428 PROCEEDINOS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 55. 



The Pit Dwellers evidently carefully selected for the site of their 

 villages smooth, slightly convex, gently-sloping fans, bordering the 

 alluvial lands, which formerly were lake bottoms. These areas show 

 no surface erosion and the subsoil is a free-draining sandy clay.- A 

 familiarity with the topography of one of these sites will enable the 

 archeologist to recognize other sites even where stone villages have 

 been built on the area subsequently. It is desirable to ascertain as far 

 as possible the range of this peculiar culture and whether it extends 

 far out of the bounds in which it is placed by our observations here- 

 tofore. At present we know only three pit-village sites here and all 

 would lie in a circle 7 miles in diameter. 



Should such remains exist in Johnson Basin, which lies northeast 

 of Luna 18 miles by the easiest crossing of the Datil Kange, the prob- 

 lem of distribution to the north of this great barrier would be simpli- 

 fied. Johnson Basin looks out into the Quemado-Zuni-Acoma region, 

 a vast basin country on the Continental Divide and north of the 

 Datils. The mountain masses, which flank the Datils, are very pictur- 

 esque, are well watered, and would serve as stations in a migration 

 east and west from the White Mountains of Arizona to the Rio 

 Grande. They are, from west to east, the vast black bulk of the 

 Escudilla, the white slides of the Fox, the Demetro range of the 

 western Datils, the mesa-like Escondido of the middle Datils, and the 

 beautiful Allegre range of the eastern Datils. Important ruins are 

 reported in the Fox and Demetro Mountains of the above series. 

 It appears probable for topographical reasons that the route through 

 Blue Eiver, Luna, Johnson Basin, Quemado, Zuni, or Acoma was the 

 ancient migration channel between the north and the south. 



Subsistence. — In the high mountain valley of Luna (7,200 feet) 

 after the seasonal rains, there is considerable herbaceous vegetation, 

 some of which may have been utilized by the Indians. Along the 

 streams are wild currants and other mountain berries. The season 

 is not too short for the maturing of hardy corn, such as is now raised 

 by the farmers in the valley. At Alpine, Arizona, maize is raised at 

 8,000 feet. It is probable that the pit-house people cultivated maize 

 on small irrigated tracts on the perennial streams entering the valley 

 sufficient for their small population. The presence of metates and 

 manos would indicate the use of maize. Acorns, piiion nuts, and 

 cedar berries were at times abundant in the mountains, and agave 

 "mescal" could be secured within convenient distance in the Blue 

 and other canyons on the southern slope. 



Animal food was provided principally by the deer, whose bones 

 preponderate in the refuse. The loose bones of mammals, procured 

 during the excavation of the pits, have been identified by Mr. G. S. 

 Miller, jr., of the United States National Museum, who lists deer, 

 buffalo, bear, wolf, and several small mammals; and Maj. E. W. Shu- 



