Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-10-18
ZUNI RUINS EXPLORED.
Discoveries In A ncient Towns Of New
Mexico and Arizona.

Professor L. j. Fewks of the bureau of
ethnology, and Professor Q. W. Hough of
the National museum, spent the greater
part of the summer in New Mexico and
Arizona exploring Indian ruins, and they
gave the following account of their expe-
dition, upon reaching Washington few
days ago:
Sour first exploration was in the upper
ella valley, north Of Navajoe Springs.
There we explored an ancient ruin, which
has high walls around it. 1t was an
ancient city of the Zunis, having about
1000 Inhabitants, among whom we found
no trace whatever of white man. We
discovered number of pieces of pottery,
stone implements and skulls. 1t was
what is known as pueblo of the Zuni
people.
"One curious thing about the CITY, it
was shaped like butterfly. There was
high stone wall around it, evidently for
protection, and was probably 300 yards
across. 1t lay in the slope of two hills,
through which stream ran. There was
large spring in the middle. 1t was
meaning broad house, The walls were
probably 600 or 700 yards in circumfer-
ence. The walls had only two openings
through which men could crawl.
'There were arches in the walls, through
which the stream had evidently flowed
and which were used IN case of high
water. We found slab of stone near
one of these openings with circular
hole, just large enough for man to
crawl through, aud the edges of the hole
were worn smooth, as If it had been used
for this purpose. 1t had evidently fitted
in one of the openings in the walls. The
latter were about two and half feet
thick. The foundations we're of heavy
stone.
"We found stone arches, arrow heads
and round balls of stone, probably used
as slung-shots are, but unearthed no
metal objects whatever. The lines of
houses could be plainly defined along the
slope. We dug down into these lines and
made many discoveries. We found an
ancient shrine south of the ancient city.
It was low circular wall, about yard
in diameter. In the cavity formed by
this wall was heap of peculiar stones of
odd shape, worked out into spherical
forms. On top of these stones we're
carved fetiches, consisting OF two oddly
shaped birds and mammal, cut out of
red stone. The largest was less than q
foot long. They we're evidently the gods
of the shrine.
sour second exploration was in the
White mountains in Arizona, south OF
Holbrook, near the Mormon town of
Snowflake. On bluff above dry
stream we discovered the ruins Of an
other ancient town, the vestiges of which
have been almost obllterated. By dig
ging down, however, we made our investi-
cations in the houses. On the outskirts
of the town we found pits dug down into
the gravel, which had evidently been
formed for reservoir purposes by the
natives. In the bed of the stream we ran
across rocks on which were hammered
different symbols, such as corn, figures
of persons, tracks of animals, etc. One
of the stones was followed out in the
form of mortar, the most perfect we
ever saw. We explored number OF
rooms and brought out many relics OF
value. Among the rooms which we I'M
covered was one having floor of sand
stone slabs. The walls were of adobe
and one of the slabs which formed the
floor was about six feet in length. At one
end of the room was raised bench Of
sandstone, in front of which was fire.
nlace y