A Ceremonial Cave in the Winchester Mountains

Summary

In the recent past bat droppings have been collected by guano hunters and it is probable that these were the first people, other than those of prehistoric times, to have used the cave for any definite purpose. While it is quite possible that the Apache Indians may have employed the cave as a camp site, there is no direct evidence of their having established it as a permanent abode. In the foothills are the remains of many mescal roasting pits presenting the characteristics of those used by the Apache.

The records of visits to this cave are meagre. It was brought to the attention of the writer by Mrs. Jessica McMurray of nearby Mule Shoe Ranch, an enthusiastic archaeologist, who had made several visits to the cave and collected from the surface some of the material herein described. When Mrs. McMurray presented her collection to the Amerind Museum in 1940 it was apparent that work should be continued toward establishing further archaeological data from the cave. In the late spring of that year an inspection trip was made by Mr. William Hayden Fulton and the author who were fortunate in finding considerable additional material and it was then decided that the Amerind Foundation should try to obtain excavation privileges during the following season. In March 1941 Mr. Harry Saxon, owner of the property, granted us permission to undertake a thorough investigation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digital Archive of Huhugam Archaeology (DAHA)   •
• Amerind DAHA Resources

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Amerind Museum

Contributor(s): Arnold Withers; William C. Orchard; A.C. Whitford; Dean Byron Cummings; E.K. Burnett

Submitted To(s): The Amerind Foundation, Inc.

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