AN"CIENT PUEBLOS OF UPPER GILA REGION. d 



a wooden point stuck in the pith to make a dart. An ear stalk in 

 this lot is quite large and has seven joints. The Hopi corn, which 

 preserves best the ancient Pueblo type, is generally of 12 rows, the 

 smaller grains, " pop corn," are of 14 and 16 rows. 



An interesting object consisting of a row of ears of new corn 

 strong on yucca fiber cord comes from the Tularosa Cave. (PI. 2, 

 fig. 13.) The Pueblos were accustomed to prepare new corn in this 

 manner for hanging from the rafters of the house for winter use. 

 Another similarity is the corncob smoothed by wear among the 

 Pueblos for dressing cord, and perhaps used by the ancients for the 

 same purpose. Game darts of corncob with a feather thrust into one 

 end like those now seen among the Pueblos appear to have been made 

 by the ancient peoples of this region. The husk is found attached 

 to pahos, or prayer sticks, overlaid on cord, shredded for some pur- 

 pose, and in one case made into a sandal. Sections or joints of corn- 

 stalk, showing a comparatively slender plant, are found in the caves, 

 and from the Tularosa Cave comes a joint with the base of the ear 

 and husk attached. A tassel was also recovered from the debris. 

 Corn husk tied in bundles is common in nearly all the sites explored, 

 and a number of neatly folded bundles of dried green leaves were 

 encountered during the work. 



COTTON. 



Seeds of cotton were apparently not present in the sites investi- 

 gated, but there was abundance of cord and cloth, indicating that 

 cotton was employed to some extent. Tularosa Cave, where the fullest 

 series of objects illustrating the life of the former inhabitants of the 

 region were found, is at too great an elevation for the raising of cot- 

 ton, but the lower Blue and Gila have a suitable climate, and, with- 

 out doubt, cotton was anciently raised there, as it has been up to quite 

 recent times by the Pima on the lower Gila. The cotton used by the 

 tribes inhabiting the colder portions of the area was brought to them 

 by aboriginal commerce. 



GOURDS AND SQtIASHES. 



Gourds of several varieties were employed for various economic 

 and ceremonial purposes, but the fruits were small, so far as can be 

 deduced from the remains of the shells. These are a necked species, 

 smooth and having a rather thick rind, which assumes a beautiful 

 dark-brown color and high polish from age and handling; a rugose 

 species with thin yellow rind, showing green irregular bands and dry- 

 ing irregularly ; a species with very thin smooth yellow rind without 

 markings, the rind sometimes cut into rows of points evidently as 

 ornaments or ceremonial decoration; and the small wild gourd, the 

 rind of which is very fragile and much marked. The wild gourd is 



