Morris] RUINS ON THE MESAS 185 
fragments of metates and stone axes. From the beginning detached 
human bones were plentiful, but a week elapsed before the first grave 
was found. Some 8 feet below the surface, well toward the center 
of the mound, a slab of stone was lying horizontal, and beneath it 
was the skull of a person who had not reached maturity. The other 
bones were not in place or had not been buried with the skull. (See 
fig. 2.) A few feet toward the north was the skeleton of an adult 
lying upon the left side with knees drawn up against the chest and 
arms at the sides. The head pointed toward the southeast, and in 
front of the face was a small one-eared pot. Just east of this grave 
was the body of another adult with exception of the skull. The 
position was undeterminable. 
Six feet to the southeast were found some of the large bones of an 
adult, which had been much disturbed. At length a beautiful red 
bowl, a femur, and one side of the innominatum were found together 
(pl. 57, 6), and a short distance farther on was the nearly toothless 
skull of an old man (pl. 57,a). Some freak of refraction shows two 
skulls in the negative; the one at the right is the original. This skull 
is strongly flattened at the back and through the right mastoid 
process is an aperture 1 inch long and one-fourth inch wide, probably 
inflicted by a stone spear or arrow. 
Five feet to the north was a pit 44 feet deep containing the bones 
of the right leg of an adult, surrounded by stones and charcoal. 
To the southeast of No. 4 was a large skeleton lying on its back 
with knees: drawn up and to the left, and head teward the west. At 
the left of the head were two small bowls (pl. 64, 6 and d) and a 
spoon or paddle (pl. 69, d), and at the right was a globular wide- 
mouthed pot with a heavily banded neck (pl. 68, 6). North and 
east of this was the grave of a small infant in the usual flexed posi- 
tion. ; 
After finding these bodies the excavations were continued for 
several days without further results. A surprising quantity of bones 
and potsherds were mingled with the earth. Numerous badger holes, 
some of them large enough to admit the body of a man, appeared 
at the surface of the mound. After extending downward for a 
short distance they ramified, and an examination showed that prac- 
tically every cubic foot of the mound at some time had been worked 
over by the animals. In tunneling they disturbed the bodies and 
broke the pottery into bits or brought it to the surface, where it was 
soon reduced to fragments by the action of the elements. Every 
burial mound subsequently examined had suffered the same fate. 
Thus can be explained the dearth of pottery to be obtained from the 
mounds. 
