File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (18156935382).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo17amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Discoveries at the Aztec Ruin Bv E A II L H. :\1 () K 11 I S Illustrations from specimens in tlie American JIuseum TO reconstruct tlie life and cus- toms of a people from the products of its material achieve- ments is one of the tasks confronting the student who undertakes the sys- tematic exploration of a prehistoric village or city. Dithcult, even hopeless, such a task might seem to one who views the crumbling mass of earth and stone to which the elements have reduced the ancient Pueblo community vil- lage at Aztec, Xew Mexico. But slowly from the wreck of dwellings, of ceremonial and burial chambers, the spade brings forth examples of ab- original handiwork. These are veritable bits of mosaic which careful skill may rear- range to yield a vivid ijicture of this town before the vicissi- tudes of time dispersed its builders, and made their hearths the homes of prairie dogs and owls. Since "the picture" can not be drawn un- til after the work of several years, all that will l)e at- tempted at tliis time is a de- scription of some of tlie specimens found during tlie summer of 191G. and the con- ditions under which tlioy were discovered. Pottery vessels are perhaps the most striking feature of the collection g-ained from a preliminary excavation of the Aztec ruin. Because of the absence of metal and the limited use to which basketry can be put, vessels of clay served these people in a multitude of needs. There are many shapes among the vessels found, each suited to a par-
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rhot(>:irui>h by Earl H. Morris The Pueblos often used abandoned portions of tlieir dwellings as repositories for discarded material. This room on the second floor of the north wing of the Aztec ruin proved to be a treasure house for the archwologist. The deposit, which covered the floor to a considerable depth, was filled with sandals, cloth, matting, baskets, cords, and fiber, seeds, bones of animals, broken pottery, arrow points, turquoise, and beads. Throughout the centuries no moisture penetrated the refuse, so even the most perishable articles were perfectly preserved. In fact, some of the dried corn leaves were as green as if taken from a last-season's shock I Tliis nrti.-le follows tin/ article l.y Mr. N. ('. N't-lson in the Febniary .JorRN.^L. describing The excavation of the Aztec ruin. The excavation and reparation will be continued by the American Museum of Natural History through a i)eriod of sevei-al years, and make the largest piece of work of the kind ever undertaken in the United States 169

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