142 TWO summers" work in pueblo ruins [eth. ANN. 22 



Forms 



There is nothing peeuliar in tlie lonns which the pottery tidiu this 

 ruiu assumes, thoiigli there were n few specimens different fi'om any 

 yet obtained from the Southwest. One of the most beautiful of tliese 

 was a globular vessel of red ware, with a graceful neck and symmet- 

 rical handle. The ornamentation on this vessel was black and glazed, 

 the design representing a highly conventionalized bird. This speci- 

 men was perfect, with the exception of a small chip in the lip of the 

 oi'ifice. ^Vlthough a long search for the missing fragment was made 

 it could not be found. 



An oval vessel with a hollow handle with external opening recalls 

 similar ob.jects called canteens in other reports. They were doul)tless 

 used for transpoi'tation of water, and may be classified as a ceremo- 

 nial type of pottery. 



An unusual form, seen in figure SO, is shaped like a saucer, and is 



Fuj. ^Sl. Small sauL-er from Four-mile ruin (number 17T1:U ). 



decorated exteriorly M'itli au ai'tistic arrangement of triangles in 

 black, bordered with white lines. 



Food bowls predominated in the collection, and the majority of the 

 vases were small. 



Decoration 



The contribution of the pictui-c writing on pottery from this ruin is 

 highly instructive, and connects the people of Four-mile ruin with 

 those of Ilomolobi and Chevlon. As on the potterj' from the latter 

 ruins, bird figures are particularly abundant, but there are represen- 

 tations of human beings, mammals, reptiles, and insects. 



While, however, there is a general similaritj' between the ceramic 

 pictures of this ruin and those of the jmeblos mentioned above, this 

 resemblance does not extend into details, and the same may be said 

 with regard to other pueblo paleographj-. The picture writing of 

 each pueblo has an individuality which seems to indicate that it was 



