xvi CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



The work of collecting and arranging the details of the region 

 of the religion was begun early in the year, and has been pushed 

 forward as rapidly as possible. The work of the first year was to 

 obtain the mythology of the Skidi on the one hand, and the Chaui, 

 Kitkahahki, and Pittahauirata bands of Pawnees on the other, and 

 of the Wichita and Arikara. The second result sought for was to 

 gain a comprehensive insight into all the ceremonies of the four 

 bauds of the Pawnees and of the Arikara. Of these two results as 

 much has been achieved as could be hoped for, inasmuch as the 

 work has progressed for only about nine months. 



With the beginning of the first of the Skidi ceremonies early next 

 spring, it will be possible to select certain of the more important 

 ones for more detailed observations. Thereafter each ceremony will 

 be studied independently and in detail, and the observations thus 

 made, together with the ritual as sung, will be prepared for publica- 

 tion. 



Wm. H. Holmes, Director Bureau of American Ethnology, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. Grant No. 44. For obtaining evidence relative 

 to the early history of man in America. $2,000. 



The phenomena to be considered are scattered and obscure. The 

 geological formations of both continents, ranging from Eocene to 

 Recent, abound in various records, but investigation has been in the 

 main desultory and unscientific, and the isolated observations are 

 to-day without adequate correlation. 



Mr. Holmes proposed to begin his work with the compilation of 

 all data respecting previous investigations, and then to begin field 

 work which should extend to deposits in caves and caverns where 

 men have lived, and should also include their ancient sites, such as 

 kitchenmiddens, shell heaps, and earthworks. 



Abstract of Report. — The field work in this investigation was done 

 mainly by Mr. Gerard Fowke, archeologist, who began work in 

 Indiana and carried his examinations into Illinois, Kentucky, Ten- 

 nessee, and Alabama, exploiting many caves and making careful 

 investigation of a few. Results were distinctly negative with refer- 

 ence to the principal question at issue, the entire season's work 

 having developed no fact that will tend to establish a theory of the 

 great antiquity of man in America. The season's work, however, 

 was not a failure on this account, since the question is one that must 

 be solved, if not by the discovery of positive evidence, by estab- 

 lishing the universality of negative evidence. 



