SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I927 II 5 



region of Egypt, and for the same reason. The shifting of the water- 

 courses through the ages and the deposition of enormous amounts of 

 silt render the prospect of successful excavation doubtful, save in a 

 few elevated areas ; but it is precisely the latter, rising above the 

 wide-spreading marshes covering the region in ancient times, which 

 formed the only available sites for habitation. 



In ancient Ch'u, on the other hand, corresponding roughly to the 

 modern provinces of Hupeh and Hunan, conditions are far otherwise. 

 The ground is higher, and we found ancient city walls and foundation 

 mounds numerous. Here again, disturbed political and military condi- 

 tions rendered only a superficial examination possible, even that being 

 conducted on one occasion under fire from a small group of irrespon- 

 sible soldiers. Enough was done, however, to disclose innumerable 

 remains of various periods, from prehistoric times downward, at or 

 very near the surface, and highly suggestive of the rich rewards 

 awaiting the systematic excavator. 



Dr. Chi Li's report of his preliminary reconnaissance of the Fen 

 River valley, in southwestern Shansi province, in the early spring of 

 1926, has already appeared.' While engaged in this task, Dr. Li con- 

 tracted a severe case of typhus fever, always present in interior China, 

 which lacked little of terminating fatally. In the autumn, his health 

 being restored, he returned to the same area under the joint auspices 

 of the Freer Gallery of Art and Tsing Hua LTniversity. The Geological 

 Survey of China, with characteristic breadth of view, loaned us for 

 tJiis work one of its best men, Mr. Philip L. Yuan, a very ca- 

 pable cartographer and geologist with large experience in Chinese 

 archeology. 



Dr. Li, after reaching a highly satisfactory understanding with the 

 authorities and winning the confidence of the local peasantry, began 

 excavations on a late Stone Age village site of large dimensions, in 

 the extreme southwestern portion of Shansi province. He continued 

 his operations here until snow rendered excavation useless, and then 

 returned to Peking with nearly 80 packing-cases of excavated ma- 

 terial of all sorts. He is at this writing engaged in the preparation of 

 a full report of his finds. 



It was my original intention, while Dr. Li was working in Shansi, 

 to devote myself to further work along the Yangtse River. The dis- 

 order and banditry prevailing in that region, however, made this out 

 of the question. Consequently I put into execution my long deferred 

 plan of exploring the province of Shansi throughout its entire length, 



^ Explorations and Field-lVork of tlic Smithsonian Institntion in 1926, Smith- 

 sonian Misc. Coll., Vol. 78, No. 7, pp. 123-137. 



