Evening star., 1917-12-08
MUMMY TAKE MOUNDS
ARE Being EXPLORED

DIR. ]. Walter Fewkes of the Smith
sonian Institution has begun, for the
Department of the Interior, the ex-
ploration of the mounds of Mummy
lake, in the Mesa Verde National Park.
Colorado Far View House. whose ex-
cavatton was well advanced at the close
of last seasons work. opens up a new
phase in the history OF this famous pre-
historic people. I'VE are on the thres-
hold of q great research writes DR..
Fewkes. who began last summer the
excavation of mounds found in the So
called Mummy Lake: section OF the Mesa
Verde. These mounds lie On the sur
face. They are upon Chaplin Mesa. four
or five miles north of the splendid
groups of cliff dwellings, which nestle
in the cliffs overlooking Spruce and
Cliff canyons. The government road
from Mancos TO Spruce Tree House
passes it. u"
What Is known as Mummy lake was
never properly a lake. but reservoir
for prehistoric irrigation. The sur
rounding region was doubtless. well
farmed. The remains Of the ancient
bitches indicate conside IA BILE activity
1t was one of the pueblos In this farm-
ing neighborhood which DR.. Fewkes
has uncovered and named: Far View
House because of the extensive view il
affords of the neighboring country. n
was not the only farm country Of the
Mesa Verue. Four or more areas
similarly cleared of prehistoric .cedar
forests and possessing mounds exist in
the national park. 1t will be seen that
the civilization that led up to and nos.
sibly ended in Sun tTemple Is much
more extensive than was once supposed.
a ka ri orf,,
ted with sagebrush, is extremely Ter
| tile: under irrigation it doubtless yieid- :
ed large crops. The region viii he
found today veritable summer flower
garden.
| Far View. House, as It grad,,uy
emerged from the sandy mound that
| thickiy covered it, proved torbe q large
pueblo containing forty secular rooms
is a two-storied building. The rafters
! of the first story still exist There
are indications of third story. the
| pueblo may have, contained fifty rooms
size. indicating that the bufidine~msy
have housed. more than one, clan. It's
position. like that of Sun Temnie
seems to have been carefully deter,
mined by astronomical observation: It's
| south wall its In sAne. with the 4risin 2
sun al, the autumnal equinox. The main
| north wall Is 130 feet long. = :,
4, There are many indications; IN adtai-
ton to propinqutty,. that this pueblo
4 and probably the many which rematn
4 unearthed. were built by the peoples
4 that built the great clin sswellings OF
4 the Mesa Verde and, later on. the Sun
Temple. The decorations. of some 6f
| the stones differ from those on the
inner walls Of. sun Temple. and may
represent a considerably earlier era
| The serpent spiral there used Is also
| found in Spruce Tree House. The com
lplicated form of several incised figures
suggests something more Ahar, mere
embellishrnent. but DIR. Fewkes fears
i that 1t is too much to hope that they
1 may have value as Inscriptions
Il One Of the doorways into the large
i central kiva recalls 9 Maya arch and Il
i unique in Mesa Verde construction. II
i consists of q. dat stone. forming the
i top. ..and resting'-on sid. pies of other
i stones. each set y littfes bG6R from he
one above it There are NO true arches
i In -therNeSa-YHfd -