Hunts for Indian relics date to 19th century

Shirleypal · Post by **Shirleypal** » 10-05-2009 12:57 AM

04 Oct 09
The "pot-hunting" culture of the Southwest dates back to the 1800s, when a Colorado ranching family began exploring and excavating the ruined cliff dwellings of the Anasazi, an ancient civilization that flourished centuries ago.

Richard Wetherill and his brothers discovered entire homes filled with decorated pottery, jewelry, tools, sandals and finely woven baskets dating from about 600 to 1300 A.D. Thousands of grave sites, where the dead were wrapped in blankets and buried with their most valuable possessions, also were discovered.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9B3NVO81

Shirleypal · Post by **Shirleypal** » 10-05-2009 12:59 AM

The National Park series on PBS covered the cliff dwellings in the American Southwest, by the time it was protected much was looted and destroyed.