LXVI REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



Tlie recent publication of Colonel Mallery's monograph on 

 pictography in the Tenth Annual Report has stimulated 

 interest in the general subject of picture writing and sign 

 language, and many inquiries and suggestions in regard to 

 the subject are received through correspondence. This fact is 

 at once a gratifying indication of the interest felt in the 

 subject by the people of the country and an incentive to the 

 author to conqalete at the earliest possible date the monograph 

 on which he is now engaged. 



IVork in Indian Jiierogly^jhs — Dr Cyrus Thomas has con- 

 tinued researches relating to the symbols used in the codices 

 and other inscriptions of the Mava and related peoples. The 

 month was occupied in comparative studies of calendric and 

 other terms of southwestern America, a bulletin on this subject 

 being practically ready for publication and withheld only for 

 the purpose of verifying certain provisional conclusions. 



Worh in eastern archeologi/ — The w^ork on this subject during 

 the month was limited to the preparation of illustrations for 

 some of Professor Holmes' reports by photographing groups 

 at Piny branch, which work Mr F. H. Cushiug kindly super- 

 vised, Mr William Din^^■iddie assisting. 



Work in ivestcrn arclicolofji/ — Mr Cosmos Mindelefif has con- 

 tinued surveys and the collection of objective material in the 

 Pueblo countr)'. During the month he examined a number of 

 ruins in the valley of San Juan river, tinding all of the types 

 so abundantly represented on tlie Rio Verde (described in his 

 report on that district in the Thirteenth Annual, and termed 

 "bowlder-marked sites"). Though commonly small, some of 

 the ruins are extensive; all are located with reference to adja- 

 cent areas of tillable land, and none are defensive. The ruins 

 are usually found on low, irregular terraces, skirting the river 

 chiefly on the northern side, where the conditions are more 

 favorable to irrigation. Most of the ruins are now marked 

 only by heaps of the watei'-worn bowlders, sometimes showing 

 wall lines, but generally lying in confused heaps, often dis- 

 turbed by prospectors and relic hunters. Here and there 

 definite structures remain; in one of these Mr Mindeleff was 

 surprised to find masonry constructed of tabular sandstones, 

 an anomalous phenomenon requiring further study. 



