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GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION OF HISTORIC AND 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS. 
 
 BY 
 EDGAR L. HEWETT. 
 
 [Reprinted from Science, iV. /S'., Vol. XX., No. 517, 
 Pages 722-727, November 25, 1904.'] 
 
y. 
 
 Gift 
 
 Author 
 (Persop) 
 
[Beprinted from Science, N. S., Vol. XX., No. 
 517, Pages 7^2-727, Novemher 26, 1904-'] 
 
 GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION OP HISTORIC AND PRE- 
 HISTORIC RUINS. 
 
 The traffic in prehistoric wares from the 
 southwest that has arisen during the past few 
 years, with the attendant destruction of pre- 
 historic remains, has become a matter of great 
 concern to archeologists, who appreciate the 
 gravity of this loss to anthropological science. 
 Even though much of this material gathered 
 by parties who are only commercially inter- 
 ested in it, eventually finds its way into public 
 museums, its value to science is greatly re- 
 duced because of the absence of authentic 
 records. Fortunately, a growing popular and 
 educational interest in historic and prehis- 
 toric landmarks has arisen to assist in the 
 preservation of these objects. 
 
 As a citizen of New Mexico who has 
 watched with deep concern the loss of many 
 of the incomparable archeological treasures of 
 the southwest, I have recently taken up in a 
 more serious manner than ever before an in- 
 quiry into the question of how these monu- 
 ments may be permanently preserved and pre- 
 historic relics protected at least long enough 
 to permit of their scientific investigation. 
 During the past few weeks, while pursuing 
 certain lines of research at the national capi- 
 tal, for which the splendid resources of various 
 government departments, bureaus, museums 
 and libraries have been most courteously 
 placed at my disposal, the opportunity has 
 been given me to inform myself fully as to 
 the care which the United States government 
 has exercised over these ruins, is now exer- 
 cising and stands ready to exercise whenever 
 
2 
 
 properly informed. The manifest desire to 
 be informed, and the promptness with which 
 information is digested and acted upon by the 
 departments having jurisdiction over such 
 matters are most encouraging. 
 
 In view of the fact that scientific bodies 
 have come to take a commendable interest in 
 this subject, and that various measures look- 
 ing toward the protection and preservation of 
 our prehistoric ruins have been and now are 
 under consideration and may be brought be- 
 fore the national Congress next winter, it will 
 be helpful in considering such measures to 
 know that a wise and vigorous policy has been 
 developed in the department of the interior 
 with reference thereto. This policy, if vigor- 
 ously pursued, practically accomplishes the 
 ends to be desired and renders legislation of 
 secondary importance. The following corre- 
 spondence explains itself. I give, first, ex- 
 cerpts from a letter from the Honorable W. A. 
 Eichards, Commisioner of the General Land 
 Office, under date of October 5, 1904. 
 
 Professor Edgar L. Hewett, 
 Washington, D. C. 
 Sir: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 letter of September 3, 1904, transmitting a mem- 
 orandum relative to the historic and prehistoric 
 ruins in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and 
 Utah, and, also, of your letter, under date of 
 September 14, 1904, in relation to proposed legis- 
 lation for the protection of such ruins. 
 ****** 
 
 This office fully appreciates the necessity for 
 protecting these ruins and the importance of 
 furthering in every way possible, researches in 
 connection therewith which are undertaken for 
 the benefit of recognized scientific and educational 
 institutions, with a view to increasing the knowl- 
 edge of such objects and aiding in the general 
 advancement of archeological science; and it de- 
 sires to aid all such efforts to the full extent of 
 its power, while, at the same time, endeavoring to 
 efi'ectually protect the ruins and relics on the 
 
public lands from ruthless spoliation by parties 
 plying a trade in such matters. 
 
 ****** 
 
 The need for adequate legislation on this sub- 
 ject has, accordingly, been called to the attention 
 of congress by this department for a number of 
 years, but as yet without avail. 
 
 In the meantime, every effort has been made 
 to extend such protection to the various regions 
 known to contain objects of interest as is possible 
 without the requested legislation. Certain of the 
 tracts have been protected from appropriation by 
 being temporarily withdrawn from disposal under 
 the public land laws. This action has been taken 
 in the following cases : 
 
 In New Mexico: The Pajarito Cliff Dwellers' 
 region, the Jemez Cliff Dwellers' region, the tract 
 known as El Moro, or Inscription Rock. 
 
