Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-31

oenceo oy the great mechanical ana engineer
ing undertakings in which they engaged, and
they particularly showed q great deal OF
mechanical skill In the faahiooing Of inple-
ments Of stons and bone and in the making
Of shell ornameutA Thsy were In q largo
sense cooperative peoplA, - appears from
the communal ovens that belonged to each
block Of buildingx A distinct clan occupied
each building, and Ia large ovens were cooked
enormous quantities Of food for the common
use. the general method Of cooking reseu,b-
ling that Of the New England clambaka
The central edifces we're the temples, where
dwelt the hereditary priests, whose store
rooms held the tithes Of grain and other
crops. while other rooms were set apart for
sacred or public purposes In times Of war
this building became the citadel of the place
and might well have been impregnable.
LABELED AND cArALoaUED.
Every object is carefully labeled and cata-
logued, and in the catalogue every circurn-
stance concerning its finding is noted Pho
tographs are mado Of the excavations and
objects found. Plans are also made Of tho
buildings whose RUNS arc excavaued and
elaborate maps are drawn The objects
found include pottery, Stone Implements
shells and shell ornaments, turQuois and
other stones. and human and animal remains
Only q few traces Of textile fabrics remain,
and occasionally pieces of wood and other
vegetable remains are found, for the most
part in a charred condition, which accounts
for their Preservation Most Of the pottery
collection consists Of food and drinking YES
seIs buried with the dead, whose skeletons
are also found, or used as domestic utensils,
or found buried in the pyrA mounds This
pottery does not differ materially from the
ceramics made at the present day in the
southwest. Many Of the designs in vogue
among the Zunis OF today are found to have
been derived or TO have been handed down
from these ancient models In their shapes
and in their schemes Of decoration they show
q very considerable amount of artistic quail
ity. The shapes are very graceful. free and
easy In line, and the decoration, although
simple in character, Is distinguished by much
vitality and force Of expression and freedom
Of touch
Perhaps, however, the peculiar creative
IL the stone axes and other tools and in the
shell and other Ornamental 1t is believed
that when these axes and other stone nipple
superior in variety Of form and in beauty Of
finish TO anything heretofore discovered as
the work of prinevA man More particu-
larry, however, the articles Of personal adorn-
nent display the artistic skill Of the people.
Sea shells we-e brought from a great dis
tance-as far as from the Gulf of California
or the shores of the Pacific, being carried In
loads. packed on the backs Of animals, and
81. ~ ~
shells were worked into bracelets. earrings,
beads, and bells of various shapes Much Of
the snell work appears 70 have been used as Q
base for iniayinS.
POTTERY, IMPLEMENTS, SKELETONS
Some Of the specimens OF pottery and orna-
me1ts, as shown IN drawings and in actual
exanplss'bronght home by Professor Morse,
are of most Interesting character. In jugs
and jars bird forms arc seen; one is like .
bird without head, the wings being roughly
Indicated On the sides and On another bird
head springs from one side. The decoration
is generally Ia conventional lines The stone
implements are principally chopper adzes,
mills for grinding corn, and other forms tho
use Of which is problemaeic. The sheilwork
is apt 30 be covered with beautiful designs,
and with these appear clasps, curious little
bird forms carved out of stone, and finger
rings and bracelets made out Of shell and in
laid with turQuois and other precious stones.
Many Of these would be accepted e clever
works Of art today.
Nearly 200 skeletons have thus far been
found This Is the more remarkable, and by
scientists is considered q special reason for
congraElatton from she fact that ancient
Pueblo skeletons have been heretofore ex-
tremely rare. Previous to the work of this
expedition il is said that only three or four
have ever been found The exhunaiug Of
these skeletons has resulted IN very i'm
porsant discovery in the line OF anthro-
poiogy, the exact nature OF which, however,
has not Yet been made puhlic.-Bosson Cor
New York Time&