AZTEC RUINS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19842, 10 January 1920, Page 8

AZTEC RUINS.

INTERESTING DISCOVERIES AMERICA’S FIRST APARTMENT HOUSE. Three years ago (says the New York “ Sun,” of October 19) Earl H. Morris, representing the American Museum 'of Natural History, undertook the excavation of an ancient Pueblo ruin in Aztec, New Mexico. Mr Morris’s early finds aroused considerable public interest, and the “Aztec ruin” became widely known as the first American apartment house. During the past month tho museum party has uncovered a new section of the ruin, revealing several rooms filled with sand and fallen debris. These rooms were in pefoct condition, just as loft by the last occupants. Tho ceilings Were standing and tho objects left by the inhabitants scattered about on tho floor. Nothing had disturbed them except the fine layer of dust sifted ovor all. One of the rooms had been filled to the ceiling and was found to be a burial room. Mr Morris wrote briefly to Dr Clark Wissler, curator of tho department of Anthropology at tho American Museum, concerning bis most recent findings: “ In tho second storey chambers there was a largo accumulation of dry refuse. One of these yielded some excellent specimens of textiles and a burial with wrappings in a very good state of preservation- Above the refuse in tho other room there was upon the fallen third floor a surprising number of stone implements, several bone tools, some beautifully worked wooden boards, seven coiled basket plaques (three well preserved), and a digging implement with handle of wood and blade of mountain sheep hem. BURIALS OF CHILDREN. "In the refuse beneath this layer We have to date found tho burials of five children (three with wrappings perfectly preserved), four baskets in excellent shape, a wooden dipper, some beads and various odds and ends. Three-fourths of the deposit is still to bo gone over. The outer covering of the wrapped bodies is particuarly interesting. Each body was placed upon a rush mat. Then the sides were folded inwards and one doubled upwards. The whole was then tide into a long package, with cord or yucca strins. As yet Inave not opened any of the bundles, so do not know what the interiors may contain besides the bones. These finds certainly are important. They are different from anything we have previously uncovered.” As a result of tho excavations Aztec haso become a popular resort for visitors. About one hundred miles southeast of the famous Mesa Verde Park (in winch the finest cliff houses are to be found) and not more than a two hours’ ride from Durango, (Ml., the ruin at Azteo is an attraction to all automobile tourists- During the present year more than 1200 persons visited the ruin. In contrast to the tiny cliff houses of the park the great Pueblo ruin, with its 300 square feet of area and its 400-odd rooms is wonderfully impressive. The greater part of the remains is now uncovered, and visitors may walk over the tops of the massive walls, gazing down into tho many chambers. WORK OP TIRELESS BUILDERS. Very interesting are these walls, approximately three feet thick and built of dressed sandstone, carried piece by piece by the tireless builders from the quarries of which the nearest lies two and a half miles from the ruin. For this prehistoric people had no beasts of burden. The cedar logs, from eight to twelve inches in diameter, which support the floors and ceilings of all the rooms, Wffe also convoyed from a distance. For no such trees grow in the Vicinity of Aztec, nor are there indications that they have ever grown there. But if one follows the course of the Animas River toward its source in the tnounteins he will, after a journey of t v m ” es i reach an ancient forest where great cedars grew. This nver passes within a few rods of the rum. It is, therefore, safe to infer that the ancient builders of the present ruin journeyed to the forests above, cut these huge logs and rafted them down the stream. As they lived in a stone ago and had no tools of metal these logs ivero worked wtih stone axes. Their ends are cut smooth and square, and one can still geo on their surfaces tho marks of the stone tools.