Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-04
JEMEZ MISSION
EXCAVATION
is UNDER WAY


Excavation work on the his
torical San Diego de Jemez mis-
sion at Jemez Spring is being con-
Quoted by Lansing Bloom, assist
ant director of the School of
American Research connected with
the Museum OF New Mexico at
Santa F'e. The mission has been
abandoned since 174S, and it is
now lying under 20 feet of
earth. In one corner of the main
building, the eXcavators. who are
working with extreme care in
order to preserve each detail of
the architecture, have uncovered
a part Of a remarkable mosaic
floor which. 1t is believed, COW
ers the entire floor of the cathe-
dral.
Together with Acoma, Isleta, the
Gran Quivira, Eel RIto de Los
Frijoles and other historic places
in the state. Jemez is in Albu-
querques territory for the seri-
GUS and discriminating traveller.
The Jemez church, as Mr.. Bloom
says in the letter given below, is
''the largest and most in
teresting Of the old Franciscan
missions of New Mexico" An
effort is being made here to col
lect about $1,000 to help COM
plee the excavation of the mis-
sion.
The following latter from Mr..
Bloom was received yesterday by
M. l.. Fox, manager of the cham
Der of commerce.:
Eat JemeZ Springs stand the
remains of the largest and in
some ways the most. interesting
of the old Franciscan missions of
New Mexico.
From the present pueblo of
Jemez north to Mt. Redondo, and
and from the mesa east of the
Vallecitos westward to the Ma
cimiento country are found the
ruins of some forty large pueblos
which were built and occupied
by the ancestors of the Jemez
Indians, and at least ten of these
were inhabited when the Span
iards arrived in 1910. The first
missionary was assigned to this
region in 1901, and between that
date and 1917, two missions have
been established, San Diego de
Jemez and San Jose de Jemez.
In 1917 the Comisario, head
of all the Franciscan missions in
New Mexico, took up his resi-
dence at San Diego and lived here
for some five years before moving
to Iuni. 1t is this old mission,
located at what is now known as
Jemez Springs, on which an ex-
petition of the state museum has
just begun work of excavation and
preservation, and this work is
being financed by the Rotary and
Kiwanis clubs of Albuquerque.
That this church was probably
one of the largest and most mas
sive of all the missions is evident
from a few measures: The
church has an interior meas
ure OF 113 feet long by "a feet
wide, with walls s feet thick.
From the floor level, which has al
ready been uncovered at the main
entrance, the walls still rise from
20 to 40 feet, and the seven sided
tower back of the chanceI reaches
up to approximately 70 feet and
gives a commanding view down the
canyon.
THE ruins of the extensive con-
vent lie east and south of the
church while to the southwest and
west extend the remains of the
very large old pueblo Guinsewa.
the population of which in early
Spanish times must have been con-
siderably over 1000. Traces of
this pueblo may still be seen across
the road and well down towards
the river on the Miller property
and on the grounds of the new Es-
peranza hotel.
The state certainly has been
fortunate in receiving from Mrs.
j. w. Miller and her son. Hugh
ana from the San Diego Land
Grant company, title to the land
on which stand the old mission
church and the adjoining pueblo
ruins. And the Rotary and Kiwan-
Is members who are assisting in
the work of the present. season
are showing a commendable an
probation of the value to Albu-
querque and to the state of nre-
serving the ruins from further de-
terioration."
It Is understood that kind of
archaeological school is being con-
quoted along with the excavation
work or the Santa Fe expedition, AT
Jemez Springs.