HOMES OF THE ANCIENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 69, 23 March 1887, Page 3

HOMES OF THE ANCIENTS.

James Stevenson, of the United Statea Geological Survey, has juat returned to Washington after an absence of aeveral months in North Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California, making geologic and ethnologic researches in connection with that bureau. Mr Stevenson's explorations in former years were among the various Ptiebio Indian trib3s, and the ancient cliff and cave dwellings along the tributaries of the Kio San Juan and other streams (lowing into the Rio Colorado. These streams flow through the regions within Southern Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. In these regions some of the most interesting archreologic remains are to be found. Those remains are so thickly Bcattered over the country, and comprise co many different kinds, that it would be impossible to refer to them in detail in one brief article. Enough can be said, however, to show that no country in the world can surpass the Southwestern Territories of the United States in richness in arcbreologic data. Among the classes of dwellings are the " cliff,'' those dwellings bu-lt in great excavationß high up in the fides of canyon walla, the cavities for which have been carved bygeological and climatic influences, and the faces or fronts built urj artificially in masonry. The "c»ve" dwellings are those which have been carved out artificially along the faces of bluffs just large enough to accommodate one family each. There are two other classes, the agricultural and pastoral. The former are those which were located in valleya, along stream?, and about which are found implements and other evidences of aboriginal agriculture. The latter are somewhat similar, but more scattering, and indicate that they were only occupied by herders. Mr Stevenßon's researches this season resulted in tho discovery of several ancient villages, one of which ia located on the Little Colorado. Tbia village extenda over an area of three miles. Many of the houßes stand two and three atoiies high, built of square flat stones Bet in mortar. Several of the larger buildings, forming one group, are situated along the banks of a small canyon. This canyon presented many evidences of the handiwork of the aborigines who inhabited the dwellings along its banks. In the walls of this canyon are many small nichea and cavities which had been walled up, leaving only a small aperture through which to place small articles. The piaster, some of which the party dug out, still retaina the finger-marks and impreaeions of the masons who built them. These little bins must have been for the purpose of atoring wild Beeds and grain, for Buch were all they contained. Agriculture in the sense as now understood was unknown to the people. The domestication ot animals waß also unknown to them. Away from this group of dwellings, up the canyon for several miles, were found houses and corrals of variouß shapes and sizes. Surrounding thia village ia a series of volcanic hills or knolls from fifty to 300 feet in height. On the summit of each was found cither a round or octagonal shaped tower or fortification. This was evidently the object from the fact that only one entrance was found to any of them, and they were in all cases furnished with portholes about breast highland were bo constructed inside as to indicate permanent dwellings. It was quite impoaaible to conjecture the age of this village, and none of the Indiana now inhabiting that country could enlighten the sxplorera on the subject. They only refer to them as the homes of the ancient. Thorough examinations and a complete survey were made, all of which will appear in the report of the Bureau of Ethnology.