad at the broadest part; its
greatest,hickness is only I an inch. One face is slightly convex, while
the other is nearly flat. The sides are neatly and uniformly rounded,
and the edge is quite sharp. It is made of a very hard, fine-grained,
siliceous slate, is gray in color, and has been ground into shape and
polished in a most masterly manner.
Although its use is not positively determined, it belongs, in all probability, to a class of implements called " scrapers," which are employed
by most savage tribes in the dressing of skins. This specimen may
have been used for other purposes, but certainly not for cutting or
striking, as the material is very brittle. The most conclusive proof of
its use is the appearance of the edge, which shows just such markings
as would be produced by rubbing or scraping a tough, sinewy surface.
Figure 4 represents a part of a metate or mill-stone. The complete im



21
plement consists of two parts-a large block of stone with a concave
surface, upon which the maize is placed, and a carefully-dressed but
coarse-grained slab of stone for grinding. This slab is generally from
8 to 12 inches long by 3 to 6 wide, and from 1 to 2 inches thick. The
specimen illustrated is made of black cellular basalt, and was found
with many others at the ruined pueblo near Ojo Caliente, N. Mex.
(Plate X.)
Figure 5 is a very much worn specimen of stone axe, which was found
at an ancient ruin near Abiquiu, N. Mex. It is made of light-colored
chloritic schist, and measures 2 inches in width by 3 in length.
Figures 6 and 6a are specimens of ear-ornaments, such as are found in
connection with very many of the ruins of Southern Colorado. These
are made of fine-grained gray slate, only moderately well polished, and
measure an inch and a quarter in length.
Figure 7 represents's marine shell of the genus Olirella, obtained
probably from the Pacific coast. Large numbers of this and allied
shells are found about these ruins. They are generally pierced, and
were doubtless used as beads.
Figure 8 represents a small carved figure found on the Rio Mancos.
It is made of hard gray slate. Its use or meaning cannot be determined.
Figure 9 represents a stone ring I of an inch in diameter, and probably intended for the finger. It is made of hard gray slate; is shaped
like the usual plain gold ring, and is quite symmetrical.
Figure 10. Arrow-heads were found associated with nearly every ruin
examined. They present a great variety of forms; some of the more
striking of these are given in the figure. The materials used in their
manufacture are principally the more beautiful varieties of obsidian,
jasper, and agate.




Plate 14.
Id         o J
I ala
|~~~~~~~~~~~~' |   m








A NOTICE OF THE ANCIENT RUINS IN ARIZONA AND UTAH
LYING ABOUT THE RIO SAN JUAN.
BY W. H. JACKSON.
In continuing the investigation, commenced last season, of the very
interesting ruins scattered throughout the San Juan basin, I proceeded
to Parrott City, a frontier mining-camp on La Plata River, where I procured the services of Harry Lee as guide and interpreter. Mr. E. A.
Barber, naturalist and special correspondent of the New York Herald,
was also of the party. Providing ourselves with the supplies which
had been forwarded to this point via, Tierra Amarilla, we started out
late in July, journeying westwardly to that point on the Hovenweep
from which we had turned back last year, and where we shall also resume our explorations.
The Hovenweep (a deserted valley) is a tributary of the McElmo,
which, together with the wide-spreading arms of the Montezuma, drains
into the San Juan all that portion of the country lying between the
Mesa Verde and the Sierra Abajo, covering in the aggregate some two
thousand five hundred square miles. Their labyrinthine cations head
close upon the Dolores on the north, and ramify the plateaus in every
direction with an interminable series of deep, desolate gorges, and wide,
barren valleys. There is not a living stream throughout this whole
region. During the summer months water occurs in but very few places,
generally in pockets, sometimes in springs, where the excess, if any, is
soon swallowed by the hot and thirsty sands. The rainy season is in
winter and the early spring months, when the water is more generously
distributed, being then found in the many basins scattered over the bare
tops of the m6sas, as well as in the beds of the cafions, the lower temperature of the colder season preventing the rapid evaporation of summer and autumn weather. As a great proportion of the surface of this
region is a bare bed of rock, with a soil in the lowlands nearly impervious to moisture, the winter showers soon gather their waters together
in great floods in the main channels, and then, rushing down in a solid
body, form those deep " washes" so characteristic of the country. But
these torrents are short-lived, and it is only by noting the height of
the drift-material lodged upon the trunks of the venerable cottonwoods
bordering the banks that we can fully realize such great bodies of water
ever having existed in so dusty a bed. Every cafion and valley has its
corresponding wash, worn perpendicularly down through the dry, easilyeroded soil, forming circuitous but excellent pathways. In some valleys,
where the drainage is considerable, these washes frequently attain a
depth of from 30 to 40 feet, and are impassable for miles.
The intervening table-lands obtain a very nearly uniform height of
500 feet, running up to over 1,000 feet as we approach the Dolores
divide. In the wider valleys the maximum is reached by successive
steps, or benches, rising one back of the other, while in the narrow




26
canions the ascent is more abrupt; the upper third of the escarpment
being generally perpendicular, with the lower.two-thirds composed of
talus. Their summits and sides are usually clothed with a scrubby
growth of pifion and juniper trees, increasing in density and size as we
approach the divide on the north, while the valleys below sustain dense
masses of sage-brush and greasewood, that, in some places, attain a
height of from 10 to 12 feet. Vigorous, fresh-looking cottonwoods line
the main channels, and are as deceptive to the thirsty traveler as a
mirage. One may travel for miles in the parched bed of the wash at
their feet, while overhead their wide-spreading branches cast a grateful shade, and yet not be able to find a drop of water anywhere in their
vicinity.
West of the Montezuma two or three small tributaries of the San
Juan head from the southern face of the Sierra Abajo, and then comes
Epsom Creek, rising among the plateaus farther to the west-so called
from the water in one portion of its bed having the effect and tasting
like that salt. For a distance of some twenty-five miles above its mouth
the valley of this creek presents upon its eastern side a remarkable
wall, some 400 feet in height, inaccessible throughout its whole length
with the exception of one place where the Indians have made a way for
themselves. It is caused by an immense fold in the sandstones, running
north and south in a semicircular line, for some forty miles, and this
valley has been eroded from that portion of it where the strata stood
nearly perpendicular.  On the west the beds sweep up in graceful
curves to a nearly horizontal position, upon which isolated m6sas rise
up above the general level in bold relief against the sky.
The Rio San Juan drains all of this great interior basin, covering
over twentv thousand square miles, as well as several great mountain
masses bordering it nearly all around. It has'at the mouth of the
McElmo an average width of fifty yards, and a depth of firom 4 to 6
feet; its current moving somewhat sluggishly in great sweeping curves
that almost touch upon themselves again. The water is warm, and
well freighted with the soil which it is continually undermining-a
great contrast to the clear, ice-cold tributaries which give it existence.
The bottoms are from three to five miles in width, and, bordering the
stream, covered with dense growths of cottonwoods and willows. The
broad and fertile alluvial lands, well covered with grass, and the low sagebrush benches bordering them, will undoubtedly prove a rich agricultural
possession at no distant day. Back of all, upon either hand, rise up the
precipitous sandstone bluffs, picturesque in outline and color, that
gradually close down upon the river until it is ingulfed in the great
canon commencing just below the mouth of the Rio De Chelly, and is
then lost to all knowledge until it re-appears mingling its waters with
those of the still more turbid and turbulent Colorado. South of the
San Juan, the Rio De Chelly, coming in opposite the mouth of Epsom
Creek, does not differ in its canlon character from those of the north.
The bordering plateau, however, is more massive and less cut up by
side canons. The same aridity prevails throughout nearly its whole
length.
Having thus superficially surveyed the region on which are to be
found a vast number of prehistoric ruins, we will now return to the
Hovenweep and examine, in such detail as our rapid reconnaissance will
allow, the more prominent of the abundant remains.
Starting from the pueblo of the Hovenweep, described on page 30 of
Bulletin No. 1, second series, we do not find in the immediate neighborhood any other ruins of importance; but a short distance down the




Plate 15.
K   ~~                             4.~~ ~~t1
4~~~~~%.~~~.
1:~~\\\\\~\                ~ \ \\\\
r~~ill  ~  O\      \\'7/, j~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\








27
cation they begin to occur quite frequently. We observe first, on the
left, the remains of a tower perched upon a rock, jutting out into the
valley, beneath and about which were other ruins, evidently belonging
to the tower. In the vicinity are other " rock-shelters," occurring upon
either side of the caion, some merely walled-up caves, while others are
semicircular walls built out from the rock and protected overhead by
an overhanging ledge.
Some seven miles from the pueblo, and about three above the MIcElmo,
on the western side of the valley, is a jagged, butte-like pramontory,
of a brownish-yellow sand-rock, standing out from the mesa, upon the
face of which are a number of benches and cave-like recesses. These
have been built up and inclosed with neatly-laid walls, making six different houses or sets of rooms upon three benches, one above the other.
Access was had from below, first by ascending a steep slope of debris
for about 100 feet.to the foot of the rock, where we find the first and
largest of the houses. It is some 12 feet in length by 5 feet deep,
divided midway into two rooms, but rendered somewhat indistinct by
the falling-down of a portion of the rock back of it. The second bench
was reached in the manner shown in Fig. 2, Plate 15, the little house
there seen being the first of three strung along in a row. Above these
were two other similar ones, very difficult to reach, the lkdge upon
which they stand projecting over the one beneath. The perfectly flat
floor of the valley at the foot of the rock contained faint indications of
having been occupied by buildings; and one of the curves of the
wash, here some 10 feet in depth, in cutting away the soil disclosed
a thin stratum of charcoal about 6 feet below the surface; one piece
that we picked out being about 3 inches thick, and the earth about the
mass in which it occurred was much burnt, as though the fire had been
long continued. About a, mile farther down we came to an expansion
of the valley with a canon opening in from the west. An examination
up this for six miles failed in discovering any remains of stone buildings,
but very numerous indications of probably adobe structures, or earthen
foundations for wooden ones; in every instance circular, with a diameter
of from 15 to 25 feet. A dozen such were found within three miles of
each other. Fragments of pottery of excellent quality and neatly ornamented were very abundant.
Opposite the mouth of this calion the mesa juts out prominently into
the valley. Half-way up its face is a bench-like spur, upon which rests
an almost perfectly rectangular block of sandstone fallen from the cliff
above. It is 38 by 32 feet square and 20 feet high. The upper surface is
entirely covered with the remains of a wall from 3 to 5 feet high, running
around its outer edge; a diagonal line divides the interior into two
nearly equal spaces, one of which is again subdivided into three smaller
rooms, the passage between them formed by the dividing walls overlapping, their opposite ends being set off from each other about 20 inches,
thus necessitating a zigzag course in passing from one to the other. At
the foot of the south side of the rock, and directly beneath the subdivided half of it, there is a line of stone wall inclosing a space 40 feet
square, the r-ocks forming one side, with the center depressed a couple of
feet below the surrounding level. In the right-hand corner of this inclosure, against the rock, are the ruins of another building 20 feet square;
10 feet above the base of the rock, and over this ruin, four holes have
been drilled into it, six inches deep and four inches in diameter, serving
evidently to support the roof of the building below and to afford a
means of access to the rock above, a door-way in the surrounding wall
being plainly indicated at that point.




28
Two miles farther down the McElmo comes in at nearly right angles
from the east, and upon the point of the mesa included within the angle
thus formed by the two cafions or valleys-we cannot call them streamsare a group of ruins similar to ones above, but much less regularly built.
An interesting inscription occurs upon the under face of a large rock
that supports a ruin, covering some 60 square feet of surface; animals
resembling goats, lizards, human figures, and many hieroglyphical
signs abound. While sketching these our attention was called to the
top of the mesa by Mr. Holmes (who has accompanied us thus far with
his division on his way to the San Juan, and who had ascended to the
summit for the purpose of sketching), to some very interesting remains
he had discovered there.
The perpendicular scarp of the mesa ran around very regularly, 50 to
100 feet in height, the talus sloping down at a steep angle. On cavelike benches at the foot of the scarp, is a row of rock shelters, much
ruined, in one of which was found a very perfect polished stone implement. Gaining the top with some difficulty, we found a perfectly fiat
surface, 100 yards in width by about 200 in length, separated from the
main plateau by a narrow neck, across which a wall had been thrown,
but now nearly leveled. Very nearly the entire space fenced in by this
wall was covered by an extended series of small squares, formed by
thin slabs of sand-rock set up edgewise. (Fig. 3, Plate 20.) All were
uniformly about 3 by 5 feet square, arranged in rows, two and three
deep, and adjusted to various points of the compass, but there were also
a few circles disposed irregularly about the inclosed area, each about
20 feet in diameter, and formed of these same squares, leaving a circular space of 10 feet diameter in the center. These squares occur indiscriminately over the whole region that has come under our observation, upon the mesa tops and in the valleys, all of the same general
shape and size, very seldom accompanied by even the faintest indication of a mound-like character, but nearly always in groups. We have
always supposed them to be graves, but have not as yet found any evidence that would prove them such. Some that we excavated to a depth of
5 and 6 feet, into a solid earth that had never been disturbed, rewarded
us with not the faintest vestige of any remains, excepting, in nearly
every case, a thin scattered layer of bits of charcoal from 6 to 18 inches
beneath the surface. In one instance, near the Mesa Verde, the upright
slabs of rock which inclosed such a square were sunk 2 feet into the
earth and projected 6 inches above it. In another, was found a mass of
charred matter that promised to throw some light upon the subject, but
a chemical analysis by Dr. Endlich proved it to be simply charred juniperwood, without perceptible admixture of animal matter. In the present
instance, as the soil was thin and sandy, in some places blown entirely
off, leaving the bare bed-rock exposed, we excavated several of these
with pick and shovel, there being only from 12 to 18 inches of earth to
remove, but in no case finding anything more than the scattered charcoal spoken of above. In some, the earth was calcined, as though a fire
had been made within them, while in others there was no vestige of a
fire beyond the presence of the charcoal. The question very naturally
arises as to whether they might not have been cremationists, a supposition that would have some appearance of likelihood, could we but find
any trace of human remains among the bits of charred wood. Scattered over the whole surface of this mesa were a great many flint-chippings, from among which we picked up a number of very beautiful arrow-points. As the summit commands a wide sweep of country, it is
not unlikely that sentries of old beguiled their tedious watch with arrowmaking.




