Page Five 



IN THE FIELD 



Another big discovery — the most wonderful yet — in the form of a 

 sealed-up room, has just been made at the Pueblo Ruin in Aztec, New 

 Mexico, which is in course of excavation by the Museum. 



Dr. Wissler recently reported by letter to his associates in New York : 



"The room is in perfect condition. The interior is plastered and 

 painted in a brilliant white with dull red side borders and a running 

 series of triangular designs. No room approaching this in beauty and 

 perfection has ever been discovered in America. There are several ad- 

 joining rooms that seem to have some relation to this, but it will be 

 some time before they can be dug out. 



"What we have is obviously the holiest sanctum or shrine of these 

 prehistoric people. There is not much in it, all the sacred objects having 

 been removed from the altar. But a sacred serpent is carved in wood on 

 the ceiling. It is 2% feet long ar.d of the finest workmanship. Nothing 

 like this has ever before been found, to my knowledge. On the ceiling- 

 beams are imprints of hards made by rubbing white paiat on the palms 

 and fingers and then pressing down upon the beams. Several strands of 

 beautifully made rope harg from the ceilirg, presumably for the support 

 of hanging objects. O.i the floor were a large number of nicely cut stone 

 slabs, o-.e of which was 2% by 1 % feet and 1 % inches thick. 



"This room will be carefully protected from visitors and will be 

 one of the best exhibits here. 



"There is a painted room ia one of the cliff houses in Mesa Verde 

 Park that has some resemblance to this, but does not compare with the 

 one we have just found. This room is, however, one more suggestion 

 that the people who lived in the cliff houses were the founders of the 

 culture at Aztec and Bonito." 



Dr. Wissler writes that the ruin is row most impressive, a large 

 part of it having been uncovered by the Museum excavation party which 

 has for five seasons past worked under the direction of Earl H. Morris: 



"Since the greater part of the west side is now uncovered, one can 

 get a full sweep over this immense complex of stone walls and quaint 

 doorways. This west side of the ruin was occupied las*^, for here all 



