Evening star., 1901-12-07
ORIGIN OF AZTECS
Government Expedition to Pry Into
the Problem.
STUDYING THE RUINS OF old MEXICO
Many Interesting Relics of a
long-Lost People.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Written for The Evening Star.

| Written for The Evening Star
| To find the origin OF the Aztecs and t.
definitely trace the path over which they
| reached their picturesque empire is the
purpose of some entirely new archaeologic
work in which the Smithsonian's bureau
OF ethnology has just taken the initial
step down in old Mexico. Archaeologist
Jesse Walter Fewkes Of the bureau had re-
turned but few hours from an eventful
reconnaissance of the field of operations
when he talked to me at length concern
ing this important enterprise yesterday
Il arrived at FL Paso. Texas, on the
boundary line between this country and
Old Mexico, the middle of September" Dr.
Fewkes began. From there / made vari-
Gus expeditions into the country to the
| south. The most important of these was
visit to large ruin long known to the
natives as 'Montezuma's Houses one tra-
| dition being that the famous Aztec king
taken prisoner by Cortez nearly 400 years
ago, once lived within these now crumbled
walls.
There is current in northern Mexico an
other tradition that the Aztecs. in ancient
| times, came. from a place called Azatlau,
far to the north and apparently within the
| United States. From there 'tis said, they
emigrated south to the valley of Mexico
| Their first stopping place during the jour-
| ney SOutnWdTu is supposed nave De9n
the Gila valley, southern Arizona, where
there still are remains of great towns, one
| of which is not far from Phoenix, Ariz. The
second stopping place is alleged to have
| been the valley of 'Casas Grandes,' in the
| state of Chihuahua Mexico. Thence they
| continued south and ultimately reached the
| shores of the Pacific. Finally they went
east to the valley of the City of Mexica.
Montezuma's Houses.
ut was in the valley of Casas Grandes.
the second stopping place of the migrating
Aztecs, according to tradition, that
| found the ruins called 'Montezuma's $
| Houses The Aztecs are said to have
settled here in 1896. having started from
Azatlan in 1160. But this was before the
| time of the great Montezuma who lived
| from 1416 to 1920
These ruins are 100 miles southwest of
| Ell Paso, at the base of the Sierra Nadre
mountains. They are the best preserved of
| all the ruins of northern Mexico and con-
| slst Of many buildings, with walls standing
| in some places twenty and thirty feet high.
| These walls are of adobe in great blocks.
They are roofiess and fioorless, but WIN
| dows and doors are still visible. At the
| time the ruins were first seen by white
men, about 100, they were uninhabit
| They are so well preserved in part that a
| few Mexican families have dug out the de-
| bris in the rooms. have built a roof over
| the walls and live there in very primitive
fashion. From the debris were taken from
time to time many valuable potteries of
| 1lnest texture. with figures in relief: idols
sea shells and other objects.
| The surrounding valley Of the Casas
| GrandeS Is covered with mounds, indicating
| former ruins along this whole extent for
| over 100 miles. The people of the valley
evidently cultivated the fields in the neigh
| borhood, as well-marked evidences Of alb
| original canals still show.
| Mormon colonies are now taking up
abode in this valley and fourishing Nor
| mon settlements are reclaiming the arid
| fields. The river, which flows through the
valley from south to north, is a considera-
| bly, stream, emptying into a lake and hay-
| ing no outlet into the ocean.
| Evidences of Former Habftation.
| Ancient forts built on commanding emil
nences and many evidences Of former hab-
| itation were discovered in the mountains to
| the west. I saw there cliff houses with
| great granaries made in the form of clay
| jars higher than mems heads. All of these
| little mountain canyons are covered with
| stone retaining walls. built to hold the soil
for cultivation. On the mountain side 1
found broad road with evidences of hay-
Ing been built as a pathway for pilgrims
1 to a shrine.
| built of adobe near the houses of the pres
| ent Mexican town of Casas Grandes. in
| the neighborhood of the old ruin. Here the
| people retired during the Apache raids. SO
| frequent up to forty years ago.
| Although there is no credible tradition
| as to the exact builders of these ruins. there
IS every indication that they were at one
| time inhabited by the Opata people prob
| ably driven out by wandering nomads and
made to retreat across the Sierra Madre
| mountains, into Sonora, to the west where
| their descendants now live. The Opatas
| speak language closely akin to the
! Aztecs.
''The archaeologic Importance of this VAL
| ley Is that 1t lies as connecting link be-
| 10 ,trx- -
| and that Of the Aztec tribes on the pIateau
| of Mexico Montezuma's Houses, therefore,
were intermediate between two forms of
| culture which have sometimes been re-
garded as related. The art products of the
| ancient inhabitants show relationship to
both Pueblo and Aztec. Further study of
! the life of the vanished people as revealed
| by their relics will be of greatest import-
| ance in determining the relationship be-
| tween the two peoples. At present / can
| say that these ruins are Identical with
those of the Gila valley, Arizona, believed
| to have been the first stopping place of the
| emigrating Aztecs. This indicates that
| both were inhabited by people of kindred
culture-a peaceable, agricultural race who
planted fields or corn, were acquainted with
| irrigation and who had a high sense Of
| artistic decoration.
Awaiting Montezuma's Return,
"At FL Paso in October 1 noticed upon the
| hillsides along the Mexican bank of The
| Rio Grande numerous fires persistently
| burning. I was told that they were always
| SO kept according to ancient custom.
Montezuma has long been regarded by the
northern Mexican native tribes as mes
stah, who, 1t is believed, will some tins
| return to them as their savior. When Mon
tezuma returns to earth he is expected to
come down the valley Of the Rio Grande and
cross the river at Ell Paso. These signal
fires are, therefore, renewed nightly, to
light him on his way and direct his course.
Il found remnants of at least four differ
ent Indian languages surviving in the VI
cinity of Ell Pase. Consequently, 1 decided
| to collect as many Of these ancient vocab-