120 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 'J2 



about two miles down the Harpeth. The Mound Bottom portion, 

 shown in figure 133, covering about 50 acres, contains Mound No. 2 

 with large platform ; Mounds Nos. i, 4, 5, and 6 ; cemetery No. 7, and 

 other traces of a considerable population. 



Fig. 133. — Mound Bottom. Other great niouiuls licldngiiig to this unexplored 



group. 



ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN NEW MEXICO 



During July, and a part of August, Mr. J. A. Jeancon, special 

 archeologist of the Bureau of American Ethnology, made a recon- 

 noissance and conducted intensive archeological work at Taos, New 

 Mexico. While it has been known for a long time that there was 

 excellent archeological as well as ethnological material to be obtained 

 in this valley, no archeological research has been done there before the 

 present work in the summer of 1920. 



The great number and variety of sites seem to indicate a long 

 period of occupancy of the region. These sites are well-defined small 

 house groups, each indicating one, two, or more rooms. There are 

 also great communal groups as that at Bagley ranch and the Arroyo 

 Hondo. The mounds are sometimes over 20 feet in height ; the 

 pottery sherds scattered over these sites range from the primitive 

 black-and-white ware to what appears to be the so-called biscuit ware. 



A small pueblo ruin at Llano was selected for excavation and, while 

 the yield of pottery was small, many interesting facts were obtained. 

 The ruin is located on the south bank of the Little Rio Grande, one 

 mile and a half from the plaza of Ranchos de Taos. Situated on the 

 edge of a high mesa it commands a magnificent view of the country 

 for miles around, excepting to the east, where the view is cut off by 



