New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23
PREHISTORIC AMERICANS.
BURIED DWELLINGS IN ARIZONA BEING
LAID BARE.
DIR. rEwKEs. GUIDED BY HoPI sAGEs. FINDS
RUINS OF ANCIENT CITIES
From The Chicago Chronicle.

DR.. j. Walter FeWkeS the nOleu afcndoloSICo'
explorer of Washington. who by his recent dls-
coveries in the Southwest won for hlnseli tne
title of "thc Schliemann of the New World ~
going to excavate another mass OF puileu ,ttds
ure which he believes to lie beneath the parched
sands of Arizona. The region into which ne
will shortly penetrate lies in the weird valleys
and among the treacherous cliffs of the nuner-
Gus parallel mountain ranges running diagonai-
~ across Northeastern Arizona into New-MeX-
leo.
DR. Fewkes has lived among the Zuni at the
lower end OF the trails and with the weird Hopi
people above. He has been admitted to their
sacred priesthoods, and is known to them un-
der an aboriginal name. They have confded
to him the traditions handed down through the
centuries by ancestors.
The most probable theory to the origin
OF those people is that they resulted from an
overflow Of the ancient Mexican peopes-the
same frontier culture which included the AZtecs
They once reached a remarkable stage OF
civilization Their cities were built OF stone
They were short and broad headed. resembling
the Chinese or japanese more than any other
race. They wore their hair long and straight
Both men and women clothed themselves in
kits and sandals woven from the fibre of the
century plant. They were an agricultural peo-
pie who probably deserted the valley because
o. the rising OF alkali TO the top of their soil
as a result. of their mastery OF irrigation. or
they may have been driven out by wandering
tribes from the north. One clan of the Hopi
people seems TO have descended from them. Ex-
cavations near the Zuni country show similari-
ties to the latter
The largest ruins buried along the water
courses of the rivers. The migration cf the
ancient people seems to have followed these
courses The country is wild and mountainous
a jumbled mass OF parched soil and rock forma-
ton. To cross many OF the cliffs is impossible
Two years ago DR.. Fewkes. with his associate
DR. Hough. acting upon the tradition of the
HOpi sage who had declared that a mound Of
buried treasure lay near the point where the
Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad bridge
crosses the Little Colorado. resorted to this
spot, and after month Of digging eXcavated
more than they had anticipated. They uncOv
cred what had been a large settlement OF many
houses. built like cells Of a mammoth beehive
upon another towering up into a truncated
pyramid Of four stories The entrances were in
the tops.
that the occupants had ever the whites or
learned any of their arts The entire popuacc
appeared to have deserted rather than to have
suffered violent determination by enemies or
the clements No skeletons haunted the living
rooms to tell Of massacre or starvation. Sev-
eral of the dead had been buried beneath tho
floors Of the houses. Excavations continued
near by brought to light the cemetery of the
settlement. where hundreds of skeletons were
found repOsing beneath fiat slabs of stone. upon
which had been painted pictures of rain clouds
A round hole was invariably drilled in the cen
tire OF each 9ak probably to admit the soul 20
the spirit world. At either side of the neck OF
q skeleton was usually found mortuary bowl
containing grass seed, corn or rolled waters OF
meal Upon the wrists necks and breasts OF
the skeletons were found elaborate jewels Of
turquoisa and shell.
There is also tradition, conflded to DR.
Fewkes by two Hopi priests that far to the
south there was stream known as THE Blue
Water" where race of people lived many long
years ago. and where the H0pi always went for
"hoiy water to be used by the priests in their
rituals The exploring party went here and ex-
cavated second settlement similar to the first
except that the main dwelling structure had
been built upon the plan of a hollow rectang!e
the space within having evidently been used
as a ceremonial court or dance plaza Near by
was a cemetery similar to that found alongside
the former ruin.
A third tradition led the party south over
what was said to be the trail through which
the lost race travelled during its retreat toward
the north. Here upon hill OF lava. was found
third city built in two sections. browning the
opposite edges Of the hill and bearing indca-
tons of having once been connected by street
The usual cemetery was close by Here the
graves covered by logs. piece OF lava
being at the head and foot of each.
A year ago Dr. Fewkes and Dr. Hough began
their excavations midway In the trail joining
Zuni and Tusayan and unearthed still larger
hOneycomb structure representing a population
quite as large as that of ancient Troy The
cells or houses. built in tiers formed the city
walls the whole resembling a double amphi-
theatre. To the east was a cemetery filled with
skeletons of the dead. The pottery resembled
that Of the modern Zuni more than that Of the
Hopi Surrounding the city were shrDes OF
worship containing carved fetiches. Tracing an
other tradition OF the Hopis. the explorers went
thirty five miles south. whore another collec-
ton OF houses and another cemetery were found.
The prehistoric inhabitants had evidently num-
bered about five hundred.
These excavated ruins but samples Of
many more waiting beneath the soil of this
region for the archaolOgists pick and spade to
bring them once more to the light. Near by. DR..
Fewkes has located tons OF buried treasure.
doubtless eclipsng any archaeological find ever
made within the boundaries Of the United
States. The bulk Of this lies in what might
be named ''the valley Of death" located south
OF the White Mountains Ct Arizona. between
Mount Graham and the Bonita Mountains. on
the upper ella River. Centuries ago this val
ley densey populated. An ancient people
not only inhabited its level portions. ut Guilt
waited its fertile mountain sides. Remains Of
their plantations marked by cornerstones