Beesh Ligaii Bighan, West-northwest of State Highway 506 & Indian Highway 63 Junction, Teec Nos Pos

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER ARIZ,1-TENPO.V,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

At Site AZ-I-97, approximately miles west-northwest of the junction of New Mexico State Highway 506 and Indian Highway 63; approximately miles northwest of Red Goat Spring; and approximately 2 miles west of the town of Beclabito, New Mexico, Teec Nos Pos vicinity, Apache County, Arizona UTM: Zone 12; mE, mN Quad: Beclabito, New Mexico-Arizona, Provisional edition series

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER ARIZ,1-TENPO.V,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Beesh ligaii Bighan derives its significance from the fact that it is a component of the only known base metals mine in the Carrizo Mountains. As such, it is unique. The mine and its features represent the result of intensive prospecting for gold and other precious metals that began on the Navajo Reservation, perhaps as early as Moreover, the mine, in operation during the ranks among the oldest of any type of mine in the eastern Carrizos. t The Beesh ligaii Bighan is part of Site AZ-I-9-7, an abandoned mine situated on the eastern slopes if the Carrizo Mountains, near the northern end of the mountain range (Figure I). Features associated with the mine are strung out across the mountain slope for a distance of approximately feet.

The westernmost portion of the site is at the highest elevation feet above From this point, terrain slopes steeply down (21 degrees) to the east. The elevation at the eastern end of the site is feet above On-site vegetation includes an overstory of pinyon and juniper. Sagebrush, mountain mahogany, Mormon tea, and muhly grass comprise the understory. Topographically, the site is situated within a small canyon and along the ridges, benches, and slopes that border the canyon. The canyon itself is unnamed, but is an intermittently flowing tributary of Beclabito Wash, which is located approximately feet to the northeast. Although the Carrizos contain numerous seeps and springs, there are no named permanent water sources in close proximity to the site.

Red Goat Spring, which may represent a permanent water source, is located approximately miles to the southeast. THE BMSHZIGAIIBIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 2) Site AZ-I-9-7 itself consists of 15 features, including both architectural and nonarchitectural remains. The Biish ligaii Bighan is one of two structural features on the site (Figure 2). The BUsh ligaii Bighan is situated on the south-central portion of the site. It represents the only known mine building on the site and consists of two rooms. The smaller room appears to have been a hoist room, while the larger is interpreted as a storage room, although it may have served multiple functions.

The Biish ligaii Bighan (Figure 3) is located adjacent to one of the two vertical shafts on the mine which access underground workings. This shaft is designated Feature 7. Hie second shaft (Feature 13) is located near the western end of the site. There are no extramural features, such as ash or trash dumps, associated with the Biish ligaii Bighan. The second structure (Feature 1) is the remains of a house that may have contained as many as four rooms. This structure is the eastern- most feature on the site, situated on the south side of a dirt road, approximately 575 feet from the BUsh ligaii Bighan.

Three features, including a coal pile (Feature 2), a charcoal and ash pile (Feature 3), and a charcoal stain (Feature 4) are located within 85 feet of the structure identified as Feature 1 and these may all represent the remains of domestic activities associated with the house. The remaining features on the site are all associated with mining activities. These include 3 piles of waste material (Features 5, 6, and 2 retaining walls (Features 8 and 1 dam f (Feature 1 possible culvert (Feature and 1 trail (Feature Anderson and Martin provide detailed descriptions of each of these features. The ligaii Bighan has no known name in the available literature.

Prior to the Navajo Nation Archaeology Department's (NNAD) documentation of the structure in conjunction with the recordation of Site AZ-I-9-7, the only mention of the building is in a report by Chenoweth who visited the site in He refers to the structure only as "the ruins of some old mine buildings" (Chenoweth and shows them on a sketch map as "houses" (Figure 4). BUsh ligaii Bighan is Navajo in origin. Bii&h ligaii can be translated as "metal" or "silver", while Bighan can be translatedas "building", "structure", or "shed". The name was chosen during HAER form preparation based on information provided by Mr. Perry Charley of the Navajo Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Department (NAMLR), who is also a life-long resident of the Beclabito area. Mr.

