The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-11
PREHISTORIC INDIANS.
Interesting Diseoveries:Made in Arizona b,
the Geological Survey.

Interesting Diseoveries.M Made In Arizona by
the Geological Survey.
"The archeologic and ethnologic
researches which have been prosecuted
during the past four or five years"
says Captain Stevenson, of the National
! Geological Survey Bureau, sin differ
emit localities on cur continent, espe-
cially in our Southwestern Territories,
have thrown much light and informa-
/ ton, not only upon the history of the
present aboriginal inhabitants, but also
upon their predecessors, or the pre-
/ historic races which inhabited that por-
/ ton of our country. As each years
explorations are prosecuted, with the
additional experience of the previous
! year, the web of information is broad
/ ened, and a more definite and compre-
/ prehensive knowledge of these people
/ is obtained. The bureau extended its
/ researches into more remote and
/ less known localities during the past
season with most gratifying results.
/ One locality visited and explored by a
party under the direction of Prof. Pow
/ ell last summer is worthy of special
mention. Near Flagstaff, in Arizona,
/ is a mountain called San Francisco
/ Mountain. This mountain is of vol
/ canic origin, and around it, extending
for many miles in all directions, are
prominent volcanic cinder cones, rang
/ ing from five hundred to two thousand
/ feet in height. The outer crusts of
these cones are quite hard, while be-
: meath the crust is a compact body of
! cinders or tufa. The party visited a
number of these cones, on which they
| found a series of ancient cave houses
! artificially excavated by a post of a
rude character, which was evidenced
by the implements and domestic uten-
sis left in these caves. One OF
the most conspicuous of these
villages was found to occupy
large area, from the top
far down the side of one of these
mountains. The cave dwellings are of
an oval shape, about twenty-five feet
across the base, and perhaps fifteen
feet high. The entrance or doorway
/ consists of square hole cut in the
fifteen feet to the bottom. Alongside
of the entrance shaft is a grove about
one foot in depth, which served as a
chimney. The dwellings were without
windows and the occupants must have
learned to grope their way through the
dwelling in the dark. In many in
stances there are side shafts, which
/ lead into connecting chambers. The
party also found many small chambers
excavated into the side of the dwelling,
which were used to store away corn
and other food stuffs.
'.In one cave, which was plastered,
a small niche was discovered which
had been Theoretically sealed up and
/ which contained several small objects
or clay stands, in which were stuck
/ fragments of finely woven cotton
fabric so nicely twisted up as to show
that they were carefully arranged and
placed in this niche and sealed up for
some sacred purpose; quantities of
corn-cobs, charred beans aud squash
seeds and other objects of a vegetarian
character, also many stone implements
of large and small size, some weighing
two hundred pounds, all of which gave
some idea of the people who made and
used them. There are many of these
cave villages situated on these volcanic
cones" Prof. Powell considers them
the oldest and most primitive habita-
tons on this continent. Notwithstand-
ing this fact, he feels confident from
the evidences presented by these caves
that the occupants were the direct an
cestors of some of the Mesa dwelling
tribes now inhabiting portions of Ari-
IONA and New Mexico, and he also
feels assured that future researches
will clearly reveal the history and re-
lationship between these tribes that
have passed away and those now liv-
ing in that Philadelphia Times.