436 ANCIENT POTTERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



the north, in ornament there are occasional hints of the south — of Carib- 

 bean and Mexican art. 



With the Pueblo peoples, notwithstanding their proximity, there is 

 hardly a hint of relationship of any kind. Unlike the Pueblos, the 

 ethnical environment of the Mississippi Valley races would seem to have 

 been considerably diversified; there was less isolation; yet there are 

 strong indications that the art is mainly of indigenous growth, as there 

 is unity and consistency in all its features. 



In reference to the period of culture represented by this ware, a few 

 words may be added. There is no feature in it that could not reasonably 

 be expected of the more advanced historic tribes of the valley. It in- 

 dicates a culture differing in many ways from that of the Pueblos, an- 

 cient and modern, but on the whole rather inferior to it. The work of 

 Mexico, Central and South A merica is decidedly superior in every essen- 

 tial feature. 



There are many difficulties in the way of instituting a comparison of 

 this work with that of the primitive work of the Old World. These I 

 shall not stop to present in this place. In the most general way, I may 

 say that the ceramic art of the Middle Mississippi is apparently superior 

 to that of the stone age in Europe, but little can be inferred in regard 

 to relative grades of culture. In classic countries it is difficult to find 

 its true equivalent. To reach a stage of art correspondingly low we 

 shall have to go behind the heroic age — to pass down through more than 

 the five prehistoric cities of the hill of Hissarlik and descend into the 

 lowest archaeologic substratum. Even this, unless it represent the first 

 achievement of that grade'of art upon the continent, would afford uncer- 

 tain data for comparative study. 



A given grade of ceramic achievement runs so freely up and down 

 the scale of culture that alone its evidence is of little value in determin- 

 ing culture status. 