Charley's inquiries revealed that while neither the mine nor any of its components were known locally by specific names, most residents of the area who knew the site believed it had been a silver mine. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BEESH ZIGAII BIGHAN The Biish ligaii Bighan consists of two stone masonry rooms that are attached at one corner (see Photographs 1, 2, and 3). The larger of the rooms is believed to have been a storage room. The smaller room has walls that are heavily buttressed and probably functioned to support and protect the mine hoist. THE BE&SH LIGAII BIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No.

AZ-32 (Page 3) The emplacement of the structure in a narrow V-shaped arroyo forced the builders to dig the structure into the hillside, thereby providing space for mining activities in the vicinity of the vertical shaft. Thus, the stone block walls on three sides of the structure serve the dual purpose of stabilizing or retaining the talus slope to provide structural integrity. Original plan drawings of the Biish ligaii Bighan cannot be located and it is quite likely that none ever existed. This kind of vernacular architecture was likely designed and modified on-site to meet needs specific to the hoist used to access the mine. Buttressing of the hoist room walls is oriented to supporting an overhead framework in the vicinity of the vertical shaft.

The Biish ligaii Bighan is in a partially collapsed state. The roof, door, and interior finishing materials (if any) have been removed. Mr. Perry Charley, whose family has grazing rights for land adjacent to the site, indicated that in his 40 years in the area, he never saw any roof material or doors on the site. In its current state, only major structural modifications would be noticeable to the site recorders. No such modifications are apparent; however, observations of corner bonding and abutting indicate that the hoist room was constructed before the storage room. The time between construction episodes is probably very short, however, because the style of * dry-laid masonry is similar in both rooms and the mine is known to have been in operation for only a few years.

Storage Room (Room 1) In plan view the storage room has the shape of an irregular polygon with four sides. Estimating from this irregular shape, the interior of the room measures 16 feet 5 inches by 18 feet 5 inches in size, thus providing approximately 302 square feet of floor space. Currently the walls range from 7 feet to nearly 9 feet in height, however, these measurements were made from a floor surface that is filled with dirt and rock debris. Also, it is likely that the top portions of the walls do not represent the full height because of the process of ruination. Consequently, the full height of the walls was likely 10 feet or greater. The doorway to the storage room is located in the north wall (see Photograph 4). It measures approximately 5 feet in width.

There is no evidence of a door jamb, sill, or hanging hardware. In its current state of ruin there is no evidence of interior features within the room. The east, south, and west walls of the storage room are dug into the hillside and cut into solid rock. Dry-laid stone masonry was used to bring the walls to full height and stabilize talus slope materials. The masonry is roughly coursed, two wythes THE JLIGAIIBIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 4) thick in most places, and chinked with small pieces of stone. Larger pieces of stone blocks characterize the footing, but smaller blocks are incorporated in courses above 5 feet. The uppermost courses of stone incorporate slabs rather than blocks.

There is no evidence of the roof or how it may have been tied to the walls. The north wall of the storage room is somewhat different because it contains the doorway and is constructed entirely of dry-laid rock masonry. As with the other walls, double-wythe masonry is present, however, the outside wythe is composed of significantly larger blocks than the interior facing. The method of construction effectively presents a smoother surface on the interior of the structure and suggests that the exterior wythe was the load-bearing member. Each corner of the storage room is constructed in a slightly different fashion. Only the southeast corner is tied by interlocking stones, set every third or fourth course. The northeast corner is formed by the north wall abutting the east wall.

