Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-20
TO DELVE IN
OLD MOUNDS
RUINS OF CATALINA ABORlGlNES
WILL BE OPENED
DR.. w. r. Parks Plans Exploration Of
Island Shell Knolls-Has Done
Much Archaeological Work
in the Southwest

Whether relics of as great and alb
sorbing interest as those of the Mesa
Verde cliff jewellers of the southwest,
or the Montezuma mesa may not De
found by DR.. William f. Parks, one
of the lively members of the Natural
lists club, st. Louis, when he explores
the Indian shell mounds of santa Gaia
Ina island, is question to be deter
mined only when his work is Wen
started.
DR.. Parks, who has a collection OF
Indian rel. valued at 100000, which
he will present to the Smithsonian IN
stitution at Washington, d. c., when
lie completes the collection, has pur-
sued the study of archaeology Tor
many years.
Among the many places he has ex-
plored, none were more interesting; VI
more valuable to the archeologist, than
the dwellings of the Mesa Verde, IN
Colorado, and the summit of the Mon
tezuma mesa.
1t was at these two places that Dr..
Parks found two very striking opJectS,
not generally supposed to have been
known to the aborigines. At least, the
average man would not think that they
lad anything to do with communal
dwellings, or such apartment flats as
distracted housewives talk of nowadays
as a solution for the servant problem
But such was the case
A deserted village" of the Gold
smith type is TO be found in Colorado
among the cliff dwellings, of the Mesa
Verde or table land in the southwest
corner of the state. The almost mac
cessible mountains which hold them
are of such stupendous heights there
that one may look from their peaks
down upon Colorado, Utah, Arizona
and New Mexico.
Where 1t Is Situated
The deserted village lies in beau
tiful valley WI ere it was built by Its
mysterious der liens of centuries past
and where it remains today, almost as
- untouched by time when viewed IRON
the mounta' heights.
The cliff palace, with masonrv as per
| feet as any OIL today, is perfectly ory,
as no moisture falls upon it there. vast
houses with countless rooms are there
and the huge frepits where the sacred
fires were burned by the priests OF
the ancient religions are still to be
seen.
The other interesting region which
| DR., Parks explored was the hundred,
mile city, of ruins in New Mexico ano
Arizona, where is found famous COM
| munal dwelling. This structure is
giant tenement 400 by 900 feet In size
with about COG rooms. At one emu
near the center. is a large court, ano
at the other end a smaller court. Ihe
latter had no outlet, SO entrance coulc
only be gainei by the large court.
The burial ground was just outside
the passage way leading to the larger
court. The age of this pueblo is showr
by the fact that the first step in the
| rocky trail is worn down fourteen
inches-a depression caused only D!
the countless falling of feet of forgot
ten races. One of the striking deco
rations was that depicting dragon
cut in the rock, six feet long and aoou
a quarter of ali inch deep, and pa1nte
white with gypsum.
Should Dr.. Parks find something a
interesting as these discoveries eve
though not OH so large scale, a
Catalina, his work will have added
great deal to the valuable collections
| of archaeology.