2 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 76 



City. This collection is particularly valuable as it was obtained from 

 one ruin. The author also examined a few small collections, as that 

 of Dr. Swope, previously considered, and a few specimens belonging 

 to Mr. Thompson, of Deming.^ 



Although this article is limited to designs on pottery, which are 

 by far the most distinguishing feature, the Mimbres culture may also 

 be characterized by other artifacts which will be considered in a final 

 report on Mimbres prehistory. 



Mimbres pictures are painted on the interiors of food bowls and 

 the exteriors of vases. These objects are mortuary and found under 

 the floors of the rooms, the walls of which nowhere rise above the 

 surface of the ground, but are readily observed as small piles of rock 

 called Indian graves. The grave yards are situated along both banks of 

 the Mimbres River and are almost in sight of each other. In its course 

 after it emerges from the hills the Mimbres River sinks underground 

 but flows onward, reappearing at times when the clay bed of the 

 river rises to the surface. The ruins do not always follow the sub- 

 terranean course but occur scattered over the plain. 



Although the geographical extension or horizon of the Mimbres 

 area, as indicated by its peculiar pottery, has not been carefully 

 worked out it is practically limited to the Mimbres Valley, but not 

 necessarily to the terraces along the river. There are sites with 

 picture pottery on the eastern side of Cook's Peak, a prominent 

 mountain belonging to the range that incloses the Mimbres basin on 

 the east. Northward Mimbres pottery has been found over the con- 

 tinental divide in ruins on Sapillo Creek and tributaries of the Upper 

 Gila. The western extension of the Mimbres pottery area is not 

 known, but the ceramics rapidly change in character in this direction, 

 merging into Gila Valley types. 



While the designs figured and described in this paper enlarge our 

 knowledge of the ancient ^limbrehos they do not materially change 

 conclusions already published. Before we can attempt any very exten- 

 sive interpretations we sorely need more material ; but with the in- 

 formation here published we may venture a few suggestions regarding 

 the culture of the ancient ]\Iimbres people. This knowledge, being 

 wholly derived from archeological data, must from the nature of its 

 source be tentative. We have no other way of revealing the manners 

 and customs of this prehistoric race, as historical accounts are very 



^ The author takes this opportunity to thank all those who have aided him on 

 his visits to the Mimbres, especially Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Hulbert, and Mr. Eisele, 

 who have allowed him to photograph and publish specimens in their collections. 