29
From the camp at the pueblo Mr. (JhittenaCen, of Mr. Holmes's division,rode up the Hovenweep some eight miles, to where it divided equally
into two branches, and upon the point between these tbrks he found the
remains of a round tower, commanding an extended view down the
main cailon. No other ruins were noticed.
The parties, under the guidance of Mr. Gardner, camped one night
near the head of the Hovenweep, and found there an important group
of ruins, described as follows by TMr. Adams:
"The first of these we met are situated at the upper edge of the side
of the cation, about one-third of the distance front the top, on a ledge
about 300 feet long and 50 wide. On this small space were crowded
some 40 houses, as well as we could judge from the ruins. The general
plan of structure was circular, varying in size, but generally from 10 to
15 feet in diameter. The stone was dressed to three times the size of
an ordinary brick and in the same shape. * * * The whole arrangement
of the little town was for defense; perched up high above, on the summits of bowlders, were little watch-towers, which commanded the plateau
above."
Between the Montezuma arnd the Hovenweep is a high plateau running north and south, from the San Juan to the Dolores; the southern
portion a level sage-covered plain, while the northern is more undulating and covered with junipers and pifion pine.  Upon this we found the
remains of many circular towns, generally occupying slight eminences,
and in but one or two cases, as far as we observed, were so entirely
demolished that not one stone remained upon another. In one of these
exceptions, about half the circumference only of a tower remained, 15
feet in height and of average masonry. Broken pottery was but sparingly scattered about, showing them not to have been occupied as
much as the very similar remains in the valleys below. This mesa,
averaging 500 feet in height above the surrounding country, does not
contain a spring or drop of water, except such as may remain in the
holes in the rocks after a shower. The soil is thin and sandy, blown
off clean to the rock-bed in places, yet what there is is well grassed,
and sage-brush flourishes luxuriantly. As cultivation was out of the
question, and permanent residence improbable, it is very likely these
towns were lookouts or places of refuge for the shepherds, who brought
their sheep or goats up here to graze, just as the Navajos used to,
and the Utes do at the present time. Rude huts of a later day are now
found scattered over its surface, by the side of the washes where water
would be likely to collect.
In traveling down the San Juan, from the mouth of the McElmo, there
are not within the first ten or twelve miles any ruins that would claim
attention upon a rapid reconnaissance. Indistinguishable mounds of
earth frequently occur along the bottom lands, surrounded by the everpresent fragments of pottery, showing them to be the sites or the remains of habitations; the quantity of pottery, domestic utensils, and
arrow-points helping somewhat to determine the length of time they
were occupied.
Crossing the mouth of the broad sandy wash of the Montezuma, that
is here bordered with groves of brilliantly-green cottonwoods along its
arid course, we pass about three miles below, and find camp under a
grove of patriarchal trees within a well-grassed bend of the river. A
wide gravelly bench, some 50 feet in height, and running back to the
bluff line, rises up abruptly from the bottom lands; a few rods below
camp, the river in its meandering sweeps close to the foot of this bench,
producing an almost perpendicular face. Upon the top of the bench at




30
this point, overlooking the river, are the ruins of a quadrangular structure of peculiar design.
Referring to the ground-plan, as shown in Fig. 2, Plate 16, we see
that it is arranged very nearly at right angles to the river, its greatest
depth on the left, where it runs back 120 feet; the front sweeps back
in a diagonal line, so that the right-hand side is only 33 feet in depth.
The back wall is 158 feet long, and at right angles to the two sides. In
the center of the building, looking out upon the river, is an open space
75 feet wide, and averaging 40 feet in depth, its depressed center divided
nearly equally by a ridge running through it at right angles to the river.
We judged it to have been an open court, because there was not the
least vestige of a wall in front, or on the ridge through the center, while
upon the other three sides they were perfectly distinct; although it
is difficult to explain why it should have been hollowed out in the
manner shown in the plan. Back of this court is a series of seven
apartments of equal size, springing in a perfect arch from the heavy
wall facing the court, leaving a semicircular space in the center,
45 feet across its greatest diameter. Each one is 15 feet in length,
and the same in width across its center, the walls somewhat irregular
in thickness, but averaging 20 inches, compact, and well laid. On the
left are three rooms extending across the whole width of the building,
each averaging 45 by 40 feet square; on the right only one was discernible. Back of the circle, our impression was that the walls diverged
in the manner shown in the plan, although there is so much confusion
resulting from the heaping up of the debris that much must be left to
conjecture. There is also a slight shadow of doubt in regard to the
wall facing the river on the right; it is barely possible that it extended
somewhat farther out, although there is here a steep inclination to the
brink of the bluff, and that it has become entirely obliterated by its
foundations giving way. The remains of the wall above, however, led us
to believe that it had been originally built in the way it is shown in the
plan. Extreme massiveness is indicated throughout the whole structure by the amount of debris about the line of the walls, forming long
rounded mounds, 4 to 5 feet high, with the stone-work cropping out, 20
to 24 inches in thickness. Portions of the outer wall have fallen outward almost in one solid piece, the stones remaining spread out in
much the same order they occupied in the standing wall. The stones
were of fair size, but yet not so large but that one man could handle
the largest of them. They were obtained from the neighboring bluff,
and probably undressed, but broken into very nearly rectangular
blocks, so that when carefully laid and dressed up with adobe cement
they would have all the effect of dressed stone. Their extreme age,
which has crumbled a great many into dust and rounded the asperities
of all into shapeless bowlders, renders any conjecture upon this point
somewhat uncertain. TWhere portions of the undisturbed wall did
appear above the rubbish it showed a solid, well-constructed masonry.
No indications whatever could be found of any passage-ways, nor could
we expect to find any so near their base, for all of the apartments were
probably eitered by ladders, the same as in other buildings of this
order that we have found in other localities.
Upon either side and back of this building were low, indefinite lines of
earth, not more than 12 to 18 inches above the surrounding surface, inclosing'areas from 40 to 60 feet in diameter, which were probably corrals
for domesticated animals, the walls being composed of adobe or turf
brought from the valley below, and which would, of course, wash down
to a barely perceptible ridge.




Plate 16.
Total length 94 feet
12 feet          I    a       la           a
/Ilr |nm~~rLL~  rbroken down
25 x 25
FIG. 1.                                           X. z
CANON, -TAH.,                                               } 
Upon an isolated mesa 60 x130 feet       47/
in diameter and 40 feet in height   FIG. 2.
- RUINS UPON THE
-~js             i ~  RIO SAN JUAN
158', feet       >>,,....l.. /.
~; 11-~  -5 ~ ~ ~ ~55~35',T _11I
~==                                         2,llll~~N
\i /\'ff0 ft. in height,
jij\!      j         srrlall buildings
it's   \~
SlOpe of 50                  f        e     e     t in  width post homles
HORIZONTAL SECTIONi
GREAT ECHO CAVE
on the
RIO SaN JiUAN      Row of 1t Rooms, one storfi7h ei htlfrom  I to 10 feet in width, and 130 in length








31
In the face of the bluff immediately under this ruin, and upon a recessed bench situated about half way between top and bottom, is a row
of little " rock shelters." A stratum  of a rotten shaly sandstone has
been weathered or dug out, probably both, for a distance of 300 feet
along the bluff, to a depth of about six feet, leaving a firm floor and a
projecting ledge overhead, with just room enough to walk along without
stooping. A continuous row of buildings occupied this bench, although
most of them have tumbled into the river, and none have their front
walls remaining.  Door-ways through each of the dividing walls
afforded access along the whole line. A few rods up stream, and in the
same line of the bluff as the preceding, was another little niched cavehouse (figure 3, Plate 18), 14 feet in length, 5 feet high at the center and
6 deep, divided into two equal apartments; a small square window, just
large enough for one to crawl through, was placed midway in the wall of
each half. We well might ask whether these little "cabby-holes" had
ever been used as residences, or whether, as seems at first most likely,
they might not simply be " caches," or merely temporary places of refuge;
and while, no doubt, many of them are such, yet in the greater majority
the evidences of use andl the presence of long-continued fires, indicated
by their smoke-blackened interiors, would prove them to have been
quite constantly occupied. Among all dwellers in mud-plastered houses
it is the practice to freshen up their habitations by repeated applications of clay, moistened to the proper consistency, and spread with the
hands, the thickness of the coating depending upon its consistency.
Every such application makes a building appear perfectly new, and
many of the best-sheltered cave-houses have just this appearance, as
though they were but just vacated.
A quarter of a mile back over the flat level bench, is a long narrow hill
about 100 feet in height, commanding an extended view up and down
the valley, upon the summit of which is one of the circular, mound-like
inclosures which occur so frequently upon both the highlands and the
lowlands. It evidently has some connection with the group below on
the river's edge, for there are no other ruins within several miles.
Continuing down the river, under the great bluffs which border it
closely, we find many ruins of the "rock-shelter" kind occurring frequently in all sorts of positions, from the level of the valley to a height
of over 100 feet, and from the smallest kind of a " cache," not larger
than a bushel-basket, to buildings that sheltered several families. We
illustrate one group in figure 4, of Plate 18, that consists of a row of three
small houses built upon a ledge running horizontally along the perpendicular face of the bluff, about 60 feet above the trail immediately below
it. The ledge was so narrow that the buildings occupied every available
inch of its surface. As near as we could judge from below, each was
about 5 feet wide and 10 long, with apertures through their end walls,
and in the two first ones windows in the outer wall. NTo possible means
of access were discernible, and if ladders were ever used they were
taller than any of the trees available for the purpose that grow in this
vicinity.
About twelve miles below the Montezuma we discovered, far away
upon the opposite side of the river, a great circular cave, occupying
very nearly the entire height of the bluff in which it occurred, and in
which, by close inspection with the glass, we were enabled to make out
a long line of masonry. Fording the river and approaching it, we found
that the bluff-line at this place was a little over 200 feet in height, the
upper half a light-colored, firm, massive sandstone, and the lower a dark
red and shaly variety. The opening of the cave is almost perfectly cir



32
cular, 200 feet in diameter, divided equally between the two kinds of
locks, reaching, within a few feet, the top of the bluff above and the
level of the valley below. It runs back in a semicircular sweep to a
depth of 100 feet; the top is a perfect half dome, and the-lower half
only less so from the accumulation of debris and the thick brushy foliage,
the cool dampness of its shadowed interior, where the sun never touches,
favoring a luxurianthgrowth. A stratum of harder rock across the central
line of the cave has left a bench running around its entire half circle,
upon which is built the row of buildings which caught our attention
half a mile away. In figure 3, Plate 16, we have a plan of a horizontal
section of the cave, showing the ledge and the manner of the disposition of the buildings upon it; in the drawing at the top of Plate 17, we
have a view of them as seen from the opposite side of the cave.
It will be seen that the houses occupy the left hand or eastern half of
the cave, for the' reason, probably, that the ledge was wider on that side,
and the wall back of it receded in such a manner as to give considerable
additional room for the second floor, or for the upper part of the onestory rooms. It is about 50 feet from the outer edge in to the first
building, a small structure 16 feet long, 3 feet wide at the outer end,
and 4 at the opposite end; the walls, standing only 4 feet on the highest remaining corner, were nearly all tumbled in. Then came an open
space 11 feet wide and 9 deep, that served probably as a sort of workshop. Four holes were drilled into the smooth rock floor, about 6 feet
equidistantly apart, each from 6 to 10 inches deep and 5 in diameter, as
perfectly round as though drilled by machinery. We can reasonably
assume that these people were familiar with the art of weaving, and
that it was here they worked at the loom, the drilled holes supporting
its posts. At b, in this open space, are a number of grooves worn into
the rock in various places, caused by the artificers of the little town in
shaping and polishing their stone implements.  The main building
comes next, occupying the widest portion of the ledge, which gives an
average width of 10 feet inside; it is 48 feet long outside, and 12 high,
divided inside into 3 rooms, the first two 13~ feet each in length, and
the third 16 feet, divided into two stories, the lower and upper 5 feet in
height.  The joist holes did not penetrate through the walls, being
inserted about six inches, half the thickness. The beams rested upon
the sloping back-wall, which receded far enough to make the upper
rooms about square. Window-like apertures afforded communication
between each room, all through the second story, excepting that which
opened out to the back of the cave. There was also one window in
each lower room, about 12 inches square, looking out toward the open
country, and in the upper rooms several small apertures not more than 3
inches wide were pierced through th6 wall, hardly more than peep-holes.
The walls of the large building continued back in an unbroken line 130
feet farther, with an average height of 8 feet, and divided into 11 apartments, with communicating apertures through all. The first room was
9~ feet wide, the others dwindling down gradually to only 4 feet in width
at the other extremity. The rooms were of unequal length, the following
being their inside measurements, commencing from the outer end, viz:
12A, 9k, 8, 7~, 9, 10, 8, 7, 7, 8, 31 feet; the ledge then runs along, gradually narrowing, 50 feet farther, where another wall occurs across it,
after which it soon merges into the smooth wall of the cave. The first
of these rooms had an aperture leading outward large enough to crawl
through; the wall around it had been broken away so that its exact
size could not be determined; all the others, of which there were about
two to each room, were mere peep-holes, about 3 inches in diameter, and




Plate 17.
/       -~
__ I __ _
I, ~..                                    A
~,.~ ~~~~~~~~W,,& i.t'  )
~IP