 In Colorado: The Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellers' 
 region. 
 
 In Arizona: The tract containing the petrified 
 forest; tlie greater portion of that part of the 
 district designated by you as the Rio Verde dis- 
 trict which lies outside of the Black Mesa Forest 
 Reserve. This withdrawn area contains, among 
 other ruins, the one known as Montezuma Castle. 
 ****** 
 
 As regards the regions which you mention as 
 containing ruins of known importance, which fall 
 within the boundaries of tracts that have been 
 permanently set apart as forest reserves, or just 
 outside of the boundaries thereof, you are advised 
 that they are, in consequence, under the care of 
 the forest force patrolling the reserves, and that, 
 instructions have, at different times, been issued 
 to the forest officers in respect to having a gen- 
 eral care of these ruins. Further and more 
 specific instructions will now be given in regard 
 to their care, based upon the information fur- 
 nished by you. 
 
 The several regions thus under the supervision 
 of the forest reserve force fall within the districts 
 designated by you as follows: 
 
 In the Gila River Forest Reserve, New Mexico: 
 The greater portions of both the Upper Gila Dis- 
 trict and the San Francisco River District. 
 
 In the Black Mesa Forest Reserve, Arizona: 
 A portion of both the San Carlos District and 
 
the Rio Verde District; which latter contains 
 what is known as Montezuma Well. 
 
 In the San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserve, 
 Arizona : A portion of the Flagstaff District. 
 
 As yet, owing to the lack of sufficient available 
 funds, it has not been practicable to place custo- 
 dians in charge of the numerous and widely scat- 
 tered ruins throughout the southwest, except in 
 the case of three localities in Arizona. These 
 cases are: The Casa Grande ruin; the Walnut 
 €af5on ruins, lying partly within the San Fran- 
 •cisco Mountains Forest Reserve; the ruins of 
 Canon del Muerto, within the Navajo Indian 
 Reservation. 
 
 It is evident that immediate and effective meas- 
 ures should be taken by the government to protect 
 xegions containing objects of such great value to 
 the ethnological history of this country and to 
 other scientific studies; * * * 
 
 I am also heartily in accord with your recom- 
 mendation that, while many of the tracts con- 
 taining ruins and other objects of interest need 
 only to be temporarily withdrawn and protected 
 until the ruins and objects thereon have been 
 satisfactorily examined and utilized, yet, certain 
 of the most important of these regions should be 
 preserved permanently as national parks, and 
 that a general law be enacted, authorizing the 
 establishment of such parks, and making provi- 
 sion for their proper protection and management. 
 ****** 
 
 (Signed) W. A. Richards, 
 
 Commissioner. 
 
 The following orders were sent out by the 
 commissioner of the general land office a few 
 days subsequent to the above correspondence: 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL LAND 
 OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 October 15, 1904. 
 Mb. F. S. Breen, 
 
 Forest Supervisor, 
 
 Flagstaff, Arizona. 
 Sir: Your special attention is called to the his- 
 toric and prehistoric ruins located in the San 
 Francisco Mountains and Black Mesa Forest Re- 
 
serves. As the ruins are almost entirely within 
 said reserves, you are directed to exercise special 
 care in their preservation. For your informa- 
 tion in this matter I will state that there appears 
 to be no special statute forbidding scientific 
 research on the public lands, or requiring that 
 permission shall be obtained before undertaking 
 the same or removing objects of value from the 
 public domain. At the same time, however, in- 
 dependent of positive legislative provision in the 
 matter, the United States has all the civil 
 remedies, whether for the prevention or redress 
 of injuries, which individuals possess. And, 
 since all unauthorized excavations upon public 
 lands which tend to the injury of same or of 
 ruins or relics thereon, or the removal of objects 
 of value or of scientific or historic interest, are 
 in the nature of trespass upon the lands, all 
 such intrusion upon public lands renders the 
 parties to the trespasses liable to prosecution. 
 
 It is, therefore, deemed advisable that all per- 
 sons wishing to explore and make excavations of 
 the ruins referred to, should secure pei-mission 
 from the department. This office appreciates the 
 importance of aiding in every way possible all 
 examinations and gatherings of objects of inter- 
 est upon the public domain, which are undertaken 
 for the benefit of recognized scientific and edu- 
 cational institutions, while, at the same time, 
 endeavoring to effectually protect the ruins and 
 dwellings on the public lands from ruthless spolia- 
 tion by parties plying a trade in such matters. 
 
