Evening star., 1915-01-06
EXHIBIT IS
OF PREHISTORIC TIMES
First Collection Ever Brought Here
From Mimbres Valley,
New Mexico.

In the latest publication of the
Smithsonian Institution DR.. J. Walter
Fewkes of the bureau of American
ethnology has described and figured
collection of beautiful pottery from
the Mimbres valley of New Mexico
dating back to prehistoric times. This
ancient pottery is the first ever
brought from that valley to the United
States National Museum, and is unrep-
resented in other museums. It's impor-
tance lies in the fact that a compare
lively large number of specimens have
human and other figures painted upon
them and that they resemble those on
the pottery from Casas Grandes, in
Mexico.
AS the former inhabitants of the
Mimbres valley have left no aceable
descendants and as there are no his
torical records concerning them, it is
necessary to rely on study of the
archaeological remains for knowledge
of their culture.
River Flows Underground.
The valley of the Mimbres river.
which flows underground in the lower
part of it's course, has until recently
been practically neglected by archeolo-
gists. During May and June, 1914,
however, DR.. Fewkes made a recon-
noissance of the region and obtained
by excavation and purchase a fine col
lection of prehistoric objects number
ing about 100 pieces for exhibition and
study.
The so-called lower Mimbres valley,
or Antelope valley, lies in that portion
of the Sierra Madre plateau extending
southward from Oldtown. where the
Mimbres leaves the mountains and
sinks below the surface, to Lake Pa
Tomas, twenty-five miles south of De-
ming, n. NJ. This region is distinguish
able, both geographically and biolog-
ically, from the surrounding country.
It's southern end is a cultural gateway
open to migration, from Mexico. but
closed by mountains on the east, north
and west.
Significant Custom of People.
An interesting and significant custom
of the prehistoric people of the MINI
bres is a form of human burial en-
ployed, known as urn burial. in which
the dead are sometimes buried under
position, with bowl inverted over the
head like a cap. or, when the body is
extended, over the face. In these burials
the bowl was always KILLED or per-
forated by small round hole in the
bottom. This custom has been eX-
planned as due to the belief that earth
enware utensils possess spirits which
can escape only when the vessels have
been KILLED"
A strange similarity exists between
this custom and a similar rite of the
ancient Peruvians, who also sometimes
depicted life figures on pottery in pairs,
just as was done by the people of the
Mimbres valley. and in some instances
perforated their mortuary pottery.
The early dwellers of this land were
ignorant of writing, although they cut
on the rocks pictures photographs,
many of which occur in the Mimbres
valley near the sites of old ruins.
Figures Painted on Pottery.
The animal and human figures paint
ed on the pottery bowls are very realis-
tic, and remain today practically little
changed in design and color even after
the lapse of centuries The art shown
in these figures was we'll advanced;
the drawings represent human figures,
although there are many mammals,
fish and birds. The delineations of the
birds are especially true to nature, and
at the same time quite realistic, though
somewhat conventional Geometric de-
signs as well as symbols are charac-
teristic and highly instructive.
One of the bowls collected by Dr.