The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-12-29
Discoveries of Nelson May
Change Archaeological Ideas


The New YORK Herald 81 last sum
day contains "a statement from Nc.s
g.. Nelson. au archaeological and mate
ural historian IS no recently made lu-
Nestigauons In this state. to tho ef-
le- thar he had made certain disruf-
cries rear santa te which might al-
ter theories concerning the prc-hfs-
torle peoples of tlc southwest.
The statement b. as follows
Prehistoric man ON tins continent
3 ands revealed 90 o. new lisht through
the discoveries made ay am expedition
ot The American Museum % Natural
History of his Jity headed by Nc.s e.
nelson. who ycsttdav returned from
the southwest Mr. Nelson BE- an as-
sistant in the department ol nuthro-
poIoRg ln The institution. and his re-
searches amo1g The traces 90 prim-
tive man in Europe are well Anowu
Tie found in a refuse heap near an
ancient pueblo or community house.
thirty miles from santa Fc. Sew Mex
leo. relics which cvidcnly date back
from 1000 90 1000 years. The strata
show the rise and ,2rr decline OF toe
races of the southwest IN me indus
trial arts. and especially lu the max
ug OF pottery
The old tribe OF the Tanos whose
collapsed dwellings are 40 least two
thousap years old, lived ln tho e
risns over which the %expciiUon has
teen carrying on lis work The refuse
heap. which was about ten sect hiHh.
has on is lower layers broken pot
terry. implements OF stone and utos
Sis 81 al sinds Which Show "a race
cmevelng from satagery
CAe pottery, WHOM b. So good an
index az the citiiizaticp of e people.
appears tn this carry STAGE as crude,
marked hy primitive dcsirns. lt be-
comes more finished in the stratum
above. The race has learned how 10
tuTu 81 red and to decorate h. ln Two
%Colors. Then comes "a period Of per-
lection almost ia their ceramic art,
FOR tho forms are beautifuI and a
lust'ous glaze and well blended coiors
arGGar
AZ psrenuy for several centuries
th, "a was 10 high type OF civilization.
Gradually the secret of making tho
glafs dislppeafs. The formula - losL
Experiments follow The Tanos pot
istt arc mixing glazes whlch run from
toe designs and blur them when hcat
a. applied. The shapes 90 the lars
ana bowls return 90 AN uglv CTudity.
Tho markings en- them show "a race
9hlch has become lrresolute and IN
sRilful Then the making OF giazes
becomes an entirely iost AIT. aad tho
vessels are So crude b H they seem
90 show the relapse ~ the People IN
10 what they were centuries before.
Tho period OF deterioration might
be- traced from these REMAINS ca the
spanish conquest, Ia the sixteenth
century Ether he spanish provided
some substitute FOR the pottery wnlen
Was then made or a period OF demon
aiixation extended ~throushoui the
land.
The vessels which Mr.. Nelson has
rescued from oblivion are mostly in
Fragments. and this will 90 the tasN
of piccinG them together again hc
acquired FOR the museum an especial
Isl One Tanos howl, wnicn MAJ ne
l.00O 60 t.boe years old, from a Wom-
an who had been using n on the wash
stand foT Hitecn years Mshy times
a day a had been Ia danger of being
smashed ~ the young hplfefuia ~ the
family. bat for an thai this precious
arrhacoiogicaI relic survived and win
! he placed on exhibition.
ny means OF tho discoveries made
IN the refuse he >. u IL expected that