The lack of tie stones in this corner is demonstrated by a large crack visible in the front of the structure (see Photograph 4). The southwest corner is formed by the south wall abutted against the west wall. More complicated corner bonding is evident in the northwest corner, because this is where the storage room is attached to the hoist room. At the northwest corner, the west wall abuts the north wall and end stub of * the north wall of the hoist room. The north wall abuts the northeast wall of the hoist room. This pattern of abutment indicates that the hoist room (or at least its northeast wall) was constructed prior to the storage room. Hoist Room (Room 2) In plan view the hoist room is rectangular in shape with its long axis oriented northwest to southeast.

The interior of the room measures 13 feet by 10 feet, providing approximately 130 square feet of floor space. The walls range to approximately 8 feet in height, however, like the storage room, the original hoist room walls were likely 10 feet or more in height. The doorway to the hoist room is in the northwest wall (see Photograph 5). It may be described as a 3-foot-wide opening between the ends of the northwest and northeast walls. There is no evidence of the door jamb or hanging hardware. One interior feature is evident in the room. It is a post that measures 13 inches in diameter. The post is located in the approximate center of the room. This post, along with two features in the walls, probably combined to support the hoist and associated machinery.

The other features consist of interior buttressing of the west corner of the room and a beam socket set high in the east corner of the structure. The buttressing is composed of stone masonry set in the interior of the corner. The THE BEESHEIGAIIBIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 5) beam socket consists of an opening in the masonry, high in the east corner of the structure. A small wooden plank or split log supports the rear of the beam socket. The orientation of these three features, aligned with the vertical mine shaft, indicates that this three-point arrangement supported the overhead framework for the hoist. The walls of the hoist room are constructed from large stone blocks, set two wythes thick.

All masonry appears to be dry laid, with stone chinking used to level and/or wedge the blocks in position. The northeast, northwest, and southwest walls are composed of free-standing masonry, but most of the southeast wall is cut from solid rock. Stone masonry is used on the upper portion of the southeast wall to stabilize the talus slope. High in the southeast wail is a single roof beam set in the two uppermost courses of masonry (see Photograph 6). The beam appears to be a pine log that measures approximately 4.5 inches in diameter. The only other interior wall features are two boards wedged into the northeast wall. These boards are inserted perpendicular to the wall, extending no more than 6 inches into the room.

Although these pieces are not at the same elevation, they may be the remains of shelves or may have provided attachment for some other interior feature. The construction of the hoist room shows greater use of ties to strengthen corner f- bonding than does that of the storage room. All corners except the north corner, which is the doorway, have occasional interlocked courses that serve to tie the walls together. The south corner is interesting because it is abutted and keyed into undulations in the bedrock surface which provide a stable wall tie. The most interesting corner construction in this room is the interior buttressing of the east corner. The buttress is constructed of dry-laid masonry that is closely fitted to the corner of the room.

It does not appear to be tied to the corner because, over time, the buttress has separated slightly from the walls. As mentioned previously, this buttressed corner seems to have played a part in a three-point support system for the overhead hoist. The general condition of the Biish ligaii Bighan may be characterized as a state of ruin. The roofs and nearly all interior features and detail have been removed, salvaged, or deteriorated. The remains of the superstructure consist of dry-laid masonry walls that are unstable, judging from the rubble noted in the interior of the rooms. Continued exposure to the elements will ultimately cause the structure to collapse.

HYPOTHESIZED FUNCTION OF THE IIGAII BIGHAN As indicated in the preceding section, the two rooms of the B sh ligaii Bighan are hypothesized to have functioned differently. The interpretations are, of necessity, based solely on observable details and context of the structure since neither archival THE BtiSHlIGAII BIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 6) nor ethnographic information regarding its function are available. It has been suggested that Room 1 functioned primarily, although perhaps not exclusively, as a storage area. There are several architectural details on which this interpretation is based. The first is the height of the walls, which are estimated to have reached or exceeded 10 feet.

This height is much greater than is usually found in domiciliary structures, and it is unlikely that time or labor would be invested in constructing a building with a higher roof than needed. The second is the doorway in Room 1. Its 5-foot-width is greater than required for a house, but not inconsistent with requirements for moving equipment and supplies into and out of a building. The third is the absence of windows, which are generally found in Anglo houses and are evident in Feature 1. These facts, taken together with the presence of a house suitable for dwelling on the site, combine to result in the proposed storage function. It is acknowledged, however, that the room may have served more than one purpose during the course of its use life. Room 2 is suggested to be a hoist room.

