6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 63 



which had been placed at length on its back with arms at its side. Over the 

 face of this one [human burial] had been placed a rather large shallow dish, 

 through the bottom of which a hole about the size of a five cent piece, or a 

 little larger, had been carefully drilled. This hole was so located as to occupy 

 a position between the eyes when placed over the face. This body was resting 

 on a bed of red clay like that which had covered it. Near the first body was a 

 second body which had been buried in exactly the same way, and had a similar 

 perforated dish over its face. Under this first or upper tier of bodies a second 

 tier of bodies was discovered which had been buried exactly the same way as 

 the upper tier — each one resting separate and alone, though near together, 

 each one tightly enveloped in stiff red clay. 



All the vessels placed over the faces showed the action of fire, and it was 

 plain to be seen they had once been used in cooking The method prac- 

 tised here was to first spread down a layer of red plastic clay, then lay the 

 body upon it, place the perforated dish over the face and finally plaster all with 

 a covering of the same clay. This same method was followed in every case 

 observed. 



Sites of Ruins in the Lower Mimbres Valley 



The portion of the Sierra Aladre plateau called Lower Mimbres, or 

 Antelope Valley, extends from where the iMimbres sinks below the 

 surface at Oldtown to Lake Palomas in Mexico, twenty-five miles 

 south of Deming. According- to some writers this region has no pre- 

 historic ruins, but several of the beautiful specimens described and 

 figured in the present article came from this valley, and there are 

 doubtless many others, equally instructive, still awaiting the spade of 

 the archeologist. The purest form of the Mimbres prehistoric culture 

 is found in the lower or southern part of this plain, but it extends into 

 the hills far up the Mimbres almost to its source. 



The plateau on which the prehistoric Mimbres culture developed is 

 geograi)hically vv^ell marked, and distinguished from other regions of 

 the Southwest geographically and biologically, facts reflected in 

 human culture. The cultural gateway is open to migrations from the 

 south rather than from the east, north, or west. 



The evidences drawn from the poor preservation of the walls of 

 the ruins, and the paucity of historical references to them, instead of 

 indicating absence of a prehistoric population suggest the existence 

 of a very ancient culture that had been replaced by wandering Apache 

 tribes years before the advent of the Spaniards. Chronologically the 

 prehistoric people belongs to an older epoch than the Pueblo, and 

 its culture resembles that which antedated the true Pueblos.^ 



^ During the author's stay in Deming he was much indebted to Dr. S. D. 

 Swope for many kindnesses, among which was an opportunity to study his 

 valuable collection, now in the high school of that city. He was also greatly 



