68 ANNUAL BEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1924 



due both directly and indirectly to the influence of non-Algonquian ' 

 tribes. He was able to measure only a few of the Indians at the 

 Northwest River, so it is not possible to state precisely which physi- 

 cal type they represent. 



At the conclusion of his w^ork ho returned to lligolet and left 

 on July 22 for St. Johns, Newfoundland. En route he was able to 

 take the measurements of a few Eskimos. On his arrival at St. Johns 

 he proceeded by steamer and train for Tama, Iowa, to renew his 

 researches among the Fox Indians. He devoted especial attention 

 to the ceremonial runners of these Indians, and in the course of 

 the winter submitted a manuscript on them for publication by the 

 bureau. Further, a number of Fox texts were translated and other 

 ethnological data obtained. Doctor Michelson returned to Washing- 

 ton near the close of September. He made another trip among the 

 Foxes in May and returned to Washington toward the end of June. 

 During this trip he obtained new data on Fox ceremonials. 



By joint arrangement with the Museum of the American Indian, 

 Heye Foundation, the bureau undertook in the summer of 1923 the 

 excavation of the Burton Mound at Santa Barbara, Calif., which 

 was the chief village of the Santa Barbara Indians and without 

 question the most important archeological site on the southern Cali- 

 fornia coast. Mr. J. P. Harrington, ethnologist of the bureau, was 

 detailed to take charge of the exploration of the mound and the 

 work was commenced early in May, 1923, and continued throughout 

 the summer and fall. Tlie first day's work revealed the location of 

 the cemetery, just where old Indians had stated that it was situated. 

 During several months of careful stratigraphical excavation many 

 facts of interest for the prehistory of the Santa Barbara Indians 

 and the early culture of the Pacific coast in general were recorded. 



The principal rancheria or village of the ancient Santa Barbara 

 Valley was not at the mission, where the Indians were later gathered, 

 but at the beach. It was situated just west of the mouth of Mis- 

 sion Creek, where a landing cove for canoes and two low mounds, 

 one by the beach and a larger one 650 feet inland and now known 

 as the Burton Mound, afforded unusual attraction as a dwelling 

 place for Indians. At a number of places in the locality were sul- 

 phur springs; also springs of good drinking water. The name of 

 the village was Syujtun, meaning " where the trail splits." There a 

 thriving population of some 500 Indians lived on the wild food 

 products of the neighboring shore and sea and of the Santa Barbara 

 Valley, rich in acorn-bearing oaks and game animals. 



The inhabitants of Syujtun remained unmolested until the estab- 

 lishment of the Santa Barbara Mission in 1786. After this the native 

 villagers were gradually removed to the adobe cuarteles of the mis- 

 sion, 2 miles distant, and the desolated beach was known as " el 