The evidence for this interpretation is more clear. First, the vertical shaft that is adjacent to the room is known to be at least 60 feet in depth (Chenoweth Removal of rock and ore would have required a hoist to bring buckets from the underground workings. Moreover, the buttressed f walls of the room and three-point support system discussed in detail above, support the notion of the hoist room, even in the absence of any remaining machinery. In sum, the Biish ligaii Bighan appears to have been an intimate part of the mining operation at Site AZ-I-9-7. History: HISTORICAL CONTEXT-EARLY

Mining on the Navajo Reservation

The history of prospecting in the Carrizos predates the history of Site AZ-I-9-7. However, a short review of and early century developments on the northern Navajo Reservation, as they relate both directly and somewhat more peripherally to mining, provides a context within which to view Site AZ-I-9-7. Kelley cites several researchers in summarizing the situation on the northern reservation during the late and early and much of the following paragraph is abstracted from her work. The land in the eastern Carrizos on which Site AZ-I-9-7 was eventually established was included in the boundaries of the Navajo Reservation created following the signing of the treaty between the Navajos and the United States.

Seven years later, in the area's reservation status was threatened when the then Navajo Agent, a man named Arny, attempted to open the Carrizos for mining of the gold that they supposedly contained. Possibly the prospectors who wanted access to the Carrizos were moving from the ore-rich San Juan Mountains north of the river, THE BMSHIIGAII BJGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 7) * where intensive prospecting had begun in the Amy tried to trade the northern third of the treaty reservation for land south of the reservation around Fort Wingate. Amy's political opponents exposed the speculative element of this scheme, however, and the exchange never materialized (Brugge Prospecting in the Carrizos, nevertheless, continued.

In the a Navajo murdered a white prospector named Swift, although the man who was tried, convicted, and imprisoned may not have been the killer (Van Valkenburgh Forrest The period between and saw additional prospecting the Carrizos. Chenoweth presents a historical summary of this period that is taken from Gregory and the following is quoted directly from Chenoweth's report: In two groups of prospectors, at the request of the Navajos, were removed by the Sixth Cavalry for prospecting in the Carrizo's without permission. The ejected men filed a protest stating that "very valuable deposits of gold and silver had been located". The Secretary of the Interior appointed a commission to look into these claims. This commission, chaired by General A. McCook, U.S.

Army, visited the Carrizo's in May General McCook was accompanied by J. C. Allyn, two geologists, and three professional prospectors. During two weeks t in the mountains they found small amounts of copper and iron pyrite, but no gold, silver or lead deposits. Eighteen of the most promising samples were assayed; three samples averaged ounces of silver and and ounces of gold per ton. The commission of Indian Affairs then issued a report stating "that the region was barren of metallic wealth and worthless for mining purposes". In a party led by Tom Leaden entered the Carrizo's and at the most promising locality, sank a shaft to the depth of 15 feet. All that was encountered was some copper stains on joints near the surface.

The following year the shaft was deepened to a depth of 47 feet, and the entire Carrizo's were prospected, but no mineral deposits were located. Additional prospecting in failed to locate anything of value. Chenoweth Whether or not the period from till represents a hiatus in prospecting activities in the Carrizos is unclear. None of the available sources document exploration or development during this period. The fact that prospecting and mining occurred both in the years preceding and succeeding this period suggests that most likely such activities did occur.

Early prospecting for gold and other precious metals in the Carrizos in the period between approximately and occurred at the same time that a number of Navajo leaders on the northern reservation were openly resisting government policies. A headman named Black Horse was one of the major proponents of Navajo autonomy. Kelley details internal reservation socio-political developments during this period and discusses several clashes between Navajos and THE BEESHEIGAIIBIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 8) government troops that resulted in deaths on both sides and numerous arrests of Navajos.

