The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-03
Arts of the Cliff DweIIers.
Peppers Finds on Prehistoric Sites IN Chaco Canyon

The Pueblo Bonito in .Chaco Canon,
New Mexico, was explored by Nj.
George H. Pepper assistant in eth
nology in the Museum of Natural His
tory and now with the completion of
the west wing room he has been made
to show his finds. They embrace
many things that were hardly expect
ed and may have an important bearing
on the problem of the population of
America in very remote epochs, and
others which in their way surpass for
artistic quality anything of the sort
found in Mexico or Peru.
The cases, says the New York Times,
are in the first large gallery to the
westward on entering the main floor
of the museum by the portal at, the
head of the stairway. after passing
the middle gallery, where the stuffed
beasts and birds are shown. On the
south side is a series of cases con-
tanning models in plaster of typical
pueblos like the Pueblo de Taos, and
restored cliff dwellings, which may be
fairly representative of the lofty ey-
ries where Mr.. Pepper dug the relics
now partly arranged for public view.
Digging in the floors of these prehis-
toric caves, he came upon whole sets
Of Jaws. apparently assembled with
some purpose, either directly connected
with religious worship or merely stored
there against the day of festival, when
they were brought forth for religious
use Ceremonial sticks in large guam
titles and different shapes were found,
sometimes with the symbolical feath
ers attached; long flutes of wood and
other objects belonging to the pre-
Columbian past: but nothing to show
the presence of white men. nothing
that told of barter with the Spaniards
or the influence of Spanish priests.
Heaps of shells from the Pacific Coast
there are indicating trade with the
California Indians. and at least one
jar of brown pottery, which seems TO
nave been brought from Mexico, and
may have served as a model for the
local jars in white pottery, of which
there is a great wealth.
Modern times are not omitted; for
some cases contain an interesting
study of the blanket basket, and pot
terry work of the Navajo Indians-the
sumach roots and branches which
yield the red dye when the juice is
mingled with the ashes of the juniper.
and the black dye when boiled down.
Here is the Navajo wool in the fleece,
and when shorn and treated with the
egetable-dyes; the yarn in differing
colors, the loom with a blanket partly
wove, the blankets themselves in ali
their strong colors and designs, some
of which are traceable far back on the
pottery and the textiles from prehis-
toris sites. But the ancient remains
are most curious.
There are quadruple jars of small
size connected together, in which dyes
and paints were kept. the decorations
being conventional signs for frogs ami
tsdpoles, creatures connected with
water, and therefore commonest in a
country Of arid mesas and plateaus.
where water is a question of life and
deathh There is little double jar like
a dumb-bell, with the spout on tho
handle the two ends decorated with
a flower pattern OF five petals and Ave
tendrils. Yonder Is a grand Jar, with
serpent decoration on It's widest cir
conference. a bold spiral proceeding
from pattern Of four longish squares;