32 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 60 
FIELD-WORK OF THE BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
IN rI912 
ETHNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF Dr. J. WALTER FEWKES IN THE WEsT INDIES 
One of the most important and interesting lines of research con- 
ducted by the Bureau of American Ethnology is that which has been 
under the immediate supervision of Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, for many 
years an ethnologist in the Bureau, who has conducted important 
investigations on the archeology of the West Indies. 
The need of making a comprehensive study of the archeology of 
the West Indies in order to determine the position of the original 
inhabitants of those islands among the American aborigines was 
realized several years ago, and the investigation of this field was as- 
signed to Doctor Fewkes who prepared several papers on the results 
of his work, including “ Aborigines of Porto Rico and Neighboring 
Islands,’ published in the Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the 
Bureau. Subsequently Doctor Fewkes’s attention was diverted to 
other fields, but last year Mr. George G. Heye made it possible to 
resume research in the West Indies, and in October Dr. Fewkes sailed 
for Trinidad, after spending some time in New York City for the 
purpose of studying the noteworthy collections of West Indian objects 
in the Heye museum. On his arrival in Trinidad, Doctor Fewkes 
made an examination of certain caves near Port of Spain, but found 
no indication of former troglodytes (cave dwellers). At Erin, a ham- 
let of French negroes, he found a large shell-heap, the contents of 
which indicated a high development of the aboriginal occupants, 
especially in the manufacture of pottery. This pottery has relief 
decorations, and is painted red, while one of several entire vessels 
is decorated with incised figures. Doctor Fewkes also recovered 
about a hundred animal heads of clay, some of which are well 
modeled, together with typical stone axes and other utilitarian objects. 
As objects adequately illustrating the artistic ability of the pre- 
historic inhabitants of Trinidad are unknown in the museums of 
Europe or the United States, the collection of beautiful pottery made 
by Dr. Fewkes in the shell heaps at Erin, opens a new chapter in the 
history of West Indian culture and immigrations. While it is yet too 
early to interpret the bearing of these objects on our knowledge of the 
culture of the prehistoric people dwelling about the Caribbean Sea, it is 
evident that the prehistoric culture of this island is closely allied to 
that existing in ancient times on the neighboring coast of Venezuela 
and quite distinct from the so-called Carib of St. Vincent, Grenada 
