62 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 35 



isolated, and it has on its northern margin in the neighborhood of 

 50 ruins, consisting mainly of shallow, circular depressions termed 

 ' ; reservoirs." Nearly all these ruins are oriented to the northeast. 



On the principal ruin are located the buildings of the Spur ranch. 

 (See no. 77.) 



A perennial stream called the Rita Blanca enters Los Lentes valley 

 from the north, breaking through a malpais mesa. In its canyon, 

 about one-half mile above the ranch house, is a row of small cliff- 

 dwellings, a large portion of which has been destroyed by falls of 

 rock from the overhanging cliff. To the north this stream widens out 

 into several ample valleys, containing a number of ruins. 



) several ampie vaiieys, conrainmg a numner or rums. 



H %• CIETNA6A Z>-\^St_J : - f A/ t- ''»* I.,/ \*J / rf'ti \ 



About a mile west of the ranch house is a ruin located on a terrace 

 above a cienaga. This ruin is remarkable in having been built upon 

 an earlier ruin, in which the houses were circular and semisubter- 

 ranean; on sand hills at the head of this cienaga is a village con- 

 taining only houses, of the circular type. 



In the springs of Los Lentes valley are found many bead offerings, 

 especially in the hot spring in the canyon of the river to the south- 

 east of the ranch. In one of the ruins, lying above an arroyo which 

 descends from the Freeborn mountains, human remains were found 

 in clean gravel at a depth of 8 feet, under a layer of hard- jointed 

 clay; hence it would appear that this burial was of great antiquity. 



a Through the courtesy of Montague Stevens, esq., the writer was permitted to exca- 

 vate the interesting ruins on the Spur ranch. 



