LXXVIIl .REPORT OF THE BUREAU OP ETHNOLOGY 



Dr Thomas g-ave special attention to tlie hieroglyph.s and 

 codices of the Maya — the ancient inhabitants of Yucatan. 

 One of tlie resuks of the work is the demonstration that the 

 time system recorded in the Dresden codex is precisely the 

 iiame as that mentioned by the early Spanish authors, except 

 that the }'ears begin with what are considered the last instead 

 of the iirst of the four-year series. It is also shown that this 

 brings the calendar of the Dresden codex into harmony with 

 the calendars recorded at Palenque, Lorillard, and Tikal. A 

 portion of tlie results of Dr Thomas' work on this subject is 

 published in one of the bulletins of the Bureau, a brocliure of 

 64 pages, entitled "The Maya Yeai-." Other results are incor- 

 porated in a memoir on the origin and significance of the 

 calendric terms, which is not yet completed. 



During the year Mr Hilborne T. Cresson, of Philadelphia, 

 was occujiied in archeologic researches, chiefly in Guatemala 

 and eastern Mexico, under a provision of the De Laincel fund 

 and under the general supervision of the Director of the 

 Bureau. Some of the results of his interesting researches 

 have been made public tlu'ougli various scientific journals 



Specially noteworthy among the results of the archeologic 

 work in the Bureau during the current year are the mono- 

 graphs by Professor Holmes on "Ancient Pottery of EasteiTi 

 United States" and "Stone Art of Eastern United States." Both 

 embrace the results of researches extending- over many years; 

 both are elaborately illustrated from material preserved in the 

 National Museum; both represent the mature conclusions of 

 an able and carefull\' trained archeologist. The classification 

 and interpretation adopted b^' Professor Holmes are primarilv 

 indigenous, though his comparative studies have extended over 

 the archeologic literature of the world, and it is believed that his 

 conclusions will form a firm basis for those branches of arche- 

 ology to which his work relates. To him science is indebted 

 for a consistent method of interpreting primitive art products 

 through study of the arts of primitive j^eoples cognate to those 

 whose relics have come down to us frojn prehistoric times. It 

 was with great regret that the Director accepted his resignation 

 toward the end of the fiscal year, in order that he might trans- 

 fer his labors to the Field (Jolumbian ]\Iuseum. 



