The Irish standard., 1891-04-11

a PREHISTORIC MONA CHI

A PREHISTORIC MONARCH
Valuable Archaeological Discovery
In Arizona.
The Curious Contents of an Ancient Tomb
which Was Discovered by Work.
men in Excavating for q
Large Building.
While removing the earth for the
foundation Of new hotel to be erected
at Crittenden, Ariz., the diggers discov-
cred whak seems to be the tomb OF a
king, though of what people it would
doubtless puzzle an antiquarian to say.
The workmen had penetrated at some
eight feet below the surface OF the
ground what they took to be stone OF
soft, friable nature, but which was evil
IDENTIFY masonry of very superior work
manship when they reached the tomb
itself. This was composed Of large
square blocks of stone, which was iden-
titled as red or rose granite, and &C.
mented together with such skill as to
at first cause the whole, measuring
twelve by fifteen feet, to appear as a
solid mass. The opening of this, while
very difficult, as the use of powder was
prohibited by the psychologists placed
in charge of the elimination by the as1-
thorities, was accomplished by night,
when the interest and curiosity Of the
party was so great that the work was
continued by la1nplight till dawn.
The tomb when opened, says the Phil
adelphia Times, was found to contain
agigantic image Of man lying at full
length and made of clay mixed with a
sort of preparation which gives it a
bright blue color and slight elasticity,
the whole appearing to have been sub
jected to great heat The image repre-
sents the naked figure, except for very
tight girdle about the waist, a pair Of
close-ftting sandals and crown On the
head shaped very much like bishops
inter, but topped with the head of a
hawk or eagle. The features are rough
ly nodded, are of an inlperious cast, and
of a man in middle age, with a promi-
nent nose and a very wide mouth, but
with c11eekb bones so low as to preclude
all idea that the original could have
been an Indian. The hands, which are
as small as a woman's, and bear on the
backs the head of the Bird as on the
crown, are crossed on the breast and
hold an image about three inches long,
of a squatting figure, probably that OF
god. The feet are also crossed, the
right presenting the popularity Of pos
cut to bring into prominence, as if the
owner had prided himself on it. The
hair of the image is dressed in thick
curls on both sides of the head, reach
ing TO the shoulders, and brought down
to the brows over the forehead
Careful examination of this clay fig
ure revealed that it was merely the
elaborate coffin of the real body and
could be opened from the back. This
was done with all possible care so as
not to disturb the remains within, but
few handfu]s of dust, dark brown and
almost i1npalpable powder, is all that
was left of the body. The crown, how
ever, together with the girdle, the i'm
age of the god, and a large battle-axe
with a blade of sharp glass or obsidian,
and handful Of petriied wood were
found in the coffin.
The crown is of thick red gold, carved
with minute but well executed draw
ings, representing battle scenes, tri-
umphal marches, and other pictures the
meaning of which is somewhat misty,
but in all the principal figure is that Of
man with six toes On his right foot.
The workmanship of the whole crown
is very fine, and the birds head on the
top is masterpiece worthy of Cellini.
It holds in it's mouth magnificent
Chalchuites, Or green diamond, valued
tempts at adjudication.
The girdle found is composed Of plates
of gold arranged like scales and very
thin, so as to give with every movement
of the wearer's body. On each Of these
plates, which is in shape d half ellipse,
isengraved a figure or hieroglyphics, con-
veying, however, no hint of their mean
ing in their form. The image Of what
is, presumably, a god is made of clay
cOMDi4cu Will tl1C ~ CHoA 1oAOA SEohCA
of before, and also burnt till thorough
~ hardened. 1t represents a male be-
ing seated upon a pedestal in a squat
ting posture, it's eyes squirting, and
grinning in hideous mirth, while both
hands are placed over the ears, as if to
shut out sound.
A peculiar thing about this image is
that it's hair is represented as hanging
down it's back in one long plat like a
Chinaman's. The figure is hollow, but
contained only half dozen small black
pebbles, highly polished, and some
what larger stone of a Gull gray hue.
The coffin and these relics are now on
exhibition, and are to be donated to the
State Museum of History and Archaol-
ogy at Tucson. No clue of any value
as to what race the remains are to be
ascribed can be found, but it is proba-
BILE that it was one antedating the Att
Ian and even the mound-builders, and
superior to both in knowledge Of ma
sonry, sculpture and the working of
metal.