Aboriginal Remains in Verde Valley, Arizona: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1891-92, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 179-262Mindeleff, Cosmos
History
Aboriginal Remains in Verde Valley, Arizona: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1891-92, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 179-262
Mindeleff, Cosmos
Pueblo Indians -- Antiquities; Verde River Valley (Ariz.) -- Antiquities
The whole surface of the terrace within the limits described is covered
by small water-worn bowlders scattered so thickly over it that travel is
seriously impeded. In many parts of it these bowlders are arranged so as
to inclose small rectangular areas, and these areas are connected with
the old ditch just described. Plate XXXIX shows something of this
surface character; and in the right hand portion of it may be seen some
of the rows of bowlders forming the rectangular areas. The rows which
occur at right angles to the ditch are much more clearly marked than
those parallel to it, and the longer axes of the rectangular areas are
usually also at right angles to the ditch line. On the ground these
traces of inclosures can hardly be made out, but from an elevated point,
such as the mesa on which, the rectangular ruin overlooking these works
is located, they show very clearly and have the appearance of windrows.
Traces of these horticultural works would be more numerous, and
doubtless more distinct, were it not that a considerable part of the
area formerly under cultivation has been picked over by the modern
settlers in this region, and immense quantities of stone have been
removed and used in the construction of fences. This has not been done,
however, in such a manner as to leave the ground entirely bare, yet bare
areas occur here and there over the surface, where doubtless once
existed a part of the general scheme of horticultural works.
One such bare area occurs close to the edge of the terrace about a mile
and a half above the mouth of the creek. In its center is a structure
called for convenience a reservoir, although it is by no means certain
that it was used as such. It occurs about 100 yards from the creek,
opposite the Wingfield place, and consists of a depression surrounded by
an elevated rim. It is oval, measuring 108 feet north and south and 72
feet east and west from rim to rim. The crown of the rim is 5 feet 8
inches above the bottom of the depression and about 3 feet above the
ground outside. The rim is fairly continuous, except at points on the
northern and southern sides, where there are slight depressions, and
these depressions are further marked by extra large bowlders. At its
lowest points, however, the rim is over 2 feet above the ground, which
slopes away from it for some distance in every direction. Plate XLI
shows the eastern side of the depression; the large tree in the middle
distance is on the bank of Clear creek and below the terrace. Plate XLII
shows the northern gateway or dip in the rim, looking southward across
the depression. The large bowlders previously referred to can be clearly
seen. A depression similar to this occurs on the opposite side of the
valley, about half a mile from the river. In this case it is not marked
by bowlders or stones of any description, but is smooth and rounded,
corresponding to the surface of the ground in its vicinity. In the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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