162 TWO summers' WORK IN PUEBLO RUINS [eth. ann. 22 



In his report, ou the operations in 18fl(5 at Homolobi and the Chev- 

 lon ruin, tlic autlior e;illed attention to the presence in graves of 

 stone slabs on which figures of rain clouds were depicted, and in the 

 excavations at Sikyatki he found similarly decorated stone objects. 

 The practice of buryijig stone slabs ornamented with rain-cloud sym- 

 bols was not unknown at Four-mile ruin, as one of the objects from 

 graves at that place attests. This specimen has a rectangular form 

 and is decorated with a terraced rain cloud painted in black out- 

 line on one side. It is possible that the grave from which this slab 

 was taken was that of a priest, and that this object was formerly used 

 in ceremonies, as is the case with certain altar pai'aphernalia of the 

 same character in the modern ritual of the Ilop\ Indians. The repre- 

 sentation of the rain cloud on a mortuary stone slab is the expression 

 of the idea that the dead become rain makers or rain gods. This form 

 of ancestor worship is a highly modified one, which can be directly 

 traced to the arid environment in wliich the 

 ancient people lived, and their status as agricul- 

 turists, which made rain a prime necessity to 

 them. 



This slab was likewise decorated with a row of 

 triangular markings, and had perforations at the 

 corners. A second slab, of less regular form, 

 was likewise found at Four-mile ruin, but upon 

 it the terraced rain-cloud figures were not as 

 Pig. 108. Copper bell from distinctly drawn as on the preceding. There 



Four-mile ruin (number . i ' ,- -i ^ i i .^1 ' ^ i 



ii7mi). "^^'i^s also found a stone slab with rectangular 



figure of unknown meaning drawn upon it with 

 black pigment. A stone slab somewhat like this was found at Sikyatki 

 in 1895. 



While strolling over the mounds the author found a slab of stone of 

 unknown use (figure 107). It was set upright and photographed. 

 The object was about 4 feet long and about 8 inches wide, tai^ering 

 slightly, and smooth ou all sides. This slab had without doubt 

 been worked into a regular form, and was a lintel of a doorway or 

 some other part of a house. 



COPPER BELL, 



The occurrence of bells made of copper has been recorded from 

 several ruins in Arizona. The specimen obtained at Four-mile ruin 

 (figure 108) is in no respect different from those previously mentioned, 

 and belongs to the type constantly found in the Gila valley and in old 

 Mexico. From the limited number of these bells in Arizonian ruins 

 very meager conclusious can be drawn, but the author supposes that 

 they were introduced from the south, rather than that they were manu- 

 factured by the former inhabitants of the ruined pueblo. There are 

 indications of great antiquity in some i-uins where they have been 

 found. 



