PKETIIRTORTC NEW ]MEXICAN POTTEllV 



By Henry Hales. 



In January, 1889, I received some ancient pottery from a friend in 

 New Mexico. I was smprised to find that solittl«' was kiiowii of this 

 description of ware among' collectors. Not a single piece was seen in 

 the New York museums. I met Prof Frederick Starr in the Museum 

 of Natural History, who took much interest in the ware. Referring- to 

 several works on American antiquities I found fragments of this war*' 

 illustrated in -John R. Bartlett's i)ersoual narrative as boundary com- 

 missioner of the rrnited States expedition, 1850 to 185.'>, which he 

 found in the Gila Valley. Although so man\ tVagments had been 

 found, the whole ware had been seldom seen. All the information I 

 could get about it was very meager. That it was found in the valleys 

 and dee]) in the ground, accompanied by skeletons, also that nuicli was 

 broken in getting it out. was all 1 could hear about it. With these 

 few hints I determined to go to New Mexico to observe for myself, and 

 gain information regarding this i)eculiar i)(>ttery. My route was by 

 the Ivio (irande Railroad in Xew Mexico to Socorro, west to ^Fagda- 

 lena. 1 then struck across the San Augustine plains to tlie Tale K'osa 

 Canyon, which runs west to Arizona, in-ar the heads of tiie l-'risco and 

 Gila riyers. 



I found the ruins conimenced in TuJe IJosa Canyon, which I followed 

 for 20 miles, aud in two of its branches. All that can be seen to 

 indicate ruins is a few loose stones on the surface of tlie ground, 

 scarcely recognizable, which probably accounts for their lying so long 

 tindisturl)ed. In most cases T found them when; the canyons opened 

 into little valleys, with a bi'<»ok, or, more often, what had once been 

 one, but now a dry guily. Between the, alluvial levels of these Avater 

 courses and the foot of the uiesas or monntains, there is generally a 

 slightly rising ground, which appears to be out of danger of floods; 

 these were the selected sjiots lor building. Tlie earth is not as rich as 

 the lower levels, and is composed of clay, a little saiul, and some broken 

 stone, with a growth in ])atches, of pinon i)ine, junipers, a species of 

 small walnut, and, in moist places, very large, tall ]>ines, varieties of 

 cacti and yuccas. 



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