Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/334

 RUINS OF THE HISTORIC PERIOD IN THE UPPER SAN JUAN VALLEY, NEW MEXICO

BY A. V. KIDDER

IN 1912 the author visited some pueblo ruins in northern New Mexico which seemed to be of historic date. A paper on them was read before Sec. D of the General Meeting of the Archaeo- logical Institute at Christmas of that year, a brief summary of which appeared in the American Journal of Archaeology, vol. xvn, pp. 89-90. Fuller publication was postponed because of the loss of the field notes and because it was hoped that another visit might be made to the sites. As no such opportunity has since arrived, it

is thought best to present what data are at hand without furth- er delay.

The ruins lie in Gobernador and Largo canons, tributaries of the San Juan which enter it on the south side near the Colo- rado-New Mexico line. Three groups were visited : two about ten miles up Gobernador canon on the west rim; and one in Largo canon about twenty miles to the southwest. Infor- mation as to other similar ruins in the vicinity was given by Mexicans, but the short time available did not premit of their investigation.

The three settlements are practically identical in situation and general appearance. They occupy easily defensible positions, being perched on projecting spurs of the mesas, with wide outlooks up and down the canons and back across the level tablelands behind them (figs. 1 6, 17). They are secured on the canon sides by walls

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���FIG. 16. Ruin I, from the Canon.

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