ANNOUNCEMENT 



The present bulletin is intended as the first of a series treating; of 

 the antiquities of the public domain, and designed to supply the very 

 general demand for fuller information on this subject than has yet 

 been furnished. Recently widespread interest in these remains has 

 been aroused, partly as a result of their rapid despoliation by relic 

 hunters and inexperienced explorers, and a vigorous movement for 

 protective measures has been organized. From time to time during 

 the last few years efforts have been made to perfect and bring to the 

 attention of Congress a suitable provision for the preservation of the 

 antiquities under consideration and a measure generally approved by 

 the scientific institutions of the country has recently been presented 

 to that body.^ Meanwhile the several departments of the Govern- 

 ment having jurisdiction over the lands on which the ruins are situ- 

 ated have recognized the need of adequate protective measures, and 

 have taken decisive steps looking toward the preservation of the ruins 

 and their proper utilization in the interest of history and science. 



The greater number of these antiquities are situated (1) on the 

 national forest reserves, (2) on the Indian reservations, (3) on the 

 unappropriated public lands. The first class is thi!is under the juris- 

 diction of the Department of Agriculture and in the immediate cus- 

 todianship of the Forest Service. The other two classes are under 

 the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, the second being 

 under the immediate custodianship of the Office of Indian Affairs and 

 the third under that of the General Land Office. The departments 

 mentioned have issued stringent orders prohibiting the excavation 

 of ruins or burial mounds and the carrying away of archeological 

 specimens without permission of the Secretary of the department 

 having jurisdiction over the lands involved, and also prohibiting 

 traffic in specimens that have been collected on the reservations. 

 Furthermore, the issuance of permits has been restricted so as to 

 include only competent archeologists working under the auspices and 

 for the benefit of reputable scientific or historical institutions, or organ- 

 izations having adequate museum facilities and provision for perma- 

 nent custodianship of scientific collections. 



The Bureau of American Ethnology has been called on from time 

 to time by the departments for information concerning the location 

 and character of certain ruins and the qualifications of persons 

 and institutions to conduct investigations among them, and it is 



oThis measure became a law in June, 1906; for its provisions see Appendix A. page 54. 



