Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-05-02

Santa Clara Indian Reservation; Ala
mo Canon and Tsankawi and Otowi,
eighteen miles northwest of Santa Fe
as the bird flies, and the Rito de los
Frijoles, with the Stone Lions of Co
chiti and the Painted Cave, eighteen
miles directly west of Santa Fe. Here
is the scene of the novel, "The Delight
Makers" by Professor Bandelier, who
was the first to explore this region
Systematically and scientifically when
he was a resident of Santa Fe.
The Cliff Dwellers.
Mr.. Hewett explained briefly the
theories as to the appearance and ma
ture of the Cliff Dwellers He dis
proved the idea advanced years ago
that they were the ancestors Of the
Pueblos, who for the past thousand
years have lived in the Rio Grande
Valley. The Cliff Dwellers were a
much more ancient people. They
were comparatively small in stature,
few being over five feet six inches in
height. They had narrow, long heads,
while rs to 90 per cent of the Pu
eblo Indians have broad heads. These
facts were gathered from the meas
urement of 125 skeletons excavated by
Mr. Hewett in the Otowi Canon re-
gion. The pottery Of the Cliff Dwell
lers differs from that Of the Pueblos
..lrd Ftilelr symbols are unintelligible
to the Pueblos. There are other
points of difference. However, there
are among the Pueblo Indians certain
clans, from ten to twenty-five per
cent of the total number, who have
the blood of the Cliff Dwellers in their
veins. AS to the number Of the Cliff
Dwelleis 1t was large. Single cliffs
like the Puye, mile and quarter
long. have 700 caves, and one writer
has said that from one vantage point
he could see 10000 caves. Where
these people came from is still an lln.
solved problem. They were Indians,
who sought the caves at first for pro.
lection from more warlike and more
powerful enemies. Where they went
is also an unsolved problem. There
are Indians, and cliff dwellers at that,
in Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico, who
bear striking physical resemblance
to the Cliff Dwellers of New Mexico.
1T was not sudden catastrophe that
drove out the Cliff Dwellers, but they
emigrated in groups and probably in
every direction, as the climate be
came arid and the Pajarito Park failed
to furnish sustenance for their largo
number. 1t is likely that they simply
became amalgamated with other tribes
Of the Southwest.
The Caves.
The Cliff Dwellers originally occu,
pied natural caves ernded by wa.cr
and wind. The latter process may
still be witnessed on windy days fo'
the tufa is very soft. These caves
were enlarged and rooms added to
them. Later they excavated Their
own caves, with narrow, low doorways,
these being easily defended again.
invaders. Still later, communal build
lings were erected on the cliffs, from
which the Pueblos later gained their
ideas of housebuilding, for the com.
munal buildings resembled the house
pyramids OF the Pueblos Of the pres.
ent day. The cliff ruins Of the Paja
| rito Park differ materially from those
of Mesa Verde, Colorado, in which lat.
ter region large caverns were used
as shelter for stone houses by the In
diAns of those sections In the Rite
de los Frijolcs region is the Painted
Cave and the great prehistoric shrine
| of the Stone Lions. much mutilated, II
/ Is true, but still the shrine of the Pu.
eblo Indians; even the Zuni Indians
two hundred miles to the west, send
ing pilgrinages to these couchant
pumas, fashioned out Of stone by a
prehistoric people. N
Preservation Of Caves.
The northern part Of the Pajarito
Park is now in the Santa Clara Res.
ervation and therefore the Puye and
the Shufnne Mesas will be less Wis,
tied than heretofore, as permits must
be secured for that purpose. The cen.
trail and southern parts Of the Park
are mostly in the Jemez Forest Re-
|serve and the range riders have spe'
Icific orders to preserve the ruins and
Ito make the reserve more accessible
ito the travelling public. Part Of the
central portion of the Park is on the
(Continned On Page Five.)