Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-04-04
NEW MEXICO MUMMY.
Hunters chaene Discovery suggests
Startling Theories Concerning
Problem Of Nanishc People.

uWellers very little remains TO reward
the patient digger for Indian treasures
and throw additional light on the pre-.
/ historic people who lived In the rims OF
canyon walls.
From time 60 time discoveries OF
more or less Importance are made by
hdnters crossing the canyons. but their
finds proved cf little value to either
the scientist or the layEidn.
Not more than q month ago how
ever. remal kable mummy was found
| by a New Mexican hunter named John
Tex. and this mummy promises to
change materially some OF the hypoth.
eses formed by archaaolocists. while
careful investigation OF its character
istlcs ana the peculartes Of its cen
tury-oll regting place suggest startling
theories concerning the problem of
this vanished race
The mummy was discovered beneath
three separate layers of cement floor
ing. which fact vouches for the ex-
IRENE antiquity of the well.preserved
body.
John Tex says that the mummy Is
tall, that its head Is normal, that its
skin is white and It's hair thick and OF
a reddish brown color.
These points Of difference and the
peculiar place in which he mummy
was found lead to strange suggestions
John Tex has lived among the de.
scendants of the Pueblo tribes. that
nation of ciin.iwelllng builders, since
before the G ghties.
"One day In the last OF January. as |
was ridiry slowly along through the
sedgeb. I'll UaiCa covers the plains
of SaY augustine, in Sorroco county,
New Mexico. my eye fell upon what
looked like the opening of cave in a
wall Of one of the lateral canyons OF
the Rio Grande del Mort" says Tex.
1T seemed to be about 200 feet above
the bel of the canyon and some fifty
feet up in the perpendicular face of
the sandstone cliff.
Upon climbing up to the cave
= found that 1t had been inhabited, and,
while erosion had thrown down the
: outer walls OF the dwelling and filled
the interior with quantities of broken
sandstone WAS able to push my way
J into the aperture.
Finding no relics of the past occu,
, pants of this curious abode lying about
, it occurred to me that | might discover
!. something OF value by digging through
( the heap of dust and refuse.
( Starting at distance OF about fifty
I feet from the cave opening. my shovel
z went quickly through several inches
!. of sand fallen from the roof of the
!. cave; then with more difficulty dus
! through six or more feet of refuse
I when my shovel came Ia contact with
b hard substance, which | took to be
D the cave door.
!. After excavating found this flool
@ to be perfectly smooth, and made o.
r the clay cement common in the com
munal houses In the valleys will
k which am familiar.
a Knowing that II was the custom
i with this prehistoric race to blfy thei
[. dead under their dwelling floors | de
il termined to try digging still deeper.
e after cracking the cement an'
d pushing the broken fragments aside
.. was surprised to come upon ashes
n corncobs, pot shards, arrow point
and profusion Of animal bones. Thu
rubbish filled stratum about eight
cen inches thick. below "hich sue
n denly struck second flocr.
b, Under this stratum of cement
O. found almost the same quantity of rub
% bish as was brought to light above
D. but what was my CONSERVATION at dis
IT covering that there was still thr
1t floor in this oddly constructed abode
Is With the greatest excitement
Is swung my shovel and dislodged tn
m debris which separated me from tina
p which | felt sure of finding now.
e There was soon a good-sized hol
~ gaping in the third covering OF &C
~ nent, and as my implement finall
y. penetrated the opening II plunge
10 through into a soft substance an
" which fell aparat. disclosing the hea
n OF mummy over which 1t had bee
II. placed.
n "On examining the mummy, whlc
h. was that of man." continues Mr.. Te'
ut Il found that 1t was wrapped In tire
Harnesses, or blankets, each about fou
by five feet in size.
THE outer one was decayed wit
a, age, the next one somewhat bette
"a preserved. and the inner one quite pc
4, feet. The warp of these karosses wa
o. of vegetable fiber string and the woo
ne was made of twisted strips OF fur ski
OF which had the fur left on, and had a
es quired. through the process o. twis
IN ing. a likeness OF soft wool.
oil The head of the mummy shove
-, that the man had probably died frol
" blow on the skull, for there was
i, large indentation directly over tn
base.
THE features were partly those
an Indian, for the cheek bones wei
high and rather prominent, but Il
st skull was large, with a somewhat 10
ma f,nu, aul ,.,ithAuf tho cii0htaat frQs