48 REPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 



One interesting group or series of ancient ruins was found, which had apparently 

 been oveTlooked by previous visitors. They occur in the upper ])art of the canyon 

 and -ire nearly obliterated. The structures were always located on sites deter- 

 mined Avholly by agricultural necessity and methods without reference to defensive 

 ends. Mr. Mindeleff is of opinion tliat these are the oldest ruins in the canyon 

 belonging to the initial period of occupancy, which extended over many decades. 

 Close attention was given also to a number of large ruins situated in the canyon 

 bottom without reference to defense, also overlooked bj' previous explorers. These 

 differ Ironi the preceding type and are in some respects the most important ruins ot 

 the canyon. They apparently represent the home pueblos occupied coutemporane- 

 ously with the clift" dwellings, and bore the same relation to the latter that Zuni 

 bears to Nutria, Pescado, and Ojo Caliente, or that Oraibi bears to Moeu Kopi. The 

 clilf dwellings were apparently occupied as a rule only during the summer mouths, 

 the occupants resorting to the pueblos during the winter. Thus the cliff dwellings 

 appear to reiireseut a phase rather than a chronologic epoch in the history of the 

 pueblo builders. 



Although the researches are not yet completed, Mr. Mindelefif is of opinion tbat 

 while some of tbe ruins may be precolumbian others were undoubtedly occupied in 

 the seventeenth century, and that the occupancy was probal^ly continuous as regards 

 the district, though ])robably not continuous as regards particular tribes or sub- 

 tribes. A general result of the study was the classilication of the various types of 

 ruins, in a chronologic order, in such manner that the history of the canyon from 

 the earliest occupancy up to the recent advent of English-speaking settlers is 

 clearly indicated. In combining the data acquired in Canyon De Chelly with those 

 obtained from Rio Verde during previous years, Mr. Mindeleff finds reason for the 

 conclusion that the ruins of the former district represent the first settlements in the 

 San Juan country, and that further developments will be found in the tributary 

 valleys, and also that the large communal buildings on the tributaries of the San 

 Juan, rejiresentiug the highest architectural art attained by the pueblo bmilders, 

 will prove to be the ultimate form of the jirimitive village of this district. 



During the year Dr. Cj^rus Thomas completed the revision of proofs of text and 

 illustrations of his report on mound explorations, and the work was put through tlie 

 press as the body of the twelfth annual report. The document comprises much 

 information relating to the Indian mounds of the Mississipjii Valley and eastern 

 United States, and it seems reasonable to hope that the monograph may come to be 

 regarded as a standard source of information on the subject. Subsequently Dr. 

 Thomas gave special attention to the hieroglyphs and codices of the Maya — the 

 ancient inhabitants of Yucatan. One of the results of the work is the demonstration 

 that the time system recorded in the Dresden codex is precisely the same as that men- 

 tioned by the early Spanish authors, except that the years begin with what are con- 

 sidered the last instead of the first of the four-year series. It is also shown that this 

 brings the calendar of the Dresden codex into harmony with the calendars recorded 

 at Palenque, Lorillard City, and Tikal. A portion of the results of Dr. Thomas's 

 work on this subject is published in one of the bulletins of the Bureau, a brochure 

 of 64 pages, entitled ''The Maya Year." Other results are iucoriiorated in a bulletin 

 on the origin and significance of the calendric terms, which is not yet completed. 



During the year Mr. Hilborue T. Cresson, of Philadelphia, was occupied in archa?- 

 ologic researches, chiefly in Guatemala and eastern Mexico, under the provision of 

 the De Laincel fund and under the general supervision of the Director of the Bureau. 

 Some of the results of his interesting researches have been made public through 

 various scientific journals. 



Specially noteworthy among the results of the archasologic work in the Bureau 

 during the current year are the monographs by Mr. Holmes on ancient pottery of 

 eastern United States and stone art of eastern United States. Both embrace the 

 results of researches extending over many years; both are elaborately illustrated 



