LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
Walter Fewkes,
CONTENTS
VI CONTENTS
VIII ILLUSTRATIONS
EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY,
NEW MEXICO
INTRODUCTION
The immediate vicinity of the ruins is very beautiful and the land adjacent to it and the river bed must have provided an excellent opportunity for village fields. The land on which the ruins are located has been in the possession of the Cordova family since the beginning of the eighteenth century.
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 6 an excellent representation of a conch shell, which is now in the
Much of the success of the expedition is due to the interest of my Indian friends in the excavations. Harrington, for his kindness and help during the preparation and execution of the expedition plans.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RUIN
The same measurements and observations were made in all parts of the ruins where we excavated. I believe that a large percentage of the walls fell into the chambers and were then washed away as the mound decreased in height.
PLAZA NO
PLAZA NO. 2
There were no marks on the tops of the walls where the beams were placed, so. The rooms at the end of the row were usually smaller than at any other site, although a very small room embodied in the main group was found at site 7.
ROUND ROOM
Compass readings are taken from an ordinary hand compass and are nearly accurate enough to give a general idea of orientation. Four rooms, which I judged to be ceremonial rooms from the objects found in them, were in about the same relative place in each row—east, north.
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 9 we judged that for some reason the round room was built at a later
KITCHEN OR COOKING ROOM
WEAVING ROOM
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 11 vation we dug other holes, 1 and 1.3 m., respectively, in depth, and
After finishing the installation and drying of the wall, the application of washing followed. The use of a brick retaining wall is well known to the Indians of to-day, and I know of at least two examples of this type.
OPENINGS IN THE WALLS
Part of a charred cedar beam was found at the base of the inner wall (northwest corner) and could possibly indicate that the beams were too short for the outer wall and that another wall was built closer.
DOORWAYS
They cited cases of a similar nature to those that occurred at SantaClara. of walls made in all different locations showed that there was. there are no big differences in their thickness. This was in Room 8, Location 3. About one quarter of the floor was covered with large stone slabs.
OPENINGS IN THE FLOORS
16 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULL. 81
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 17 only able to dig a trench about a meter in width and 40 cm, in depth
STONE ARTIFACTS
The two-headed ax (pi. 11, G) is typical of the Jemez Plateau and is used by the.
MAULS AND HOES
CUTTING EDGES
18 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Ibill.81 a new hewn ax would answer very well for the purpose of felling trees and trimming the ends afterwards. JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN CHAMA VALLEY 19The serrated edge of one type of flake (pi.. 14, ^) has sometimes The serrated edge of one type of flake (pi.. 14, ^) has sometimes caused it to be called a " flint" ," and the manner in which it was used is the same as striking flint and steel to produce a spark.
POINTED STONES
ARROWHEADS
The two specimens shown in Plate 14, J., F, could easily be furnished with handles, and thus form rude but effective knives. Finally, he said that the so-called "spearhead" is ceremonial and will bring the owner strength and courage in hunting and fighting.
SPHEROIDS
Another unusual shape is an aspear point or a knife. in the crosspiece of this piece. These stones were tied in a buckskin bag which was tied to a stick and used as a war club.'^. Some of these spheroids have a shallow depression carried in the flattened pole. It is unusual in that it is beautifully polished on the flattened post and chipped. the periphery.
METATES AND MANOS
On pages 730-731 of the last cited report, Dr. similar purpose." When thisis accomplished a washof yel-. lowocher is applied in the case of that ware and no was in the case of the black ware.
MORTARS AND PESTLES
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 23
It is the author's belief that the black ink extracted from this source has not been used for other than ceremonial purposes. The smooth black surface of the baking stones found in the ruin clearly shows their character.
BONE ARTIFACTS
Usually they were in groups of three, and in one case, Room 8, Location 3, the remains of a black cooking pot still sat on top of the three. The use of stone as pavement in the rooms was unique and occurs very rarely on the Jemez Plateau.
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 25
It is possible that a yucca or cotton thread was tied into this groove, thus leaving the place of the eye on the modern needle. It has also been suggested that the wide end of the spatula was used to distribute the sacred meal or pollen of some ceremonies.
PIPES
There is no evidence that it ever had a reed mouthpiece as found in the California pipes, or a bone mouthpiece as found by Dr. The wu-ko-tco-nois is a huge, stemless pipe, which has a large opening in the blunt end and a smaller one in the pointed end. .
PENDANTS
SHELLS
The Pectunculus, marked H, Plate35, has a perforation at the top that runs through the hinge of the shell. All the others are a sort of cream color and are not marked in any way.
POTTERY
A short distance back from the rim of the mouth a transverse groove was cut in the curved side of the shell and deepened until the wall was sufficiently pierced to allow a cord to pass through the opening.
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALI^Y 35 several of these which furnished pastes of a different composition
Together with a piece of creamy yellow leaf-shaped paste, heavily mixed with mica, it was obviously intended for the manufacture of black-wrapped ware. Where the ocher has sunk into the pores of the pot, after firing, a fracture shows.
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAM A VALLEY 37
38 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull.81 As previously stated, the percentages of black ware, biscuit, and carved ware are about equal, and considering the sherds of red ware with black decoration that were found on the surface, this container. was also well represented.