Sporadic incidents continued until Black Horse's death in It is not unlikely that the late murder of the Anglo prospector and the removal of other prospectors by the Sixth Cavalry mentioned above, were related to Navajo resistance to incursions into the Carrizo Mountains. By the Navajo advocates of political-economic autonomy on the northern reservation had disappeared (Kelley At about the same time mining and energy exploration and development increased on the northern reservation. The first vanadium mines in the eastern Carrizos date to (Perry Charley [NAMLR], personal communication and in oil was found on the reservation near Shiprock. It is against this backdrop and within this context that Site AZ-I-9-7 was eventually established.

HISTORY OF SITE AZ-I-9-7 The earliest published information dealing specifically with Site AZ-I-9-7 is found in Chenoweth Reviewing Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) records and working t from old maps and documentation indicating ore shipments, Chenoweth concluded that the ore must have come from the mine at the location of AZ-I-9-7, since it contained the only known workings that match map locational information (Chenoweth Thus, it is through Chenoweth's research that the mine at AZ- I-9-7 is linked to the Navajo Mining Company and specific dates of operation in the are obtained.

Chenoweth (1989:Appendix) presents copies of BIA correspondence and documents dealing with the mining claim and lease and from these can be extracted the chain of events that appear to have led to the establishment of the mine. On June 11, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, granted permission to J. W. Kelly and Nephi Johnson, Jr. of Marysville, Utah, to negotiate a mining lease on the Navajo Reservation. Sometime between June 11, and August Nephi Johnson, Jr. and a man named E. L. Jensen (who represented himself as J. W. Kelley) arrived at Shiprock, New Mexico. These men came to the reservation with the intent of prospecting under the permit. Permission to prospect was denied by the Superintendent (Evans W. Eastop?) of the San Juan Agency of the Navajo Reserva- tion.

It appears that permission to negotiate a lease did not authorize in-field prospecting activity. Nonetheless, Johnson and Jensen apparently entered the mountains and set up monuments in August, On November 1, Notices of Location were filed for four claims. These include the Navajo Mining Claim, Navajo Mining Claim No. 1, Navajo Mining Claim No. 2, and Navajo Mining Claim No. 4. All these claims were signed by Nephi Johnson, Wallace Johnson, and J. W. Kelley. In addition, the names Jacob W. Young, E. L. Jensen, N. Johnson, THE BMSHZIGAIIBIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 9) and Joseph Edmonds are found as signatories on one or more of the claims. By July 5, the Navajo Mining Company, listed as successor in interest to Jacob W.

Young, Wallace Johnson, J. W. Kelley, N. M. Johnson, E. L. Jensen, Nephi Johnson, and Joseph E. Edmonds, had been organized as a corporation and had applied for a lease to mine the Navajo, Navajo No. 1, Navajo No. 2, and Navajo No. 4 claims. The application was made by Kelley, the company secretary. Apparently no person came forward to object to the granting of the lease, and on July 21, San Juan Agency Superintendent, Eastop(?) transmitted the application to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington. Along with the application Eastop(?) included a long letter, which in part expressed his concerns over several matters regarding the corporation.

One concern was that according to records, the original locators ceded to the Navajo Mining Company "all the rights, lands, mining claims, and property containing gold, silver, lead, copper, and other precious metals." The superintendent pointed out that the locators could only convey the right to prospect on the reservation. Even had the locators obtained a lease (which they had not) they could not legally convey land, mining claims, or property. His second concern was that a clause be inserted into the lease allowing for percent royalty payments. Such a clause he felt would prevent the absorption of royalty payments by excessive t salaries to corporation officers.

