REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 55 



During the year, Dr. Fenton delivered several illustrated lectures 

 presenting some of the results of his studies of Iroquois culture. 



At the end of the fiscal year a manuscript entitled "Songs from the 

 Iroquois Longhouse ; Program Notes for an Album of American In- 

 dian Music from the Eastern Woodlands" was accepted for publica- 

 tion by the Institution to accompany an album of phonograph records 

 by the same title which the Archive of American Folk Song, Library 

 of Congress, is bringing out as volume 6 of Folk Music of the United 

 States. 



Dr. Philip Drucker, assistant anthropologist, devoted the first half 

 of the fiscal year to analysis of the pottery collections made in 1941 by 

 the Smithsonian Institution-National Geographic Society expedition 

 at Cerro de las Mesas, Veracruz, Mexico, and the preparation of a re- 

 port on this material, Ceramic Stratigraphy at Cerro de las Mesas, 

 Veracruz. Thanks to the cooperation of the Department of Archeol- 

 ogy of the Mexican Goverimient, he was able to study comparative col- 

 lections of materials stored in the Museo Nacional de Mexico from 

 adjacent regions, which greatly facilitated the placing of the Cerro de 

 las Mesas culture. It was found that this site was occupied from a 

 time level corresponding to that of Teotihuacan III of the Highland 

 cultures until shortly before the Spanish conquest. The Ninth Cycle 

 dates discovered in 1940 probably belong to the early period of oc- 

 cupation at Cerro de las Mesas. Of added interest is the fact that these 

 dates are not only of importance to the archeology of the Gulf Coast, 

 but in addition are the first actual carved dates even indirectly refer- 

 able to the important center of civilization of the Mexican Highland, 

 Teotihuacan. Following the period of Teotihuacan influence, a new 

 set of influences appeared, probably an actual immigration, of Mixte- 

 can people who brought with them their pottery craft, so that during 

 the Upper Period at Cerro de las Mesas great quantities of Mixtecan- 

 type (Cholultecan) wares were made. The modern designation of 

 this coastal region as the "Mistequilla," incidentally, thus may be seen 

 to be a well-based ethnic identification. 



In the latter part of January, Dr. Drucker set out for the site of La 

 Venta, in northwest Tabasco, where discoveries in 1940 indicated the 

 importance of the place as an ancient ceremonial center. Excavations 

 were carried out, aimed primarily at recovering stratigraphic material 

 for the analysis and placing of the site in relation to the Tres Zapotes 

 and Cerro de las Mesas "pottery yardsticks" established in former 

 years, and for comparisons with material from more distant sites as 

 well. Toward the end of the season some exploratory excavations were 

 undertaken in structures at the site, especially in the large ceremonial 

 patio. These efforts were rewarded by the finding of an elaborate 

 tomb of basalt columns, and a number of pieces of small but exquisitely 

 carved jade. Most of these jade pieces represent the little-known art 