PRE-PUEBLO WARE
LATE BLACK-AND-WHITE WARE
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 39 Plate 37, E, has a hatched design which is most common on the
HARD COILED WARE
BLACK COOKING WARE
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 41
The technique is still quite crude and only a few of the characteristic design elements appear. The interior decoration is a cross whose four arms rise from the bottom and extend almost to the edge of the bowl. This decision was made by the typical fine wash of betterbiscuit ware with which it is covered.
JEANOON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 47
48 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bul.81 The conventional crook and the filled-angled triangle and oblique lines are used in this decoration. Both interior and exterior are decorated with variations of the triangle and diagonal line designs. common to the biscuit ware. The pasta of the bowl is excellent, although the design is. not as carefully done as on some pieces.
JEAXCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 49
From what little remains, it appears to be a design consisting mostly of curves and suggest ancient Hopi designs.
52 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 81
The color is typical yellow for fine biscuit with very black decoration. A broken circle or horseshoe with flags does not resemble any part or element of the cookie jar.
54 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 81 There are two jars which are decorated very much ahke with the
The sharp curve at the top is typical of the incised ware and does not occur in the small pieces of the biscuit ware. The other designs in Figures 23-26 are taken from sherds found in the ruin and show some of the variations used. It is of the same chocolate brown color and the incised design on the side is a very common one. is gone, but is indicated by the dotted colors.
58 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. SI RED WARE
The Indians he consulted on the matter say that they are not sure they know exactly what the figure means. Mary Austin, she says that the Sun Priest (her own . words) at Taos told her that it was meant to be. Fewkes found food bowls in Arizona that were decorated with hands and that the people of the Jemez Plateau marked their caves and.
JEANCOX] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 61
Some of those shown in the plate are perforated, and although they are rather small for spindle whorls, they might have been used for that purpose. There is also a possibility that those with only the beginning of a perforation may have been used in the manufacture of beads. At present the women in the pueblos use similar things made from the rind of the gourd, and this gives us an indication of the use of these pieces of pottery.
MOLDIES OR MOLDS
POTTERY LIDS
POTTERY GORGETS
LADLES OR DIPPERS
PRAYER PLUME BASES
JBANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VAIXEY 65 the top is a small hole for inserting the prayer feather. The smaller
BISCUIT WARE SHERDS AND HANDLES
FETISHES
They have holes in the top for placement of the "breath feathers" and are smoothed or ground down to a very good polish on the sides. The winter caciqueat Santa Claras said that they were used in some of the ceremonies in Koshare and that there should be four in this set. He said the material they are made of is the same as "maposhune" (meaning unknown) or the black ceremonial paint used by male dancers.
JEANCON] EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHAMA VALLEY 67
FIRESTONES
MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS
JEANCON] EXCAVATTONS IN THE CHAMA VALI^EY 69
BASKETRY
In the case of the twilled baskets of Po-shu, the weaving was one under and three over. An odd thing about a set of basket prints is that one side of the clay shows a negative of the weave and the other side shows a positive. The general appearance of the weaving is that of a basket still made in Zuni, N.
PICTOGRAPHS
It also resembles the so-called diagonal weave found in the ancient Hopi and Zuni mantas. A small part of one of these baskets was found, but it is very difficult to determine the material.
SHRINES
Enough is known of the shrines of the present-day Pueblos to be able to say something about the shrines of Po-shu. Less than half a mile in the mesa south of the ruins is the western shrine. It is located on the top of a very high point, about a mile south of the world shrine and.
BURIALS
We have not had time to make any sketches of these, but I hope at some time to have an opportunity to study all the shrines and the associated stonework. There were remnants of a cloth over the face, from the forehead down to the cliin at the rio-htside. After carefully examining the remains of the town, we went out in search of the graves, and found the bodies buried within 30 feet of the walls of the town.
SUMMARY
Burnt corn was also found in some rooms, but not in large quantities. From tradition it appears that it was the custom to kill the men of the enemies and take their children and women as prisoners, and inside. We are constantly hearing stories about fruit being on the line in the west and southwest, and it is very important that a full disclosure is made to this committee.
INDEX
78 INDEX
80 INDEX
MAP OF
PO-SHU-OUINGE
EXCAVATED ROOMS
MAULS
TZII-WI OR WAR-AX HEADS
POLISHED AX HEADS
CRUDE FLAKED IMPLEMENTS AND CUTTING EDGES
FINE FLAKED IMPLEMENTS
STONE IMPLEMENTS
MORTARS
ARROW-SHAFT POLISHERS
MISCELLANEOUS STONE OBJECTS
BONE IMPLEMENTS
TANNING TOOLS
BONE BEADS
MAMMAL AND BIRD BONES
MISCELLANEOUS BONE OBJECTS
PIPES IN COURSE OF MANUFACTURE
MISCELLANEOUS SHELLS AND PENDANTS
CLAYS AND PASTES
SMALL POTTERY
COOKING WARE
SMALL BISCUIT WARE BOWLS
CEREMONIAL POTTERY
BISCUIT WARE
TIPONI OR PRAYER PLUME BASES
UNUSUAL DECORATIONS ON BISCUIT WARE SHERDS
BISCUIT WARE HANDLES
CONCRETION FETISHES
CEREMONIAL OBJECTS
SELENITE CEREMONIAL OBJECTS
MINERAL OBJECTS PROBABLY USED AS FETISHES
BASKET IMPRESSIONS IN CLAY