The Department of the Interior approved the lease on October 13, Records provided by Chenoweth (1989:Appendix) indicate that rental payments for 80 contiguous acres of land encompassing the four mining claims were paid by the Navajo Mining Company on November 20, April 21, May 22, and May 23, Rental payments were made a year in advance according to records, so that the lease would have extended until May Records indicate only one shipment of ore, totaling pounds, made in April of and valued at From this, a percent royalty, equalling was received. Records thus indicate that total rent and royalty income collected on behalf of the Navajo Tribe between November and May was There is no later archival information relating to the Navajo Mining Company or the leases they held.

Moreover, there is no published information concerning Site AZ-I- 9-7 other than that found in the reports by Chenoweth and Anderson and Martin NAMLR was unable to locate any living Navajo individuals who had worked at the mine, although the son of a miner named Yazzie was interviewed (Anderson and Martin From these sources some statements regarding the mine can be made. It remains uncertain on which claim(s) Site AZ-I-9-7 was eventually established. Available documents do not refer to the mine by any name. It is known that the Navajo, Navajo No. 1, Navajo No. 2, and Navajo No. 4 claims were contiguous, THE Btt&SHIIGAI1BIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No.

AZ-32 (Page 10) and thus it is safe to assume that prospecting on or around the area that eventually became the site was undertaken in by two or more of the individuals who filed claims. That other prospectors were in the vicinity of the Navajo claims during can be suggested by the fact on November 11, E. L. Jensen and Joseph Edmonds filed protests against three prospectors for staking claims and erecting monuments on the Navajo Claims and 4, for which they had filed some 10 days earlier (Chenoweth 1989:Appendix). Whether the immediate area was prospected earlier, in conjunction with the late and early forays, is unclear. It is assumed that none of the structural features on Site AZ-I-9-7 were built prior to October when the lease was granted to the Navajo Mining Company.

The fact that an ore shipment was made five months later (in April suggests that Site AZ-I-9-7 was, by this time, a working mine. As such, at least one of the vertical shafts was probably open and mining of this feature would have required a hoist to remove ore. In addition, since the period between the lease approval and the ore shipment encompassed the winter months of and miners would have required adequate shelter. This could have been obtained either by raising the house (Feature 1) immediately or temporarily using the Biish ligaii Bighan storage room as living quarters. 9 Mining at the site appears to have focused on underground workings. There are two vertical shafts at the mine, one of which is associated with the Btish ligaii Bighan.

Whether both shafts were in operation at the same time is uncertain. Archival sources make no mention of the commodity mined at Site AZ-I-9-7. The original locators attempted to convey rights to be gold, silver, lead, and copper. Thus, they were apparently convinced that precious metals were contained in the ore. The USGS series quadrangle map of the area designates the site as a copper mine. Further, Chenoweth speculates that the single recorded ore shipment may have been copper bound for the smelter at Durango, Colorado. The basis for this belief is unclear.

The Navajo miner who worked at AZ-I-9-7 believed it to be a silver mine (Anderson and Martin Thus, while it seems certain that unlike other mines in the eastern Carrizos, base metal procurement was the focus of mining activities at AZ-I-9-1, to what extent different precious metals were recovered is unknown. It is, however, interesting to note within this context that two samples recovered by Chenoweth from the site in were found to contain and ounces of silver per ton, a much higher proportion of silver than the average ounces per ton) found in the commission's assayed samples. While it is known that both Anglos and Navajos worked the mine, it is uncertain how many miners worked the mine at one time and where they lived.

The Navajo informant whose father worked at AZ-I-9-7 mentioned at least six Anglos working there. Most likely some or all of these men lived at the mine, probably in Feature 1, the house at the site. Whether this structure served as a bunkhouse for Navajo THE BEESHSJGAJ1BIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 11) miners as well is unclear. Mr. Yazzie indicated to his son that mining operations were conducted by hand (Anderson and Martin and it appears that explosives were not used in the operation. According to Beclabito Chapter officials, the hoists were also hand operated (Perry Charley, NAMLR, personal communication Mr.