 You are hereby directed to use your best eff'orts 
 to carry out the wishes of the department in this 
 matter, and so instruct your subordinates. 
 Very respectfully, 
 (Signed) W. A. Eichaeds, 
 
 Commissioner. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL LAND 
 OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 October 19, 1904. 
 Mr. Frank Grygla, 
 
 Special Agent, G. L. 0., 
 Santa Fe, New Mexico. 
 Sir: Your special attention is called to the sub- 
 ject of the unauthorized explorations and ex- 
 cavations of the historic and prehistoric ruins 
 located upon the public lands for purposes of 
 
(i 
 
 traflic in the curios, relics and objects of scientific 
 and historic interest taken therefrom. 
 
 In order to prevent the further improvident 
 spoliation and destruction of these ruins, and to 
 restrict the explorations and excavations thereof 
 to those made for the benefit of recognized scien- 
 tific and educational institutions and objects, it 
 is deemed advisable that all persons desiring to 
 engage in such explorations shall secure per- 
 mission therefor from the department before com- 
 mencing their operations. 
 
 You will take prompt and appropriate measures 
 to insure observance of the department's wishes 
 with respect to such of said ruins as may be upon 
 public lands, including those temporarily with- 
 drawn with a view to the creation of forest re- 
 serves, or for other purposes, in your territory, 
 and you will render all practicable assistance to 
 the forest reserve and Indian officers in their 
 efforts to protect the ruins upon the lands under 
 their supervision from unauthorized explorations 
 and excavations. 
 
 If in any instance adequate protection to the 
 public interests in connection with these ruins 
 can not be obtained without recourse to legal 
 proceedings, you will at once report the facts and 
 the means of proving them to this office for con- 
 sideration with a view to the institution of such 
 proceedings. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 (Signed) W. A. Richards, 
 
 Commissioner. 
 
 Identical orders were sent to all forest 
 supervisors and special agents of the general 
 land office in the southwest. These orders 
 cover not less than three fourths of all the 
 ruins of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and 
 Utah. 
 
 On or near all the important ruins that are 
 situated on lands controlled by the General 
 Land Office which have been withdrawn either 
 permanently or temporarily tJie following no- 
 tice, printed in conspicuous type on large 
 sheet? of tough white cloth, is kept posted by 
 range riders and other officers : 
 
WARNING : 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 
 
 GENERAL LAND OFFICE, 
 
 Washington, D. C, May 24, 1904. 
 
 Notice is hereby given that these lands have been 
 withdrawn, for public purposes, from settlement, 
 entry, and other disposal. 
 
 All persons are prohibited, under the penalty 
 of the law, in such cases provided, from committing 
 thereon any trespass whatever, and from working 
 in any manner whatever any injury, waste, or 
 damage of any kind to these public lands and to 
 the timber, natural curiosities, caves, ruins, ob- 
 jects of antiquity, or any other public property 
 thereon, and from removing or in any way dis- 
 turbing the same. W. A. Richards, 
 
 Commissioner of the General Land Office. 
 Approved: E. A. Hitchcock, 
 
 Secretary of the Interior. 
 
 The following excerpts from a letter from 
 Hon. A. C Tonner, acting commissioner of 
 Indian affairs, set forth the policy of that 
 department on the same subject: 
 
 department of THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INDIAN 
 AFFAIRS, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 October 22, 1904. 
 Edgar L. Hewett, Esq., 
 Washington, D. C. 
 Bir : This office is in receipt of your communi- 
 cation of the 17th instant, 
 
 * * * * -x- » 
 
 In reply you are advised that this office has 
 been and is fully alive to the importance of pre- 
 serving the various ruins and remains of antiquity 
 scattered throughout the southwest-, and has here- 
 tofore issued stringent orders to many of the 
 Indian officials in charge of the reservations to 
 which you refer — especially to those in charge of 
 the Navajo, Moqui and Hualapi reservations. 
 Quite recently this office, in order to prevent the 
 spoliation of the prehistoric ruins in the canons of 
 De Chelly and Del Muerto, recommended to the 
 secretary of the interior that a custodian be ap- 
 pointed to have charge of the ruins in the said 
 canons, and authority was granted by the secre- 
 tary therefor and the custodian is now on duty. 
 
