The Winslow mail., 1925-05-12
PSYCHOLOGISTS
EXPLORE RUINS AT
ROOSEVELT LAKE

While 1t has been known locally
that Col. William Boyce Thompson,
of the Magma mine, who also is
interested in the new arboretum
near Superior, and his wife have
been interesting themselves in ex-
plorations of ancient ruins at
Roosevelt and in the vicinity of the
Cliff dwelling ruins, the fact that
important discoveries had been
made was not known until New
York papers arrived in this district
containing an announcement to this
effect.
The New York Times says that
the drouth in Arizona and the low
ering of the waters of Roosevelt
lake have exposed the ruins of what
was once Americas oldest big city,
according to an announcement by
the American Museum of Natural
history.
The big town, which is some
where between 1000 and 5000
years old, is being explored by
American museum archaeologists
who were sent there by Mrs. Will
liam Boyce Thompson, wife of the
copper and oil man.
In addition to it's interest as the
metropolis of the prehistoric south
west, the place is of Importance
because it's pottery is of new type
and resembles that of Mexico, indi-
eating that the Arizona civilization
was an offshoot of the ancient
Mexican, or vice versa.
The greatest American apartment
house, ancient or modern, is report
ed to have been found on this SITE
It's ruins are $50 feet long, and it
was either three or four stories
high. Tons of relics showing the
work of the interior decorators of
the time, have been collected. Be
cause of the dryness of the region,
textiles have been found we'll pre-
served, except where the waters of
the artificial lake have submerged
them. Enrich Schmidt, who is in
charge of the expedition, reported
abundant finds of pottery, with
black designs on a white back
ground, and of a fine corrugated
ware
The archaeologists are working
against time, because the first rain
will cause the lake to submerge
most of the main ruin, which is
open for exploration now only be-
cause of succession of dry years
Mrs. Thompson, keen archae-
ologist herself, who has financed
expeditions to Cyprus, Egypt and
Peru, provided the funds for this
research when she learned that
specimens of pottery of unusual
design had come out of the Roose-
welt lake region. Her party traced
these relics back to their point of
origin and discovered Americas
oldest big city. Mrs. Thompson has
made a visit to the site.
The buildings are made of stone,
instead of being made of adobe, like
others of the southwest. The whole
region, including the valleys of the
Salt and ella rivers, is covered
with the remains of a network of
prehistoric irrigation canals, which
made the country once resemble
the contemporary development in
the valleys Of the Tigris and Eu-
pirates.
DR.. Clark Wissler, curator of an
thropology of the American Muse
UNI of Natural History, said that
the prehistoric civilization of the
great age of the southwest might
have been wiped out by conquest,
but that the disappearance probably
was due to the farm problem.
Wherever irrigation has been
used" he said, there is danger
that an accumulation of alkali in
the soil will eventually destroy it
for production. That is very prob
ably what happened here. The
same water is being used today, but
precautions are taken to remove
the alkah before it is distributed to
the farms"