FEWKES] EXCAVATION OF AWATOBI 593 
dwarf cedar east of the old mission walls. No land is cultivated, save 
that in the canyous above mentioned, west of the sand hills; some fair 
harvests are, however, still gathered from Antelope valley by the 
Navaho, especially in the section higher up, near Jeditoh spring. 
The ruin may be approached from the road between Holbrook and 
Keam’s Canyon, turning to the left after climbing the mesa. This road, 
however, is not usually traveled, since it trends through the difficult 
sand hills. As Keam’s Canyon is the only place in this region at which 
to provision an expedition, it is usual to approach Awatobi trom that 
side, the road turning to the right shortly after one ascends the steep 
hill out of the canyon near Keam’s trading post. 
My archeological work at Awatobi began on July 6, 1895, and was 
continued for two weeks, being abandoned on account of the defection 
of my Hopi workmen, who left their work to attend the celebration of 
the Niman or “Farewell” k ttcina,! a July festival in which many of 
them participated. The ruin is conveniently situated for the best 
archeological results; it has a good spring near by, and is not far from 
Keam’s Canyon, the base of supplies. The soil covering the rooms, how- 
ever, is almost as hard as cement, and fragile objects, such as pottery, 
were often broken before their removal from the matrix. A considerable 
quantity of debris had to be removed before the floors were reached, 
and as this was firmly impacted great difficulty was encountered in 
successful excavations. 
With a corps of trained workmen much better results than those we 
obtained might have been expected, and the experience which the 
Indians subsequently had at Sikyatki would have made my excavations 
at Awatobi, had they been carried on later in the season, more remu- 
nerative. While my archeological work at certain points in these inter- 
esting mounds of Awatobi was more or less superficial, if was in other 
places thorough, and revealed mInany new facts in regard to the culture 
of the inhabitants of this most important pueblo. 
I found it inexpedient to dig in the burial places among the sand 
dunes, on account of the religious prejudices of my workmen. This 
fear they afterward overcame to a certain extent, but never completely 
outgrew, although the cemeteries at Sikyatki were quite thoroughly 
excavated, yielding some of the most Striking results of the summer’s 
exploration. The sand hills west of Sikyatki are often swept by 
violent gales, by which the surface is continually changing, and mortu- 
ary pottery is frequently exposed. This has alWays been a favorite 
place for the collector, and many a beautiful food bowl has Deen carried 
by the Indians from this cemetery to the trading store, for the natives 
do not seem to object to selling a vase or other object which they find 
on the surface, but rarely dig in the ground for the purpose of obtaining 
specimens. 
'This important ceremony celebrates the departure from the pueblos of ancestral gods called 
katcinas, and is one of the most popular in the ritual. 
17 ErH, PT 2 9 
