Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-12-18
HOMES OF THE ANCIENTS.

Recent Exploration Along the Colorado
 Ihree-story stone Houses. Grain Bins of
 Concrete, Agricultural Implements and
 Imposing Forufcations.
 The Washington correspondent of the dlobe Democrat writes: Mr. Jas Steven son of the United States Geological survey, has just returned to Washington aiter an absence ot several months 10 Northern Arizona, New Mexico and southern California, making geologic and ethnolOgic researches in connection with that buresu- Mir. Stevenson's eX- ploranons ID former years were among the various Pueblo Indian tribes, and The ancient ohff and cave dwellings, along the tributaries of the Rio San Juan and other streams flowing into the Rio Colorado. These streams flow through the regions within Southern Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and 1 Utah. In these regions some of the most interesting arcbeologic remains are t0 be found. These remains are SO thickly scattered over that country. and comprise 80 many different kinds, that It would be impossible to refer to them ID detail ID one brief article. Enou.bi l can be said, however to show that no country In the world can surpass tue Southwestern Territories of the United States ID richness ID Rrcheologic data. Among the classes oi dwellings are the "ciih, those dwellings built in great excavations high up n the sides of can yon walls, the cavities for which have been carved out by geological and eli matic influences and the faces or fronts built mp artiiciglly in masonry. The cave dwellings are those which have been carved out artiticially along the faces of bluffs just large enough to &C., cOmmOdate one family each. There are two other classes. tie agricultural and pastoral The former are those which were located in valleys, streams, and about which are found implements and other evidences Of aboriginal agriculture. The latter are somewhat similar, but more scattering. and indicate that they were only occupied by herdeIs.
 4 WONDERLAND.
 Nr. StevensOn's researches this sea son resulted ID the discovery of several sncIent villages. one of which IS located on the Little Colorado. This village extends over Bn area Of three miles. Many Of the houses stand two and three stories high. built fl square flat stones laid ID mortar. Several of the larger buildings, forming one group. are situated along the banks of a small canon. This canon presented many evidences of the h8Ddi sork of the aborigIues who inhabited the dwellings along its banks. In the walls of this canon are many small niches and cGyi- nr.ah had haaV. rllaA rv 1.n--sss only a small aperture through which to place small articles. The plaster, some of which the party dug out, stIll retains the finger-marks and impressions of the masons who built them. These little bins must have been for the purpose Of storing wild seeds and grain, for such were all they cOntaIne1. Agriculture ID She sense as now understood was un- known to these people. The domestI- cation of animals was also unknown to them. Away from this group of dwel- 1 lIngs, up the canon for several miles, were found houses snd corrals of vari- ous shapes and sIZes. Surrounding this | village IS series of volcanic hills or knolls from fifty to three hundred feet m heIght. On the summit of each was | found either a round or Octagonsl- shaped tower or fertilization. This was evidently the object from the fact that only one entrance was found to any of them. and they were in all cssss fur nished with port-holes about breast 7 high, and were seldom % constructed in- side ss to indicate permanent dwellings,. { IL WAS quite impOssibl- to conjecture the age of this village. and none of the In dIans now inhsbiting that country could { enli. .shten the explorers on the subject. They only refer to them as the homes of ! the ancients. Thorough examination and complete surveys were made. all of which will appear ID the report of the ' Bureau of Ethnology.