Excerpt from Archaeological Research in the Northeastern San Juan Basin of Colorado During the Summer of 1921

While the existence of prehistoric ruins in the northeastern San J m basin has been known of for a long time it was not thought of enough importance to make an extended survey of them and it remained for the State Historical and Natural History Society of Colorado to make the first serious efiort to determine the extent and area of the ruins.

The attention of the society was first called to the ruins by Mr. F. 0. Reed of the American Railway Express Company, who referred the president of the society to Mr. J. S. Palmer, of Farmington, New Mexico, as one who was familiar with the situation. A certain amount of correspondence followed and matters were also taken up with Mr. W. Z abriskie of Pagosa Junction, who referred the society to Mr. W. E. Colton of Pagosa Springs. From Mr. Colton sherds, photo graphs and other material was obtained and from the showing made it was thought advisable for the Curator of Archaeology and Ethnology to make a pre liminary visit to Pagosa Springs and vicinity to ascertain the extent and char acter of the ruins. This visit was made in April. The result proved that there were many ruins in the neighborhood and a summer's expedition was at once planned. A permit to excavate and examine ruins in Archuleta County was ap plied for and through the interest and influence of United States Senator L. C. Phipps and Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology, the permit was speedily granted by the Department of Agriculture.

Active solicitation for funds to carry on the summer's work was begun at once, and through the interest of Mrs. Jarvis (clarice) Richards, Mrs. Ida Kruse M cfarlane, Mr. Paul T. Mayo Dr. E. B. Renaud and others, an agreement was made whereby certain funds were secured to pursue the work as a joint expedition of the State Historical and Natural History Society and the University of Denver. A two-ton truck was loaned the expedition by the State Highway Department of Colorado for transportation purposes and on June the l1th the expedition left Denver for the field. A permanent camp was made at the foot of the Chimney Rock mesa, 22 miles west of Pagosa Springs, and after reap-ening a mile of an abandoned logging road to accommodate automobiles and building a foot trail of about a mile in length to the top of the mesa, a site was selected and active work begun on the excavations.

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