| Show 1 1 1 t i J. J f 1 S rt I l G f i y a i J f 7 7 J I y rJ I j w i. i i 0 J s rV j J i t ir d i r i t T- T t F r f v- v 5 r f j ii 4 L f If f V 7 A i f iIi h.- h. 1 t t t I r E 1 e Jt fj yr r c r ff V. V T 1 I t IV I e 1 cu 1 S. S ave I je L L o 0 S t C I f Fire T F. F p 9 i LV J f f fI rt t iA I. I In in n A Arf t Valley ey o r l L e f i t rf ff n f I President Hoover Moves s to Conserve o Conserve V Vast a t i ff Acreage in Moapa oa River V Valley ll e District o of 1 feti fe- fe t i s l-s tia fl Nevada Where Desert Sands Hold Secrets t of of y I f e Wu 5 j Earliest Peoples Who Lived oh Earliest I 1 s V r. Ij on North American i V t. t I y r ft i iU 4 P p Uc i i t T 4 j A i iw y r. r y 6 G t n w r 1 Continent w. w W yi rb q M r r I y 4 E it y r r h. h i i'S iS 1 dF f rr r y k S n. n 3 i vi v- v ir fe vr i w Yr 1 I. I f r IA t r r r z nr r Rry fi j i 4 t 7 s S I ki s c. c y Jr r. r fi s t yr rs r l i 6 A i F t re 01 p y 91 e o dry Ky-dry d s w i c v vi i y fr t v f I v H The remains of or oran an early rl pit dweller buried 5 CJ C according to o their h ir n ancient fus custom om in the floor zt of a a ruined ho pit house e it A. A w to t J C r Il II 1 t J i F Jt t 1 f fiC iC A tien Tie of the rums ruins In P Pueblo ebIo h t r r Grande Grand Jo located i in the he CV Valley Valle of oC x oI 1 w 1 t f. re ire which hl h is is indicated on the thet l t tt Jt t. t t. t I rl i t V ma diagram dia gram ra a above 5 e. e t f r i 4 ti t By y Nell Ray ay Clarke t t- t HE mysterious se ious Lost st City CitY built by ea early p prehistoric e r Iv I I tribes ln in in America and d the lurid u ld Valley of Fire Fuet IP in j So Southwestern Nevada will wil probably so soon on be put under y co the b protection of the United States Government so that they may Once th the are area was the home of the Ba Basket ket Makers ak rs Mt the first people e archeologists archeologists- ts have thus far identified d on w the h American America Conti Continent en n who vho in in their their v t OJ w earliest stages knew neither the use of the bow and arrow the making of pottery nor the art of agriculture f I Later the Pueblo Makers c came me and built their mud and ston stone apartment houses on U the ruins of t the e fir first t lO I rf t si simple primitive pit dwellings Te They t too passed a away w w-t. w vay y I s before the dawn of history leaving lea vine their p pottery otterY and th the crumbling walls alls of their i rt houses to tell a a. a mute story T Then l the c came me with a a native I h culture of their own building d cities on to top of or the dead c cities of f rr f Yea 4 the B Basket aske t Makers Ma kers ker s arid and the he i Pueblos Pueblo i f In May ay President withdrew tem temPo lY approximately y acree acres I. I of the public lands of the Moapa River c. c Q Valley g- g study Of the v. v valley lle with t t a yiew a-yiew view ew to the desirability of Including all allf allor U f fi f. f or part p art r of it within a a national preserve t e Gov Government ent scientists len ts are re now at workS work f S within the area aea and have vo reported tor to It r 0 Washington that the Valley of Fire Firo Is a a. T marvelous Ws' Ws e exposure ure of i fantastically 1 e eroded flaming red cro cross bedded bedd sand sand- sandI h I atone ne lying in th the desert waste just west y of t St. St Thomas nas Nev N v. v and contains an s t f z Important petrified forest area f fr r. r ts h reported e ed that J- J tl Indian plc- plc y f including the only omy known o es L. L of ot the he and dl dart The was wasa a stick stick a afoot foot and a hat halt or two feet in length l with a a groove gr ove near the t top p into which 4 the Attie Indians fitted the end of a spear for throwing Because of f. f the Increased increased in In- In cr creased ased leverage verago-t thus obtained they could d' d th throw w the spear great distances wl with peed speed and accuracy accuracy h. h The method the has here bere- heretofore t been mainly a matter of df conjecture but newly newly- discovered Pictographs graphs show the in hit it was In there are large villages of and dl stone made by prehistoric peoples peoples peoples-of of upward of ofa a thousand years ago go Four F Four such villages are known and v there probably are others in inn the thel i same 2 area The e most famous of I. I these deserted cities ls Grande de Nevada or t. t the V M Lost City which which- was recently explored 1 an and 1 par partially restored red by the Museum M of Foundation the A American Indian Heye Heya Foundation New York Stork City Dr James James' rA A. A B. B Scherer director of of the Southwest Museum of if Los Angeles s. s r i the United States States States-De De Department pa of the Interior that in thin- thin Moapa apa Valley area there are areat e at least two known caves which contain e evidences of Qc occupation by the Basket Makers Maker He lie also added that within the area area- w which h e extends approximately irati froth from 1 Glendale south southwestward 1 west ward to the junction 5 of cf the or Muddy and the Virgin Virgin- i Rivers Rivers a J seventy five square quare miles mUe f are re v vestiges es of early earl man in America z 1 in virtually every significant stage ge of his i development thus far mown known to He f r ad adds that the most