NO. 6 



SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I914 



71 



No evidences were found in the Mimbres Valley of the former 

 presence of walled inclosures or compounds so pronounced at Casa 

 Grande, or of massive buildings found at Casas Grandes. Sacred 

 rooms, or kivas, could not be distinguished from secular rooms, 

 although clusters of depressions resembling subterranean rooms 

 were especially abundant on the terraces along the river banks. 



Fig. 74. — Pitted-holed stone, base of Oldtown Cliff, 

 graph by J. W. Fewkes. 



Photo- 



These rooms undoubtedly belonged to a very ancient type, of which 

 the subterranean sacred room, or kiva, of the pueblo is a survival. 



It is believed that the character of the prehistoric culture in the 

 valley of the Mimbres, brought to light by these studies, is more 

 ancient than the true pueblo of northern New Mexico, and closely 

 related to that existing in northern Mexico in prehistoric times. 



Several hot springs were examined in the upper courses of the 

 Mimbres which were evidently once used by the natives for sacred 



