El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-23

the Jemez mountains to the west This
cooled and dried to form a light re-
silent rock In the years which fol-
lowed this vast blanket OF hat WaE
acted upon by the wind and water
until It became broken up into frag-
ments, geological islands" circular
or in the form OF long strips from SO
to 1900 feet above the mesa on which
face Of these cliffs usually on a "talus
slope" "a slope Of broken rock at the
side OF the cliff, that the cliff dwell
ers started their caves 1t is these
caves that one sees today but as a
matter OF TACT they were only back
rooms, as in most cases the rock foun-
datiOns Of the front rooms can be yet
seen Entering the cliffs through the
narrow openings you are in q delight
fully cool retreat a few feet in extent
each way The floor was at one time
covered with clay and you detach a
tiny fragment Of reddish material
About half way up the walls is found
a Whitish plaster. The householder
plastered his cave every time the pre-
ceding coat got blackened with SCOT
In one cave we find at least eight
different coats Of plaster.
At length you are shown a cavD.
rather larger in which the door haa
been walled up with masonry work
and the cave enlarged. 1t is conclusive
for you can even see the slight break
in the plaster and In the floor work.
4
was the cave enlarged2 and when
you cannot answer he assures Won
that the owner Of the cave had a sud
den increase in the size Of his family
and therefore enlarged the cave. 1t
is called the Auu-ElaCe Suicide cave %
and il s. supposed that the owner had
been i5tentng to some speeches Of a
noted cave-dWeller statesman who was
bemOaung the decreasing birthrate oe
the colony.
Caves Are in Tiers.
There are two and sometimes three
tiers Of these caves and after inspect
ing these you may 90 to the great
Community house" on the tor 81 ~
hill, climbing up an ancient stairway.
where ran be seen the steps worn into
the rock By the myriad footprints Of
the naked feet and the hand holds On
the sides OF the passageway up the
on top OF the pine covered mesa IA
found the great communal house, a
vast aasemblage Of Oblong rooms. each
perhaps I'VE by twelve feet and con-
meeting one with another crosswtse.
In one doorway you are shown a piece
Of pine which has WithstoOd the raw
ages Of wind and rain FOR hundreds Of
years Nearby is an eLcavated burial
mound from which many skeletons
have been taken. The guide stooDg
down and draws from under a pro-
teCtmg leage some charred corn. a
portion, no doubt Of the food left for
the susHnance OF some corpse.
Behind 3 a reservoir Of masonry
/ work but & was only a small amount
l Of Watef that &c could. contain. Other
/ sources there must have been, prob
| ably the great arroyo at the foot Of
I the cliff was a living stream then
[ Below. halL way up the cliff on a
I wide ledrs Of rock, IS a lCiva- restored
/ by the sAool TO look just as il is sup
Z posed it Oeked- in ancient days. 1t was
I a place or their religious ceremonies,
i and eXCvated just like a deep els
I tern Yu go down By 6 long ladder.
I thrOughthe roof OF pine longs. IL %
/ empty. 80 hints Of what the ancient
/ ceremOres might have been has been
Z left, sas several rows OF holes, once
I the sea Of willow loops. supposed to
\ hold irplaCe the loom on which the
| sacred llankets were woven. and the
l altar uere the sacred fire burned
ThaThis line Of research is inter
I estiug5 shown by the so scholars who
/ came Santa Fe to attend the annual
I sessio Of the school during the month
I Of Aust, two weeks being spent at
! the 70 de los FrijOles amid the ruins
I themlves- But perhaps the best proof
l is thenthusiastic devotion with which
l the ad OF the school DR.. Edgar L
/ HevvC has followed such work IN the
/ westsnd in Guatemala FOR so many
\ years