 In view of your present request the officials in 
 
8 
 
 charge of the various Indian reservations to which 
 you refer have, in letters of this day, been advised 
 relative to preventing further injury to ruins and 
 suppressing the traffic in prehistoric pottery which 
 may be found on the reservations under their care. 
 Their attention has been invited to the previous 
 instructions of the office relative to this matter 
 and they have been requested to use their best 
 endeavors to keep out intruders and relic hunters 
 and to see that such of the remains of antiquity 
 as may be located within the reserves under their 
 respective charges are kept intact until such 
 time as proper scientific investigation of the same 
 may be had. Very respectfully, 
 
 (Signed) A. C. Tonner, 
 W.M.W, — L.M. Acting Commissioner. 
 
 Following is a copy of orders sent out from 
 the office of Indian affairs October 22: 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INDIAN 
 AFFAIRS, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 October 22, 1904. 
 James B. Alexander, Esq., 
 
 Superintendent Pima Indian School, 
 Sacaton, Arizona. 
 Sir: 
 
 It has been and is the policy of this office to 
 prevent all unauthorized persons from entering 
 Indian reservations and despoiling historic or pre- 
 historic ruins and taking therefrom any relics or 
 remains of antiquity whatever. To this end your 
 predecessors in office or perhaps you have hereto- 
 fore been advised of the wishes of this office in 
 this respect and requested to take such action 
 as might be necessary to the end that proper pro- 
 tection should be afforded in the premises and all 
 spoliation of these valuable ruins be prevented. 
 ****** 
 
 It is desired that you take this matter up and 
 issue such orders or instructions and take such 
 action as may be necessary to carry out the 
 wishes of this office as heretofore expressed. 
 Should you have Indian police under your charge, 
 they should be properly cautioned and instructed. 
 Further, reliable and trustworthy chiefs and 
 headmen of the tribe might likewise be advised 
 of the desire of this office to protect these re- 
 
9 
 
 mains of antiquity from being despoiled by cui-io 
 hunters, etc., and directed to aid you so far as 
 possible in the matter. 
 
 Should unauthorized persons be found on the 
 reservation or reservations under your charge and 
 engaged in the work of excavating or collecting 
 relics, etc., they should be removed from the 
 reservation and the facts in the case be reported 
 to this office in full. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 (Signed) A. C. Tonnee, 
 VV.M.W.— L.M. Acting Commissioner. 
 
 Identical orders were sent at the same time 
 to superintendents of Indian schools, agents 
 and additional farmers throughout New Mex- 
 ico, Arizona and Colorado. These orders 
 cover about one fourth of all the southwestern 
 ruins. It will be seen that these various sets 
 of orders from the two departments embrace 
 practically all of the ruins that are not under 
 private ownership. 
 
 It definitely mobilizes, so to speak, a force 
 of forest supervisors, rangers, special agents, 
 Indian school superintendents and teachers, 
 Indian agents, farmers and police, and even 
 enlists the Indians themselves, a particularly 
 sagacious step, in the protection of these ruins 
 for the avowed purposes of preserving them 
 for scientific investigation. It establishes the 
 broad and liberal policy that any competent 
 scientist, who desires to place the material 
 secured in a reputable public museum, will be 
 authorized by the department of the interior 
 to examine ruins, but that no person will be 
 permitted to enter and excavate them for the 
 purpose of acquiring specimens for traffic or 
 private gain, and that willful destruction of 
 valuable historic and prehistoric landmarks 
 must cease. 
 
 In reply to a letter addressed to Mr. W. H. 
 Holmes, chief of the Bureau of American 
 Ethnology, inquiring what steps were being 
 taken by that bureau with a view to putting 
 the Interior Department in possession of in- 
 
10 
 
 formation that would be helpful in carrying 
 out the policy of the department relative to 
 the southwestern ruins, I received the follow- 
 ing communication: 
 
 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 
 
 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY, 
 
 W^ASIIINGTON, D. C. 
 
 November 19, 1904. 
 My dear Mr. Hewett: 
 
 I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 
 of the 16th instant, making inquiries regarding 
 the steps now being taken by the Bureau of Ameri- 
 can Ethnology in furnishing information to the 
 Interior Department relative to the location, char- 
 acter, and condition of the various historic and 
 prehistoric ruins of the Southwest. 
 
