San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-10-03

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PREHISTORIC TREASURES.
Prof. Fewkes' Interesting Discover
les in the Land of the Moqui.

les in the Land of the Moqui.
Washington, Oct 3.-Prof. Walter
J. Fewkes, of the National Museum,
has returned from long trip to the
land of the prehistoric Moqui, He
brings back with him a large collec-
ton of pottery found in Indian graves
and while away witnessed the IA
nous snake dance" Prof. Fewkes
is an eminent Boston ethnologist
and writer who is assisting the Ma
tional Museum in its researches
among the prehistoric ruins of the
early American Indians.
The Professor and his wife left
Washington on the 25th of last May
and went direct to Winslow, Ariz..
a point about sixty miles south of the
Big Moqui reservation in the same
state His object was to explore the
graves and houses of the Indians
buried beneath the sands of the de-
serts and whose existence was the
unknown except to scientists and the
old Indians Who had carried down
the traditions of the race. The
point at which theIy sci he'd was 2D0ut
three miles out OF the town OF Wins
low, and near theI crossing of the
railroad and the In tie Colorado river.
Here was some md|unds of sand, but
none of the white Inhabitants of the
desolate region arotnd had any idea
of the existence of ANY buried ruins.
Prof. Fewkes had learned from some
of the old Indians of the Moqui reser-
walton that these mounds contained
4, L. sner
with the aid of several young Indians
he began explorations which ended
most satisfactorily.
After going down several feet the
party came upon a series of fat
stones On lifting these the bod
les of Indians were disclosed, most
of them being skeletons from which
every particle of flesh had gone, and
decorated with the amulets and brace
lets placed there at burial. In these
graves were also found bowls used
for placing food for the dead, jars of
tiny bits of earthen pottery and ear
rings made of tiny bits of turquoise
fashioned intoi skillful mosaic work.
Remnants of their huts were found
in broken stone rooms, whose walls
are still standing and buried in the
sand The houses are built of rocks,
fastened together by adobe and are
about 10 feet square and three sto-
ries high, the heavy wooden beams
of the upper chambers being still in
place. Entrance to the houses was
obtained through the roof, and some
of the ladders used are among the
collection brought back by Prof.
Fewkes From this spot about 200
bodies and eighty jars were recov-
cred.
The party next moved down the
country to place known as Chevion,
or the "Blue Waterhouse." Here
they excavated a great many graves.
finding large number of bodies, and
a most varied assortment of prehisto-
ric pottery of incalculable value TO
science. This work was of every
color, and beautifully glazed, a fact
which is of interest as being the first
evidence that the art of glazing was
known among the ancient Indians.
About 300 graves were found in
space of two acres at Chevion.
From Chevion the explorers went
down to a point in the mountains
known as Chaves Pass. This pass,
unlike the arid country about, is a
beautiful spot full of trees, rich with
grass, while water and game axe a.
bundant In the center of the pass y
rises a mound about 800 feet high,
and crowned with ruins made from
volcanic lava. From the top Of this
mound view may be obtained for
fifty miles straight across the country.
The houses that cap the tiny noun
tain were roughly fashioned of blocks
of lava. On cooling the lava had
faxed off in bits and had been util-
lied by the Indians, not only for
homes, but for graves for the dead.
These graves at Chaves Pass were
also made by placing logs of wood
in teh ground, and i'm them were
found bits of shells which must have
come from some far-Off coast and
fine pieces of glazed pottery. In one
of the graves was discovered long,
painted prayer stick, an offering u
the god Of death, while in another
was a tiny copper bell, almost the on
/ " instance of the use of any OF the
metals The basket work found was
! perfect and Of beautiful varieties