The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22
OLDER THAN MEN KNOW.
Extraordinary MummiGS Found in
Colorado Recently.
Evidence to Show That This is the
Most Ancient Race of All.
From the Ne Y York Press

A most extraordinary collection of
relics of hitherto unknown prehistoric
/ race is about to be forwarded to the
Smithsonian Institute at Washington by
Prof. c. B. Lang of Pigtsburg. He has
just returned from an expedition into the
San Juan country, bordering on the north
the Grand canyon of the Colorado in
Southeastern Utah and the southwestern
portion of Colorado. Prof. Lang has no
less than nine mummifed remains or
desiccated bodies of human beings, un-
douOtedly those of a people who existed
before, or were closely allied to the pre-
historic clin-dwellers of this section.
The expedition also discovered more than
2O0 specimens of articles of domestic and
personal use of these past and gone peo-
pie that render the collection a vast
treasury of information relative to the
private life of these before Columbus
Americans.
The discoveries made by the expedition
were in what is known as Allen Canyon,
a narrow gorge branching OF the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado, and nearly 5000
feet above the sea level in San Juan
county, Utah. Here they found nearly
twenty caves, containing ruined dwell
ings.
Inc largest were not more than 80
by $50 feet, and while the
roofs and a portion of the walls had
fallen, the parts standing in some of the
caves indicated a hight OF three stories
Ihey were divided INTO rooms by stone
and wooden partitions. A number of the
rooms were fairly we'll preser ed,
and had small loophole WINDOWS,
but no outer doors. fhe buildings
had doubtless been entered originally
by means of ladders that were
drawn in after the occupants. The
hoors were of cedar, each log as large
round as mans leg, the spaces filed
neatly by smaller poles and twigs and
covered by carpet of cedar bark. The
ends OF the timber were bruised and
1rayed, as if severed by dull instrument
All showed that they had been built as a
pace OF refuge, where it would seem this
strange people passed years of doubt and
fear, threatened by famine within and by
cruel persecution and torture from be-
sieging enemy without. The lower caves
were reached by elm bling the protecting
points of the bluffs; but the higher ones
were reached only by ladders and ropes
after incalculable labor and imminent
risk OF being dashed to death one hun
dred to Two hundred feet below.
In one of the larger caves, walled in by
a fve-foot wall of concrete, powders and
40 feet above the bottom of the gorge,
was eXhumed the first mummy.
A mound attracted the attention of
Nelson, member of the party. At a
depth of five feet the mummifed body of
a man was uncovered. 1t was entirely in
closed in huge basket of woven yucca
fiber, and was in sitting position. Over
the head and shoulders was smaller
basket-woven tray of yucca stems and
fiber, and the limbs, which were drawn
up against the trunk of the body, and
held there by cords, were COW
cred with a second tray. Beneath
these, and drawn closely about the form,
was a woven rooe or blanket of Yucca
fiber and alternate strands of feathers
and lion fur sewn to the fiber strands.
The body, which is in wonderfully good
state of preserve tion, has the brown
parchment-like look TO be expected, and
is that of man apparently about so
years of age. The dried flesh and skin,
which clings tightly to the bones, and the
size of the latter, show that in life the
man, evidently a chief or parsonage of
some consequence, was one whom we
would have called a big and handsome
fellow.
The body now measures 6 feet 31%
inches The head is that of an unusually
intelligent parsonage, with high fore
head, long from poll to brow and proper
S4OLGVCAB O4OGlO W SANC d supply OF gray
matter and that man OF more than ordi-
nary intelligence would possess. Three
pouches of skin were found buried with
the body. The first contained quantity
of dried herbs, the nature of which a
number of scientific men and pharma-
cists have been unable to decide.
In second pouch was found a
pipe-the bowl of onyx and stem of
Jet-handsomely carved and poll shed, and
showing unusual skill and intelligence in
its maker. A smaller pipe of wood with
a stem of reed, was in the same pouch.
In the third pouch was charm or amulet
of highly polished wood, followed, and
containing fine substance like powdered
| ashes and a lump of gummy material
looking much like the dried juice of the
poppy or some similar plant. At the bot
tom and on the sides of the grave were
great quantities of cedar bark, in which
the body had evidently been buried, after
| being swathed in robes and covered with
| basket work.
Three hundred yards to the left of this
| cave, in one OF the smaller apartments of
divided cave, was uncovered a grave
containing the bodies of family, appar-
emily. The mummifed remains of a man. a
veritable giant in size, six feet and nine
! inches IN hight; a woman, that OF youth
| and two smaller children, one a female
| These bodies were swathed in robes of
| yuCCd uOCE duQ WOll Shlu interviewer,
and covered with basket trays and cedar
bark All were in sitting position, with
the limbs drawn tightly against the
body. In third grave was discovered an
emaciated corpse of an old man, who had
evidently wasted away of starvation or a
! lingering disease. Two other graves
were uncovered, each containing single
body.
All the bodies, with the exception of
the first desert ed possess decided char
acteristics of the Indian of low order of
intelligence. Tbs discovery of water
vessels of wood, hewn out of limbs of
trees with some rude instrument, and
burned by fire to level on the bottom. is
conclusive 10 a number OF scientific gen
tlemen, among whom is Prof Montgom-
cry of the University Of Utah, that the
ancients knew nothing Of pottery work
| ing in clay, and that they were, there
| fore of race that existed before the cliff
! dwellers.
Needles, prickers, spatulas and rude
! spoons made of the bones of animals show
| high and ingenious workmanship. and the
spear heads, arrows, throwing sticks and
basket work are equal 10 anything ever
| found as the product of Aztec, ksquimau.
! Zuni or Mo .uls. The throwing sticks
found are different from any yet dis.
covered, in that they have finger
! holes, fashioned from bone and tur.