Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-09-18
ANCIENT RUINS.
Rich Finds Made by Field Museum Explorers in Ruins of HOpi or MOki Indian Villages in Navajo County,
Thousands of Pieces ot Ancient Relics Unearthed--Many of Thdm so Old That no History or Tradition Exists of Them.


 A correspondent writing from Winslow to the Tucson Citizen fur nishes the following description of an exploring 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 ethnological standpoints. Up to date nearly 1000 excavations have been made in four different extinct villages and total of over 1000 single objects have been taken from graves and ruins of houses. Among other things which the mu- scum has secured by the work is the finest collection of bahos or Indian prayer sticks extant. There are 1000 of these in remarkable state of pre- servaticn, 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 expedition is known as the Stanley Mccormick expedition as the expenses are being paid out of the S5,000 fund given by Mir. Mccormick to be used in archaeological and eth nological research among the Hopis. The actual work of excavation is be- ing done by Charles l.. Owen, who has superintended the work for four other expeditions of similar charac- ter. The expedition started from Chicago on May 20, and the work will be concluded by October 1. Every article taken from the ruins has to be carried a distance of seventy five miles south and west to Holbrook, and from there 1t is being delivered by the Santa Fe road free of cost to the museum.
 Before their exact scientific value can be ascertainedi it will be necessary to have them classified. One impor- tant deduction is made, however, from the discovery of ruins situated over 100 miles north and east of the Oraiba wash, and found it to be dis tinctly 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 burying grounds 1000 pieces of ancient pottery were taken, 2S5 lots of bahos, sixteen medicine outfits, comprising 569 objects, num- berless flint and stone objects, gourds, vessels, textile frbrics, shell orna- ments, animal bones, beads, stone i'm plements, locks of hair, antlers, seeds, turquoise ornaments and paints. In all 700 graves were opened, and Tn one of them was found the well pre- served skeleton of 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 fair state of preservation were se- cured, and six painted stone tablets on which were painted cloud symbols for the various world quarters. 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 hith erto known to have been used by the Hopis.
 Other pottery unearthed resembles that in use or found in Hopi ruins, which datd back so far that Hopi residence there is matter of tradi- dition only. The traditional resi- dences of the Spanish priests killed by the Hopi in the sixteenth century were excavated and explored, but ! nothing of value was found. One of the most interesting finds was that of the kiva or cave in which Katcinas, or prayer bearing spirits, were supposed to live when they came on visit from Kish-u Il, or the traditional home of the gods way to the north. The first excavations were made at the ruins of the Payupki on the north edge of the Middle mesa, six miles from the Mis- honnovi.
 One skeleton was dug up in a state of good preservation, and with it were found a tray resembling those in use on the third mesa, some watermelon seeds, ears of corn, mass of charred meal and fragments of woolen gar ments. On the main mesa were found the ruins of large water reservoir, measurements of which were taken and recorded. The most important find was that of a house which was dug out of the solid rock instead of being built of stone. A rectangular kiva was also unearthed a portion of which had been dug out of solid rock. Several field milling places were un- uncovered and photographed. In the elevated portion of the kiva a channel had been cut from the fireplace to a chimney in the south wall. Still an- other kiva was excavated which was nearly square and around three sides of which were benches dug out of solid rock. On the east side of the 1 mesa were discovered steps cut into | the solid rock and leading down to a spring.
 Concerning the excavations which are being made now at MishOnnovi, | Mir. Owen did not care to talk. The | purpose of these excavations is to se- cure skeletons from the graveyards | of the old town site. The Indians are bitterly opposed to the work, and | as yet are not entirely convinced that it is being done, as their superstition will not permit of their visiting the place. While no outbreak is expected the museum people are anxious to finish the work at the earliest possi- ble moment. The find in skeletons at Mishonnovi is a rich one, as nearly all are well preserved and will be easy of articulation. In one of his excavations Mr. Owen found the skeleton of a large alligator, which declare belong to an un- known species, and k therefore caus- ing intense interest.
 4 Watery Tomb
 A telegram from Austin, Texas, says: Information has reached here of the discovery on ranch near Mon rlove, Mex, south of the Rio Grande border of the dead bodies of fourteen MeXicans in an abandoned well. The bodies all bore marks of violence, and several arrests will follow as the an