REPORT ON THE CHACO CRANIUM. 



By W. J. Hoffman, M. D. 



The discovery of a skull in Chaco Canon (Northwestern New Mexico), 

 belonging to the race which we recognize as the cliff-dwellers or ancient 

 Pueblos, is one of considerable value and interest. Large ruins in ex- 

 cellent state of preservation occur in this valley, on as gigantic a scale 

 as in any known locality. Human remains, in this region, had escaped, 

 attention until last season, when Mr. W. H. Jackson of this Survey, insti- 

 tuted greater search. Ghaco Canon, at the point under consideration, is 

 a.bout 500 yards broad, at the bottom of which is an alluvial deposit 

 of sand and gravel, deposited here by the spring floods, at which time, 

 and for a short i^eriod following, there is water. The valley contains 

 numerous ruined pueblos, extending over a distance of about six miles 

 from the two extreme buildings. Near the Pueblo del Arroyo, at which 

 locality the skull was discovered, the wash or arroyo had cut a ditch 

 16 feet in depth. This wash followed the valley in a serpentine course, 

 as all ditches or streams are apt to. At one angle of the bottom of 

 the arroyo, where the water was guided to the left, it had partly under- 

 mined the embankment; here, at a depth of 14 feet below the sur- 

 face, and two feet above the bed of the ravine, is exposed to view a 

 seam or stratum of broken pottery, about IJ inches iu depth. At this 

 point the skull was found, which will be described farther on. Follow- 

 ing this stratum drown stream (or nearly westward) it gradually 

 ascends until it comes to within a distance of 6 feet of the surface. A 

 short distance above this appear the remains of an ancient founda- 

 tion or stone wall, of former ruins. This terminates within a short dis- 

 tance of the surface. Other similar walls appear in various places 

 along the arroyo, indicating that there had been a former occupation at 

 a more remote period, than the time of construction and occupatioo 

 of the more recent ruins, which are literally unknown. Over the 

 present surface, which completely hides these ancient monuments,, 

 are scattered the ruins, which are known as the pueblos. These and 

 the cliff-dwellings are supposed to have been constructed and inhabited 

 by the same people; the latter having been built on account of the 

 annoyances and hostile incursions of neighboring tribes. These cliff- 

 dwellings are on a grander scale and occupy more desirable locations 

 than those which we find in the eastern interior of Arizona, which cames 

 under my personal observation. In the latter locality, buildings occu- 

 pying a level surface are rare at this day. Euins are abundant, con- 

 sisting of thick stone walls, upon which subsequent adobe dwellings 

 had been erected. As the cliff-dwellings predominate, there is reason 

 to suppose that the region just mentioned formed the most south- 

 ern border of the country occupied by the various families and com- 

 munities composing this extinct race, and for that reason there was 

 need of greater security against surprise from enemies. These ruins 



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