Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1915-01-15
PREHISTORIC RUNS
HERE MOST Ancient


The antiquities Of the Aimbrei
Valley have come into public notice
through the publication Of u mono
graph by DR.. j. Walter Fewkes oi
the Smithsonian Institution, u copy
OF which has just reached here. Thu
fact that the valley contains ruin'
of great interest to archae0logist.
only recently was brought to the At
tention of scientists. DR.. Fewkes
was here several months ago and
made careful preliminary investiga.
tions. II is his intention to return
to the field here il an appropriation
for exploration work can be obtained
DR.. Fewkes made the interesting
assertion that the ruins in the Flori-
da plains were more ancient than
those found farther north though
less widely exploited. The detached
houses he discovered here il the bas-
is of this assertion, and this also led
him to the conclusion that the ancient
peoples Of this region were identified
with the prehistoric races Of Mexico
az well Us the ancient pueblos.
Deming has never prided itself on
the possession of these wonderful
treasures of antiquity. leaving that
for those communities which are will
ing to linger in the twilight con.
temptation of the fossilixed past. The
city has no Indians in fantastic garb
no burros with back breaking loads
of wood: no curiously winding street
flanked by adobe walls; and very
few swarthy Mexican faces. Tn.
wide awake Anglo Americans do not
hnnker for the possession of mu
scum of antiquities. II has an inter-
esting history aud an unrecorded
story lost in the dimness Of time. but
It's real human interest narrative be-
gan Ave years ago with the first ir-
rigation well.
OF course, the busy farmer who
dwelt near the rocks with then,
funny marks on" and the well digger
that uncovered ancient foundations
aud "heathen" implements wondered
about their origin. Specimens of
stone utensils, pottery, skulls, and
weapons found their way to the sci
entists finally and led to systematic
search. DR.. Fewkes pays especial
tribute to DR.. s. d. Swope for the
fine collection he gave to the high
school and to T.. ID. Osborn for his
painstaking research. II was through
these two that DR.. Fewkes was AS
sisted in accomplishing so much IN
so short period.
Showing how this region has been
overlooked by those engaged in ar
Chronological studies DR.. Fewkes says
"Practically nothing has thus fal
been recorded on the antiquities OF
the region immediately about Deming
nor of those south of that important
railroad center to the Mexican bor-
der"
Practically repeating the conclu.
sions made public by the Graphic
at the time of DIR. Fewke's visit the
monograph says:
at appears to the author that
there are 50 many cultural similar-
ties among the sedentary people
which inhabited the Sierra Madrt
plateau of which the Antelope plain
of the Mimbres valley is only north
ern extension, that we may regard
their culture as closely related. Al
though the ancients of the Mimbres
valley were related on the one side tc
the Pueblos of New Mexico and or
the other to more southern people
that relationship existed between tho
ancestors Of the same rather than
with modern Pueblos. and reached
hack to time before the terracet
communal house originated. Thi,
tvpe OF house arose in northern New
Mexico and spreading from this cen
ter extended down the San Juan II,
far as Hopi. while notifications ar,
also found in certain ruins on tn,
(iila and Little Colorado. which. lik,
Zuni. it profoundly influenced, bu
it, influence never reached as far a,
the lower Mimbres."