Year: 1875

COMPARISON OF THE ANCIENT AND MODERN


POTTERY OF THE MoQuIs-NTEREsTTNG


DISCOVERIES BY THE EXPEDITION


MANUFACTURE AND CONTAMINATION OF THE


WARE.


Ia PLATA RIVER, Sept. 0, 1875.


In visiting the Moqui towns We were enabled 70
compare the ancient pottery and stone implements
which we had examined and collected among the ex-
tensve ruins with those in household use among the
modern Moqui tribe, which, discovered presented
many points Of similarity, and which, in many cases,
were identical in form, size coorng, glazing &c. This
comparison may be Of great service in proving the
identity OF the two peoples or properly speak
ing, in showing that the ancient people ofthis country
were the ancestors Of the present Moqu race.


We had found among nearly all OF these ruins sec
tions of long, fat smoothly ground stones which had
evidently used by the ancients but for what pur
pose loss to determine. In all the houses
of the Moqui towns however, we observed these
stones which were undoubtedly, used for the same
purpose-that is, for grinding We had
also picked up broken pieces of larger
stone which had been followed out by long rubbing
and these discovered were the fiat mstones of the
modern Moquis There were also large fat polished
stones lying among many or the ruined buildings
which aterward discovered identical with the
stones of the moderns These points of similarity
in themselves would have been sufficient to establish
the fact that tho two people bore strong resemblance
in their habits and methods of labor But in addition
to these we observed lying the housetops and
through the courts OF the Moqui towns number Of
large stone mortars and pestles of which had
several in the different runs Stone axes and ham
lay around the and pazas of Tegua which,
we were told had been fashioned long before the ap-
of iron in the tribe by the foreathers of the
present Moquis and these had descended down heir
looms for centuries The general shape of these tools
was exactly similar to many had discovered and
earhed amid the ruins and ancient graves along the San
Juan River one-a nicely carved hammer-which we
had noticed lying in pile of rocks in the centre OF the
plaza of Tegua measured about fifteen inches in length
and weighed twenty five pounds. Such implements as
this, weighing at least twenty pounds have been found
on the banks of the San Juan though how such I'M
wieldy tools could have been handled IT is difficult to
conceive


POTTERY.


The strongest points of similarity in the productions
Of the two peoples however, to be found in their
pottery: for Notwithstanding the undenabe fact that
the modern pottery is far inferior quality to that
which manufactured five centuries ago the art has
been undoubtedly handed down from time mmemorial
The general forms of the vessels have been preserved
and for each we find among the rubbish of broken
ware surrounding the ancient ruins a corresponding
one may be seen among the Moquis. One of the COM
monest varieties of earthen pots which discovered
among the different ruins dug up immense
ruined town the Rio de Chelly As we advanced
southwark and entered the Navajo country we noticed
many Of these pots Of the size shape and manu-
facture in daily the Navajo lodges. They had
been obtained from the Moquis recently, and on
visit to the latter many Of them sitting bottom
uppermost on their chimneys Another form Of pot
-
face, while EPSON Creek in a deserted side canyon
found q vessel identical in shape and
size, but having an ornamentcd, scaly sur
face. The ordinary modern Moqui water jug is
almost invariably moulded in the same FORM usually of
plain work, but frequently painted geometrcally and
highly glazed from inch to a foot and halt in diam
eter. They made somewhat fattened on one side
to rest evenly the back OF the carrier
somewhat similar form of jug was discovered among
the ruins of the Rio de Chely and this specimen is one
of the finest examples of well executed ancient ware
discovered in this country Dppcrs ladies' bowls
and have been collected from the ruins bearing
a close resemblance to the Moqu utensils.


ORNAMENTAL PAINTING


Until very recently 1t believed that the ancient
people ornamented their crockery with paintings
of animate objects and the Photographic party have
probably made the first discoveries this art In Ep-



glazed pottery picked up representing the figure OF
an animal, most probably an elk This ami
NAL representation is very common on the
modern pottery but horses are usually pic
tured We discovered in tho canyon of the
Montezuma a valuable specimen which Is most proba
bly, the very first which has been found in the whole
extent OF these ruins. 1t had been a portion of
the neck OF or earthcn jar on which was mod
eed in bas relief out of the same clay an image Of
frog little over an inch in length.


The modern tribe have entirely lost this art save in
the modelling of the ends OF their dpper handles into
the representations Of cats heads Examples of this
kind illustrating the fact that the art of manufacturing
the modern pottery Inherited from this older peo-
pie, might be cited until they filed volume. 1t is
needless however, to pursue the comparison further


MANUFACTURE POTTERY


We observed visit to the Moqu villages in
Arizona that each family made its ware For this
purpose there are every house. square holes
or ns built or cut in the walls in which the earhen
ware is burned This task falls the lot of the women
who first mould the vessels from the plastic yellow clay
then paint glaze and attend to the baking Many OF
these same ovens observed in the more perfectly
preserved OF the San Juan River From these facts
it will appear that there never existed large wholesale
burning kins at time supposed but just as
at present tho Navajo squaw all the basketwre
used in her family each ancient household was
supplied with all of its crockery. Wherever we found
large quantities of broken pottery around old ruins we
invariably discovered numbers of arrow points which
would indicate that the destruction OF the ware
had been accomplished during fight On the other
hand we found ruins where heads existed in
the entire absence of broken pottery.


The subject is one full OF interest and should be more
carefully Investigated. Although we were enabled to
tct
territory it may be safe TO presume that moro dis
coveres relative to the pottery Of the past have been
made than by any other party heretofore Many OF
these interesting relics may bo in the Offices of the
Survey during the approaching winter and without
doubt many antiquarians win avail themselves or this
opportunity to study them


ORNAMENTS.


Before concluding will mention other discovery
which we made In many Of the ruins we found bead