spec spectacular antiquities off the Moapa ValI Valley y r re Inn cf of pro pro- visitors to the arca i itoi e have d a and c carried nie off t 1 1 o j i f 11 I J W J t f yr J JE hs Jy J E r 6 tl l i f 5 il IJ 4 w t r rb 3 various artifacts of ot those early arfy peoples Even Lost City although it W was proclaimed proclaimed pro pro- claimed a reservation by the Governor Governor 0 of Nevada for tho the purpose of of protecting It has b bon b on en desecrated Dr Scherer says It It has n no prOte protection of or late lato and win will lost in a few years ye ra if steps ar are not taken to safeguard it Within 1 tb that that small t small area rea lies lleS f for those for r th those 5 tr trained ined arche archeologists who can r read d' d Its ita story tory from the ruins a complete history of or orthe the early peoples who lived on the American American American- Continent Superimposed sed upon the remains of ot the Basket Makers are those l o of the Pueblo people In the early stage of their development as evidenced d dby by bythe the the characteristic pottery of the period And finally in the upper strata are the remains rem of the later comers the Plute Their culture at first purely native 1 later ter is 18 tinged with evidence of contact with the white man man The Basket Makers inhabited American plains and of the Southwest b before ore t e o of the P Pottery tury Make Makers At least have never have never found relics of pottery amon among th the r ruins left by these early peoples i and because e they had no pottery its itis a assumed have m made d baskets for ordinary household purposes Long ago Grande de Nevada had several thousand inhabitants It lies on the left b bank rik of the Moapa River midway y between and arid St. St Thomas a a. a l location location loca loca- ca' ca tion which has lias led led Some some s scientists to to believe be b be believe lieve may h have vebe been ro et a along long period by successive Indian tribes or or groups rather than by au an an espe espe- dally daily large group group at any one particular one ne' ne particular la time They think that perhaps as S ea each h hn n new w up to the Io location they built their own houses alongside those al already ready standing landing with the result that the ruins ruInS' today cov ra ed city as as yet unearthed U lies a few tew miles miles' fa farther up the ther river v r fro from Pueblo Grande Orande de Nevada and two mesa m mesa a villages ages Ho lie on Cn t the e oP opposite bank of tI the stream overlooking alley are of the same general type of ot c called lied host it it is believed that they were b built ItOm somewhat what later ter One of ot them th rii has hu been explored by the Southwest Mu Muy fieu seum's s Nevada expedition expedition but no no a acan steps can be taken by that institution f for r Its Its' preservation The other city has has- been beep only lye lored f mIllS IS region and thatto that the east of I it J f In Arizona the Grand Canyon from the they point where tourists tourists' ordinarily see ec it It is the leas least known wn section of the United States It It contains m many many prehistoric and natural curl curiosities When the Colorado gorge gorge- a little lower down dow Is Is' converted ll Into to a storage reservoir by Boulder Dam the I lake Jake kc so formed will border this region In part ot of f the V will will- be V t li l r t C car carved d' d h have Curiously vc figu figures res which hi been be- n excavated excavated t fr from m th the e rUI ruins sl of oC r y the ilL Lost cst C City ty it Y 2 AJ r I f IY 0 rn er y n e Jr f r r a r r a af r. r f y p pr r k r i. i 44 sj r rr p I f f 4 j Modern od mP Pueblo bl d l in iU ovens ov n in foreground found i in n New e Mexico fe i o. o These Thes Indians B are arc O the descendants descendants' des of f t the Pueblos s who form formerly lived jn in inthe the Valley of Fire and it be i for to visit will po possible e Qt the by bywater water The rU ruins I s l left ft by the tho eat early tribes of Indians were scattered tf ver who were c r f widely over the thi s SoutHwest tn t are r noti nearly ear y ao so o preten r t n. n spectacular cliff dwellings cliff and the large stone atone st ri and adobe dobe buildings adobe buildings left by the Pueblo eblo p peoples who came later In Inthe the pr prehistoric pen period c The The j l Appear a pe r 1 h humble hum hum- ble ble comparison y C mpa s n with th t tie the e Pueblo 1 bl dw dwellings but tile the adobe i pit pit- dwellings dwellings' furnish the only c the exIste existence ce of f those p people wile who were were the We first Americans Pu Pueblo bl o Grande ar seems to have to-have been the Pueblo settlement settlement in the the- State of ot Nev Nevada da acc according to M M. l Bi Harring Harrington Harrington ton ton who Rho was was' In charge cf the exploration and nd the restoration work d done ne in that area area for the M Museum 1 of the American n Indian Similar settlements tiow however ver have have been been fo found md throughout the South S uth- uth west westin in Arizona New Mexico and Call Call- form fornia P Pueblo Grande Grand lies lie along the river riverfront r. r front ot t c or six mil 5 tw t huddled clos oe so s ri places l ces and an 1 t thinly y scattered l' l iri others b but but atno t