Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-03-02
INTERESTING RUINS
Ancient Structure Near Aztec, San
Juan County, Described In Nu-
merous Details.
PREHISTORIC BUILDINGS
One of the Large Houses Contained Hun
dreds of Rooms Thousands of Tons
of Rock Use1 In Their
Construction.

OF Kock Use1 In Their
Construction.
1t is not only in Santa Fe county
where the ancient dwellings are
| found, but also in San Juan there ex-
ist wonderful remains of the early
dwellers. About mile west Of the
county town of Az.ec. on a mesa now
| under cultivation, are found the fallen
or partially standing walls of a struct-
ure which presents features of unusual
interest. The mound of debris which
has been made from the fallen walls Is
quite 25 feet above the general level, and
out Of this heap walls yet standing rise
in their original position to further
height of 80 feet.
The lower rooms can now be reached
only through passageway that has
oeen cut through the second story, ana
IAN be examined only by the aid of ar
.iticial light. They vary from 6X10 t.
4Ox16 feet at the base and are 10 feel
and onehalf feet in thickness, and the
facings of all outer and inner walls are
made of dressed stone of uniform thick
ness. While shaped without the aid OF
metal tools, they present a very uni
form appearance, and the amount OF
labor required to dress them with i'm
elements Of stone attest the skill and
patience of the builders. The many
thousands of tons of rock were brought
Dy human labor from quarry two
miles distant. Some attempt was made
70 break joints in the different courses,
and, doubtless for artistic effect, alter
nate layers of stone, not more than one
inch in thickness, were frequently used
IN the walls. The builders evidently
knew the use of the plumb line, for the
standing walls are vertical, but were ig-
norant Of the principles of bonding at
point Of wall intersections, for each
cross wall Is built to, but not into, the
wall it meets at the true right angle.
They evidently were not familiar with
The use of lime, for all mortar was made
from a deposit of red clay, about one
.lalf mile distant, which contains large
amount of pyroxide Of iron and minute
.nfusoriae of marine deposit, which fur
nishes a mortar, when protected from
he weather, almost as hard as cement.
In these dry and now underground
rooms this mortar has become almost
as hard as the stone itself, but in the
outer walls the centuries of storms and
sand laden winds have worn it away
70 depth of about two inches.
Passage to the several rooms was
made through doorways Of uniform
width of three feet varying from four
TO five feeet in height, and so far as
known all entrance was first made from
che court of quadrangular area en-
oraced within the outer walls. Light
and ventilation were secured to the
outer tier of rooms by openings, usu-
ally by IL in size which are located
1t uniform distance of six feet from
the clay floors.
In all places where irregular joints
occur the mortar is filled with count
less numbers Of flakes of stone, per-
haps not more than one-eighth of an
inch in thickness. The mortar was
placed with the hand. as Is apparent
from the palm and finger prints.
All dividing walls were carried from the
base through the upper stories, thus
making rooms in tiers of uniform size.
AS the several stories were completed
an Offset of about four inches was made
and from the receding thickness of the
three stories now standing the build
ing was evidently seven stories in
| made by the fallen walls would war;
rant this conclusion.
While many of the rooms bear no ev-
idence of fire, others are blackened with
| smoke, and these flreplaces in the
angles are connected with plastered
aues that extend upright through the
several stories.
| A puzzling question arises as to how
| or where they procured the logs that
support the several floors. They re-
semble red spruce, but that Is not now
found nearer than 100 miles distant on
the higher mountains at the head Of the
Animas river. and, If procured, could
nave been brought down only by being
floated on that stream. One log, which
now in part supports the floor Of three
rooms, 10 AZ feet in length, with diff
ference of but two inches in diameter
at either end. Some years ago log
was removed from the ruins that was
"a feet in length, having diameter o1
8 and II inches at the extreme ends
No red spruce now growing in the for.
ests maintains it's size to this degree
All supporting beams were cut In
spring, for they are free from bark
and bear no marks Of tools except al
the ends, where with stone axes they
were cut off as evenly as can be dont
with the modern steel ak. This may bt
a hard statement to believe, but thu
logs are here to speak for themselves
in the absence of their former owners
and all can see who will. So enduring
and great Is the strength of this tim
Der that now after centuries OF use
where 1t has been protected from moist
ure 1t is apparently as sound as whei
first cut, and the two logs that spal
each room now support deposit o
: from 10 to Is feet Of rock and morta
that has fallen from former walls. Il
: other rooms. through the open door
ways can be seen the broken and bat
: tered beams and poles that have beel
| crllshAd hY the great weight of falle]