The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-04-19

houses and plazaS outlined with walls
or, in the higher. colder country, of
more compact masses OF rooms. The
various rooms We're furnished with q
fire box in the middle, sometimes a
low bench, around the wall and very
small openings leading into commune
icating rooms. When the puehIos were
built of mud the walls were usually
strengthened by core Of river stones.
Up in the mountains and along the
steep banks of the rivers. generally in
the narrow canyons near the head
waters, peoples very similar TO the pu-
eblo tribes dug cliff dwellings. which
are now blackened with smoke and
flied with implements. refuse and
sometimes burials. Single houses were
often placed in inches or assures in
the rocks. Scarcely any pocket large
enough to shelter a human being but
shows evidence of occupation, mostly
temporary, perhaps, though frequent
ly these places, too. are blackened with
smoke and contain much refuse.
Near Luna, New Mexico, in excavat-
ing the plaza OF a rectangular stone
pueblo DR.. Hough came upon a series
OF deep, circular constructions. They
were about 10 feet across with verti-
cal sides, a. square fire box in the CEN
ter OF the floor, and traces of wooden
posts. Scattered about were bones of
animals, flint chips, roofing clay and
near by was a burial. Here at one
time was a village of subterranean
houses occupied by people about whom
all that is definitely known is that
they made coarse, brown, undecorated
pottery. Although other subterranean
structures have been disclosed by pre-
vious explorers in this region, and al
though Dr.. Hough himself came upon
other isolated pits probably used as
ceremonial places or lodge rooms.
there is no record of any previous dis
covery of a whole village of under
ground dwellings such as this. Since
over this site had been built a stone
pueblo, these subsurface houses may
have served TO shelter a tribe even
earlier than the prehistoric pueblo
builders. The ruin covers many acres
and is evidently of great antiquity
RACE OF ANTIQUITY
In connection with this. not far
away. there was unearthed a human
skeleton. 1t lay in bed of clean
gravel eight feet below the surface
clay, which is strong geological evil
dence Of great age. With the skeleton
were fragments of deer bones and
rude flint chips.
All through the region the party
came upon open air kivas or lodge
houses, shrines, either in the form of
caves. sacred springs. rock piles or
stone rings and series of large depres-
sions which il is supposed are the re-
mains of reservoirs or ancient quar-
ries.
The great supply of the material
gathered from the region gives as re-
liable an idea as can be gotten of
what these ancient peoples wore, how
they furnished sheir houses. what
their occupations were. how they
amused themselves. what their religion
was like and to a certain extent the
nature of their language.
Throughout the whole district these
former Inhabitants wore necklaces OF
stone or she'll beads. arn1lets, wrist
let's and finger rings of shell. anklets
of she'll and pendants of stone. and in
the mountains they went so far as TO
decorate themselves with ornaments
of feathers and fur. portions OF in.
sects, dyed cords and other objects In
the lower country the clothing con-
sisted Of front and back fringed skirts
of cords, facsimiles of which were
found as offerings to their gods. Small
cotton blankets were thrown over the
shoulders and larger ones probably
served when there was occasion to
wrap the whole body. Fiber sandals
protected the feet In the mountain
warmer. Here pelts OF animals were
used and even the downy feathers Of
the turkey were wound about cords
in such way as to be woven into
blankets and Jackets. Short skirts
were also worn, probably by the
women, and large robes of fur cord
wrapped the whole body. Sandals and
a kind of coarse, woven sock covered
their feet.
r-nnu.
The interiors OF their houses were
not very. different from those Of the
modern pueblo Indians All sorts of
stone and clay vessels for cooking.
mixing, and holding food for contain
ing salt and different courses of the
meal. and for transporting, storing and
distributing water were found Stone
knives, bark platters, baskets and nets.
torches and gourds made up part OF
the household furnishings For beds
heaps of softened grass, held By a net
Of leaves, and for pillows grass and
leaves. were used punches of corn
blades folded over and tied and new
corn ears. strung on cord. were hung
about the cliff houses and beans and
maize were stored in jars or mat bas-s
kets.
Among the specimens brought back
showing what sort of arts and indus
tries these ella peoples -practiced there
are stone axes, hammers and rubbing
stones and disks of all sorts, shell or
naments for the purposes mentioned
above, bone implements and decora-
lions, usually colored with pigments.
wooden ceremonial apparatus, bows
and arrows, fiber cloth dyed in various
colors, baskets of a. number of ir1tri-
cate weaves and pottery of many
shapes and hues. bowls. platters and
small figures. How they amuseA
themselves is shown by number of
rude reed and bone dice and reed and
yucca flutes and wooden and gourd
drums and rattles.
Although It is impossible TO tell the
sound OF their spoken language, pic
ture writings of human and animal
figures, tracks of. bears and turkeys,
symbols of the sun. water and stars.
geometric designs and rudely drawn
realistic scenes of hunting show that
they had something in common with
later Indians. BY examining many
PIECES of ceremonial paraphernalia and
offerings of beads. stones. crystals, etc.
from the shrines. and by comparing
these with the offerings of more mod
ern Indians. some idea may be obtained
of their religious beliefs and practices