NO. 3 



SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, 19X5 



83 



the elements, are sadly in need of repair. Unless soniethini;- is done 

 to prevent its crumbling walls from falling, after a few years little 

 will remain of this fine example of Spanish mission architecture of 

 the 1 8th century. The facade and dome are still fairly well pre- 

 served: the main walls, roof of the cupola, and mortuary chaj^el are 

 still standing, and a few hundred dollars judiciously ex])ended would 

 save for posterity this precious relic of the past. Evidences of the 

 walls of a prehistoric com])ound formerly inhabited by the Indians 

 of that region may be traced near the mission and mounds indicating 

 massive aboriginal buildings are visible. These ought to be excavated 

 and repaired. Dr. Fewkes made a trip to the above mentioned mis- 

 sions in January, 191 5, in order to study the distribution of prehistoric 

 settlements now in ruins on the Santa Cruz, one of the gateways 



Fig. ioi. — Turquoise mosaic (a. front; b, back) from Mimbres Valley, New 

 Mexico. Original 0.8 inch square. Heye Collection. Drawing by Mrs. R. E. 

 Gamble. 



of early communication between Mexico and southern Arizona. He 

 regards the region west of the Santa Cruz as one of the most im- 

 portant unworked ethnological and archeological fields in the South- 

 west. Little has been recorded on the prehistoric remains in this 

 region and there is still much to be learned of the modern inhabitants 

 whose culture has been little modified by the influence of civilization 

 and who still preserve many of their ancient dances and secular 

 customs. 



The slightly known ruins of this region were found to be of 

 practically the same type as Casa Grande on the Gila, suggesting a 

 southern extension of this type of architecture into Mexico. The 

 prehistoric mounds would well repay systematic excavation, and 