 In reply I have to say that much progress has 
 been made in the preparation of maps and descrip- 
 tive lists of the various archeological sites of the 
 Pueblo region. The Bureau has been conducting 
 explorations among these sites at frequent inter- 
 vals ever since its foundation, and has published 
 numerous reports and maps embodying the results 
 of its researches. The preparation of a general 
 archeological map has been in hand for several 
 years, and the data amassed is laid down on the 
 Geological Survey maps, upwards of 50 of the 
 topographical sheets covering parts of Utah, 
 Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona having been 
 utilized in this manner. 
 
 Accompanying the maps is a card catalogue of 
 the sites, giving more or less complete data rela- 
 tive to the ruins and other remains. Recently a 
 demand for this class of information has arisen in 
 the Interior Department, and in order to properly 
 meet this demand the work has been taken up 
 afresh and reliable information from all sources 
 is being brought together. The data previously 
 collected is now being transferred to the latest 
 editions of the maps on which we are laying down 
 all Indian Reserves, private land grants, and town- 
 ship and section lines. Distixictive symbols are 
 used for the various classes of remains, thus aid- 
 ing in identification of particular sites; and the 
 catalogue as recently remodeled, embodies a wide 
 range of information, especially such as is likely 
 to be of service to the Interior Department. The 
 
11 
 
 work is rapidly covering all the public lands on 
 which archeological remains of importance occur 
 and progress maps will soon be submitted for 
 publication. Copies of these will, if deemed ad- 
 visable, be placed in the hands of land surveyors, 
 Indian agents, custodians of reservations, teachers, 
 and others employed in the region or having 
 knowledge of its ancient ruins, in order that all 
 possible additions may be made. 
 
 It is expected that in a few years the record of 
 our more important antiquities, already completed 
 and published for the Mississippi Valley and the 
 Gulf states, will be extended to cover the entire 
 country. 
 
 I am enclosing herewith samples of the catalogue 
 cards recently introduced. They provide spaces 
 for recording data as follows : State, county, town- 
 ship, range, section, drainage; map (name of 
 sheet), number of site, class or kind of remains, 
 common or aboriginal name, where such exist, 
 people, if known ; needs of protection, of custodian- 
 ship and repair; availability for research; history 
 and bibliography. 
 
 The information thus gathered will be avail- 
 able for use by the Interior Department at an 
 early date, although the data with respect to 
 many important sites will necessarily be imperfect. 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 W. H. Holmes, 
 Mb. Edgab L. Hewett, Chief. 
 
 U. (S'. National iluseum. 
 
 Most archeologists will agree with Governor 
 Richards that this subject calls for some ju- 
 dicious legislation, but they will be especially 
 gratified to know that, pending such enact- 
 ment, an efficient and economical policy has 
 been developed in the department of the in- 
 terior which is being made operative as 
 promptly as circumstances will permit. The 
 main thing, a system of governmental protec- 
 tion of archeological remains, is manifestly 
 an accomplished fact, as much so, and after 
 the same manner, as is the protection of tim- 
 ber on public lands. It will be effective just 
 so far as the commissioners of the general 
 land office and of Indian affairs are furnished 
 
12 
 
 with means adequate to carry the system into 
 effect. It would now seem that all concerned 
 can best serve the interests of science and of 
 the public by upholding this wise policy. I 
 would further suggest that all workers in the 
 southwestern field should make it their duty 
 to keep the department of the interior in- 
 formed of violations of the above orders which 
 come to their notice and that they should 
 henceforth refuse to purchase for museums 
 any specimens or collections that are not se- 
 cured by parties duly authorized to collect the 
 same by the secretary of the interior. A 
 specimen not secured by legitimate authority 
 and not accompanied by authentic record 
 should have no place in a reputable museum. 
 
 The bill proposed by Commissioner Rich- 
 ards as a substitute for all the pending bills 
 on the subject is embodied in his annual 
 report for 1904 to the secretary of the interior 
 which can doubtless be had by addressing 
 him. I regard it as a sound measure which 
 provides in a simple and direct way for the 
 end to be accomplished, and which should pre- 
 cede any further special enactments. 
 
 Edgar L. Hewett. 
 
 Las Vegas, New Mexico. 
 

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