33
generally pierced through the wall at a downward angle. No sign of
either roofing or flooring material could be found in any of the rooms.
Everythitng of that kind has been thoroughly burnt out or removed, so
that not a vestige of wood-work remains. We  cannot be positively
certain that they had ever been roofed, the mild temperature of this
region hardly necessitating any other covering than such as the ample
dome of the cave itself offered. In the central room of the main building
we found a circular basin-like depression (a), 30 inches across and 10 deep,
that had served as a fire-place, being still filled with the ashes and
cinders of aboriginal fires, the surroundling walls being blackened with
smoke and soot. This room was undoubtedly the kitchen of the house.
Some of the smaller rooms appear to have been used for the same purpose, the fires having been made in the corner against the back wall, the
smoke escaping overhead. The masonry displayed in the construction of
the walls is very creditable; a symmetrical curve is preserved throughout
the whole line, and every portion perfectly plumb; the subdivisions are
at right angles to the front. The stones employed are of the size used
in all similar structures, and are roughly broken to a uniform size; more
attention seems to have been paid to securing a smooth appearance upon
the exterior than the interior surfaces, the clay cement being spread to,
perfectly plane surface, something like a modern stucco finish. In many
places, of course, this has peeled away, leaving the rough, ragged edges
of the stones exposed. Inside some of the subdivisions that appear to
have been less used than others, the impressions of the hands and even
the delicate lines on. the thumbs anld fingers of the builders were plainly
retained; in one or two cases a perfect mold of the whole inner surface
of the hand was imprinted in the plastic cement. They were considerably smaller than our own hands, and were probably those of women or
children. In the mortar between the stones several corn-cobs were
found imbedded, and in other places the whole ear'of corn had been.
pressed into the clay, leaving its impression; the ears were quite small,
none more than 5 inches long. In the mubbish of the large house some
small stone implements, rough indented pottery in fragments, and a few
arrow-points were found. It is a wonder that anything is found, for it
is more than likely that every house has been ransacked time after time
by wandering bands of Utes and Navajos, who would search with keen
eyes for any articles of use or ornament left after the first spoliation.
The whole appearance of the place and its surroundings indicates that
the family or little community who inhabited it were in good circumstances and the lords of the surrounding country. Looking out fiom
one of their houses, with a great dome of solid rock overhead, that
echoed and re-echoed every word uttered with marvelous distinctness,
and all ab6ut a steep descent of 100 feet down to the broad fertile valleys,
covered with waving fields of maize, the scattered groves of the majestic cottonwood, and the meanderings of the Rio San Juan, these old
people, whom even the imagination can hardly clothe with reality, must
have felt a sense of security that even the incursions of their barbarian
foes could hardly have disturbed.
Soon after leaving the Casa del /co, as we named the last ruins, our
trail bore away to the right upon the plateaus, which now begin to encroach too closely upon the river to permit us to follow its course, and
we come under a second line of bluffs, which were gradually surmounted
also.  The evidences of former occupation continue as numerous as
ever, finding shape principally in cave-houses, all too near alike to bear
much further repetition. A novel feature at one point is shown in Fig.
5, Plate 18, where we have a smooth bluff of cream-colored sandstone
3 




34
about 150 feet high, with hardly a seam on its surface, over which has
been cut a series of steps. Upon the pile of debris at the left are the
ruins of some structure that had been built just beneath the line of footsteps, and was evidently placed there as an approach to, them,as they only
came down to within about 12 feet of the bottom. The large slab of rock
lying against the bluff on the right was separated from it about 3 feet at
the base, making a long, narrow passage-way, that could also be reached
through the small opening between the rocks on the right; from within
this place it was not difficult to reach the round bowlder lodged above,
from which starts another line of steps. The surface of the rock has
worn away to such an extent as to nearly entirely obliterate some of
the holes, rendering ascent, at the present time, inmpossible; and as the
bluff was inaccessible for two or'three miles upon either side, we did
nut reach the top or see from below any evidences of building.
Our trail over the bare plateau finally brought us down to the San
Juan again, just at the junction of Epsom Creek with it, and but a short
distance above the mouth of the Rio De Chelly, where we found a
)leasant park like valley, about a mile in length, bordered by groves of
cottonwood and willows. The beds of Epsom Creek and the Rio De
Chelly were both perfectly dry, like all the tributaries of San Juan west
of the Mancos, although in the latter were indications of occasional
flooding, some of the deeper pockets retaining shallow pools of a very
red muddy water. Upon every side —except where the broad valley of
IEpsom Creek opened northwardly, with the deep blue summits of the
Sierra Abajo appearing in the vista-steep rugged. bluffs: of bare red
rock rose up, weathering occasionally into sharp needle-like pinnacles,
dliscernible for long distances in any direction. The San Juan emerged
from a considerable canon at the head of this little valley but to sink
into a still greater one below. The low stage of water encouraged us to
explore this lower cafon for a short distance, which we could readily do
Ulpon our ri(ling-aninals, the indefatigable little Mexico, our pack-mule,
carrying the photographic instruments.  We penetrated its exceedingly tortuous course about ten miles, meeting no serious obstruction,
alnd it is likely could have gone much farther. The walls rose abruptly,
generally perpendicularly, upon either side, from 1,000 to 2,000 feet in
height, but always with a bench at the bottom  bordering the stream,
covered with a rough talus. Former floods and the drifting sands from
the plateau above have filled up the interstices in the rocky mass,
smoothing the way over them very considerably.
In the walls of the caiion of the Chelly, where it opens into the park,
are several great circular caves, averaging 100 feet in diameter, in
which were the remains of walls and houses, but all very much dilapidated. Upon a ledge on the opposite side of the cation was a row of
four houses, not easily reached, one of which still retained a roof; and
in another case, a shelter was formed by inclining a row of sticks across
the opening of the cave, with the outside thickly plastered with clay.
It had every appearance of being a more recent structure, yet it was in
the midst of much older-looking ones, and in an almost, if not quite,
inaccessible position.
Over the level surface of the valley the older form of ruins, indicated
principally by broken pottery, occurred in several places, and also, on
a bench bordering the San Juan, just above Epsom Creek, were a number of small squares arranged in circles, that we have heretofore assumed to be places of sepulture.
In going southward, up the Chelly, we find it necessary to avoid the
canions and make a detour to the right, crossing a rugged depression in




?r~~~~~~~~~~~~
JJ~~~~~~~~~~~~,tl                                                     I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I
- -!II                II I            ~ 
~~~~~:~ ~-'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4 E                            i~~                ~
co








35
the line of bluffs, to the valley of a small tributary, then over another
divide across the upturned edges of the great fold spoken of in the first
part of this article, to quite an expansion of the valley of the Chelly.
about one mile square, covered with sage-brush and drifted sand, on the
upper or right-hand side of which we are fortunate enough to find two
springs of cool, fresh water, a most delicious luxury where the temperature of the water of the San Juan was 80 degrees, and the coldest to be
had, and the temperature of the atmosphere away up in the hundreds
during the day-time.
The surface of this valley, or small plain, contains indications of old
ruins, about which we picked up many arrows, knives, and other stone
implements, with the ever-present pottery.  The wash of the Chelly
skirts one side of the valley, with perpendicular bluffs 200 to 400 feet
high, closely bordering its other bank. Above and below the opposite
bluffs rise up again, throwing the wash into deep caihons. An examination of the exceedingly tortuous course of the wash and its accompanying bluff-line for a distance of 5 miles up and down revealed but one ruin
(Plate 19), a very iml)ortant and interesting one, however.
This cave-town occurs in a great bend of the encircling line of bluffs,
where. the  wash makes a wide detour, perched upon a recessed bench
about 70 feet above the valley, and overhung by a solid wall of massive
sandstone extending up over 200 feet farther. The left-hand side of the
bench supporting the buildings sweeps back in a sharp curve about 80
feet un(ler the bluff; and then gradually comes to the front again until,
on the extreme right hand, the buildings are built upon a mass of debris,
but partially protected overhead. The total length over the solidlybuilt portion of the town is 545 feet, with a greater width in no place
of more than 4( feet. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 75
rooms upon the ground-plan, with some uncertainty existing as to
many of the subdivisions on the right hand in the vicinity of d and e;
but in the cave-built portion every apartment was distinctly marked.
Midway in the town is a circular room of heavily and solidly built
masonry, that was probably intended for an estufa or council-hall;
that is, if we can reasonably assume any similarity in the metlhods of
building or worship to those of the Pueblos of New Mexico.  Starting from this estufa is a narrow passage running back of the line of
houses on the left to the two-story group, a, where it ends abruptly,
further access being had through the back row of rooms, or over the
roofs of the lower front row, probably the latter, for it is likely that
these roots served as a platform from which to enter the rooms back
of it.  At the extreme end a still higher ledge occurs, with the overhanging wall coming down close over it, its outer edge inclose(l by
a wall, and a little store-room in its farther corner; it was reserved,
probably, as an out-door working-room.  All the buildings of this half
are of one story, with the exception of the group a, the residence probably of the chief or of some other important family in the community.
The roomsjust back of it are the store-rooms of the family, where the corn
and squashes were put away for the winter's consumption. At the place
marked b, near these store-rooms, there are two half-round inclosures of
stone-work, that are very likely the remains of small reservoirs or
springs.  The rock back of them is dug out beneath, anrd had, even in
the dry season, when we were there, a damp appearance, as though
water was not far removed, and might easily be coaxed to the surface. The front line of wall of this left side of the town is built upon a
steep angle of smooth rock, with the interior of the apartments filled
up with earth so as to make their floors level, bringing them a little




36
below the passage-way. In two or three instances, as shown in the plan,
the front wall has given way, precipitating all but the back wall to the
bottom of the cliffs. Holes have been drilled into the rock in a few
places beneath the walls. evidently to assist in retaining them  in their
places.
The whole front of this portion of the town is without an aperture,
save very small windows, and is perfectly inaccessible, both from the
solidity of the wall and the precipitous nature of the foundation-rock
beneath it. Admittance was probably gained from  near the circular
building in the center, by ladders or any other well-guarded approach
over the rocks.
In Fig. 3 of the same plate we have a view of the other half of the
town. From  the estufa we have to climb up about 8 feet, reaching a
narrow ledge that starts out from  the bluff; from here to the farther
end the buildings are built irregularly over the uneven surface of rocky
debris, each house conforming to the irregularities by which it is surrounded, but all presenting the general arrangement of a cluster about
a central court. as at d and e, that served, in all probability, as corrals for
their domestic animals. In some places near these corrals the under
surface has broken away, disclosing a solidly-packed bed of old manure,
very nearly resolved back into dust again, and through which were scattered twigs of willow and sticks of cedar. Some of the rooms are quite
large, from 15 to 25 feet in length; the very small rooms surrounding them were probably for storage, and in some cases seem  to have
aniswered the purpose of fire-places, as at fo for baking pottery, very
likely. None of these buildings, as far as we could discover, were
of more than one story in height. All the door-ways or windows opened
from within the courts or corrals, and were unusually large, reaching in
some cases the whole height of the wall. The front line was so broken
down that it was impossible to tell to what extent it was accessible,
although we may reasonably infer that it was not so, with the exception,
perhaps, of a way for themselves and their animals. The bluff itself
was easy to ascend, being composed of large rocks tilled up with smaller
debris.
In their construction these buildings differ from  any we have yet
met, in the thickness, or rather thinness, of their walls, being very
seldom more than a foot, and more frequently between that and six
inches thick. The stones of which they are built are in long thin slabs,
trimmed down roughly to the required size and laid in an abundance
of adobe mortar. In most of the rooms, both the inside and outside
have been smoothly plastered over with clay, and, where protected overhead, still retain that coating in lair preservation.
A tew rods to the right is another smaller recessed bench, upon which
are built two small houses, each about ten feet square, and one with its
roof still entire. The approach from below is a smooth, rocky surface,
so steep as to be almost impossible to ascend, with no remains of any
other easier method of getting up.
At the foot of the bluff beneath that portion of the ruin marked d, in
the ground-plan, a low bench rises about ten feet above the surrounding valley, upon which are indications of old buildings and of other
remains-our so-called burial-places. Chipped flint-work was plentiful,
as we found a number of very beautiful specimens of arrow-points, perforators, knives, and some domestic utensils. In a mass of debris at
the foot of the two-story tower, seven large earthen pots of rough
indented ware were found imbedded in the soil and filled with earth.
They were too fragile to admit of transportation upon pack-animals, so




Plate 19.
L'n
)i!IJ~~II  -
~ii,' I        ~f
~u.
i~~ ~~~~~~-r i~        — ____ —-i- -~4~~~yjjBB~BQBi ~   ~FR~
-i  -  - --'-~t;=.~-~-~
~~~~~ ~                       ~:,
-~ —~l~ ~'-R~~"!P ~v~i6i' 
-i,
-~'~           i!~,~, —'  ~  "~''~                                   "








37
we put them carefully by for future investigators. In the rubbish at the
extreme right, a handsome little jug or vase (see Fig. 5, Plate 21) was
found, lacking only its handle. A careful search through the very thick
deposits of debris would undoubtedly reveal many treasures, and we felt
many regrets that we could not consistently devote a number of days to
the pleasant undertaking. We can only expect to skim the surface,
leaving to others hereafter the more satisfactory duty of exhausting
each subject in detail.
In progressing southward we find it again necessary to climb the
steep bluffs bordering the Chelly, here so tortuous and walled up as to
be impracticable, if not impassable. Once on top, however, we made
our way with comparativc ease over great dunes of a very fine, yellowishwhite sand, p)acked so solidly as to inconvenience the aninmals but very
little; but much the greater part of the way is over a solid floor of bare,
nearly white, sandstone, rising into occasional dome-shaped hillocks,
and furrowed by shallow ravines. Sage-brush, juniper, and pifion trees
were scattered plentifully over the whole region, affording the only relief to an otherwise perfectly barren desert. Traveling thus over this
trackless waste, we reach in about fifteen or twenty miles the bare red
plains of the famous so-called diamnond-fields of Arizona. Beautiful
garnets were found scattered plentifully over the whole region, but they
could not tempt us to linger, for the sun beat down ulpon its arid surface
with such an intensity that but for the extreme dryness and salubrity
of the atlnosphere it would have prostrated anything but a salamander.
After crossing this plain we came suddenly upon a side cafion running
across our course, seemingly a mere gash in the rocky plateau, down
into which we were fortunate enough to find a practicable way for ourselves and animals. But what a contrast! A smooth swalr(l of grass, and
thick patches of the tall reedy kind peculiar to damp localities, made
a change grateful to both man and beast. Continuing (down this cailonwhich has, in consequence of its inviting appearance, been called the
Caion Bonito Chiquito-a couple of miles brings us to the wash of the
Chelly again, bordered with groves of fine old cottonwoods, but its bed,
in which were pools of clear water, was so deep as to be almost inaccessible. A band of wandering Navajosjust before us, with large flocks
of sheep, had made a way down, however, that we found practicable.
An after investigation revealed the presence of water in large artificial reservoirs, or tanks, in the cafion Bonito, just above where we entered it first, about which are grouped a number of old ruins. This
has been a favorite Indian wintering-ground, so that the ruins here have
been much modified by their occupation.
Two miles down the cation of the Chelly we found the house shown
in Fig. 1, Plate 15. Its situation is very similar to that of the town
shown in Plate 19, but is overhung by a much less height of the impending bluff. It was reached from the valley by a series of steps cut into
the rock, but now so weathered away as to be impracticable. It is accessible now by way of the ledge running to the left from the house,
some 10 or 12 rods in length, but affording a very narrow and precarious
footing. At the time of occupancy this was walled across, with possibly
a way for getting over or around, for this ledge comimunicated  directly
with the plateau above, where there are remains of what was possibly a
corral.
The house consists of two stories, 20 feet in height, built against the
sloping back wall of the bluff; the lower story is 18 by 10 feet square,
divided into two rooms, one slightly smaller than the other, with a com



