The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-21

buquerque in July with his party, pre-
pared TO scale, and scientifically ex-
rIore the mysterious Rock of Katzimo.
commonly known as the Mesa En-
cantada" or Enchanted Mesa, all in
terest in archaeological research has
been centered upon the curious Acoma
Rock and its still more curious neigh
Dor, the Enchanted Mesa
About Il miles south of Cubero,
which is on the line of the Atlantic &
Pacific railroad, 70 miles west of Al
buquerque, is the Indian Pueblo of
Acoma- It is built on the top of a red
and gray sandstone rock, which rises
abruptly out of a perfectly level valley
10 a height Of nearly 500 feet.
The sides Of the rock are somewhat
broken, but are nearly perpendicular
and the little Indian village is probably
the most inaccessible town in the
world Beside it the fortress OF Glib
raltar or the stronghold at Quebec
would be easily conquered by a hostile
force.
The first authentic historical mention
of Acoma is found in the writings of
various members of Coronado's party,
who passed through western New Mex
leo in the fall of 1910. In these writ
1ngs Acus, AcucO, Coco, Acucu, Tuta-
names are used to de1exzlte the town
of Acoma. In reference 10 the Pueblo
of Acoma, five different members of
Coronado's expedition make slVcial
mention of its impregnable position.
The best description and The one that
makes il certain that the Acomo of
1540 is the one we know today is that
of Castaneda. He speaks of Acoma as
rock called AcucO having a populd
ton of about 200 men. These people
were robbers, feared by the whole
country round about The village
was very strong because il was up on
a rock out of reach, having steep sides
in every direction, and so high that it
was a very good muSket that could
throw a ball as high. There was only
one entrance, by q stairway, built of
land, which began at the top of slope
which is around the foot Of the rock.
There vas a broad stairway for about
200 steps, then q stretch of about 100
narrow steps, and at the top they had
10 go up about three times as high as
a man by means of holes in the rocks,
in which they put the points of their
feet. holding at the same time by their
hands. There was q wall of large and
small stones al the top. which they
could roll down without showing them
selves, so that no army could possibly
be strong enough 20 capture the vii
lage. On the top they had room TO SOW
cisterns TO collect snow and water
This reference TO the AcOmas as rob-
bers is proven by his later writings 10
have been i'll founded, and the tribe is
known 10 have been a peaceable one
at times The selection of such site
Eor their community was purely on ac
count of the protection il afforded from
the war-like Apaches and Navajoes.
Castaneda is also wrong in assuming
that the corn stored in the Pueblo was
also raised on the top of the rock. All
the earth on the top of the AcOma
rock was used in their buildings, for
large graveyard has been carried up
the steep and dangerous trails. There
are now three approaches 10 the Pu-
eblo the best of which a white man
would consider very bad Two of these
are cliffs in the rock in which foOtholds
are cut or have been worn 10y ages OF
use by the Indians, who always step
in exactly the same spot. The third
one begins as a trail but terminates
at the top as a tunnel or perhaps 1t
can more properly be said a shaft, as
ii is nearly perpendicular great part
of the way.
The present population of Acoma is
bstween 500 and 600 and the houses in
which they live are unusually well
built with blank walls and is entered
by a trap door in the roof, which is
reached by a ladder from the outside
wall On top of this building is placed
another story some what smaller and
on top is still a third. The materials
used in the construction, with the eX-
ception of the stone, have all been car
rie1i on the backs or the heads of the
Indians firm the plains below. They
have a very large church, in which are
al least 80 main rafters which are
hewn out and are 50 feet long and 10
inches square II would seriously
puzzle a modern engineer to get these
tim6oers up TO Acoma with the I'M
proved machinery of today, and II
seems impossible that they were
brought over one of these trails by IN
educated Indians. but they are there
and were not only carried up the rock
but must have been brought great
distance to the rock, as there are no
evidences that trees large enough for
such timbers ever grew IN the vicinity
of Acoma-
Above the church hang two bells on
one of which the date of ITO can be
seen.
sgtilI stranger than the old church is
the graveyard. On one of the outside
slores of the AcOma rock a retaining
wall about % feet high has been quilt
and A space about 200 feet square mas
been filled with earth brought up from
ne f.ase Of rock This is and has been
for hundreds Of years the buTylnS
ground for the tribe. Except this grave
Iard md the adobe which is used in
fhe church and the houses there Is no
aar-rfn nor soil on the top of the rock
TIE water which is used by the IN
babitants Of Acoma is collected in three
natural basins OF pools on the surface
Of che rock. II is carefully guarded
and taken care of and. thanks to the
b;e-h altitude (abeut 1900 feeD and the
n,1re air. the water is always fresh and
sweet. THESE Indians live by agucul-
tu7e and have many very pretiey Aetle
farms along the Bluewater river, nizle
or ten miles north Of Acoma-
Something over mile and nan
d,,- northeast of AcOma rock is the
Mesa Encantada. which IS regarded by
4he indians with mingled awe and
generation. II rises from the same
level plain in an even more markedly
als-,,nf manner than does the Acofnas
,,ocl. and towers 2G0 feet higher. II is.
rectangular rock. with an outline
slightly similar TO the figure eight Inc
ION appears to be perfectly level and
has never been viewed by a Wn3te man.
and. unless the old Acoma ieSend IS 10
h believed. never by an Indian
The Indians firmly believe the story
thai centuries and centuries ago tsl!s
Fsnchanted Mesa or Rock OF halzl-
mo- was the site of their village. ana
-,,af fheir. tribe was at that time much
ierger and more powerful than IL IS
TO-DAY. According to their tradition, al
ta,a4 time. as now, the members OF sne
community depended for their nNeh-
ROOD anon the cultivation OF farms
efef,r or nine miles distant. During the
-. l,.---.-sss4 inc season all the