Mohave County miner., 1901-09-28
Ancient Ruins.

A correspondent writing from Wins
low to the Tucson Citizen furnishes
the following description of an explor
ing expedition in Navajo county:
Explorations and excavations which
are being made for the Field Colum.
bian Museum, in the ruins Of the Hopi
or Moki Indian villages on the mesas
Of Arizona are bringing results which
will prove of inestimable value from
archaeological and chronological stand
points. Up to date nearly 1000 exca-
vations have been made in four differ
ent extinct villages and total of over
1900 single objects have been taken
from graves and ruins Of houses.
Among other things which the museum
has secured by the work is the finest
collection of bahos or Indian prayer
sticks extant. There are l,0l0 of these
In remarkable state of preservation,
some of them being over two feet in
length, and cannot be identified by the
Hopi astronomer and which probably
belonged to the lost societies.
The exposition is known as the Stan.
ley Mccormick expedition as the ex.
penses are being paid out of the 5,000s
fund given by Mr.. Mccormick to be
used in archaeological and chronological
research among the Hopis. The &C.
tual work of excavation is being done
by Charles L. Owen, who has superin
tended the work for four other expe-
ditions of similar character. The ex-
pedition started from Chicago on May
20, and the work will be concluded by
October l. Every article taken from
the ruins has to be carried distance
of seventy-five miles south and west
to Holbrouk, and from there it Is being
delivered by the Santa Fe road free of
cost to the museum.
Before their exact scientific value
can be ascertained it will be necessary
to have them classified. One i'm port
ant deduction is made, however, from
the discovery of ruins situated over
100 miles north and east of the Oraiba
wash, and found il to be distinctly
Hopi in culture.
The most important work of the
present expedition was done at the old
Woipi, situated about six miles north
of Mishonnovi, on the first mesa In
eleven buryiug grounds 1000 pieces of
ancient pottery were taken, 2s5 lots
of babos, sixteen medicine outfits, CON-
prising 500 objects, numberless flint
and stone objects, gourds, vessels, tex.
tile fabrics, shell ornaments, animal
bones, beads, stone implements, locks
of hair, antlers, seeds, turquoise orna-
ments and paints. In all 70j graves
were opened, and in one of them was
found the we'll preserved skeleton of II
little child lying in its cradle. These
graves were from one to seven feet
deep and were marked by projecting
stone head-pieces. Many skulls and
skeletons in a fair state OF preservation
were secured, and six painted stone
tablets on which were painted cloud
symbols for the various world quar-
ters. In two Of the smaller grave
yards type of pottery was found that
Is declared to be unique. In coloring
form and finish this pottery is unlike
any hitherto known to have been usec
by the Hops.
Other pottery uDearthed resem BILE
that in use or found in Hopi ruins
which dated hack so far that Hop
residence there is matter OF tradition
only. The traditional residences o
the Spanish priests killed by the Hop
in the sixteenth century we're excava,
ed and explored, but nothing Of yalu
was found. One of the most interest
ing finds was that of the kiva or cav
In which Katcinas, or prayer bearin
spirits, we're supposed to live when the
came on visit from Kish-u u, or tn
traditional home of the gods way I
the north. The first excavations wei
made at the ruins OF the Payupki o
the north edge Of the MIDDLE mesa, 81
miles from the Mishonnovi.