MINDELEFF] 



ANCIENT IRRIGATING DITCH. 



239 



washed out. No traces of the ditcli were found east of the point shown 

 in plate xxxiv, but as the 

 modern acequia, which 

 enters the valley nearly 

 10 feet below the ancient 

 one, extends up the valley 

 nearly to its head, there 

 is no reason to suppose 

 that the ancient ditch did 

 not irrigate nearly the 

 whole area of bottom land. 

 The ancient ditch is well 

 marked by two clearly 

 defined lines of pebbles 

 and small bowlders, as 

 shown in the illustration. 

 Probably these pebbles 

 entered into its construc- 

 tion, as the modern ditch, 5 

 washed out at its head g 

 and abandoned more than I 

 a year ago, shows no trace » 

 of a similar marking. 2. 



A little west and south = 

 of the jioint shown m o 

 plate XXXIV the bottom g. 

 land drops off by a low g^ 

 bench of 3 or 4 feet to a s 

 lower level or terrace, »=i 

 and this edge is marked f 

 for a distance of about a ' 

 quarter of a mile by the 

 remains of a stone wall 

 or other analogous struc- 

 ture. This is located on 

 the extreme edge of the 

 upper bench and it is 

 marked on its higher side 

 by a very small elevation. 

 On the outer or lower side 

 it is more clearly visible, 

 as the stones of which the 

 wall was composed are 

 scattered over the slope 

 marking the edge of the 

 upper bench. At irregu- 

 lar intei'vals along the 



