Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-21
ANNUAL REPORT
Of SMITHSONIAN
COMES TO HAND
Account Of Field Work Pos
seSseS Much Interest TO
People Of New Mexico;
Ruins Are Described,
sese,., o,s-.re~ 70 so.s,as ,ou.s.,,


Santa Fc. Dee. g0.-fhe annual re-.
port of the explorations and neld
work Of the Smithsonian Institution
which came 10 hand yesterday. is OF
much interest to New Mexico.
In the first place it devotes spac,
ana Illustrations to the special field
explorations maintained by Hon
Frank Springer Of East Las Vegas
associate In paleontology in the Unit
ed States National Museum. The pur-
pose OF these explorations is to OBJ
tain additional material for use In Mr.
Springer's monographs upon the fos-
sill crinoidea, now In course OF prep
aration, but they Also result In inn
portant accessions Of excellent Speol-
mems for the completion of the ex-
hibiticn series In the hall of inverte-
brate paleontology in the National
Museum.
CeboIIita Ruins.
In the second place. an interesting
review of +. w. Hodges ethnologist-
in-charge Of the Bureau Of American
Ethnoiogy, archaeological expIora-
tons in western New Mexicosis print
ed with illustrations from fine photo
graphs taken by jesse Nusbaum OF
the School OF American Archaeology
at Santa Fc. The group of ruins es-
pecially described, are those on a
mesa rising from the southwestern
margin OF the Cebollita valley, about
twenty miles south Of Grants. Nalen-
Ella county, and only few yards from
the great lava flow that has spread
over the valley TO the westward forr
many miles. While no very definite
information regarding the origin OF
the. ruined pueblo has yet been OBJ
tanned, there is reason to suppose that
it was occupied by ancestors Of the
Tanyi, or Calabash elan of the Acoma
tribe. and is possibly the one known
to them as Kowina. These ruins con-
sist of "A number of housegr0ups
forming compound, built on an al
most impregnable height, and design
ed for defense, not only the groups
but the individual houses have the
form of Notifications. while the vul-
nerable point Of the mesa rim Is pro-
tected by means of rude breastwork
of stones The outer wall, which pro-
tects tho whole mesa. Is built of eN-'
ceptionally fine masonry. probably the
finest work to be found in ancient
pueblo ruins of the southwest. The
building stones have been dressed to
shape. matched for size. and their
faces finished by pecking, with such
labor as to confirm the beliet that
this ancient village was designed for
permanent occupancy. Altogether the
work proves OF great interest, and II
is surprising to note the one failins'
on the part Of the early builders:
They seem to have been unaware oil
the necessity of breaking the vertical
Joints in the course of masonry, thus
causing many weak points in the 9TH
erwise excellent walls. Among the
special features of interest which
Mr.. Hodge discovered We're burial
cist where skeletons, pottery and the
remains Of q mat were found, three
small cliff lodges situated in the sides
of the cliff, several ceremonial rooms
or kivas associated with the ruineu
houses, and the remains of the early
reservoirs Of the inhabitants.
Tcva Ceremonies.
The third feature is the contripu-
ton of Mrs Matilda Coke Stevenson
of Santa Fe, describing strange Rites
of the Tewa IndiansF Mrs. Stevenson
continues her comparative STUDY
among tho iowa Indians of the kio
Grande valley and illustrates It WIN
photographs she herself has taken
in san Ildcfonso Nambe and other
nearby points. She found q close re-
lationship among all the Pueblo IN
dams. especially in their essential pc
liefs, resulting in a great brotherhood
between them. Living in an arid ianu
the cry of their souls was ana 10
rains to water the earth. PRIMITIVE
man sought to define the mysteries
of Nature, to account for its phehon'-
ena. thus primitive philosophy was
born and then religion and rituallsm
crept in. The Pueblo Indian began az
an early period to create a pantheon
of gods Of his worship, gods to be app !
pealed to for the good things OF ire,
and angry gods to be propltiated anu
thus, long ago. most eomplcateu
system of religion and rituals deVei-
oped among such peoples Oh 'ne
southwest as had homes constructor
of stone, clay and plaster.
Says Mrs. Stevenson: lhe le"a
are divided into the Sun and Ice peo-
pies, therefore, there are two KlVas,
one of each people. Every male emu |
must be initiated into one of the KiVas
in order to be eligible to dance WI"
the gods after death in the unuei
most world. The female child Is pass
ed through impressive ceremonies w
priest of the Kiva, just after plr'n
and is carried into the presence ~
the rising sun on the twelitn uas-
Thus she describes most interest,n7
cermonies still practiced In the ~,
dian pueblos near Albuquerque an
Santa. Fe. but seldom Witnessed W
outsiders.