38
municating door between, an(I a large door op)ening outward from the
larger one. The upper floor appears to have been all in one room, with
one large window facing outward, and much smaller ones in the side
walls. Extensions existed upon either side, and also some kind of structure in front, probably a sort of platforim-house, covering the lower doorway. To the right the ledge grows narrower, and gradually merges into
the perpendicular bluff; 40 feet front the house, on this ledge, are the
remains of a wall across it. About 20 rods above, at the foot of the
bluff; there is a deep natural reservoir of water, formed by the acculmulated raills plon the plateau above pouring over the rocks and scootping
out a basin 30 feet in diameter and fully as deep, that seems to retain a
perpetual supply of water.
Near our camp, just at the junction of the two cafions, and on the flat
surface of the sage-covered valley, were a row of small squares marked
out by large stones set upright, such as have been already described.
In this case they were of such carelul construction and size as to encourage us to dig into them to a considerable depth. Beyond the scattered bits of charcoal, very sp)aringly deposited in this instance, however, nothing was found.
Five ittiles above the calion Bonito, the Chelly expands into a wide
valley that extendls, with slight interruptions, to the foot of the callon
De Chelly, at the northern end of the Tunicha Mountains. It is bordered
by low but abrupt sandstone bluffs, which have been broken iultoisolated
umonuments in some places, and stand like huge sentinels upon either
hanld, as if to warn the traveler fromn the desolation surrounding him.
Although the bluffs contain numerous great circular caves, favorite
building-places of the ancient builders, yet we find only two or three
ruins of that kind, and only in the lower end of the valley, the last we noticed being about eight miles above the cailion Bonito. This was the
largest and most important one in this vicinity, occupying a large circular cave very simnilar to the one of the San Juan, divided into twelve or
fifteen rooms, with a large corral or court, and an elevated bench to one
side, with a low wall running around its front edge. This had been occuplied by the NIavajos for c(orraling their sheep.
Over the broad, flat valley, sage-covered, sandy, and monotonous,
and through which the wide shallow wash imeandered from side to side,
we found frequent indications of its former occupancy by the old people
whomn we have been followillg up, extending southward until lost in the
cultivated region about the head of the valley. There were no mimore remains of stone-built houses, nor the slightest sign of one; all were
probably of adobe, the only clew in mamny cases being sinmply a slight
mould with considerable quantities of broken pottery surrounding it.
Eight miles up the cafion De Chelly are the ruins of a cave-wtown very
much like the one described (Plate I1), but much smaller, a(d with a
ruined mass of houses at the foot of the bluffs below the cave like bench.*
About the head of the vlley the Navajo Indians have several hundred
acres, in the aggregate, of cornl, pumpkins, and melons under cultivation, taking advantage of the water which comes down thus far froin the
mountains to the east. From here our trail to the Moqui settlements
branched off in a southwesterly direction to a low divide under the
southeirn end of thle Mesa Vaca, where it turned nearly south.1tanid hardly
deviated from a bee-line for a distance of nearly 40 miles to Tegua, the
nearest of the Moquis towns.
We will not now stop to discuss the question as to what connection
may have existed between the ancient builders of the San Juan anti the'Simpson's Report.




39
present semi civilized people known as the Moquis, but return to
the mouth of Epsomn Creek and describe the many curious remains
found north of the San Juan, all of which bear some relationship to
those of the Hovenweep already noticed.
Fifteen miles upl Epsomn Creek a side cafion comes in from the left,
down which trickles a scanty stream of brackish water with the peculiarity of taste and action which has given the name to the whole valley. Camping here, we extended our observations up this lateral cafion
some 8 or 10 miles in quest of ruins, and found them numerous enou:h
to satisfy our most earnest desire, although not of the importance of the
greater ones of the SatL Juan ad De Chelly. All were ot the snmall cave
kind, mostly mere        " cubby-holes," but so smoke-blackened inside and
showing other marks of use as to convince us they had been long occupied
but not during any comparatively recent period. In the generality of
cases they were on small benches or in shallow caves situated near the
bed of the stream, but the farther up we wenlt the higher they were
built. In one instance a bluff several hundred feet in heighlt contains
half a dozen small houses san(lwiched in its various strata, the highest
being up 150 feet, each of but one room, and onle of them  a )erftect
specimen of adobe-plastered masonry, hardly a crack appearing uplon
its smloothly-stuccoed surface. A short distance ulp fromn the entrance to
the cahon a square tower (Fig. 2, Plate 18) has been- built upon )  a commanding point of the mesa, and in a position, so far as any means at
our contmmand are concerned, perfectly inaccessible. Tl)e stonles of
which it is composed are of a very nearly uniform size, more so thanl in
any of the buildings we h ave seen west of the Hovenweep.
Upon the opposite side of the main Epson- Creek Valley, and on top[
of the high bluffs of sandstone which border it for nearly its whole
length, we found some cave-houses in a most sinlgularly out-of-the-way
place-in the very last place in the world where one would expet to
find themn. Scalinlg the b)luff at the very imminent risk of our necks,
we came su(iddenly upon a broad open cave, near the top, containing the
usual style of stone-built and mu(l-[plastered houses, divided into four
or five apartments, of just the size and number that would be required
by an ordinary family of eight or ten persons. Farther up, on top of
the bluff, we found the remlains of a circular tower 40 feet in (lialneter,
and very old, the stones all crumbled, rounded, and moss covered. Near
by were remains of two other cave-habitations.
A few miles farther up the Epsomn Valley, passing a numbler of old
ruins hardly worthy of mention, we came upon an ilmportant grotup) that
was evidently the center of the surrounding population —:a place of worship or of general congregation-an aboriginal shire-town.
It lay upon both sides of a small, dry ravine, some 20 or 30 rods back
from the bed of the creek, and consisted of a main rectangular Inass, 60
by 100 feet square, occupying quite an elevation, domineating all thle
others. Just below it, and close upon the edge of the ravine, was a
round tower 25 feet in diameter; and 75 feet below that, anl( also close
to the ravine, was a square building, 20 feet across, nearly obscured by
a thicket of piiion-trees growing about it. On the opplosite bank were
two small round towers, each 15 feet in (liamneter, with two oblong structures between, 12 by 15 feet square; at right angles to these four, which
were arranlged in a straight line, another square building occurred, the
satne size as the one just opposite on the other bank. Portions of the
walls of the towers remained, and a few courses of stone ill thle walls of
the smaller square buildings, blut in the large ruin the walls were mnerely
indlicated by great mounds of crumbling rock, with the subdivisions
distinctly marked, however, into four rectangular apartments. A short




40
distance above, plenty of water was found in the bed of the creek; fine
large cottonwoods bordered the strean, and the broad fertile valley
seemed a far more desirable place of residence than the forbidding des.
olation of the Chelly.
About thirty miles from the San Juan we left Epsom Creek, and
stop)ped for a night at the head of the cailons which run between it and
the Montezuma,. We were in the midst of quite a thickly-settled, ancient population, the ruins of their habitations consisting almost entirely
of the kind just described —low, rectangular mounds, so completely destroyed as not to leave one stone upon another, yet accompanied always
by an abundance of the same kind of pottery we have found so universally distributed over other localities. Not the slightest difference can
be detected in its general quality, nor can any one style of manufacture
or ornamentation be said to be peculiar to any one district, or group of
ancient habitations. It is the same Fwith arrow-points and like work,
and with the similarities in bluilding; although covering two difterent
periods of their existence, it carries the conviction to us that they were
all one and the same people, scattered in families and communities
throughout the valleys and canons.
After leaving this last group of ruins, all traces of them suddenly
ceased, and in the four or five days spent in the examination of the
country upon the southern, eastern, and( northern flank of the Sierra
Aba o, not a single vestige was found; and this in, without exception,
the most pleasant spot we have touched since leaving La Plata. Clear
and cold mountain-streams ripple down through ravines overhung by
groves of willow, maple, anid quaking-asp, with splendid oaks, and
stately pines scattered over the uplands, and an abundance of rich,
nutritious grass everywhere, that our poor, half-starved animals knew
well how to appreciate. The black-tail deer and grouse were in goodly
numbers, starting up fronm under our very noses, and leading our hunters many a long chase.
Leaving half of our little party of six, and all the animals but those
we rode and the trusty Mex. with the apparatus, we made our way
down through the deep and narrow cations that lead from the plateau
country into the great basin that lies between the Sierra Abajo and tilhe
Sierra La Sal, and spent two days in the examination of its arid surface, covered with monumental rocks and ridges, but without coming
across so much as a piece of pottery or an arrow-point.
Turning our backs upon the Abajo Peaks, we struck out northeasterly
over the plateau, but soon finlding a trail bearing southeast, followed it
until we saw that it was likely to continue some time upon the plateau,
when we branched off to the left, and in a short distance came upon the
very brink of the deep cation of the Montezuma, one of the far-reaching
arms of the main wash and valley farther east.  Winding our way
among rocks and scrubby pifions, we almost literally tumbled down the
precipitous descent of 1,500 feet, to a narrow bottom, walled in first by
a broad belt of massive white sandstone, rising almost perpendicularly
front 20 to 50 feet above the valley; above that the dark red and shaly
sand-rocks rose up in receding benches 1,000 feet to a broad tablet of
white sandstone oil top, so high up that it seemed to shut out all the world
ai d to leave us as engulfed in the bosom of the earth. A narrow but
deep "' wash " meandered from side to side, containing just a few scattered pools of stagnant water, while dense thickets of oak brush, thickly
interwoven with vines, rendered progress anything but pleasant.
We had -gone but, a few rods before we commenced picking up pieces
of pottery and meeting other evidences of occupation; within three




41
miles a cave-shelter appeared, and then as the valley widened it was
dotted in many places with mounds thickly strewn over with the everaccompanying ceramic handiwork of the ancient people in whose footsteps we are following, and occurring so frequently and of such extent
as to excite astonishment at the numbers this narrow valley supported.
The line is so sharply drawn that in an hour's ride all traces of any ruins
are lost; and'there is not so much as a piece of pottery to show that these
people had ever extended their residence beyond the limits of their
cafon.
Soon other cave-dwellings appear, most of them little walled-up circular orifices in the rock, generally inaccessible, but many were approached
by steps, or rather small holes cut in in such a manner as to enable the
climber to ascend the rock as by a ladder. Examples of these kinds of
ruins are shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of Plate 17, each about 40 feet above
the valley, the first perfectly inaccessible and without the least sign of
the original method of reaching it; in the other one the walls once
closing it have been pushed down so that only traces of them remain;
the steps leading up, however, show it to have been considerably used;
they are now so worn down by the disintegrating influences of time as
to lno longer answer their purpose.
Throughout this cation we find frequent examples of the footsteps
cut in the rock, in the generality of cases being simply a way of scaling
the smooth, nearly perpendicular wall of sandstone, which hems in the
cani.on on both sides for twelve or fifteen miles; probably a ready mode
of escape tip the bluff should enemies appear.
The cliff and cave dwellings, very small habitations, seldom larger
than the one in Fig. 2, Plate 15, appear to occur in groups, not always
in conunction with the old valley ruins, but rather to alternate in succession as we progress down the cation.
In one of the cave-dwellings, Fig. 3, Plate 17, perfectly black with long.continued smokes inside, and bearing other marks of long use, we found
the complete skeleton of a human being; the remains, as afterward determined, of a young man somewhat under a medium size. The excrement of small animals, dust, and other rubbish filled the floor of the
little house a foot deep, nearly burying the scattered bones; with them
are the shreds of a woolen blanket, woven in long stripes of black and
white, just such as the Navajos and Moquis make at the present time.
It is likely that the remains are those of a Navajo, a people who occupied all this country up to within a short time, within the remembrance
of the older persons, and who were driven beyond the San Juan by the
onslaughts of the aggressive Utes.
After traveling about 20 miles from our starting-point at the foot of
the mountains, half of the way in the cafion, we camped at the intersection of a large canon coming in from the west, traversed by a large,
well-traveled Indian trail, that continued on down, probably the same
one we had crossed earlier in the day. At this point the bottoms
widened out to 200 to 300 yards in width, and are literally covered
with ruins, evidently those of an extensive settlement or community,
although at the present time water was so scarce-not being able to
find a drop within a radius of six miles —that we were compelled to
make a dry camp. The ruins consist entirely of great solid mounds of
rocky debris, piled up in rectangular masses, covered with earth and a
brush-growth, bearing every indication of extreme age; just how old
is about as impossible to tell as to say how old the rocks of this cafion
are. This group is a mile in length, in the middle of the valley-space,
and upon both sides of the wash. Each separate building would cover




42
a space, generally, of 100 feet square; they are seldom subdivided into
more than two or four apartments. ReliCs were abundant, broken pottery and arrow-points being especially plenty, and of excellent quality;
at one place, where the wash had partially undermined the foundations
of one of the large buildings, it exposed a well of regularly-laid masonry
extending down six feet beneath the superincumbent debris to the old
floor-level, covered with ashes and the remains of half-chatred sticks of
juniper. From this rubbish a fine example of a stone ax, about the
size of one's hand, was found, with a smooth and sharp-cutting edge,
formed by grinding it down to an acute angle; its head was roughly
chipped to the required shape for binding on a handle. At another
point a small earthen bowl, of the superior ware characteristic of the
people, was found entire. No special burial-places were observed, but
a number of bones of the lower extremities were unearthed at the edge
of the wash, without any stone-work above them. - There were no cavedwellings in the neighborhood of this group, but two or three miles
below several occurred, one of which is built in a huge niche in the
solid wall of the ca-ion, with its floor level with the valley. (See Fig.
2, Plate 17.)
From the last camp the cafion expanded into occasional valleys from
50() to 800 yards across, and then contracting again to a mere narrow
passage, but still all shut in by the high escarpmnent of the imesa. From
either side long narrow tongues or protmontories extended out 100 yards,
and from 20 to 100 feet high, sometimes connected with the main wall
by a mere comb or wall of rock, its extremity, however, spreading out to
an irregularly oval shape. In the valleys are occasional isolated mesas,
the remnants, probably, of former promontories, left here by the great
erosive powers which channeled out these caflrons. Within a distance
of 15 miles there are some sixteen or eighteen of these promontories and
isolated mesas, varying in height, and every one of them covered with
ruins of old and massive stone-built structures. They will average in
size from 100 by 200 feet square down to 30 by 50 feet, always in a solid
block, and, with one exception, so nearly similar that a description of
one will fairly represent all. This exceptional instance is explained il
the sketch (Fig. 1, Plate 20), and the ground-plan (Fig. 1, Plate 16).
The peculiarity here consists principally in the size and shape of the
stones employed, as well as in the design of its ground-plan. The ruin
occupies one of the small isolated mesas, whose floor is compose(l of a
distinctly laminated sandstone, breaking into regular slabs from 18 to
24 inches in thickness; these have been broken again into long blocks,
and then placed in the wall upright, the largest standing five feet above
the soil in which they are planted. The sketch in Plate (20) is a view
along the line a a a, looking toward the round tower. Very nearly the
entire length of this wall is made up of the large upright blocks of even
thickness, fitting close together, with only occasional spaces filled up
with smaller rocks. In one place the long blocks have been pushed outward by the weight of the debris back of it. One side of the large
square apartment in the rear is made of the same kind of rocks, standing in a solid row. The walls throughout the rest of the building are
composed of ordinary-sized rocks, with. an occasional large upright one.
Judging from the debris, the walls could not have been more than 8 or
10 feet in height. The foundatioliline was wellpreserved, enabling us
to measure accurately its dimensions. The large square room was depressed in the center, and its three outside walls coantained less material
thanm in the rest of the building. No siga of any aperture, either of
window or door, could be detected.




