Evening star., 1937-07-31

Another ancient clVlllZatlOn Is De-
ing uncovered in North America.
It is that Of the Hohokam, or IAN
cent ones" who reached their highest
development in Southern Arizona about
1000 AID. This civilization was quite
distinct from that OF the Pueblos, the
Cliff Dwellers or the Mound Builders
and in some respects was probably the
most remarkable Of all.
Some of the most recent findings on
the Hohokam are reported by Emil w.
Haury, assistant director OF the Glla
Pueblo Laboratory. at Globe. Arlz,
through the United States Office OF In
dian Affairs. This ancient people, who
may have been the ancestors OF the
present day Pima Indians who dwell
in the same region, had two remark
able accomplishments to their credit,
Mr.. Haury shows.
First, they were the inventors OF
etching-at least 500 years before the
secret was discovered in Europe. Sew
eral specimens Of their work have been
found They used sea shells. On such
q shell design was drawn With STICK
dipped in wax Or pitch. 1t then was
immersed in an acid, probably the un-
fermented juice of the giant cactus
fruit. which slowly ate away the unpro-
tected parts Of the shell and left the
design standing out The archaeological
evidence indicates that they were using
this method as early as 1000 AID. but
the process Of etching ON metal by an
acid process was not discovered In Eu-
rope until about 1900. The ancient
ones, however, did not 60 the rest Of
the way and use their etched shells for
printing.
The second great accomplishment was
probably the independent discovery OF
rubber. Some time after 800 AID. they
began playing q peculiar form OF ball
game in court with high earthen sides.
One of these courts recently has been
excavated on the Gila River Indian
reservation. 1t measured about 200 feet
in length and 80 feet in width. At the
center stone had been buried below
the floor, and goal stones were set into
the floor near each end OF the court.
1t Is similar to the stone-walled ball
courts of the Maya Indians in Yucatan
and Guatemala, 1900 miles to the south.
In this game, as the Mayas played it.
stone rings were set vertically into the
walls. we'll above the floor and central
in relation to the length of the court.
size of base ball. was bounced of the
hips of the players, grouped in two
teams, in an effort to send it through
the stone ring. Such rubber ball has
been found in a Hohokam ruin. Now.
1t is quite unlikely Mr.. Haury stresses,
that the ancient ones imported rub
Der. 1t might have been. and probably
was. obtained from the Guayule plant,
q rubber bearing shrub native to the
region.
Still another remarkable accomplish
ment was the construction OF their
elaborate system Of canals. They lived
In a region Of extreme aridity-probably
about as bad In their day as 1t Is now.
They learned early that II they were to
mature their crops successfully means
for artificial irrigation must be devel-
oped Canals were dug which carried
water from the Gila and Salt Rivers
to fields of corn, beans, squash and
cotton. This canal irrigation was well
advanced by 800 AID.
The canals were dug by hand, in some
cases as much as 60 feet wide and from
6 to 8 feet deep. When canal irrigation
was at its height. between 1900 and
1400 AID, several hundred miles Of such
bitches were in use. Without them life
in large villages would have been i'm
possible. They probably represent the
most notable engineering development
in prehistoric North America.
These ancient ones" lived IN pit
houses partially dug into the ground.
Thav made clay pots both for cooking