The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-26

Washington, D. c., May 25.-Vis-
ting prehistoric ruins Is now pop
ular pastime with vacationists who
believe in seeing America first. Out
| in Colorado in the Mesa Cerde Ma
tional park we have prehistoric re-
mains that compare favorably with
ruins anywhere, both in pictur-
sequences and mystery. The gov
eminent has for years been engag-
ed in excavating and repairing them
and they show promise of becom-
ing one of the standard sights Of
America, in class with the Wash
ington monument, Niagara falls,
the Statue of Liberty and Pixies
peak.
Only recently have Americans
been awakened to an interest in
homegrown antiquities. In 1907,
when the Mesa Verde reservation
was established by the government,
Is tourists came to see its wonder
full cliff dwellings. Last year $500
visitors were shown the sights of
! the park
Each year more of the Mesa
Verde ruins are in shape for pub
lie inspection. Dr. Fewkes, who is
chief of the bureau of American
ethnology of the Smithsonian Insti
tuition, spends his summer direct
ing excavation and restoration
work, with the two-foId purpose of
promoting scientific knowledge and
of interesting Americans in the re-
markable past of their country.
Scientists have never been able
to prove definitely whence the cliff
jewellers of southwestern Colorado
came, or how they learned to be
stone masons of such skill, or why
they at last abandoned their stone
towers and temples and disappear
ed.
1t is supposed that they were the
ancestors of some of the modern
southwestern Indians who live in
pNeblos, or community houses. At
one time some scientists thought
that the Aztecs of New Mexico
taught the Mesa Verde cliff dwell
ers to build with stone. But now
it has been practically agreed that
these prehistoric Americans deVeI-
oped their own building craft.
At first they were cave men,
seeking shelter in natural caves
in the sides of the canyons. Then
they began to pull stones about
and place them for greater protec-
ton. What are supposed to be
their early attempts at building are
simple. shelters made of huge stones
set on edge. From making these
rude huts the builders progressed
until they were constructing hor-
iZontal masonry with stones labor
iously fitted into place At least,
this is the story read by scientists
in the varied types of ruins which
plainly illustrate different stages
of skill.
Ancient Communists.
Circular, square and semi-circu-
lar towers. some 25 feet high, were
built by these Indian craftsmen.
Rooms were arranged in tiers to
form community houses. There
were temples with affairs and out
let's for smoke. Then the stone
builders vanished, and so complete
was their disappearance that even
the Indians of the region have only
vague traditions as to their exist
ence
A clue to the age of the Mesa
Verde cliff jewellers was noted by
DR.. Fewkes in excavating the Sun
temple ruin in 1915. A great red
cedar was growing in the annex to
the temple. Its roots had pene-
trated into the rooms, so that it
was necessary to cut them off and
to fell the tree in the work of res
toration. A stump of the tree was
left, however, and $50 annular
rings can be counted. DR.. Fewkes
adds $50 years as conservative
guess for the time of the temples
construction and use before the
trees would have grown in it's de-
serted rooms. From such evidence
he thinks it likely that the ancient
Pueblos were in existence abou 1900
n