212 FEWKES: RELATIONSHIP OF SUN TEMPLE 



ARCHEOLOGY. — The relation of Sun Temple, a new type of 

 ruin lately excavated in the Mesa Verde National Park, to 

 prehistoric "towers." 1 J. Walter Fewkes, Bureau of Ameri- 

 can Ethnology. 



During the summer of 1915, under the direction of the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior I carried on excavation and repair of ruins 

 in the Mesa Verde National Park. This work was a continu- 

 ation of that already accomplished on these cliff-dwellings : Cliff 

 Palace, Spruce-tree House, and Balcony House. The general 

 plan was to bring to light any types of ruins existing in the Park 

 different from those already known, in order to enlarge our knowl- 

 edge of the character or culture of prehistoric man on this res- 

 ervation. 



Cliff Palace, which lies in one of the canyons of the Mesa Verde, 

 was excavated and repaired in 1909, and at that time a pile of 

 stones was discovered on the point of Chapin Mesa, across Cliff 

 Canyon. The artificial character of marking found on stones 

 on the surface of this mound and the great quantity of debris 

 suggested the former existence of a building of large size. A 

 small fragment of wall projected above the surface of the mound 

 on which grew many old trees and bushes, giving evidence that 

 the place had long been deserted by human beings. 



The government work on this mound extended from August 

 10 to the close of October, 1915, and a report on the more popular 

 phases of this work has already been transmitted to the Secre- 

 tary of the Interior, 2 to be followed by a more extended account 

 for the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The follow- 

 ing account gives a summary of the work thus far accomplished 

 and a brief description of the ruin. 



There was brought to light a type of ruin hitherto unknown in the 

 park, and the building excavated shows the best masonry and is the 

 most mysterious structure yet discovered in a region rich in so many 

 prehistoric remains. Although at first there was some doubt as to 

 the use of this building, it was early recognized that it was not con- 



1 Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



2 See, Excavation and Repair of Sun Temple, Mesa-Verde National Park. Dept. 

 of Interior, 1916. Also, newspaper bulletin released January 16, 1916. 



