hewettl antiquities of the jemez plateau 33 



11. Ruins of the Chama Drainage 



The Rio Chania enters the Rio Grande near tlie Mexican village of 

 Chamita, about a mile west of the Indian village of San Juan. It 

 forms the main watershed for all that portion of northern New Mexico 

 which lies between the Rio Grande and the continental divide. In 

 this bulletin it is necessary to deal with only the lowest 100 miles of its 

 course — that is, the portion which traverses the Jemez plateau. Strictly 

 speaking, the Rio Chama has no valley on the south side. From its 

 mouth to above Abiquiu it is closely bordered on the south by the 

 great rim of the A^'olcanic plateau which rises abruptly to a height of 

 from 200 to 1,000 feet, while on the north there is an open arid valley 

 broken up by small isolated mesas in the form of truncated cones. 

 Above Abiquiu the river flows for many miles through a picturesque 

 gorge. The country on both 

 sides is rough and broken, that 

 above the mouth of the Gallinas 

 being in the nature of "bad 

 lands". (PI. XI, a, h.) 



The entire area is rich in 

 archeological remains. Above 

 Abiquiu are both cliff-dwelling 

 and pueblo ruins, stone being the 

 only building material used. 

 From Abiquiu down, pueblos 

 onh" are found. These were 

 quite numerous, in most cases 

 of great extent and all built of 

 adobe with rubble used in the r- ,r ^ , , «t,"m " 



Fig. 16.— Ground phtn of Poihiiii:nge. 



foundations. With the excep- 

 tion of those at Abiquiu and Chamita, all these are prehistoric. In 

 describing the antiquities of this watershed, it will be convenient to 

 consider first, the plateau ruins on the south side of the Chama 

 between the Rio Grande and Pedernal peak; second, the valley ruins 

 north of the river up to Abiquiu; third, the ruins above Abiquiu. 



A succession of large pueblos occupied commanding sites on the 

 northern rim of the plateau overlooking the Chama. These will be. 

 described in the order of their occurrence ascending the river. 



No. 28. Poilinumge (fig. 16). — About four miles above the ccn- 

 fluence of the Chama with the Rio Grande is the noble cottonwood 

 grove whose grateful shade has been the noon or evening goal of eveiy 

 traveler that has toiled up or down that sand}^ valley for a centuiy. 

 At this point a chain of detached fragments of the great Black mesa 

 (Mesa Canoa) crosses over to the south side of the river and extends 

 for some miles southwestward. On the top of one of these black 

 8806— No. 32—06 3 



