hough] ANTIQUITIES OF GILA-SALT VALLEYS 83 



IV. — The Mimbres River 



Mimbres river rises in the Mimbres range within a short distance 

 of the head of the Gila and of the sources of streams draining into 

 the Rio Grande. It runs south by east into the basin region of 

 northern Chihuahua, Mexico. There are numerous ruins on the 

 upper waters of this river, some of which have been described by 

 Bandelier (Final Report, pt. n, 350-359), who regards them as differ- 

 ent from any other ruins examined by him in the Southwest. The 

 principal characteristic of the village is the irregular arrangement of 

 the houses, which are grouped around square plazas. The pottery 

 from some sites is also different from that of any other region, and is 

 affiliated in some respects with that of the Casas Grandes in Chi- 

 huahua, which lies in the low foothills of Sierra Madre. This is 

 especially true in reference to the yellow ware found here, which in 

 both form and the color of the decoration is manifestly like that of 

 Casas Grandes. It is apparent that there are ruins on the upper 

 river — those known at present being located at Fort Bayard — which 

 yield more of this type of pottery, while the ruins about Deming yield 

 generally pottery with black and white decoration. It is probable 

 that a study of the ruins in this region will show that two cultures 

 have overlapped in this valley. 



Professor De Lashmutt informs the writer that the pottery from 

 the Silver City region is white and black; solid red, both smooth and 

 grooved; solid black; and coiled. The decoration is mainly geo- 

 metric. From the Mimbres he has seen a realistic design resembling 

 a grasshopper, and from Fort Bayard another representing a four- 

 legged creature. Mrs. Owen has a specimen from Fort Bayard bear- 

 ing what is described as a " fish design." 



1. SILVER CITY REGION 



Vernon Bailey, of the Biological Survey of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, informs the writer that at the head of the 

 Mimbres and Sapillo creek (a branch of the Gila) there are numer- 

 ous small ruins. These occur on almost every promontory and ridge 

 above the river and are scattered about in the forest between the two 

 streams. These ruins contain from 2 to 8 rooms each. The pottery 

 is black and white, with some red and coiled specimens. 



The caves lying south of the Gila, which may be reached from Sil- 

 ver City, N. Mex., have long been known and investigated. In 1878 

 Lieut. Henry Metcalf, U. S. Army, secured from them offerings, 

 consisting of baskets, pottery, fire sticks, arrows, bows, and other 

 objects, and forwarded them to the United States National Museum. 

 About 1879 Mr. H. H. Rusby entered one of the ceremonial caves 



