112 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



\'0L. 68 



Another pile of stones (fig. 113), called Surouaro by Professor New- 

 berry, is situated on the same road 14 miles west of Dolores, at 

 Yellow Jacket Springs. According to this author it takes its name 

 from an Indian word meaning desolation, but the name, unknown to 

 ranchmen, is not now appropriate, for modern dry farmers are raising 

 crops in its neighborhood equal to any in Colorado. 



There are very extensive ruins all along the rim of Yellow Jacket, 

 the largest of which, nearly opposite Dawson Canyon (fig. 114), 

 is 5 miles south of Surouaro. Its walls, accompanied by a D-shaped 

 tower (fig. 115) perched on a shelf halfway down the canyon, are 

 well preserved and about 15 feet high. There is a similar semi- 

 circular tower a few miles away. 





Fig. 117. — Mud Spring Ruin. Photograph Ijy J. Wirsula. 



The portion of Montezuma \'alley at the mouth of the McElmo 

 is irrigated by water drawn through a tunnel from the Dolores 

 River, the waste flowing down the McElmo. The surface of the 

 valley slopes uniformly southward and is destitute of canyons, but 

 cut by several deep arroyos. In general the ruins of this valley are 

 villages or clusters of mounds one of which is more prominent than 

 the others. 



One of the largest and most typical is called Aztec Springs Ruin 

 (fig. 116), described by Holmes many years ago. Its striking feature 

 is the large rectangular mound indicating a block of rooms, or 

 " Upper House," which contained two large, circular, central kivas 

 and one small circular kiva, surrounded by rectangular rooms forming 



