GENERAL VIEW OF ARCHEOLOGY OV THE PTEULO REGION'. 5<)1 



tection to be afforded until all data of importance lo sciciicc have Im-cm 

 invest i pi ted and all artifacts in connection therewith i-enioved to 

 museums for permanent preservation. 

 Preservation is to be secured : 



(1) Throu^rh Confrress: lender special legislation creatinj? national 

 archeological reservations or parks and <>-eneral le<>:islation est .hlish- 

 ing a system of custodianship and administration over all arclieo- 

 logical remains on the lands owned or controlled l)y the Ciovernment 

 of the United States. Up to date but one measure looking toward the 

 preservation of antiquities has ever been passed by the National Con- 

 gress, and this i:)rovided for.the preservation of a single building — 

 Casa Grande, in Arizona. As early as 1896 a general bill was pre- 

 pared and presented to the National Congress and similar measures 

 have been introduced since from time to time down to the oSth 

 Congress, but none have passed. 



(2) Through Executive Departments: By the exercise of powers 

 inherent in such departments under the Constitution and (ieneral 

 Statutes, AVith the single exception above noted, all that has been 

 accomplished by Avay of protection of antiquities has been by this 

 method. It is exceedingly fortunate that, as will be seen further on, 

 so much can be provided for incidentally in connection with the ad- 

 ministration of our great economic, Indian, and military interests, 

 thus involving but little additional expense. 



By virtue of section 441, United States Revised Statutes, the care 

 and custody of the public lands is vested in the Secretary of the 

 Interior, and section 453 declares that the Commissioner of the Gen- 

 eral Land Office shall j^erform, under the direction of the Secretary 

 of the Interior, all executive duties in any wise respecting such lands. 

 There can be no question that this statute places upon the Department 

 of the Interior and the General Land Office the obligation to protect 

 the archeological remains that are upon the public lands as definitel}'^ 

 as it does any other values thereon. 



In the exercise of the power thus conferred a policy has developed 

 in the General Land Office and Office of Indian Affairs, under the 

 Department of the Interior, that is highly commendable as far as it 

 goes. This policy utilizes forest supervisors and rangers, special 

 agents, Indian school superintendents. Indian agents, additional 

 farmers, and police in the protection of ruins in connection with and 

 as one of their regular duties for the avowed purpose of preserving 

 them for scientific investigation. It establishes the liberal policy 

 that any competent scientist Avho desires to })lace the material se- 

 cured in a jMiblic museum Avill be authorized by the Department of 

 the Interior to examine ruins, but that no ])erson will be jiermitted 

 to excavate them for the purpose of acquiring specimens for traffic 

 or private gain, and that willful destruction of historic and prehis- 



