NO. 3 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I9Q15 83 
the elements, are sadly in need of repair. Unless something is done 
to prevent its crumbling walls from falling, after a few years little 
will remain of this fine example of Spanish mission architecture of 
the 18th century. The facade and dome are still fairly well pre- 
served; the main walls, roof of the cupola, and mortuary chapel are 
still standing, and a few hundred dollars judiciously expended would 
save for posterity this precious relic of the past. Evidences of the 
walls of a prehistoric compound formerly inhabited by the Indians 
of that region may be traced near the mission and mounds indicating 
massive aboriginal buildings are visible. These ought to be excavated 
and repaired. Dr. Fewkes made a trip to the above mentioned mis- 
sions in January, 1915, in order to study the distribution of prehistoric 
settlements now in ruins on the Santa Cruz, one of the gateways 
a b 
Fic. 101.—Turquoise mosaic (a, front; b, back) from Mimbres Valley, New 
Mexico. Original 0.8 inch square. Heye Collection. Drawing by Mrs. R. E. 
Gamble. 
of early communication between Mexico and southern Arizona. He 
regards the region west of the Santa Cruz as one of the most im- 
portant unworked ethnological and archeological fields in the South- 
west. Little has been recorded on the prehistoric remains in this 
region and there is still much to be learned of the modern inhabitants 
whose culture has been little modified by the influence of civilization 
and who still preserve many of their ancient dances and secular 
customs. 
The slightly known ruins of this region were found to be of 
practically the same type as Casa Grande on the Gila, suggesting a 
southern extension of this type of architecture into Mexico. The 
prehistoric mounds would well repay systematic excavation, and 
