Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17
HOMES OF THE AZTECS
REMAINS OF ANCIENT DWELL
INGs IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO.
Ruined Castles Surrounded by Meats
and Fortified Walls-Rocks
Chiseled by Erosion.


FROM Mines and Minerals
The region of the extreme southwestern
corner of Colorado is a little known and
but little explored land. 1t is nearly lOo
miles from any railroad. yet it corners on
Arizona, Utah and New Mexico 1t is a
peculiar country, quite unlike that OF the
rest CT Colorado. 1t is of no little geoIog-
lcai, economical as well archaeological in
terest- In the latter case it was once the
home OF the ancient cliff dweIlers. whose
curious dwellings are found in the hollows
OF some Of the most romantic rock scenery
imaginable, while remains OF their pottery
are scattered far and wide over the land
ana fragments of it can be found on almost
every bluff and in great quantities in the
numerous mounds forming their buryins
places. In some localities, too we find rel
les OF grand building or fortified inclos-
ure, containing once many hundreds Of
rooms. still standing on knoll in a wide
river meadow or canon. The ruined re-
mains OF these ancient castles. surrounded
by their moats and rude fortified walls re-
mind us of some of the ruined Norman
castles we have seen in the old country.
Bands of Navajos
The picturesque and wild chara cter of the
country is enhanced by meeting with bands
by their bieating locks of goats and sheen.
These primitive features are in keeping
with the character Of the scenery. 1t is a
land Of wild desolation of rocks of various
colors. red. pink. green and gray, sculp-
tured by erosion into all sorts of grotesoue
and picturesque forms. fortresses. isolated
castellated rocks. rocks pima led like ca
theoraI spires. and long sweeps of monoto-
nous piateaux, varied by the uprise of a
iotty comb OF tilted rock like the dorsal Tin
OF nsh rising high above the surface and
traceable as far as eye can reach. known
as the Great Hogba ck''
In the distance a pinnacled cone of vol
came rock rises in vertical cliff 1S00 feet
above the level of the plateaux known as
Snip Rock or the Needles and in the ex-
IRENE distance. north and south are pecu-
mar and strange little isolated prouns of
Voieanic mountains. appearing like islands
on the great plateau plain. These are OF
typical laccolitic origin and structure
These lone islets are all that break the mo-
notony OF the ocean of plateauX extending
from Colorado into Utah and Arizona
Work Of Cliff Dwellers.
At Aztec, along the river, we have a fine
evidence of the past work of the cliff
jewellers in the remains of an old fortress
or fortified camp in the river bottom The
ruins stand conspicuously on the top of a
knoll of sandstone. Around the rim of this
IN semi-circle the ruined buildings are
formed. the semi-circle being about 400
yards lond. All the little rooms and cubSy
hoies are close together. eliminating in
more pretentious building or central tower.
whose ruins are about 40 feet high This
was probably the citadel where the chief
lived The ordinary rooms are about 6 by s
feet. made Of loose stones and daubed in
side with plaster, on which are still seen
the fnger-markS of the ancient inhahitanrs
The roof or ceiling is neatly formed of win
low branches or wattles, and larger pieces
or timber support various parts of the
buildings. In one place are the remains of
a ruined round tower. In the center of the
open semi-circle is a hollow which was
probably used as a reservoir for water In
time of siege. 1t is estimated there were
upwards of 500 rooms in this castle EN-
bankments are thrown up on the outside
and there may have been a moat to defend
1t. few yards off is another building
made not of stone, but OF adobe bricks,
possibly a stable. In the setting sun these
ruins of an ancient race doomed up picfur-
esQuely and were very suggestive,