ANTIQUITIES OF NEW MEXICO. 403 



points spoiled in finisbiug. It tbiis appeared evident to me that here 

 must have been either a casual manufactory of such offensive or defen- 

 sive weapons, or that an okl settlement had once here existed. Continu- 

 ing my search and narrowly examining the ground for a large extent, I 

 found numerous small circles of stones which, although more than half 

 covered with soil and sod, still showed unmistakable signs of design and 

 use. The stones were fire- stained, and frequently fell to pieces, the top 

 coarser when exposed, covered with a tough yellowish-green moss, but 

 frequently so much buried and fixed in the soil and debris, that they 

 were diflBcult to trace out, and all marked a^iparently with great anti- 

 quity. These vestiges are found over an extent of several acres, and 

 present an appearance of continued occupations. Indeed, one of the 

 arrow-heads has incrusted upon it a sort of calcareous or siliceous cement 

 similar to that found on the large pebbles and bowlders of the gravel 

 formation, and everywhere near them we find flakes and chippings of 

 agate similar to those noticed in England, France, and our Eastern 

 States, and with the arrow-heads of identical pattern of those found 

 from Maine to Georgia, or in our western mounds, the traces of a by- 

 gone race who once roamed here before its present Indian population. 

 In future, we expect to continue these examinations and see if we can 

 find vestiges of other larger circles. 



ANTIQUITIES IN NEW MEXICO. 



By W. B. Lyon. 



Fort McEae, New Mexico, March 28, 1871. 



I returned a week ago from a visit to the old pueblo referred tjo in a 

 previous letter, although the limited time allowed did not permit me to 

 make any minute explorations of the antiquities. I inclose herewith a 

 ground-plan which is in the main correct. 



The pueblo is situated nearly due west and twenty-five miles distant 

 from the town of Socorro, on the Kio Grande. In no place were the 

 walls left over two feet in height, and judging from their character and 

 the amount of debris, I do not think any j)ortion of the building or 

 buildings exceeded one story in height. The material is a soft, 

 coarse-grained sandstone, laid up without mortar or cement, none of the 

 stones being over three inches in thickness. No remains of beams or 

 timber of any kind were found. The walls are eighteen inches in 

 thickness. Numerous fragments of colored pottery — not differing, 

 however, from that now made by the Pueblo Indians — were picked up. 

 In the south end of the court are two circular excavations, respectively 

 forty-seven and twenty-five yards in circumference, and each about ten 

 feet in depth. In the centre of the larger one I found, on digging, the 

 top of a circular stone wall, five feet in diameter. My time did not 

 permit me to make further explorations. 



