The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-07-29
Ancient Cave.Dwelfings In Arizona.

In the bluffs of Beaver Creek, . small
stream tributary to the Rio Verde, and
about three miles distant In northerly di-
rection from Camp Verde, Arizona, are
about fifty walled caves of various sizes,
once the hiding-place Of some prehistoric
people Of " HON the present Indian tribes
Of that locality have no knowledge or ira
ditions. At this point the river makes q
bend, the chord If which is perhaps an
eighth of = mile long. The walls arc of q
yellow calcareous rock and about 100 feet
high. These caves are from five to twenty
feet in depth. The mouths are closed by
mason-work of stone and cement still in =
good state of preservation. The larger
caves are divided by wood and stone par
titions and floors into numerous small
apartments where it would seem that this
strange people passed years of doubt and
fear, threatened by famine within and by
cruel persecution and torture from be-
sieging enemy without.
The lower caves are about ten feet from
the bottom of the cliff, and may be en-
tered with some difficulty by climbing the
projecting points Of the bluff The larger
one can be reached only by ladders, which
have at best precarious foot-hold on mar
row lodges, along which the explorer must
feel his way with the utmost care some
thirty yards at a height of forty and fifty
feet, from which a careless step might
precipitate him upon mass of rocks be-
low. A solid masonry wall two feet thick,
with curved front about thirty feet wide
and fully as high, has been built on the
natural floor of the cave, sixty feet above
the stream at the foot Of the cliff. The
wall is Fashioned, evidently to afford a
flank defense, and has what appears to be
sentry box Of masonry protecting the
single entrance at the center and base of
the wall. The top of the wall forms par.
apet, rising three feet above the upper
floor, and within four feet Of the natural
roof of the cave. Loop holes, which may
have served either for observation or de.
Tense, occur at regular intervals at the base
of the parapet.
Having climbed with some difficulty
about thirty feet of debris, we reached the
lower ledge, scarcely two feet high, along
which we worked our way with the utmost
care to the foot of the first ladder, ascend
ing which we were on the second ledge
from which another ladder of uncertain
strength led US to the entrance of the
cave. Passing a narrow doorway at q
right angle with the main wall, We entered
a small chamber, from which man-hole
admitted us through the ceiling to an
apartment of irregular, rectangular shape
about twelve feet square and seven fee,
high. The roof Is of natural rock, as is
most of the floor that portion, however, Of
the latter which covers the lower apart
ment being of large cotton wood timbers
covered with rushes or small brush, over
which is layer 0, cement. The timbers
used in this and other rooms of the struct.
ure were cut with stone hatchets, and are
evidently very ancient. From this cave
are two exits beside the one referred TO-
one on either side, through which We
crawled on our hands and knees to larger
rooms of various sizes honey.combed be
hind this wall, which protects three irreg
ular tiers of cells. Nearly all are dark
and the roofs, without exception, are
blackened by smoke.
A deposit of bat lime covers the floors
to depth of ten or twelve inches. Dig
ging through this we unearthed many
fragments Of pottery, which subsequent
comparison proved to be identical in ma
terial and workmanship with that found
later in old ruins of Tonic Basin and else
where in Arizona, rs we'll as with the pot
terry still manufactured by the Moquis and
Zunis,
Directly above the caves, and on nearly
every commanding point near Beaver
Creek and the Rio Verde, are ruins OF
stone dwellings built without cement, and
of such materials as could be adapted
without cutting to the rough walls, which
appear to have been protection from the
arrows of their foes rather than from the
weather. We found no evidence that
these or other dwellings in Arizona had
been rooted, though it would seem that
the people who occupied them must have
had some protection against the scorching
rays Of an almost tropical sun.
That these were the dwellings of the
cave people in peaceful times is quite Ger
tain, and that their occupants were to some
extent agricultural is shown by the many
irrigating bitches and canals Called by
the Mexicans acequias) found in the vicin.
ity Of this and other OF the pueblos uisios in
many parts of Arizona and New Mexico
-Wiuiam G. Manning, in Ha,per's Mag.
dzinc.