Yazzie further indicated that wagons pulled by mules were used to take the ore from the mine (Anderson and Martin Where the ore might have been stockpiled once it was removed from the site is not known. The actual dates of operation for the mine can probably only be bracketed by the lease dates, October to May Documentation for the date is fairly firm, based on the lease documentation provided by Chenoweth (1989:Appendix), The single recorded shipment of pounds of ore does not appear to be consistent with the extent of the workings at the site, although it is possible that most mining encountered only ore of too low a grade to ship. On the other hand, the records may be lacking documentation of other shipments which could verify the existence of a producing mine. Mr.

Yazzie worked for two years at the mine (Anderson and Martin so it is known to have operated at least that long; however, there is no evidence to suggest that his employment coincided with the entire life span of the operation. Assuming that records are complete, the lease was not renewed in w Within this context, the BUsh ligaii Bighan is also bracketed by the dates to Construction of the hoist room would have been necessary when mining of Feature 7 commenced in order to remove both waste rock and ore from the workings. Storage, the hypothesized function of the larger room of the Biish ligaii Bighan, may or may not have been a necessity early in the life of the site.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER ARIZ,1-TENPO.V,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Anderson, Antoinette, and Rena Martin Archival, ethnographic, and archaeological investigations on a uranium mine site (Project Area and on a copper mine site (Project Area NC- near Beclabito, San Juan County, New Mexico, and Apache County, Arizona for the Navajo Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Department. Navajo Nation Archaeology Department Report Brugge, David M. A history of the Chaco Navajos. Reports of the Chaco Center 4. Chenoweth, William L. The Carrizo "gold" mine. Arizona Geological Survey Contributed Report Forrest, Earle R. With a Camera in Old Navajoland, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. THE BEESHJLIGAIIBIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 12) Gregory, Herbert E. Geology of the Navajo country. U. S.

Geological Survey Professional Paper 93. Kelley, Klara B. Navajo ethnohistory of the Carrizo Flats and vicinity. In The Carrizo Flats Survey: Anasazi and Navajo Occupation of the Red Rock Valley Area of Arizona, Navajo Nation, by Laurie E. Warner and Mark Elson. Navajo Nation Papers in Anthropology Van Valkenburgh, Richard F. Dine' Bikfyah. Department of the Interior Office of Indian Affairs, Navajo Service, Window Rock, Arizona.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER ARIZ,1-TENPO.V,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Compiled by the Navajo Nation Archaeology Department, Farmington, New Mexico. 9 WBBBI'fflUHA^ (Ukr Utructure-; ** re 9, Site AZ-I-9- 1 * - HAER No. AZ-32 (Page l; # Figure 1. Vicinity nap showing the location of Site AZ-l-9-7. Beclabito, N.Mex-Ariz., Provisional Edition series USGS map. T R 31E (projected). THE BEESH UGAII BIGHAN ("Silver Structure". Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9- HAER No. AZ-32 (Page OS t o a CO c S <u T3 o * > <** a CJ a 1r* i a\i i * CO a O is <D hi 3 .9 a* / / THE BEESH JLIGAII BIGHAN ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7 HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 15 / / Beesh ligaii Bighan ("Silver Structure", Feature 9, Site AZ-I-9-7) Retaining wall Vertical. + + + + + + + + + + + f zz I flMETERS 5 2= Sandstone Outcrop O = Sandstone Boulder 3- \fcrtical Shaft(ftature 7) **.

Collapsed Wall QJJ -Standing Wall Sketched -*" 'Collapsed Wall Segment Figure 3. Floor plan sketch of Beesh ligaii Bighan. HAER No. AZ-32 (Page 16 e o o E w O U. c o to o 2 CD I 4> <* CM LxJ i Z 3F Q Uj o K 5 Q o O Ci O < 0> z CL z o 3 ON N SO 3\ < so H ir fc 2 .ey O Z < *0 O-, D ^ c u o O > O b JS w *v o 2 o CJ S 0 O :> UJ I -o A o ** * *> 15 - P- i N u $ OS < T o: n Uj N < Q: < <o w < v3 o LL ^ o ^ to X 13 > o \ <0 en fca a)