SECRETARY'S REPORT 23 



zuela to participate, and a highly successful interchange of knowledge 

 resulted. 



Continuing to Ecuador, Drs. Evans and Meggers spent nearly 3 

 montlis in a continuing field study being conducted in collaboration 

 with Emilio Estrada. Aspects of archeology investigated included 

 pre-ceramic horizons, Valdivia culture, Jambelli culture, Mexican 

 cultures in Ecuador, Manteilo culture, and Milagro Period burials. 

 The Smithsonian archeologists brought back 59 large boxes of speci- 

 mens in addition to many notes and data on classified pottery for at 

 least eight stratmn cuts of material. Numerous developed and cata- 

 loged photographs, both black and white and in color, will be invalu- 

 able in working up the results of this expedition. 



For a period of nearly 6 months, Dr. Gus W. Van Beek, associate 

 curator of archeology, conducted archeological field work in Wadi 

 Hadhramaut, East Aden Protectorate. Pie was accompanied by Dr. 

 Glen H. Cole and Dr. Albert Jamme, and Dr. Henry W. Setzer, of the 

 Museum's division of mammals, joined the group for 1 month to col- 

 lect mammals in the Wadi Hadhramaut region. For 314 months 

 without interruptions the field party conducted its survey in Hadhra- 

 maut, systematically surveying the main wadi from Terim to Shibam 

 (this portion of the wadi is approximately 40 miles long and from 

 11/^ to 4 miles wide) and, more superficially, an additional 40 miles of 

 the western part of the main wadi, from Shibam to Qarn Qaimah be- 

 yond Henin ; they covered the major portions of all tributaiy wadies 

 in the region. 



Dr. Cole's work on prehistoric sites proved to be highly significant. 

 His was the first systematic work in prehistory ever done anywhere in 

 the Arabian Peninsula, and he should be able to provide a framework 

 for Arabian prehistory and to draw tentative conclusions regarding 

 the affinities of the Arabian industries with those of surrounding re- 

 gions in Africa and Asia. 



Dr. Van Beek discovered and recorded approximately 50 sites, of 

 which 23 are pre-Islamic and 27 Islamic. The pre-Islamic sites range 

 in date from about the 11th or 10th century B.C. to the 7th century 

 A.D., and the Islamic sites from the 7th century A.D. to the present. 

 Some of the pre-Islamic sites are extremely impressive, measuring 

 as much as half a mile long by a quarter of a mile wide. For the most 

 part they consist of good stone masonry, and many structures still 

 have mud-brick walls on masonry podia. On the eroded surface of 

 the sites are vast quantities of potsherds and many fragments of 

 architecture, sculpture, and ancient South Arabic inscriptions in stone. 

 Previous to the work of the expedition, the earliest known occupation 

 of Hadhramaut was the 5th century B.C. ; by discovering sites going 

 back to the 11th or 10th centuries B.C., the party has pushed back 



672-174—63 3 



