52 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 35 



This, the greatest of all known ceremonial caves in the Southwest, 

 was discovered accidentally about eleven years ago, and since that 

 time much of its valuable material has been carried away by visitors 

 and much destroyed by individuals who dug niter from the rear cave. 

 Visitors were accustomed to provide light for examination of the cave 

 by burning such offerings as could be gathered together for the pur- 

 pose, and it is only because the accumulation of materials was so great 

 and visitors not numerous that anything remained here for science. 



There are other large caverns near the Montezuma cave, but these 

 were not utilized by the Indians. The single trail and entrance to 

 the canyon are guarded by a wall having a gateway, and among the 

 rocks at this point may be seen traces of house plans. Just beneath 



the capstone of the pinna- 

 cles which stand at the en- 

 trance of Bear creek are 

 small cliff-houses (pi. u), 

 and on the now inaccessible 

 apex of the north spur are 

 cairns and fragments of 

 stone causeways once 

 thrown across fissures in the 

 rock. 



Everywhere in the canyon 

 and neighborhood are traces 

 of the presence of man in 

 the fragments of pottery 

 and obsidian scattered over 

 the ground, and it appears certain from all considerations that this 

 locality was the ceremonial center which drew worshipers from pueb- 

 los throughout a large region. 



No. 44- Care. — In the box canyon 5 miles above Cosper's is a small 

 cave in the bluff, about 20 feet above the road. It contains a frame- 

 work of posts and rafter poles and is divided into two rooms by a 

 stone wall. In the cave are great quantities of debris, as vegetal sub- 

 stances, bones, and other refuse, rejected by the inhabitants. 



No. 45- Pueblo. -^This pueblo is on the west side of Blue river, 

 near the mouth of Fish-hook creek, 6 miles below Blue post-office. 

 It is located on the high terrace above the river, is built of stone, 

 and consists of two rectangular sections. It has a circular depres- 

 sion near the south end. Judging from the condition of the ruin 

 and the advanced decomposition of the building stone of which it 

 was constructed, this pueblo is very ancient. The fragments of pot- 

 tery, obsidian, and chert lying about the site are abundant and of 

 good quality. 



LCOOf is rtcr wior 



Fig. 17. Plan of Bear Creek cave, Blue river. 



