Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-10
cave Cities in Arizona.

erations last season. the discovery of
ceveral more ruined cave and cliff cit
los differing in some respects from any
he had before examined. The most re-
markable was village of sixty-fve I'M
deroround dwellings, situated near the
summit Of one of the volcanic foothills
of the San Francisco mountains in the
San Juan region of Arizona. The sur
face stratum Of the hill had by expos
IRE become hardened, aad formed the
common roof for the entire commune
tv. The dwellings were excavated af-
ter a common pattern, and descrip-
ton of one gives an idea of the whole.
They had no niercommunication be-
neata he surface, and were only Access
sible by means of square holes leading
from the surface by vertical shaft to
the floor OF the main room of the dwell
inc. Foot-rests- at convenient
distances along the sides of the shaft
served the purposes of stairway.
Descending the shaft, the explorers
found themselves at the side of an oval
shaped and arched-roof room, about
twenty feet in its smallest diameter.
At the ends and in the side opposite the
entrance low doorways connected the
main room with the smaller rooms, the
whole suite or dwelling consisting of
four apartments. One of the smaller
rooms had its floor excavated to
depth of two or three feet below those
of The other rooms, and is supposed to
hav, served the purpose of store-room
or cellar for the ancient occupant The
other small rooms may have been bed
rooms. A groove eighteen inches deep
by fifteen in width, extending from the
floor Of the main room up one side of
the shaft to the surface of the hill--its
bottom filled with ashes and its sides
ba, kenei with smoke-form the fire.
place and chimney of the establish
ment.
Around the mouth of the shaft n
stone wall was found, forming by its
inciosure a kind of door-yard to the
dwelling below. The wall doubtless
served the double purpose of guarding
against snow-slidcs, which might 9TH
erNise ill up the rooms and bury the
occupants, and against the accidental
fall OF an nh2bitant into his own or his
neIIhbor's dwelling, upsetting the din
ner poi aud possibly breaking his neck
in tie operation. Considerable debris
was found in these ancient dwellings,,
an examination OF which led 10 the dis
covcry OF curios. Illustrating some of
The social and domestic customs of the
extinct race. Stone mauls and axes,
Implements used in eXcavatlng the
dwellings; pottery bearing great va
ri ty If ornameutation, bone avis and
needles of delicate workmanship, the
metato or family grinding stone for
GRAN, its Weil-Worn surface indicating
Ion nse. shell and obsidian ornaments,
an implements of wood, the uses of
which were undiscuVerable, were
among the trophies of the exploration.
Search was made for water-course or
sprin-, bu, no appearance of the cXis-
tencr of water in the neighborhUod dur
ing recent centuries was discovered.
Tlere we're signs of intercommunica-
ton between this village and a cliff city
some ii teen miles distant, also II new
discovery. which indicated the contcm-
porancqus inhabitaney of the two,
Tnis CITY, or rather cluster of villages.
occupied the Sics OF Il canyon which
has recently been christencd Walnut
CANYON 1t is an immense assure N
the earth, with nothing above the gen
eral level OF the country to indicate its
existence 10 the traveller un Il he stands
upon the side of its almost precipitous
brink. he sides have been guided by
storms and torrents, leaving s..allow
CIV Ike places OF great length At diff
I,1f IF
ch, Wherever the ledge furnished
81 lliclcu, area, dwellings in groups or
siu were built. The season was
w advanced when the pace was
rcacu,d. and only little time was spent
in Nn Grafton. All the ancient
m,.a, 10. ap roach had been ong be-
TO- away, and access to the
nearest Of the groups Of houses was a
work OF ficulty.
The group or village which was most
4 narrowly examined was about three
4 quarters Of a mile in length, and con-
4 Sis ed OF single row of houses, the
4 common rear wall being the living
rocE, while the sides and fronts were
q made of large and squared stones aid
& IN ay i narrow street or pathway
aN,audcd along the entire front OH
q or and imilar villages could be seen
along The canyon for r distance Of five
81 miles.
Among the relics found here was q
wooden spindle whirl similar to those
81 IN Use by The Puoblos of the present
Y time, but unlike them in the apparent
manner Of its manufacture. Nothing
indicating the use Of me-allic tools Of
any description was discovered. The
surface Of tho wood Of which tie whirl
was formed had apparently been char
.e mud then ground down TO the re-
E8 gaaeI size and shape by rubbing it
Nj upon sandstone. 4 shaft Of reed SIM
IN larto bamboo, species entirely an
a $50 10 that region at this time, still
Isl remained in the whirl. 1t had been
lroagu 6E The ancient workman and
1ea.y mended by winding about it q
piece # zine Irvine. The ends Of this
I W'ae being examined under the micro
-ean. disclosed the fact that its fiber
". } line human hair. Articles Of
.i, eoraeads, and even the perfect
grams ID corn, waluuts, bones Of elk,
e# .+I mole 4.or,f IONS ~ ytvrol.iutr