The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1921-02-11
EXCAVATIONS SHOW
PRESENCE OF OLD
indian CIVILIZATION
(By Associated Press)

SANTA FE, N. M, Feb. 11.-When
Europe was plunging through the ter
rors of the middle ages and along
about the time Attilla, the Hun, was
ravaging the civilization of Rome, an
other civilization of a different type
was in fairly we'll perfected state in
western North America. The center
of this civilization as we'll as center of
trade and commerce was Pecos, New
Mexico about 25 miles east of Santa
Fe.
This was determined definitely. ac-
cording to DR.. A. V. kidder, by excava-
tions conducted by himself and assist
ants last summer. Dr. Kidder was
aided by DR.. E. A. Hooton, a specialist
in physical anthropology and DR.. Carl
F. Guthe, who had just returned from
his exploration among the Mayos in
Central America.
Examine Old Homes.
The scientists opened more than 300
graves and examined some l 900 skele-
tons. Homes had been built upon
ruins of previous habitations and the
bodies of the dead buried in the ruins
had increased to such an extent that
the Indians of Pecos, some 80 years
ago, deserted their thousand year old
city and moved to JemeZ because the
Cliff dwellings OF thousand rooms,
well preserved specimens of the past
civilization and unusual examples of
early day pottery and household uten-
sils were recovered, according to the
report on the excavations recently
made public.
Verify Old Chronicles.
Castenada, the chronicler of Coron-
ados explorations $50 years ago, men,
tions but one pueblo at Pecos, obvi-
cusly the north house. Excavations
last summer showed that there had
been pueblo at an early period, on
the site of the south house, which had
been abandoned and reduced to a
mere heap of ruins before the coming
of the Spaniards.
In the interior of the amount there
was uncovered one ground floor cham
Der in excellent preservation. It's
roof was almost intact; from the
beams still hung the bark loops that
had been used to suspend goods of
the owners and on one smoke-black-
ened log are a series of handprintS,
large and small, slapped on in white
wash.
To explore the extensive north house
which originally must have had more
than a thousand rooms, and walls of
which still stand almost three stories
high. trenches were started simultane-
Ously at the east entrance and the
west edge of the mesa. The western
tranch was run along bed rock and
after passing through burials four
feet deep, encountered the foundation
walls Of an early building, the pres
ence of which had not been suspected.
This was cut through and the trench
struck a large oval pit which proved
TO be a treasure house Is feet deep, 10
feet wide and 20 feet long, built in a
natural crevice in the mesa. About
its edge was neatly made coping
wall two feet high.
Cistern Contains Relics.
The cistern yielded an unusually
full and unmiXed collection of arti-
facts and pottery from the earliest
times to the Pajaritan or Fourth Glaze
period. When the cistern was clear
ed it was bridged over and the trench
was continued. Another zone of skele
tons was discovered and some Of the
best pottery thus far found was taken
from the graves.
In another trench ruins were en-
countered similar to those of the pre-
historic walls of the palace of COVER
nors at Santa Fe, built long before the