Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-11

mortar used was similar In Strength ami
Nnsieness 70 that found 10 the walls ~ M
sliu houses, but It was 50 firmly IN that IN
nreakng i, pieces Of the rfani,e ami Lime
Stone SLABS. which composed the walls. we're
torn away with Il.
There was little or no attemnt a. s,n,a
WORKING or dressing shown IN The ruined
Mals- Ihey had been constructed crudeiy.
ftInano, YET were symmetrical and OF uni
wall were four or ave Feet hirh and were
eaIolned on the inside by Are. Tho main
room IN this cave dwelling was seml-clrcuiar
~ tnape and was about forty feet by twenty
hve. In one corner were heaps Of wood
ashes and some bones OF animals. which,
when carried to the light and air, crumblcd
IN cur myers. The floor OF the cave was
suewn WIN deeayed vegetation and dried
krAss, nut this was evidently carried there
by the WIND. which blows hsreely through
that magnificent valley at times. There was
layer Of ciniers and dirt underneath this
rubbish, to depth Of Two feet In some paris
Of the room. and in this we commenced to
dig.
In the elf dwellings. II they have not
been visited by ''prolpeetors" or tourists.
this depoiit Of ashes Is always found. and
In II. II careful search Is made. there VIII
surely be found buried implements Of stone
and specimens OF prehistoric pottery, which
are highly esteemed by collectors and ethnol-
oglsts. This cave house was not an eXcep-
tlon. One OF my men had been digging but
few minutes when he unear,hed specl-
men Of pottery, OF unusual construction and
quantity decorated. It was In the shape Of
the common oyer made by the Zunis or
Navaios. but seemed to have three layers
OF clay In It's composition. Tho inner layer
was black. the middle layer red, and the
outer shell white. or nearly so. Il had been
fired In kiln OF some sort, undoubtedly. for
1t was as hard as a piece OF porcelain, and
was as we'll glazed az the modern Indian
pottery OF the tribes Just referred to- \
number OF other pieces were exhumed In the
course OF an hour. but none so perfect and
unbroken as this A stone mortar, with its
pestle a soapst0ne slab. foot in length by
two and half inches wide. worn as smooth
as polished marble, were also dug up. The
modern Indians In the Southwest use similar
implements to-day for grinding corn into
meal ana doubtless these implements had
served their possessors, centuries ago, io'
the same purpose
continued the search into other rooms
OF the cave town and found varied ansort'
ment Of relies OF this bygune race, But II
was In an inner room in this same cave
that / picked up. on little rocky shelf
some trlnkets, the like OF which have
never seen elsewhere aud have never heard
Of as having been found In cave Or clih
dwellings. II was a set Of jewery for tbs
ears and hands, part OF a cleyerly wrought
necklace. and a needle with perfect ey,
and point, all worked on, OF stone as hard
as nlnt. With the lot were also some beads
OF pure turqvolse. as large as good-szet
peas, perfectly polished, and with az wei
drilled a hole through them 40 could b'
! made with d hand drll in our own day.
That these people were stone-workers o.
more than ordinary skin seems to be proved
| by this find The needle. Of which draw
4 ing is given herewith. shows Workmanship
/ Of high order when 1t Is considered that II
the age in which It was made iron and stee
| tools were. as a matter Of course unknown
/ and stone had TO be worked with stone, By
\ a tedious and pginsbking process. On III,
| little shelf Of rock where these ornaments
| lay we found the skeleton Of a little roei