THE CLIFF RUINS OF CANYON DE CHELLY, ARIZONA 
By Cosmos MINDELEFF 
INTRODUCTION 
HISTORY AND LITERATURE 
Although Canyon de Chelly is one of the best cliff-ruin regions of 
the United States, it is not easily accessible and is practically unknown. 
At the time of the conquest of this country by the “Army of the West” 
in 1846, and of the rush to California in 1849, vague rumors were 
current of wonderful “cities” built in the cliffs, but the position of the 
canyon in the heart of the Navaho country apparently prevented explo- 
ration. In 1849 it was found necessary to make a demonstration against 
these Indians, and an expedition was sent out under the command of 
Colonel Washington, then governor of New Mexico. A detachment 
of troops set out from Santa Fé, and was accompanied by Lieutenant 
(afterward General) J. H. Simpson, of the topographical engineers, to 
whose indefatigable zeal for investigation and carefulness of observa- 
tion much credit is due. He was much interested in the archeology of 
the country passed over and his descriptions are remarkable for their 
freedom from the exaggerations and erroneous observations which 
characterize many of the publications of that period. His journal was 
published by Congress the next year! and was also printed privately. 
The expedition camped in the Chin Lee valley outside of Canyon de 
Chelly, and Lieutenant Simpson made a side trip into the canyon itself. 
He mentions ruins noticed by him at 45, 5, and 7 miles from the mouth; 
the latter, the ruin subsequently known as Casa Blanca, he describes 
at some length. He also gives an illustration drawn by R. H. Kern, 
which is very bad, and pictures some pottery fragments found near or 
in the ruin. The name De Chelly was apparently used before this time. 
Simpson obtained its orthography from Vigil, secretary of the province 
(of New Mexico), who told him it was of Indian origin and was pro- 
nounced chay-e. Possibly it was derived from the Navaho name of the 
place, Tsé-gi. 


1 Thirty-first Congress, first session, Senate Ex. Doc. No. 64, Washington, 1850. 
7G 
79 