Plate 20...
-    —'=""                      I
1\ Be
(''.. — --
L  --:j~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. —@-    - ",..>i 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,'.. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...'~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
/k~~v-,,.             n:,,~',.
li~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i








43
The far more numerous class of ruins occupying like mesas and the
promontory points consist of a solid mass of small rectangular rooms,
arranged without any appearance of order, conforming to the irregularities of the surface upon which they are built7 and covering, usually, all
of the available space chosen for their site. All are extremely old,
tumbled into indefinite ridges 5 or 6 feet high, and as broad, with the
stones partially crumbled into sand, and all covered with sage-brush,
greasewood, and junipers. They occupied every commanding and available spur of the mesas, usually so placed in the bends as to afford a clear
lookout for considerable distances up and down the cafion. They resemble in this respect the sites chosen by the Moquis in building their
villages; but we are not able to trace the resemblance further, from the
extremely aged and ruinous state in which these remains are found.
Between these fortresses and on the level bottom-lands, generally close
up to the bluff upon either side, are occasional smaller ruins, resembling
those at the dry camp. In connection with these a peculiar feature is
shown in Plate 20, Fig. 2. At the foot of one of the promontory towns a
low bench, tongue-shaped, and only about 10 feet above the valley, runs out
from the mesa 200 feet in length and half as broad, through tile center
of' which runs a wall its entire length; a portion of it is composed of the
large upright rocks shown in the sketch, the largest standing seven feet
above the surface and evidently extending some distance below, in order
to be retained so firmly in their places. There are only seven of these
standing, placed about 5 feet apart, the rest of the wall-line being composed of a low ridge of loose rock extending up to a mass of old ruins
at the foot of the bluff. One side of the space divided by this wall is
filled with a great pile of rocks arranged in irregular lines inclosing
areas from 20 to 50 feet in diameter, the whole indicating a very considerable structure.
Grouped among the lower end of these towns were a number of the
small cliff-houses; a regular colony of them occurring at the first bend of
the West Montezuma, about a dozen miles above its junction with the
east fork. An exceedingly well-preserved and peculiar one is shown in
Fig. 1 of Plate 18. A block of sandstone setting on the edge of a mesa
bench 50 feet above the valley has a deep oval hole worn in it, probably by natural agencies, which is nearly entirely occupied by a very
neatly-built little house 10 feet long, 6 high, and 5 deep. A space at one
end is reserved just large enough to serve as a platform to enter from.
Below the bend in which these cliff-houses occur, the Montezuma
loses its cafion character and spreads out into a wide, barren valley,
thickly covered with tall sage-brush, and the wash lined with large cottonwoods. The m6sas upon either hand dwindle down considerably in
height and abruptness, and seldom contain ruins. The large square
buildings on the bottom-lands, however, are important features, and
were it not for their great number, and the exceeding indefiniteness of
their outlines, we might linger longer and describe each in detail. Over
all are found immense quantities of broken pottery, many examples of
which are shown in the accompanying plates. Arrow-points and like
chipped work were especially numerous, and a great many of small size
and great delicacy of finish were found.
It should have been mentioned that running water occurs in the
Montezuma at the bend spoken of, and a band of Weminuche Utes, who
now occupy these carnons, have considerable corn planted there. It is
not impossible that formerly water was constant throughout the whole
length of the region occupied by these ruins. Below the junction of
the east and west forks of the Montezuma, the valley must have been




44
always hopelessly barren and dry, for not a vestige of any ruin occurs.
At its mouth and along the San Juan, as we have noticed, they appear at
once again in considerable numbers.
Our investigations closed with a side trip up into some of the sterile
gorges between the two forks of the Montezuma, but without any
results worth especial mention. A few small cliff-houses occurred, and
a few scattered remains about the open lowlands. Upon the tops of the
mesas in this vicinity, as well as upon those between the Montezuma and
the Hovenweep, were old remains of towns. A glance at the accompanying map will give some idea of their distribution, although those about
the head of the West Montezumna are only located approximately, in the
absence of any precise notes of its topography.
POTTERY.
On the opposite page, Plate 21, we have grouped a few of the most
striking examples of the pottery collected upon the trip, and which forms
by far the most interesting of all the relics of the ancient people of the
San Juan Valley. All who have ever visited this region, which extends
from the Rio Grande to the Colorado, and southward to the Gila, have
been impressed with the vast quantities of shattered pottery scattered
over the whole land, sometimes where not even a ruin now reinains, its
more enduring nature enabling it to long outlive all other specimens of
their handiwork. It is especially interesting as enabling us to see at a
glance the proficiency they had attained in its manufacture and ornamentation, displaying an appreciation of proportion, and a fertility of
invention in decoration, that makes us almost doubt their ante-Colunimbian origin; but nevertheless, without going into the details, we believe
them to antedate the Spanish occupancy of this country, and to owe
none of their excellence to European influences, being very likely an
indigenous product.
Fig. 1 is a jar from the valley of Epsom Creek, of dark gray and
rather coarse material, without color or glaze, of the indented and
banded ware peculiar to the ancient artificers only. It is made by
drawing the clay into ropes, and then, commencing at the bottom, building up by a continuous spiral course, each layer overlapping the one
under it, the indentation being produced by a pressure with the end of
the thumb, and by a slight doubling up of the cord of clay. The design
is varied by running several courses around quite plain. Its diameter
was 18 inches, with the same height, and 9 inches across the mouth.
For so large a vessel it was very thin, not more than one-fourth of an
inch. Inside, the surface was rubbed perfectly smooth.
Figs. 2, 3, 11, are restorations from well-preserved fragments of
mugs or cups, each elaborately ornamented in black on a white glazed
ground; the last one, especially, is of firm, excellent ware, and the
design put on with great precision. The first two are 31 inches in
diameter and 4 inches high, and the last one 4J inches in diameter by 5
inches in height.
Fig. 4 is a fiat disk of pottery for covering a jar.
Fig. 5 is the small jug found at the great cave ruin on the De Chelly
(Plate 19), 31 inches in diameter, of dark gray ware, perfectly round,
and very neatly painted. The handle has been broken off, but leaving
the marks where it had been attached.
Fig. 6. A slightly oval-shaped jar, 10 inches in diameter, and a mouth
5 inches wide, with the lip rolling over sufficiently to attach a cord to
carry it by.
Fig. 8. A small jug with side-handles and narrow neck, 41 inches in
diameter and 14 inches across mouth.




cq
ct:








Plate 22.
2
6
7
~~~~~9  ~ 10
8
13            14
15      -17
j~~~i~~~ p~1








45
Fig. 9. A cup or dipper from Montezuma Caion; bowl, 31 inches diameter; handle, 4 inches long.
Fig. 12. A pitcher, taken from a grave on the banks of the San Juan,
near the mouth of the Mancos, by Captain Moss. It the same find
were other similar vessels, some polished stone implements, and a
human jaw-bone. The ware of this pitcher is a coarse, gray material,
somewhat roughly modeled, but of fine form and tasteful decoration.
Fig. 10 is ail peculiar vessel, found among the Moquis of Tegua. They
could give no account as to where it came from or who made it. It is
probably of Zufii manufacture. The material is rather soft, being easily
cut with a knife. The upper portion is painted or glazed white, and
the lower red; the figures are painted in red and black. The tallest
portion is six inches in height.
Fig. 7 is an example of the modern work of the Moquis of Tegua.
The material and workmanship are far below any of the preceding
examples; approaching them only in its ornamentation, which is strictly
inventional, but somewhat bizarre.
PLATE 22.
This p)late is intended to represent some of the most striking instances of taste and ingenuity in the c(eramlic decoration of the nameless potters, all the examples selected being, with one exception, from
vessels of the general form of Fig. 1. With but very few exceptions
the ornamentation is on the inner surface, generally in the form of a
band, fromn 1 inch to 4 or 5 inches in breadth, but in many cases it covers the entire inner surface. If the outside of the dish is painted it is
in the form of a simple narrow band, like Fig. 15. These dishes or
bowls vary in size from 13 inches in diameter (Fig. 9) to mere cups of
only 5 inches (Figs. 18, 19).
The ware is dark gray and nearly white; hard and firm, giving a clear
ringing sound when struck. It varies in thickness from  -3 to 4 of an
inch. Many of the specimens have a fine glossy glaze upon which
the black design lies without any perceptible wearing away. Figs.
7, 8, 10, and 16 are good examples, all the others but a trifle less
so. This is the more noteworthy from the fact that all have been exposed in open places to all the disintegrating influences of soil and climate for i)robably hundreds of years. Fig. 2 appears to have suffered
the most, but the white ground has worn out, leaving the black design
in relief. In soIme, as in Fig. 2, the design is jet black, running through
intermediate shades of a reddish black when the color has run thin,
down to where the design is quite faint; whether from the washing
away of the paint or whether it was originally so, would be hard to tell.
Fig. 4 is a (lesign that occurs frequently in the bottom of the dlishes;
we found half a dozen of the same general form. Circles witlh many
radiating p)oints, like a delineation of the sun, also occur quite often.
It Fig. 21 we have the only example yet found from among the ancient pottery of any attempt at imitational ornament. As to what the
figure is intended to represent would be rather difficult to decide satisfactorily. This fragment came from the upper cation of the Montezuma,
an.l represents the inner surface of the bowl; it is reduced to about onethird in the plate.
Fig. 20 is evidently a portion of the neck of a jut or like vessel of the
rough gray ware, ot which Figs. 1 and 12 of Plate 21 are composed. It
is another rude attempt in plastic material at the imitation o( animal
life, and evidently is intended for a frog. This comes also from  the
Montezuma Cation.








THE HUMAN REMAINS FOUND AMONG THE ANCIENT RUINS OF SOUTHWESTERN COILORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO.
BY DR. EMIL BESSELS.
The human remains collected by some of the gentlemen of the United
States Geological Survey, among the ruins described by Messrs. T. H.
Holmes and W. H. Jackson, are of more than common interest, as they are
the first ever examined, and furnish material for conclusions in regard
to the general features of the former inhabitants of the region in
question.
Before giving the description of these remains, it may be advisable
to insert a few short notes communic}ated by Mr. Holmes, bearing upon
the conditions under which the bones to be described were found.
They are as follows:
"The broken and much decayed skull (No. 3) was found on the Hoven Weep, about
ten miles above its junction with the Mac Eiuro, by Mr. Chittenden. This locality
is in Colorado, about thirty miles north of the New Mexican boundary, and six miles
east of the Utah line. The bones of the skeleton were projecting from the side of a
deep wash and by their position seemed to indicate that the body had been buried in
a squatting posture.*  The skull was about four feet from the surface.
"' It should be noted that these stream-courses are very stationary; that this encroachment upon the compact, vitreous soil of the flats is in all probability exceedingly
slow, so that a skeleton migrht rest for hundreds of years quite undisturbed. There is
no running water whatever during the greater part of the year. Ruins in a very ad+vanced stage of decay were found in the neighborhood. The wholeregion has a desertlike aspect, and the modern tribes are not known to frequent it.
"' The two more perfect skulls (Nos. 1 and 2) were obtained at an ancient ruin near
Abiquiu, N. Mex. The skeletons were found entire, having been partially unearthed by
a recent wash. They were within 20 or 30 feet from the eastern wall of the ruin, and,
judging from the description, within a very few feet from the spot where Dr. Yarrow
obtained his specimens.t Fragments of pott, ry were found with the skeletons. The
earth above themn was very compact. They were three feet from the surface.
"A great number of burial-places were noticed, but of the graves examined, few
yielded further evidences of occupation than snlall quantities of charcoal and bits of
pailited pottery. These burial-places are usually found on the summits of high ridges
and promontories, aind are still marked by slabs of sandstone set on edge, and arranged
in circles and parallelograms of greatly varying dimensions; but that they did not
always bury their dead in high places is proven by the frequent discovery of human
remains in the arroyos or deep washes in the valleys. The skeletons were obtained in
the vicinity of ruined villages, from the sides of recent washes."
Before treating in detail of the skulls, we shall notice the other parts
of the skeleton.
* We do not doubt that the position in which the bones were found, indicated a squatting posture of the skeletgn, but it is not probable that this posture was commonly in
use in burying the dead.-AUTHOR.
tReport of Chief of Engineers for 1875, p. 1066.




48
LONG BONES.
There are eight long bones among the remains, viz:
1 humerus, right.       )
1 ulna, right.
1 radius, left.
1 femur, left.
1 tibia, left. 
1 fibula, left.
evidently belonging with the skull marked No 1.
Besides these are,
1 femur, right.           B
1 femur left.
which should undoubtedly be correlative with skull No. 2.
Description and measurements of bones A.
a. Humerus.-If we may judge from what is known in general about
the proportions of the human body, the long bones combined under the
head A belonged to a person about 5.6 feet high. The greatest length
of the humerus, measured from the apex of the head to the inner and
lower border of the trochlea 32%m.2; greatest diameter of head near
the anatomical neck 4cm.8. Muscular insertions very marked. Antero-posterior diameter of shaft 7cm.5 below insertion of supra spinatus
2cm.2.  Transverse diametetr 2cm.4; circumference 7cm.3.  The same
measurements in the middle of the bone lTm.7, 2cm.3, and 6cm.6, respectively, and 1Cm.5 above the olecranon depression 1cm.8, 3cm.6, and 9cm.8.
Extreme distance between outermost point of external and innermost of
internal condyle 6cm.1.
b. Ulna. —Distance from olecranon to articular part of the head of the
lower extremity (styloid process broken)=26cm.3; muscular insertions
everywhere strongly l)ronoun ce(l. Greatest circumference of shalt measured 3cm.7 below the highest point of coronoid process, 5cm.3; anteroposterior and lateral diameters, in the same plane 1c11.8 and c1m.6,
respectively.
c. Radius. —Distance from highest point of head to lowermost of styloid
process 24cm.6; diameter of head 2cm.2; depression of its upper surface
rather deep; ridge for attachment of portion of supinator brevis un.
commonly pronounced. The shaft does not offer anything extraordinary. Antero-posterior and transverse diameters of lower extremity
2cm.3cm cand 3.4, respectively.
d. Femur.-The length of the femur, measured from the upper surface
of the head to the inner condyle, is 45cmn.5, while the greatest distancee
between the great trochanter and the outer coindyle is 43c..4. Greatest
width measured between the depression for the ligamentum  teres and
the insertion of the gluteus medius 9cm.9; greatest diameter of head
4cm.6; depression for the attachment of the ligamen tum teres is less ovoid
than usual, and more of a renitormn shape, its two diameters being 2cm.0
and lcm.5, respectively. Neck very strong; greatest horizontal diameter 2-m.6; greatest vertical diameter 3cm.2; anterior surface without
any vascular foranina and concave, while the posterior surface is muore
convex than usual. Antero-posterior diameter of shaft 1cm.5 below
the base of the lesser trochanter 2cm'.5; transverse diameter measured
in the same plane 3cm.4, The same measurements taken in the middle
of shaft 2cm.4 and 2-m.3, and 3cm.4, above the upper and external border
of the trochlear surface 3cm.0 and 4m.2, respectively. The three cir.




49
cumferences measured successively in the same planes 9cm.5, 7cn.9, and
11cm.9. In proportion to the massiveness of the bone the linea aspera
not very prominent; arch for the femoral vessels not indicated.  Distance from outer to inner tuberosity of lower extremity 8cm.2.
e. Tibia andfibula. —The length of the tibia, belonging with the femur
above mentioned, is 38"c.1, as measured from  the highest point of the
spine of the head to the most distant point of the internal malleolus.
Greatest antero-posterior and transverse diameters of head 5cm.0 and
7cm.9 respectively.  Shaft rather platycnemic; antero-posterior diameter 6cm below  the attachment of the  ligamentum  patelle 3cm.7;
transverse (liameter at the same place, 2cm.5; circumference  9cmn.8.
The same measuremenits taken in the middle of shaft 3cm.3, 2Cm'.1, and
8cm.5; wand repeated, 7cm above the lowermost point of the internal malleolus=2cm.7, 2c"n.8, and 21cm.8. The length of the fibula, from  the styloid process to the external malleolus, 37cm.9; the latter projecting
2cm.7 below the inferior surface of the tibia at place of articulation. Antero-posterior diameter of shaft measured in the middle lcm.7; transverse diameter lem.0, and circumference 4cm.8. If the femur and tibia
be placed in natural connection the former appears to be much curved,
as if it had been attached to a broad, woman-like pelvis; the skull belonging with the bones in question rather exhibits male characteristics
than female.
For the sake of comparison, we shall add the following table, containing some measurements of long bones from  Kentucky mounds
taken by the late Jeffries Wvman.*
Indiansfronm Kentucky mounds.
H.  U.  R.  F.  T.  Humerus  1.000
28  21  18  34  28 Ulna   -0.816
Maxirnum.............. 337 284  270 479 397  Radius  -0.758
Minimur...........'.283 214 215 383 317  Femur - 1.000
Mean................................310 253 235  438 363  Tibia   =0.829
Description and measurements of bones B.
The bones designated by B are two femora belonging together, consequently it will be sufficient to consider only one of themn, and we shall
choose the right one for this purpose. Length from upper surhfae of
head to lowermost point of inner condyle:;35m1.6. Distance between
uppermost point of great trochanter and lowermost of outer condyle
33cm.l. Distance from outermost point of the head to outermost point
of trochanter major 7cm.2. Greatest horizontal diameter of the neck
lcm.8; greatest vertical diameter 2cm.5; diagonal line of the outer surface of the great trochanter not prominent; triangular surface for the
attachment of the tendon of the gluteus medius smooth. Antero-posterior diameter of shaft 2cm.3; below the summit of lesser trochanter
lc'".8; transverse diameter 2cm.4. Same measurement in the middle of
bone 2em.0 by 2cm.2, and 2cm.9 above the upper and external border of
trochlear surface 2cm.1 by 3em.0. The three circumferences measured
successively in the same planes, 6cm.7, 6cm.2, and 9cm.L. Arch for the
reception of the femoral vessels very deep.
i Fourth annual report of the trustees of the Peabody Museum of American Archsaology and Ethnology. Boston,.1871, p. 19.
4x




50
DESCRIPTION OF SKULLS.
The three skulls forming the more interesting part of the remains are
designated by Nos. 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Skull No. 1.-Plates 23, 24, and 25, (Fig. 5.)
This is almost perfect, with the exception of the right styloid process,
which is nlissing, and the two condyles articulating with the atlas,
which, according to all appearance, were broken off quite recently.
Viewed from  above, the outline of the massive skull is somewhat
heart-shaped, and but little irregular, the irregularity being chiefly due
to the depression of the posterior portion of the left parietal bone.
This depression extends also, but less marked, a short distance over
the right parietal, inclosing a somewhat triangular space, and likewise
over the occipital, down to the protuberance. Serration of sagittal
suture coarse. A small Wormian bone in the coronal near the left
temporal ridge. Parietal tubers very pronounced.
In profile the considerable height of the skull is very striking, as is
ILso the depressiol, if the let, si(le be turned toward the observer.
Occiput, trom a p)lane laid horizontally through the tubera parietalia
downward, straight, almost perpendicular, the central portion of the
occipital only bulging out slightly. Temporal ridges pronounced; mastoild process heavy; mueatus rather elongated. Upper portion of frontal,
from the region of the tubera, receding; supra-orbital arches moderately
convex. Naso-frontal angle considerable, indicating aquiline features;
anterior nas'al spine prominent. There is a slight tendency to prognathism.
A frontal view shows a moderately broad forehead; distance between
the orbits rather considerable; left supra-orbital foramen exceedingly
small; the right supra-orbital arch shows 3 foramina. Malars massive;
incisive fossoe deep; canine eminences considerable. Muscular insertions of the lower jaw invariably very pronounced, but the exterior
oblique line comparatively weakly developed. Height of ramus 7cm.1.
Teeth nornmal, their crowns slightly worn down, especially those of the
incisors, but in excellent state of p)reservation.
In a base view the deformation shows almost as much as in profile.
The left mastoid process, being more obtuse than the right one, is
pushed forward, and, in connection with this the foramlen magnum is
somewhat asymmetrical and distorted. Left posterior condyloid foramen wanting; the spot where it ought to be is, however, very thin;
and, as, in similar cases, the size of the existing foramen is greater than
usual. The effect of distortion may be noticed along the entire left
portion of the base, on which side the eruption of the last molar never
took place, although the right one cut through.
Viewed from behind, the outline of the skull is hexagonal. Parietals
sloping considerably from the sagittal suture to the tubera, from which
they form an almost )erpendicular line to the mastoid portions of the
squamosals. Lower outline of occipital but slightly convex. The internal occipital protuberance is but faintly indicated, especially if comnpared with other muscular insertions, but the ridge is strongly marked.
AWhile the right depression for the insertion of the rectus capitis posticns is deep arid well developed, the opposite is but shallow.
Before giving the conventional measurements it may be well to state
that the indices of height and breadth were intentionally otnitted, as, on
account of the deformation of the skull, they would be of little value.




51
Mieasurements.
c. cm.
Capacity -....................................................... 1325
mm.
Length. —-—.. ——......-......-....... —---... —-. —-—..   168
Breadth -----—........ —....- ---------- -... —-. 144
Breadth of frontal.. ——............-.... —--------------.. —----   119
Height. —................. ——. 135
Frontal arch.-.... —---- ----------------—.. —------------- ------    319
Parietal arch.-......... 346
Occipital arch. -..-... —..... ——.. ——. —...... —-. —-. ——.  234
Lontitudinal arch...........................................................  359
Circumrference. -..-..-. —-   -----------—.. —--—. —-—.. —-------   508
Length of frontal --- -........ —....... ----------  123
Length of parietal..............                                     134
Length  of occipital........................................................  160
Zygoimatic diameter..-,........                                  -144
Skull No. 2.-Plates' 25 (Fig. 2), 26, and 27.
According to its features, the skull designated by No. 2 is that of a
woman, and is, with the exception of the zygomatic bones, which are
broken, well preserved.  If, among the Indians, the eruption of the
last molars takes place at the same time as in our race, the skull in
question cannot have belonged to a person much younger or older than
seventeen.*  In general, the skull is delicately built, being rather small,
showing smooth surfaces and weak muscular insertions.
Viewed from above, it presents outlines similar to the skull previously
described, but while the latter is defbrmed on its left side, the one in
question is compressed on its right and is asymmetrical in a far higher
degree.
In a profile view we notice above all, highly developed prognathism,
a rather low forehead, and the outline of the occiput to be nearly straight.
This latter fact is brought to view  more strikingly if we look upon the
right side of the skull, where we can lay almost a straight line from near
the tuber over the surface of the parietal to the mastoid process, touching within a few millimeters the lambdoidal suture.  If we measure the
distance from the glabella to the left superior curved line of the occiput,
it will be 1"e.3 greater than if measured between the same points on the
opposite side, thus showing clearly the asymmetry of the skull.
A view from behind exhibits this less than one from the base,
the latter revealing a distortion extending from the right side of the
occipital to the narrow  and elongated palate process of the maxilla,
which is pressed forward. As in almost every instance of prognathism,
the foramen magnum  i% thrown backward.  This is, however, not only
due to the protruding position of the upper maxilla, but also to a great
extent to the flattening of the occiput, causing the occipital bone to turn
upward almost abruptly within about half a centimeter from the posterior
margin of the foramenl magnum, that is on the right side of the skull,
there being a little more space on the left.  Both posterior condyloid
foramina are well developed, the right one being larger than the left.
The muscular insertions on the left side of the occipital are more
strongly marked than those of the right, especially the places of insertion of the complexus and the rectus capitis. The protuberance is
As puberty takes place sooner among Indians than among white men in general,
we nlay conclude that the eruption of the last molars occurs earlier with the former
races than with the latter.




52
scarcely indicated.  The lambdoidal suture shows two Wormian bones
where it joins the sagittal, one being situated to the right, the other to
the left of the latter, measuring 2cm.2 and 3cm.2, respectively.  Another
but smaller Wormian bone may be noticed, where the left lambdoidal
joins the squamous suture.  The mastoid processes are rather obtuse
and small, the digastric fossa of the left being longer and deeper than
that of the right, while the right mastoid foramen is larger and situated
somewhat higher than the one opposite.  The parietal eminences are
not very distinct, although they may be recognized by viewing the skull
from above; the temporal ridges are not indicated at all, and the right
parietal toramen is situated before the left one and is about twice as large.
Coronal suture rather straight, without many serrations.  The frontal
