The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21

was retained in the shoulders. Tho skin OF
the body did not weigh moro than three
pounds. At the foot OF the man and woman
were found small bags OF skin as largo as n
hens egR. and In these we're bits OF turquoise
and bone-precisely as. bits OF gold and silver
are found buried in nearly all the aboriginal
tombs In Peru and Central America. The
cliff dwoller. as well as the ancient Peru
Wan. was provided with suflcient means
to pay his way In the other world.
The body OF the little girl In the
family sepulchre was found with a skin bag OF
mesquite beans about her neck. and in her
clenched and shrivelled hands were carved
hone ~rattles. The tuft Of hair on the child's
head was adorned by bone combs. one on each
side of her head. The body had been covered
with leaves Of a balsamic plant. which Is not
known now in the Southwest. and then
wrapped with a peculiar fibre cloth. Then the
whole was swathed in grass mating OF eI-
traordinary fine weave and marvellously exact
workmanship. The grass mating was bound
together by bono thongs. while adobe clay
was smeared over the whole and ornamented
with wild turkey feathers. The explorers
have studied the probable age Of this mummy
and have considered all the details OF the place
where it was found. They unto in the opinion
that 1t Is not less than 1900 years old.
The party discovered In San Juan Canon. In
lluI county, Ut tnb TicuuWutcISo vi III VI '"o
tributaries OF tho ella River. the finest picture
writings yet found in the Territory. More
than 100 photographs were taken Of these. In
a dry cave. sheltered by a broad overlapping
boulder. In San Juan Canon. the ground was
strewn with broken bits of pottery and
arrowheads. showing that the spot was
once n camping place for q long period
at many different times. The inner walls
Of the cave we're covered with picture
writings and signs. There were tho outlines
Of human beings. deer. goats. lizards. snakes.
bears and trees intermingled with hero
glyphics. but the human hand was pictured
most OF all. These hieroglyphics and pictures
were pricked or cut in the rocks. In any climate
but this they would have disappeared long ago.
Protected from the elements by overhanging
cliffs, the dry climate has kept the writings
from wearing away. and. being In most In
stances pricked In rocks which have q black.
glistening surface but are OF a lighter color I'M
derneath. the contrast Is very noticeable. and
when in prominent places these hieroglyphics
can DO seen several hundred feet away.
As no metal tools have ever been found in
the mounds ruins or cliff dwellings. the hero
glyphics were probably pricked in the rock
with a sharp-pointed stone. 1t ia a singular
fact that. although iron. copper. gold and silver
abound In the mountains throughout Arizona.
no tools. utensils or ornaments OF these metals
are found in the prehistoric ruins. Yet fur
nace-like structures OF ancient origin have
been found which appear to have been used for
reducing ores. and in and around those can he
found great quantities OF an unknown kind OF
slag. In many instances hieroglyphic boul-
ders have been found In great heaps. as II many
different persons had contributed a piece OF
this strange writing to the collection. These
etched boulders have been found buried in the
Crp,,pI with Ollnc npntaipin O tho oh rad bonac
OF human beings. aud could the writings on the
boulders be deciphered we would undoubtedly
learn OF the virtues OF the prehistoric dead, lust
as we do OF a person who dies In the present
day when we read an epitaph on q tom bstone.
The cliff dwellings which the party explored
last March and April In the northeastern part
Of Arizona. eighty miles north from Navajo
Springs on the Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fs
railroad. have given n vast deal OF Information
as to the fighting qualities OF these prehistoric
people and the mode OF defence they we're COM
pelled to adopt. In one cave. about 200 feet
above the bed OF the canon OF Ora Elmo. the
finest aboriginal fortress ever found In the
Southwest stands in superb condition. The
fortress Is about sixty feet long, forty feet deep.
and twenty-five feet high. There are over fifty
loopholes. The front walls are round and are
OF double thickness. From them the men in
the fortress could see up and Town the canon
for two miles. and arrows could be fred there
from in every direction. In the centre OF this
room were the marks Of smoke and fire made
by the cliff dwellors to warm themselves proba-
bly, on cold nights countless generations ago.
Adjoining the fortress in the same great cave
Is a finely preserved specimen OF a prehistoric
Communal house. where, possibly. 100 or 100
families once lived. The roof OF this structure
remains intact in some places. and one can sec
the method OF its construction. Four enormous
cedar beams remain tho roof support. Over
them lies a quantity OF brush. and on that q
layer of adobe mud. There are four stories to
this great structure. besides a cellar hewn in
the solid rock-evidently as a burial place for
the dead. There are photographs OF the human
hand on an enlarged scale on many interior
stone walls.
THE most unusual thing about this fortress
and the communal dwellings in the cave in the
cahon wall. said Prof. William Crafts OF Chicago
University TO THE SuN reporter" is the prescr-
walton OF the walls and the peculiar cement used
in their construction so as TO endure for at
least forty centuries. ! would not dare say how
long ago this wonderful structure wns built. II
may have been before the dawn Of history. Yet
the walls show no trace OF the hand Of time.
Actually there Is nothing in their appearance
to suggest that they may not have been erected
n generation ago. They are composed OF stones
laid in a sort OF cement or mortar OF q light
straw color and evidently containing a high per-
ccntage OF lime. II Is fully as hard as our
modern mortar. and seems to be impervious
to water. 1t is but fair to state. however. that
the cliffs above project sufficiently to shelter
the ground for nifty feet in front OF the cave.
and. in consequence, no storm has ever reached
the walls.
I'm the space between the outer wall and
the wall Of the dwelling were found a number
Of skulls and other bleachcd bones Of several
skeletons OF people of various sizes. intact and
we'll nigh perfect. save as to the smaller bones
Of the hands and feet, 1t was a strange sight.
that OF these bones OF a long-extinct people,
strewn about hero and there as II some strange
cause had simultaneously bereft them Of life,
There were parts OF 80 different human be-
ings, What was tho cause OF their death
This is a question Of increased interest when
considered In the light OF the fact revealed by
the disintermont OF others Of their dead. that
the cliff dwellers were a people having very
special regard for their funeral rites.
Our party spent twenty-five days In ex.
ploring the great communal house. There