Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-09-23
predecessors, and the irrigation plants
fell into decay.
Communal Houses and Caves Filled
With Relics of Extinct Race.

fell into decay.
Communal Houses and Caves Filled
With Relics Of Extinct Race.
THE houses of the Cliff Dwellers
and the caves that in many instances
extend far into the walls of the canon
have been found rich in relics Of the
vanquished race. In the musty corri.
doris OF these caves have been found
many of the mummified remains OF
the people who once lived there.
These are well preserved, but when
not treated scientifically crumble to
dust when exposed to the outer air
Many Of them have been SO exposed
and lost by transient curiosity seek.
ers, who have benefited science little
through their findings. The skull for.
nation of the Cliff Dwellers, which
is large and gives evidence of intelli.
gence far beyond that of the Indian,
is, however, well known.
In the forest reserves and other
lands under the control of the govern.
ment archaeological ruins are no
longer open to the public for excava.
ton, and special permits are required
even before exploration is allowed.
The authority to collect objects of
antiquity from government property
can now be secured only through the
Secretary of Agriculture in the case
Of the national forests, the Secretary
of War on military reservations, and
the Secretary Of the Interior on all
other lands controlled by the govern.
ment There Is careful provision safe
guarding the public properties against
the gathering of such objects for
commercial purposes, or their subse-
quent purchase by private persons.
"All remains, utensils or imple-
ments of any kind discovered under
permits must be deposited and kept
in designated museum open TO the
public. No monument or building
which can be preserved where 1t
stands may be mutilated, destroyed
or removed Large objects Of histor-
ical or scientific interest on public
lands may be declared national monu-
ments, and are by that means set
aside to be preserved Among such
monuments are caves cliff dwellings
peculiar and unusual geological for
nations and such other objects as
may be considered Of public interest
or value.
Ruins May Solve Mysterious History
Of Primitive People.
"A large part of these relics of an.
tiquity lie in the semi-arid regions
of New Mexico, Arizona. Utah and
Colorado, where the prehistoric Cliff
Dwellers and Pueblo Indians had their
homes, BY preserving them and
making accessible such articles as can
be properly collected in museums,
the government is following an en-.
lighrened policy In the interest of
the public and of the investi cations
which, 1t Is hoped, will eventually
solve the mysterious history of the
primitive people of North America.
"The portion of the Canon of the
Rito de los Frijoles, where the pres
ent investigation will be made is in
the Jemez National rorest It's pur-
pose Is to discover and preserve rel
les and antiquities which would 9th
erwise lie unknown or would be car
ried away by unauthorized persons
and lost to science. The particular
object of the present expedition is to
obtain pottery, clay, stone, wood or
bone implements, domestic furniture,
or utensils, seeds or anything else
that will serve to throw light on the
history of the people who formerly
lived there.
"All specimens collected will be
deposited and preserved in the South
west Museum of the Archaeological
Institute of America, at Los Angeles.
This is the first permit of the kind
issued by the Secretary of Agricul
ture, and is taken as marking an
epoch in such work, in that 1t places
such investigations on an entirely diff
ferent basis from the haphazard meth
DDS formerly employed"
Professor Hewett will embody his
discoveries and the results of the ex-
pedition in his report to the American
Institute of Archaeology which will be
in print by next January or February.
Early next year he will return to San.
ia Fe to take up the matter of estab-
fishing here a school of American
Archaeology and also of making Santa
Fe the depository for the archaeolog-
ical remains and objects excavated on
the Pajarito Reserve and the prehis.
toric Pueblo villages Of which there
are quite a number in this vicinity,
Professor Hewett will leave tonight
for Washington, D. G.
ME- ERR ACKA u0T