bone is without any median ridge or trace of suture, the eminences are
but slightly developed, the superciliary ridges scarcely indicated, and
the temporal ridges only well marked in the vicinity of the sul)ra-orbital
arches.  The angle formed by the nasal bones with the firontal, and the
curvature of the nasal bones are rather flat, nasal meatus rather round,
anterior nasal spine moderately protruding.  The number of teeth in
the upper jaw complete, the last molars on each side in the act of eruption.  Teeth rather small, with the exception of the incisors, which are
directed much more obliquely forward than downward; canines smaller
than the incisors; only the crowns of second and third molars ground
flat; the other teeth of the upper jaw scarcely showilg any wear, while
the incisors of the lower bear the marks of extensive use; not so, however, the molars, which are almost intact, at least those on the left side.
S:ymphysis ot the lower jaw scarcely visible, mental process tolerably
developed, and incisive fossa of the right deeper than  hat of the left.
External oblique line only well indicated near the anterior border of
the ramus.  Goronal process rather pointed; insertion of the internal
pterygoid muscle less than usually rough.
Measuren ets.
C. cM.
Capacity....-.                                          -.           1020
mm.
Length.....................................................................  150
Breadth..............  131
Breadth of frontal....   106
Height.-.-....7. —-----.. l- 130
Frontal arch.......... ---                  278
Parietal arch.......................-.-..... —-—.-. —-. —......... —-,,,.  325
Occipital arch..................-..-.....-........................... 226
LoDgitudinal arch.-...............  342
Circumference...-.......                                        450
Length of frontal.....................................   118
Length of parietal.....  117
Length  of occipital.........................................................  150
Zygomatic diameter........................................................    116
Skull No. 3.-Plates 28 and 29 (Fig. 13).
The skull designated by this number is rather thin, and was broken
into a number of small fragments when brought from the field, and the
pieces themselves were very fragile.  It could, however, be sufficiently
well restored to convey a good idea of its general features, which are
decidedly masculine and even allimal-like.
* The zygoinatic bones being broken, the zygomatic diameter could only be ascertained approximately. Probable error= ~ ln1.l.5.




53
Although the occipital bone is almost entirely wanting, it may still
readily be seen that the skull had been deformed in a manner analogous
to the two others, and as it seems, chiefly on its right side, as a view
from above will denmonstrate, although the depression of the occipital
region does not seem.to have been as great as in either of the cases above
mentioned. The outline of the cranium is more oval than that of No. 1
and No. 2, and appears somewhat flattened near the median line along
the parietals. The superciliary ridges protrude very considerably beyond
the general outline of the frontal, and in the same view, from above the
zygomatic bones, the nasals and the upper maxillie may be seen to project. There are no traces left of the sagittal suture; the direction of
the latter cannot even be detected it the skull be held against a strong
light; but the coronal is plainly visible.  As already stated, the occipital
bone is almost entirely broken, there being left only a narrow piece of its
upper portion, which measures about 9cenitmneters in length. The right
side of the skull is of a dark brown color, which is frequently noticed
on bones exhumed from peat-bogs.  An examination proved the coloring
matter to be chiefly iron. Like the rest of the surface the right side,
besides being colored, is covered by numerous fine cracks and grooves,
either produced by running water that dissolved the carbonate of lime
of the osseous tissue, or by the roots of plants that assimilated the salts.
The side under consideration has the exterior portion of the mastoid
process, which is rather massive, preserved. Temporal ridge extremely
developed; zygomatic process strong.  Frontal bone receding almost
as much as in some ancient Peruvian skulls that lie before me, and
which are artificially deformed. - Superciliary ridges very prominent;
nasals strongly curved, aquiline; upper maxilla prognathic in a considerable degree.
In a front view the heavy superciliary ridges appear very marked;
supra-orbital arches strong; foramina large; anterior nasal spine projecting; septum oblique, its posterior portion shifted toward the right
from  the median line. First left incisor partly decayed; crowns of
the teeth, especially on that of' the molars, ground down. Insertions
of musc(les of lower jaw strong; those of the left more developed than
the right; mental process prominent.  Height of ramus from angle to
highest point of condyle, 6er.8; sigmtoid notch deep; distance between
the outermost points of right and left condyles, 12em.2.
Measurements.
c.cm.
Capacity. —..........................................................
mm.
Length. —---... —----—.. —------------------- -------- -------
Breadth -....-........                       136
Breadth  of frontal..............................................................  119
Height..................................................................... -—. —  --    -  - 
Frontal areh ——............ —-----—....... —----------------------------- --   297
Parietal arch.-....... —......... —--------. -------------------------  338
Occipital arch...................................
Longitudinal arch. —--..-.............. —-----------—......... —- -----
Circumference......-............
Length of frontal..-........................-...   126
Length of parietal...   132
Length of occipital. -..-....
Zygomatic diameter-.-........                         144
Thanks to the kindness of Dr. A. Otis, who, with his usual liberality,
placed the osteological collection of the United States Army Medical
Museum at my disposal, I could examine the two skulls collected by




54
Doctor Yarrow in the vicinity of the ruins near Abiquin, to which I
took occasion to refer on one of the preceding pages. One of them, bearing the number 1178 in the catalogue, is that of a child about ten years
old. The other, marked 1179, is that of an adult, and exhibits the general characters of a female.
We shall first consider No. 1178, which is distorted about as much as
No. 2; but while the latter is deformed on its right side, the former is
compressed on its left, and is asymmetrical through its entire extent,
including the lower jaw. Viewed froin behind it is of almost quinquelateral shape, the two upper sides of the pentagon being formed by the
parietals sloping down slightly from the coronal suture to the tubers;
the two lateral sides are formed partly by the parietals and the posterior
portions of the squamosals, sloping from the parietal tubers to the mastoid
processes, which are very small and obtuse, while the base of the polygon is formed by a line running obliquely from the left zygomatic process across the occipital to within two centimeters of the right mastoid;
protuberance of occiput scarcely developed; superior and inferior curved
lines wanting; muscular insertions weak.
Owing to the deformation of the skull, the two profile views are rather
different from each other. The right side of the cranial portion does not
present any extraordinary features, except toward the frontal region and
the adjoining facial portion. The left frontal tuber projects about one
centimeter above the right one, the whole left half of the frontal being
pressed forward, in consequence of which the right side seems to recede to
a considerable extent; ridge of the nasals slightly curved inward. There
is slight tendency to prognathism. The left profile shows the occipital
depressions in almLost its whole extent, the lower and posterior portion
of the parietal being flat, almost concave instead of convex; this is
also the case with the left portion of the occipital. The asymmetry of the
skull becomes not less striking in a facial view, in which case the frontal
bone recedes in an oblique direction fro:n the left tuber to a short distance
behind the right one. The lower jaw partakes, in a similar manner, in
the distortion, its left half being also pressed forward, but less than the
corresponding half of the frontal bone. The lower border curved inward
and upward rather deeply near the symphyses, the curve descending
lower on the right side than on the left.
Viewed from  above, the skull is of an irregular oval form, the left
frontal tuber projecting beyond the general outline, and the posterior
portion of the parietal of the same side being compressed so that the
right parietal tuber appears to be very prominent.
Unfortunately the base is not complete; but, although the lower and
anterior portion of the occipital and the basilar process are missing,
there is evidence enough of the general distortion. The left mastoid
process is about one centimeter beyond the right one, and although to
a less extent, we notice both the palate bone and the palate process of
the left upper maxilla to be pressed forward.
Measurements.
c. m.
Capacity —--.-............................-........1213
mnm.
Length. —..-1.... —.. —.. —.............51
Breadth. —-.............-.. —.- -—.. ---—. —. —-  --—.. —- ------------—. 138
Breadth of frontal.-.......-........................-............. 110
Height *.......................................... —. —
Frontal arch........ 2............ 71
* The anterior margin of the foramen magnum being defective, the height could not
be ascertained.




55
mm.
Parietal arch.-..-~ ——.. —-—. —-----—...............-...-....... —-......-.  349
Occipital arch -....-...............-............................. 195
Longitudinal arch-............ 341
Circumference...............-...................................... -357
Length of frontal............- -—..............................-.......... 115
Length of parietal.. —............ —.... —............. —. —------- 126
Length of occipital. —-—................ —-------—................. -------.  153
Zygomatic diameter-.................. —------  —........... 100
Skull No. 1179 rather delicate; is deformed in a more regular manner
than either of the others above mentioned, and might very well be taken
for that of an ancient Peruvian. The frontal does not recede as much
as it usually does in Peruvian skulls, owing to their mode of deformation, but in this instance the lower anterior portion of the frontal ascends very straight, almost perpendicular, and more so than in any of
the other skulls.
Viewed from  above, it is broadly heart-shaped, having its greatest
breadth about one centimeter above the insertion of the retrahens anurem in a plane projected perpendicular through the posterior portions
of the zygomatic processes.  The nasal bones and the alveolar processes
of the upper jaw protrude to a considerable extent beyond the general
outline of the craniumn, while the malars and zygomnatic processes stand
out but slightly, the former, however, more than the latter.  In profile
the occipital portion of the skull appears perpendicular within a few
degrees; only the left portion of the occipital bone protrudes a little
near the superior curved line, which on this side is more developed than
on the other.  Left zygomatic process slender; the right one defective,
partly broken.  Nasal hones very projecting, indicating a Roman nose.
Facial portion comparatively small; forehead narrow; frontal tubers
well developed; superciliary  ridges but slightly indicated.  Malars
slender; anterior nasal spine prominent; maxilla very nearly orthognathic. Teeth very irregular; left incisors of upper jaw missing; the
first right one very large, while the second is unnaturally small. Canines standing very oblique, their crowns inclined  to a considerable
extent toward the symphysis. Second right bicuspid temporary; permanent one in the act of eruption, last molars not yet cut, their position
somewhat abnormal.  The teeth  of the lower jaw are more regular.
Both false molars of the left side and second on the right missing, last
molar not yet erupted. Mental process well developed; exterior oblique
line slightly indicated; sigmoid notch flat; ridges for the insertion of
the masseter slight; anterior border of ramus almost straight.
The base of the skull is nearly triangular, and only slightly asymmetrical.  Posterior outline of occipital almost straight, an(l approaching within half a centimeter toward the posterior margin of the foramen magnum.  Muscular insertions highly developed; occipital protuberance very much elongated. Condyles long and narrow; their surfaces quite uneven.  Only the right posterior condyloid foramen developed and very small; fossa on this side shallow; the one opposite deep.
Mieasurements.
C. cm.
C apacity........ -.............................................................  13 0
mm.
Breadth  of frontal........:.........   128
Height......................................................................    142
Frontal arch.................................................................   316
Parietal arch.................................. 370
Occipital arch............................................................... 240




56
mm.
Longitudinal arch.............................................-  3:38
Circumference.-...............       -....................... 495
Length of frontal........................................................... 115
Length of parietal................................ 130
Length  of occeiital............................................................    163
Zygomatic diameter.-.............................-........ 123
In order to. show the resemblance between the skulls from Southern
Colorado and New Mexico, described on the preceding pages, and those
of the ancient Peruvians, the diagram, Fig. 14 on PI. 29, was drawn.
Before referring to the latter, we may be allowed to recall the fact that
there are two different types of Peruvian skulls, one kind being lengthened similarly to those of the Macrocephali of Hippocrates,* and found
chiefly in the chulpas near Lake Titicaca, while those from other localities, and not met with under the "burial towers," are shortened by compression of the occipital region.  We hardly need to state that the type
alluded to here is the latter one.t The skull, whose profile is represented by the less heavy lines, belongs to the collection of the United
States Army Medical Museum.  It bears the number 250 of the catalogue, and is designated as " Pachacamac skull, from Peru." Viewed
from above it is similar in outline to skull 1179, previously described
(represented in heavy lines on the diagram). Its frontal bone only
proves to be more receding and elongated than that of the latter, it
being, besides, a little longer, and in the norma verticalis we perceive the
zygomatic bones, the nasals, and the upper maxillie, to project more beyond the general outlines of the cranium than it is the case with No.
1179. It is rather thick and heavy, apparently Mnale, with pronounced
nmuscular insertions.  Those of its measurements that may be of interest in our case are as follows:
mzm.
Length.-.. —.6...-..-...............................         162
Breadth —-.        -.-.-.................................. —........ -......... 156
Breadth of frontal.....-   —...............-............-.....-.........-...... 118
Length of frontal.. —.. ——.-............... —...............- -.......-.-... 119
Circumference.. -—.-...................................-.................  505
The dotted profile line of the diagram  is that of skull No. 276 of
the catalogue above mentioned, and designated as "'Cranium of pure
Indian.  Coban, Guatemala."  Viewed from above it appears slightly
asymmetrical, the left parietal being compressed at its posterior portion,
between the lower third of the sagittal suture, the tuber, and the
squamosal. The zygomatic bones and the malars project beyond the
general outline of the cranium in this position, and likewise the superciliar ridges and the nasals, the greatest breadth being found a little
below the parietal tubers.  Apparently male; muscular insertions very
pronounced; skull heavy and thick.
As measurements of interest I shall give:
sam.
Length......................................................................    162
Breadth...-................                           142
Breadth of frontal........                  112
Length of frontal.................................... 12'
Circumference.           -.481
*Magni Hippocratis medicorumn omnnium facile principis opera oninia que exstant,
nune denuo latina interpretatione et annotationibus illustrata, Anutio Foesio Mediomatrico medico authore. Francofurti, MDCXXlV, page 289.
t Mariano Eduardo de Rivero y Juan Diego de Tschidi, Antiguedades Peruanas, Vienna,
1851, p. 25, where the type in question is represented, with two others, the authors
distinguishing three types on rather trivial grounds. A large view of the type under
consideration is also figured in the atlas accompanying the volume, Plate V.




57
In order not to crowd and confuse the diagram we omitted the outline of skull No. 3. the frontal portion of which (even to the superciliary
ridges) would almost overlap that of the Peruvian. It will be seen that
the general character of the profile views of the three skulls is not very
different, the Abiquiu cranium showing the greatest height, the steepest
forehead, and an almost straight occipital outline, while that from
Coban is intermediate between the two others. The cranium having
the greatest length is that of the Peruvian, viz, 162nm, differing only
1mm fromn that of the Coban Indian. In the diagram this difference
seems to be greater, as the occipital outline of the Peruvian projects
considerably beyond that of the former; but if we come to examine the
receding frontal of the latter and remember that the greatest length lies
between the glabella and the most prominent point of the occiput, then
the features of the diagram appear to be quite normal. A comparison
of the breadth of the crania bears out the fact that the measurements
of the Peruvian and Abiquiu Indian coincide exactly, they being both
156mm, while that of the Coban Indian gives 12nm less. In regard to the
breadth of the frontal bone the Abiquiu skull exhibits the maximum,
viz, 128'mm; next to this is the Peruvian, namely, 118m; and finally the
Coban Indian, measuring 112mm only. The length of the same bone is
greatest in the Coban Indian, its measurement giving 122mm, that of the
Peruvian being 3m'", and that of the skull from Abiquiu 7mm shorter.
The Peruvian skull being the longest anmong the three, has also the
most considerable circumference, namely, 505mm, while the Abiquiu
Indian measures 495mm around, and the skull from Coban 461mm only.
After this paper had been placed in the hands of the printer, the
United States National Museum at the Smithsonian Institution received
a box with relics exhumed from mounds in Tennessee, which happened
to be opened in my presence. Besides several cubic feet of bone fragments it contained two crania, showing exactly the same mode of
deformation as the skulls obtained in the vicinity of the ruins. And
indeed the resemblance between the crania from those two different
localities is so great that they might readily be confounded.
It being too late to present cuts of these specimens, I shall limit myself
by describing the same, designating one by A and the other by B.
Craniurm A.
Very light and smooth, and apparently that of a woman. As the
eruption of the last molars had taken place, the individual must have
been at least twenty-one years of age when it died; that- is, if we are
justified in using the same Criterion in judging the age of an Indian as
we do in judging that of a white man. Taking into consideration that
the skull was taken from a mound, it is in a tolerable state of preservation; the left zygomatic bone and the styloid processes being broken,
however, and the upper jaw containing but six teeth. The condition
of the lower is less good, there being only three teeth left, the rami being
rather defective and the condyloid and coronoid processes wanting.
Viewed from above, the skull is irregularly heart-shaped; the irregularity being produced by the compression of the left parietal. The compression extends from a plane laid horizontally through the tubers, from
the right tuber down to the squamous and occipital sutures, so that the
