74 YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE [Vol. III. 



SPECIAL NOTES AND NEWS 



CLIFF DWELLINGS AND PUEBLOS IN THE 

 GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA 



By George A. West^^ 



During the summer of 1923 a second expedition was sent by the 

 PubHc Museum of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the Grand Canyon, 

 Arizona, for the purposes of further study of this, the world's greatest 

 example of river erosion, and the collecting of additional material for 

 the completion of an environmental group model showing a panorama 

 from one of the most important points on the Canyon rim. In ad- 

 dition to Dr. S. A. Barrett, who conducted the expedition, its members 

 were Mr. Edwards, geologist, Mr. Peters, Museum artist, Mr. Jeske, 

 photographer, and the writer. 



The work of the expedition quite thoroughly covered the North 

 and South rims of the Canyon, the Hermit and Bright Angel Trails, 

 the Tonto Plateau in the depths of the Canyon, and many of its cross 

 canyons. Being provided with camp equipment, three guides, thir- 

 teen pack mules and the necessary supplies, which, together with the 

 splendid co-operation and assistance of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa 

 Fe Railway and of Fred Harvey, Inc., enabled us to do our work 

 thoroughly and with most satisfactory results. 



Along the Canyon rims and back from them we frequently en- 

 countered mounds of scattered stone; indications of old walls and 

 trenches. Near them were found broken pottery and other evidences 

 of the culture of those who once lived there. Down in the almost in- 

 accessible parts of the Canyon the same evidences of prehistoric oc- 

 cupation were frequently met with. When the Spaniards, 1544, in 

 their search for gold discovered the Canyon, they found several tribes 

 of Indians living along its rims. None are reported by them as living 

 in the Canyon. There is, however, no record of these Spanish rene- 

 gades having descended into this great abyss. Some of these ancient 

 habitations far below the surface may possibly have been occupied at 

 that date, but from our investigations we conclude that this was not 

 likely. The generally accepted theory is that these ancient Pueblos 

 and cliff dwelhngs were in ages past occupied by the ancestors of the 

 present Pueblo tribes. 



i^President of the Board of Trustees, Milwaukee Public Museum. 



