ARCHEOLOGY. 319 



During Doctor Morley's visit to Flores, a large stone, found in the center 

 of Mound 1, excavated last year, was raised. It proved to be a badly weath- 

 ered Old Empire stela. The front of it portrayed a figure kneeling upon 

 a large mask panel. Villagutierre, in describing the Tayasal of Ursua's time, 

 probably refers to this building and monument when he speaks of "the temple 

 of the plaza" with a "horrible figure." 



The minor antiquities were as noticeable by their absence as last year. A 

 stone hennequen pounder and a miniature greenstone ax were among the 

 objects found. Several pottery heads were also turned in by the workmen. 

 Some of them were clearly pure Maya in technique. Others bore strong 

 resemblance to both the Teotihuacan and Aztec heads. 



The debris is filled with broken pottery. The coarser, heavier pieces of the 

 later type are usually found near the surface. Many are beautifully polished 

 and some show traces of paint. But the finer, thinner sherds were usually 

 found associated with the earlier construction. Often the designs could still 

 be traced, occasionally showing glyph cartouches. On a very few sherds the 

 designs were incised. 



Van Deman, Esther B., Rome, Italy. Associate in Roman Archceology. 

 (For previous reports see Year Books Nos. 9-15, 20.) 



Work was resumed in Rome in the latter part of April. While condi- 

 tions were found in general very favorable, changes in the administration 

 of the several offices in charge of the monuments and excavations caused 

 some confusion and delay. Little material of value for the special work in 

 hand has been brought to light during the past five years in the Forum and 

 Palatine. Several important monuments, however, have been uncovered 

 elsewhere, especially an early basilica, for the dating of which an early 

 study of the construction is highly desirable. 



A careful survey was made of the various groups of remains of which, 

 as stated in the last report, it has been deemed advisable to publish a pre- 

 liminary discussion. Urgent requests have come for the immediate publi- 

 cation of the data so far compiled of a number of the more important monu- 

 ments. The rapid disintegration of the earlier walls in the Forum and along 

 the Sacra Via, through long exposure to the weather since their excava- 

 tion, with the consequent loss of much of the most valuable evidence concern- 

 ing their history and construction, has, however, rendered it imperative to 

 confine the work for the year to this region. The evidence for the rebuilding 

 of the Forum and several of its more important monuments at a higher 

 level by Sulla has been found even more conclusive than had been hoped 

 for. A corresponding change in the level of the Sacra Via is now clear, 

 accompanied by the restoration of many of the buildings along its course. 

 To the six imperial periods previously recognized in the remains in this 

 region, a seventh has been added. 



For a number of years the advisability of an exhaustive chemical and 

 microscopic examination of the Roman bricks and mortar of the different 

 periods has been deeply felt, as a means of determining the provenience 

 of the materials used in their composition and an aid to their classification. 

 The reaHzation of this desire has been at length rendered possible by the 