left bone and tuberosity seem to protrude considerably. Serration of
the sagittal suture strong, the two parietals grooved at their line of
junction. The zygomatic bones project but slightly beyond the general




58
outline of the cranium; the malars, the maxillai and the nasals more so,
especially the latter.
The two profiles show  somewhat different features.  While the outline of the occipital region, when viewed from  the right, is almost perpendicular, that of the left slopes at a slight angle, and the left parietal
tuber appears more prominent in this view  than the right.  Zigolma
and malar thin; forehead straight; frontal tubers not projecting; angle
between frontal and nasals sharp; anterior nasal spine prominent;
upper maxillae but slightly prognathous.
A facial view discloses a rather narrow forehead, frontal tubers, which
are very slight, standing close together, no superciliary ridges, supraorbital ridges very slight, the right one showing two foramina. Orbits
rather oval and nose broad. Maxillia smooth; canine eminence very
slight. Remaining teeth showing but little wear; the crowns of the two
first molars being worn down most.
Viewed from behind, the outline represents an irregular hexagon. Parietals sloping roof-like from the apex to the tubers, from there almost
straight to mastoid portion of the squamosal.  From the mastoids the
slightly curved outlines converge toward the posterior margin of the
great foramen.  The left portion of the lambdoidal suture contains three
WVorumian bones, one fourteen millimeters long and about five wide, being situated in its upper third, while the two others of smaller dimensions, at least in regard to length, are close together, almost touching
the lower extremity  of the suture.  Superior curved  line well pronounced, the same being the case in regard to the inferior.  Muscular
insertions of the left side more marked than those of the right, especially the depression for the rectus capitis.  Mastoid processes obtuse.
In a base view the compression of the left side of the skull shows
hardly as much as from above, and the asymmetry does not extend over
the whole base as it did in several of the other instances.
In  taking  the dimensions, the  zygonmatic diameter could  not be
ascertained very accurately; the probable error of measurement is, however, supposed to be not more than 4z lmn1.5.  As the skulls are not yet
cleaned, the internal capacity was not measured.
Measurements.
mM.
Length. —..............-...-...........................  156
Breadth............................................................ 141
Breadth  of frontal...........................................................  109
Height........ —............................ 14
Frontal arch................................................................  277
Parietal arch...............................................................  330
Occipital arch.................................   227
Longitudinal arch.....-.......................................  335
Circumference...............................................................  470
Length  of frontal...........................................................  115
Length of parietal.-....................................... 128
Length of occipital......................1...............................  160
Zigomatic diameter.-..............- -.......... —-—. —--- 124
Cranium  B.
The whole facial portion being broken off, only the cralnial portion of
the skull is left, and this is rather defective, as the left squamosal and
the anterior part of the occipital are wanting. Cranium very light,
showingsmooth surfaces; age doubtful, but the individual was evidently
younger than that from which skull A was derived.




59
Viewed from  above, it appears like a rounded oval, occipital region
flattened, right side more than left, asymmetry slightly less than in
other specimens.  Parietal tubers prominent.  Serration of sutures fine.
The right profile, which is more complete than the left one, shows an
almost perpendicular but slightly outward curved outline of the occipital
region, while in the left view the occipital is seen to bulge out to considerable extent. Temporal ridge narrow and sharp. Mastoid process
narrow and small.
A front view shows nothing but the narrow and straight forehead,
with tolerably developed tubera, and very slight superciliary ridges.
Viewed from behind, the roof of the skull appears rather flat, with
only a slight curvature of the parietals from the sagittal suture to the
tubera, while the rest of the outline is similar to that of skull A.  Setration of lambdoidal suture complicated. Muscular insertions of the
lower portion of the occipital tolerably developed.
Owing to the defective condition of the skull only a limited number of
measurements could be obtained.  In taking those of the frontal and
parietal arches and of the circumference only one-half of the actual distance was measured, and in consequence of this the numbers thus
derived had to be multiplied by 2 in order to get the whole dimensions.
Measurements.
mm.
Length.......................................................................    153
Breadth.... —.-.....-........-............-................. 140
Breadth of frontal.                                             118
Frontal arch. ——..............................-...................-.-.... 280
Parietal arch..............................................         222
Occipital arch. --......-. —-—.......-.-............. 212
Circumference.. —....-...-.....-.....-.................................... 460
Length of frontal.............................................................  129
Length of parietal.....-.......................................................   131
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.
Disregarding the two skulls obtained from the Tennessee mounds,
we notice, as characteristics of the others, the great height and breadth
of the cranium, which is most decidedly brachycephalic.  As the skulls
are deformed we refrain from. calculating the indices of height and
breadth.
Denoting the excess of the longitudinal diameter as compared with
the transverse one as positive, and that of the transverse diameter as
compared with the longitudinal one as negative, we obtain the following
values:
Designation
of skull.                                                         L. B.
No. 1....................................................................     24mm
No. 3....................................................................      19
No. 1778.................................... -+  1 3
No. 1779.........-.-...                                    +  3
It will readily be seefi that the adult Abiquiu skull (1779) is more broad
than long, while the others are somewhat longer than they are broad. If
we were to calculate the index of breadth we would notice it to decrease in
the order adopted in the table, from skull No. 1779 upward. How far the
brachycephalic character is due to deformation cannot be decided by
means of the limited number of specimens on hand, but according to
the general features of the skulls, we consider ourselves justified in saying that originally they were brachycephalic, and that in consequence of
the deformation of the occiput the brachyceephalic character is brought
to view more strikingly than it would be if the skulls had not been




60
compressed. We do not hesitate to express this opinion, although it
appears from Welcker's extensive investigations* that brachycephalic
skulls are mostly orthognathous, while those described above are all
more or less pi ognathous.
Now the question arises, was the deformation to be found among the
ancient inhabitants of the ruins generally, or only in some instances?
Was it practiced as a rule, or is the compression only more or less accidental? As the five skulls before us show the most unmistakable signs
of deformation, it is more than probable that the compression of the
skull cannot have been of rare occurrence, for,it is scarcely possible
that, by a mere accident only, the deformed crania should have been
found by the collectors, while others, showing normal features, should
have escaped their observation.
If deformations of this kind are practiced, as a rule, among savages
or civilized people, there is always a guiding idea,t either emanating
from  aesthetical feelings or with reference to some practical purpose.
For instance, among the ancient Peruvians the flattened skulls were
considered a sign of aristocracy and high breeding, while in other cases,
as among the inhabitants of the northwestern corner of Europe,: the
skulls of the children were deformed in early youth in such a mariner
as to produce a more or less straight line of profile, which we are accustomed to admire in the Greek ideal of human beauty.
That the idea of the beautiful was developed to an uncommon
extent among the inhabitants of the ruins is borne out by the fact that
the fragments of pottery found show simple but tasteful ornamentation,
that great regularity prevails in the structure of their buildings, both
in the square and round ones, and that other pieces of their handiwork
would even gratify our own mesthetical feelings. As symmetry is found
everywhere among their buildings, even where an educated eye would
require it, there is no reason whatever to suppose that the taste should
comply with these requirements in one instance and not in the other.
Why should people who bestow so much care upon a door, in order to
make it symmetrical, or upon a piece of pottery, to make it perltect in
shape, try, in case they practice deformation of the skull, to produce an
asymmetrical form, such as is found in the greater number of our
crania?~ Wherever deformation of the skull is made a practice, the
mother, or whoever may be in charge of the child, performs this operation with the utmost care, in order to produce the conventional shape,
which is almost symmetrical in every instance; and some time ago,
when we had occasion to examine about 200 fiatheads, we found but few
that were not symmetrical.
Under such circumstances we are justified in believing that the
deformation of the skulls in question is more or less accidental, and,
taking the mode of depression into consideration, there cannot remain
any doubt in regard to the way the skulls were distorted. Evidently
the ancient inhabitants of the ruins were in the habit of strapping their
children against cradle-boards, as a great many modern Indians do, and
hence resulted the flattening of the occiput.ll
* Untersuchungen ueber Wachsthum und Bau des menschlichen Schadels von Hermann Welcker. Erster Theil. Leipzig, Wilhelm Engelmann, 1862, pp. 63 and 90.
t Andreae V esalii Opera Omnnia Anatomica et Chirurgica, cura Herinanni Boerhaavo
et Bernhardii Siegfried Albini. Lugduni Batavorum, MDCCXXV, Tom. I, p. 16.
f Hippocrates: loc. cit., De aire aquis et locis, p. 289.
S As it seems, asymmetry is not met with very seldom among the ancient Peruvian
skulls. Compare Morton's Crania Aamericana, P1. X.
I] As Major Powell kindly informs me, the different Indian tribes he is familiar with
keep their children strapped to the cradle-board from between one and a half to two
years.




61
With reference to this question, we examined a considerable number
of lndian skulls contained in the collection of the United States Army
Medical Museum, but we must confess that among the modern ones we
did not meet with any deformation that could reasonably be attributed to
the influence alluded to. Among a series of skulls exhumed from mounds
in Kentucky, No. 723 is deformed very slightly, while No. 730 shows a
pronounced depression of the lower and posterior portion of the left parietal bone, and in No. 242 we meet with an almost perpendicular occiput, percepltil)le especially when viewed from the right side. A considerable number of crania from mounds near Vicksburgh, Miss., could not
be used to strengthen our argument, as they are all, with scarcely any
exception, deformed intentionally and in every possible direction.
Having obtained these rather negative results, we examined the collection of Indian cradles contained in the National Museum, trying to
establish some relation between the construction of the cradle-board
and the mode of deformation of the skull. If we were to judge from
the specimens as they present themselves at the Smithsonian Institution, we might under the circumstances arrive at erroneous conclusions,
as most likely the majority of these cradles are incomplete, consisting
in most cases of scarcely anything but the frame-work. Probably, some
tribes prepare the head-rests for the children more carefully than others, and the deformation of the skull will be found accordingly.
Unfortunately, there are no skulls of Indian tribes that now inhabit
the vicinity of the region in question within our reach, and therefore we
are unable to.draw any comparisons or to point out cranial affinities
that might exist between the ancient inhabitants of the ruins and the
people that now live near those deserted dwellings.
According to other evidence, however, there is not much room left to
doubt that the present Pueblo Indians are the direct descendants of the
ancient inhabitants of Southern Colorado and New Mexico, although
there are either no traditions preserved pointing toward this direction,
or the few that do exist are of too vague a nature to be relied upon.
As one of the arguments in favor of this view, we may take the mode of
constructing the houses. The structures erected by the present Pueblos do not differ materially from the majority of dwellings built by the
ancient architects. The whole modifications the former offer are merely
due to the different topographical features of the ground on which they
stand, and to the influence of the white race, as can readily be proven.
In the present mode of constructing the dwellings, there is, however,
one detail worthy of attention and further investigation. We mean the
arched building,* as there are but two tribes inhabiting this continent
whose architectural skill proved efficient enough for this purpose,
namely, the Peruvians and the Eskimos. As the dome-like structure is
only found among this race (besides the people just mentioned), it would
be worth while to investigate whether this style of architecture is original or adopted from the Spaniards, and whether it is of rare occurrence
or to be met with frequently.
As another evidence.in favor of the view that the present Pueblos
are the descendants, or rather the remnant, of the ancient cliff-house
builders, we may take the pottery found near the ruins. The shape of
the pots now in use among the Pueblos is the same as that of the few
pieces brought east; so are the ladles with their characteristic hollow
handles, and the ancients were in the habit of burying their water-jugs
in the ground in order to keep them cool, just as we see it practiced
"Descending to the chamber by a ladder, it was found probably 25 or 30 feet in diameter, arched above, and about 20 feet high." —Report of Chief of Engineers, p. 1067.




62
now. If we were to take the pattern of the primitive ornaments as a
criterion-which is, however, not permissible, as certain figures are
found in all parts of our planet, wherever people are far enough
advanced to invent and to use ornaments-we would meet with the
same designs in both instances, only that in the majority of cases the
ancient ornamentation is more careful, and exhibits besides mnore artistic
feeling on the part of the workmen than that of the modern.
The most striking peculiarity of a large number of fragments of pottery found near the ruins, and hitherto never noticed in America, is the
existence of a regular glazing of great hardness. How this glazing
was produced cannot be ascertained without considerable difficulty. In
some instances it is rather opaque, whitish, and covers the surfaice of
the fragment in a thick layer, while in others it is perfectly transparent
or shows a slight bluish hue. The colors used in painting the pottery
are the same as now, namely, a reddish-brown, brown, and black; the
former being produced by iron and manganese, the latter consisting of
an organic substance, the character of which could not be determined.
Until we shall have some accurate analysis, which will be rather difficult to make, we may perhaps call this organic substance charcoal,
mixed intimately with fine clay before it was used for painting, and prevented by the siliceous cover from being destroyed by the heat while
the vessel was being baked. A closer examination of the different patterns demonstrates that the painting was done in a very careful, in some
instances hesitating, manner, and it seems that a great deal of time
was devoted to this process. There are several fragments on which we
may easily recognize the method followed by the artist, and notice how
he drew his outlines and how he afterward painted the rest of the
square or triangle.
The facts bearing upon the probable age of the human remains are
rather contradictory, and it is difficult to make them agree and to draw
some satisfactory conclusions. Evidently, the buildings near which
they were found represent different ages of perhaps considerable periods
of time. How far back the earliest ones may date can scarcely be surmnised, but there are some instances, resting however on rather unsatisf'actory bases, that might give us some clew as to the approximate time
the buildings were abandoned.
Mr. Jackson states that he noticed several places that appeared to
have been used as corrals, and from Dr. Endlic.h I learn that he discovered a stratum ten feet below the surface of the soil, containing,
besides fragments of pottery, numerous bones of sheep. Now, nothing
would be more tempting than to combine these two facts, and to conclude that the people in question domesticated sheep, which could not
have been done during the pre-Columnbian period, as this animal does
not belong to the American fauna.
Among a collection of arrow-heads and minor stone chips I noticed a
glass bead, which is, beyond doubt, of Venetian workmanship, and
very simil ar to beads exhumed lately from the grave-mounds at Santa Barbara, Lower California, and preserved at the National Museum. If the
bead in question did not find its way accidentally to the ruins through
some Indian of a later period, we might consider it as a proof in favor
of our view; but at the same time we must not forget that no trace of
any metal was found in the graves, as we might have reasonably expected, since the cliff-house builders communicated directly or indirectly
with the inhabitants of the Pacific coast. This latter fact is supported
by the presence of a considerable quantity of shells of Olivella gracilis




63
used as beads, and by a large spine-fragment of a recent Echinus, which
I noticed among some pieces collected by. Mr. Jackson.
It would exceed the limits of these pages, to the preparation of which
we could devote but a few days, to make any further remarks which
would so readily suggest themselves. Evidently, the ruins in question
bear testimony of one of the earliest centers of civilization in this country, and would well repay the investigations of a critical anthropologist.
Let us hope that ere long such investigation may be undertaken.
N. B.-All the drawings contained in the following plates are orthographic figures,
made by means of a diopter, and reduced with a pantograph from natural size.
PLATE 23.
Fig. 1.-Lateral view of skull No. 1.
Fig. 2.-Frontal view of the same.
PLATE 24.
Fig. 3.-Occipital view of skull No. 1.
Fig. 4.-Lateral view of the same.
PLATE 25.
Fig. 5.-Basal view of skull No. 1.
Fig. 6.-Lateral view of skull No. 2.
PLATE 26.
Fig. 7.-Frontal view of skull No. 2.
Fig. 8.-Occipital view of the same.
PLATE 27.
Fig. 9.-Vertical view of skull No. 2.
Fig. 10.-Basal view of the same. Owing to the faulty shading of the occipital region,
the occipital bone does not appear to turn upward as abruptly from the posterior margin of the great foramen as it actually does.
PLATE 28.
Fig. Il.-Frontal view of skull No. 3.
Figr. 12.-Vertical view of the same.
PLATE 29.
Fig. 13.-Lateral view of skull No. 3.
Fig. 14. —The heaviest outline of the diagram represents a profile-view of skull 1179
(Catalogue U. S. A. Med. Museum) from Abiquiu. The less heavy line, represents the
same view of a ~'uatermala Indlian. No. 276 of the catalorgue, and referred to on page 56,
while the dotted line represents the profile of a Peruvian, No. 250 of the catalogue, and
mentioned on the same page.
C








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