is isit it more than a 8 mile niUe The The Ranchers ian rs and the farmers have haye ve leveled et led part of 1 it long while ago ing lug their lands FOr six or y six h houses were were thoroughly excavated v and anum ber her of others other were ere re partially p Une unearthed but these thes represent ent a mere amere handful of the houses houses' ho ses' ses that ct on the the site and anda and a small proportion of those whose ruins rul ruins u are still sun in existence beneath the desert sand r Writing In hi the t the e l can I gist Mr Mi Harrington Ha Says says If was was' soon found id that there had been several t types types' of f ho houses ies o occupied by the the same people the tile most l primitive of ot which was was' w s' s the he pit pit dwelling proper T This s is 18 a circular r or val pit eight or orten orte ten feet across ross and t three or e or four Wet t deep with a floor of or hard hard beaten beaten earth or of ad adobe e. e wl with h the sides aides of the hole plastered r d with the same al w With a c lar bovil pe a little t toone one i i t 1 t. t J f. f f i i tr Do v J. J X-r X i J side of center e r. r In some some of or these these pos pos- sibly the old oldest t the walls walls' I above the ground level l and U tie the roof m have be been ben n made of poles poles' covered or some other perishable stuff for these theS pl pits contain contain contain con con- tain nothing In do th the of way Ray adobe adobe- stone or other Bother f wall fallen material L Of more snore more adv advanced n d more c common com com- m- m mI I mon here Js is' the pit dwelling 1 with an a an en encircling en- en circling Jor adobe fobe or r adobe a Q an stone the this ca case e yielding the remains Uie remains o of I f th he the Jall fallen i wall wall In there isolated some places are pit pit- dwellings g I in others w whole l groups placed pla e in a a more or orless less haphazard p zard way In instill still others the pits were were arranged ria ged in a row side by side with a a. 1 little space spice space between And Arid it Jt Yf was S from from rows o of Lit dwellings s like this that true tru h houses uses se seem m to o have developed w When hen some enterprising pit pit- dweller conceived conc conceived ved the brilliant Idea that he might make rw answer for two pit pit dwellings g simply ply by t digging them close together and making the intervening w wall ll straight stia instead of cUrved but the true rectangular r room seems to have come later Inmost In most of the houses th the rooms rooms are are more mor like ov ovals cut straight across across' across at than like Uke rec- rec rectangles tangles That Is is- is w are straight while Ue the I side e walls US' US remain curve curved d l to a greater t o less less' extent and extent and aDd ande aDdI e I the the floors floors are still still more or less sunken l below the surface ol off the ground In 51 such h manner s seems ems to have been J derived the Idea oVa oa of roomed many-roomed ho house home from this It w was but a step to the building oS oSof s of houses with truly truly- rectangular rooms in Ra rows with floors on the level o of the outside outside outside out out- side side- ground and and such houses homes were al already already already al- al ready being built built before Pueblo Grande was abandoned abandon d. d Thus true Pueblo architecture architecture archi arch was born bom for tM thi great three or i four storied houses homes which characterise ch the climax of ot culture represent merely a further development of the same idea When the early pit dweller pit came home from his hunting excursions on the tha Nevada plateau u or from his fishing trips on the river he entered his house howe through I a hatchway in the tho roof root and probably pulled the tho lid shut on hIs Ms private family affairs A few of or his more ingenious brothers however built small smaIl lateral doorways doorways doorways door door- ways in the portion of projecting above the ground These called called so-called doors door were more like Uke a modem modern window than a doorway Some of h n had stone d door door- r- r Ills Bills and one house howe even had a a a stone OJ lintel still stUl in place t f. f 1 E house with a real doorway and andl J- J l lintel nt l was evidently the the the home of Df a a very progressive and wea wealthy thy member of th the tribe for it p possessed essed many rectangular J rooms The fact th that t it was so prete pretentious preten- preten 1 has led scientists to conclude that I perhaps perhaps-it it bel belongs to a later period in th the tho 0 history peoples than the houses with the hatchway entrances The hypothesis that the original h houses of Pueblo Grande or Lost Los City had hatchways has been built bunt on th fac t J. J similar r dwellings in other sections of the tho r r Southwest possessed entrances entranCes' of some sort through the ro roof loaf f. f Scientists Scientists' have y also found among the ruins nuns thin flat fiat t s slabs labs slabs slabs' which showed signs of having been en 1 l' l ls l's w worked around the thee edges presumably with 1 the object of making them fit into roo roof J r openings Many o of th these e rectangular r i stones were found in therul of the pl pit pit- 1 rooms w where ere they had |
