ANCIENT PUEBLOS OF UPPER GILA REGION. 



77 



Fig. 160. — Ornamented cloth from Bear Ckeek Cave, 



the ability of the ancient tribes, so far as their culture is declared by 

 the relics recovered from the ruins. 



This weaving, however, is very simple and is not more difficult 

 than basket work, neither did it require instrumental aid beyond a 

 rude frame. The 

 weaving is like the 

 early Italian hu- 

 ratto work. 



Scattered through- 

 out the debris of 

 the Bear Creek 

 Cave small squares 

 of cloth with a cir- 

 cular opening in the 

 center, apparently 

 finished in button- 

 hole stitch, were 

 somewhat fre- 

 quently e n c o u n - 

 tered, but only one 

 fragment of this 

 cloth from which the squares mentioned had not broken away was 

 found. (Fig. 160, Cat. No. 246123 «, U.S.N.M.) This fragment 

 resembles that shown in figure 161 (Cat. No. 246123 &, U.S.N.M.), 

 but the openings are worked with 12 instead of 6 threads (fig. 160 &), 

 and the w^inding is tighter on the roundels (fig. 160 c). The at- 

 tachment of the warp threads to the edging cords is shown at a 



(fig. 160), and a scheme of the pattern at d. 

 It appears that this variety of openwork 

 cloth was more common with the devotees of 

 the Bear Creek shrine than other textiles. 

 The cloth was perishable, however, because 

 it was closely woven, giving it a tendency to 

 crack and disintegrate from age. 



In a weaving of cotton cord (Cat. No. 

 2461235, U.S.N.M., fig. 161, Bear Creek 

 Cave) the pattern consists of a series of cir- 

 cular openings formed by the same methods 

 employed in the fabric described under 

 126123 «, Cat. No. U.S.N.M. The fragment shows also a modifica- 

 tion of the design made up of triangles, probably a double symbol 

 of birds. (See squares on serpent effigy vase, p. 46.) 



A fragment of texture of small white cotton thread in plain weav- 

 ing (Cat. No. 246123c, U.S.N.M., Bear Creek Cave) has an orna- 

 mentation consisting of a row of openings formed by gatiiering 4 



Fig. 161. — Ornamented cloth 

 FROM Bear Creek Cave. 



