Historical Introduction to Studies Among the Sedentary Indians of New Mexico; Report on the Ruins of the Pueblo of Pecos Papers Of The Archæological Institute Of America, American Series, Vol. I

A thorough opening places the sedentary peoples of New Mexico and Arizona within the tangled web of early Spanish discovery. It traces how legends of the “Seven Caves” and distant Amazons guided explorers from the 1530s onward, weaving together the accounts of missionaries, chroniclers, and indigenous writers. The narrative sets the stage for understanding how myth and ambition shaped the first European encounters with the region’s villages.

The second part shifts to a precise archaeological record of the Pecos Pueblo, presented through an array of plates and maps that detail walls, stone constructions, and interior spaces. Readers are guided through plans of specific buildings, sections of walls, and the layout of graves and springs, offering a vivid picture of Pueblo life before colonization. Together, the historical context and the visual documentation invite listeners to explore a pivotal chapter of Southwest history with clarity and depth.