ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 9 
which lies 25 miles northeast of the city, between E] Paso 
and the far-famed Hueco Tanks. There are 28 of these 
natural recesses in the faces of the cliffs, in most cases just 
above the tops of the talus slopes. In general they open 
to the west or northwest. Most of them bear traces of 
Indian visitors. In the majority of the caves these traces 
are largely in the form of pictographs painted on the walls 
with red pigment. The pictures are in great part highly 
conventionalized and geometric in form. In two instances 
they were decidedly suggestive of the decorations on pot- 
tery from Casas Grandes in northern Mexico. 
Three of the caves showed evidences of an occupation ex- 
tending over a considerable period, judging from the 
amount of débris and ash on the floors. In the course of 
two hours’ digging, 12 sandals, a number of spear shafts, 
a fragment of netting, several pieces of cord, portions of 
rabbit sticks, a few beads, and two potsherds were found. 
The sandals are of a rare and interesting form which 
is not common in the better-known portions of the South- 
west. A loop of yucea was twisted to form the edges of 
the sole and yucca leaves woven back and forth across this 
framework. Similar specimens have been found in caves 
in portions of west Texas, east of the present site, and at 
one or two places in the Mimbres Valley. Two strands of 
twisted yucca leaves were fastened together at the toe, run- 
ning back about halfway on either side. The sandal was 
presumably held in place by passing the toe portion of the 
‘tie’? between two toes. The spear shafts were rather 
elaborately decorated with streamers of yucca fiber. In 
some instances a small stone point was used; in others a 
hardened wood point. 
On May 13 Doctor Roberts left El Paso for the Chaco 
Canyon in northwestern New Mexico, where excavation 
was begun on some slab houses on the top of the south rim 
of the canyon 9 miles east of Pueblo Bonito and Chetro 
Kettle. Between May 17 and June 30, 12 houses, 20 stor- 
age cists, and 1 large kiva were excavated. 
55231°—28 2 
