ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT. LIII 



The valley of Rio Verde (the "green river" of the Spaniards) 

 is a typical section of the middle zone of the great arid tract. 

 Its w^aters gather among great volcanic mesas by which the 

 southwestward slope of the sedimentary formations is broken; 

 they flow sonthward in gradually shallowing canyons, chiefly 

 of the bedded sedimentary rocks, falling into Rio Salado (the 

 salted river), whose waters are so largely evaporated as to leave 

 the residue brackish, and thence into the Gila. When swollen 

 by storms, the Verde builds floodplains or overfl(_)ws the 

 plains of previous storms, and on these plains and terraces the 

 hardy vegetation of the subarid regions greedily seizes and 

 persistently maintains a preemption ; so that the valley winds 

 through the barren mesas, gray, pink, or black in tint, as a 

 verdant ribbon. By this verdure the Spanish conquerors were 

 attracted more than three centuries ago ; but long before their 

 coming the native peoples gathered along the fruitful river- 

 banks to alternately jDractice a primitive horticulture in the 

 valley bottom and find refuge from predatory neighbors in the 

 rugged valley sides. 



Mr Cosmos Miudeleff (the younger of the two Mindeleff 

 brothers, long associated in archeologic work) spent several 

 mouths in making surveys of, and researches concerning, the 

 ruined villages, lodges, and irrigating- works, which remain as 

 the sole record of the prehistoric ])opulation of Verde valley. 

 He found a large number of ruins, of which many were so well 

 preserved as to indicate not only the style of architecture but, 

 in many cases, the purposes and customs of the builders. 

 Through careful comparison of the ruins themselves, of the 

 implements and utensils found in connection therewith, of the 

 irrigation works, of the relation of the sites to natural features, 

 etc, he has been able to restore at least the main lines of the 

 picture representing this region during prehistoric times. 



The principal villages were built of stones, sometimes rude, 

 sometimes rough dressed. They were usually great clusters of 

 houses, or of rooms united in a single structure. They were 

 often located without regard to defense; but they were placed 

 on or near broad stretches of tillable bottom land. The 

 remains of irrigation works indicate that the artificial control 

 of the waters was extensive and successful. 



