The chronicle=news., 1913-01-25
RUINS At
AZTEC MAY SOLVE
INDIAN ORIGIN


few minutes walk OF Aztec. y. NJ.
which 1t IL thought might shed much
Hight on the earliest inhabitants
this country.
The ruin, which evidently at one
time was II fortified community
house OF one thousand or more rooms
land which was fully three stories In
height. has not come under govern
mcnt control. subject to the act set
ltins aside archaeological features AZ
national monuments. 1t Is on the
Iranch OF n prosperous New McNic-
farmer. who shows little or no In
lrlinht!On 10 turn the ruin over 10
the government, Will" the public u
allowed to inspect the ruin and while
u private exploration company some
lyears ago was permitted TO take out
Ian invaluable collection Of ancient
relies little has been done toward
lcompletc and scientific restoration ui
the building.
| Probably two dozen OF the rooms
in the great community house have
been cxcaya,ed Eventually. no
| doubt, the ruin VIII pass under gov
| crnmcnt control. ms scientists consid-
Ter II of TOO much value I" be lost TO
1.-The nation. When the hundreds of
rooms ar. eycavaied and the rubbish
that now fills them Is carefully slit
ed and sorted for relies II Is believed I
that n thrilling chapter viii h" add
ed to III" story OF the earliest \mcri-
leans. II Is practically certain that
1.-The Inhabitants of this strang" com
munity house which was built on
an open plain .rom rocks hcwn.
from - nearby quarry. living nj lcasr
lone thousand years ago. even ante
Il .lE .ut.stfpFG whnua a.
iriciikc houses are In he found In the
cliffs OF the Mesa Verde country.
1.-TWO hundred miles southwest. II N
gisO certain that those community
dwcllciS w"r" hcsirc"d by an over
whclming number at enemies aud
THAT finally they w.r" maSsacr,d ar
ter making n simhhorn resistance,
| The theory OF n massacre" OF the
Inhabitants Of this strange dwelling
Is not disputed. for the reason that
In the rooms that have been "Ncavni-
cd many skeletons were found being
In distorted positions and with wcun
ons Siiil rint"hcd in hony hands.
,Skuils were crushed In arrows were
found still embedded Ia breast hcHc;',
land the doors and windows w"ic
lstuffcd with half burned brush.
showing that the r!ctors had a.
tempted To huhn the citadel which
they had 30 successfully hcsirCcd.
Evidently tho community dwcilors
who represented the highest civIli-
zntion of their lime. had been over
whclmcd by one OF the npmadiC
tribes Of the southwest. such as the
NavaJocs or Apachcs. That tho com
munity dwcllcrs were far In advance
iof such nomndic tribes Us evidenced
by the Jewclry aud ornaments
fOunnd In the rooms. The private
IcXploration firm that took the first
collection from the Aztec ruin IL
said to have secured many specimens
OF cx0uisitciy worked urquoiscs. In
mounting which gems the commun
iity dwellcrs We're remarkably skill
ful.
For years this ruin had attractive
attention. The drift OF ages nearly
covered II with sand from which
sprung n sparse vegetation. But MS
the curiously inclined began TO wiilo
the spade and to lay bare the Won
, dcrs of the ruin the interest OF sci
cntixts began to he Grounsed. The
interior of the ruin was penetrated
land now one can get access to room.
in different wings OF the building.
These rooms are nearly all reg
tangular In shape. The doorway
are large enough to admit OF u mod
erately tall person entering without
STOPPING. showing that the commnh-
,ty dwellcrs must hav. been larger
race OF people than the cliff dwell
crs.
What strikes the observer. how
ever. is the rcma rkablc way in which
1.-The ceilings have been constructed.
Stout cedar logs have been la!u
across the thick wails and across
these logs were laid saplin2s. at
right angles. On top OF the snplinGs
lis n network of stout withes. These
ceilings are practically as good today
as when the community dwe'iefs
made them. They have supported
tons of dcbrbis from the upper stor-
ins, which have cavcd in owing 10
Itch disintcgra,irg forces or time.
These roofs are far superior to any
thing ever constructed by the clin
= dwcllers in whose buildings only ihe
crudcst kind of roofing Is found.
The ceilings form only one itom IN
the wonders accomplished by ihcsc
prchistnric architects. The stones oi
which the community house was con-
s,ructcd were quarricd from the top
a of n distant hill Tho wide ROAD
[ItraycIed by the ancicnts in Soin% :"
y and from this quarry is still in cvl'
- dcncc, winding across the plain. EVE
IDENTIFY the stone. after being quar-
D.. ried. was loaded ON rude sicdecs oi
- carts and then dragged to the site
. of the building. whose construction
ri must have enlisted the efforts oil sew
oral thousand workmcn. The stones
!. 'nrc neatly hewn. though the WORK
IL must have been done with stone i'm
-. nicmcnts. as no iron tools or wcap'
.y ons have been found in the building.
in !,rhc mastering was done In work
manlikc manner with adobe mnh
!, which when dried outlasts the ages.