PREFACE. 25 



omitted, ho^Yevel■ tri\ial it may now appear, as a time may come when 

 it will supply ueeded evidence iu arclieological investigations. 



The geographical order iu which the report is arranged is as follows: 

 First, the Mississippi valley proper, commencing with Minnesota and 

 Wisconsin and proceeding southward; next, the Gulf States from Mis- 

 sissippi eastward, after which follows the Appalachian district, Includ 

 iug North Cai-olina, eastern Tennessee, and West Virginia, then Ohio, 

 Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. 



The territory over which the explorations have been carried is large, 

 and, from necessity, no one section has been exhaustively examined for 

 reasons given above. Suffice it to say that the chief object kept con- 

 stantly in view was the search for types. But this included types of 

 form, of modes of construction and internal arrangement, of methbds of 

 burial, of contents, and of indications of uses, etc. 



The illustrations are original with a few exceptions. Those which 

 are copied are chietly from previous publications of this Bureau. A 

 few, however, are from the annual reports of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, the electrotypes being kindly loaned for this purpose. 



Before concluding this preface I wish to acknowledge the many favors 

 the division has received both in prosecuting the field work and iu pre- 

 paring the report. We have been kindly received iu all portions of the 

 country to which our operations have extended, the citizens always 

 showing a commendable desire to encourage our work and to give us 

 all the information possible. Here and there permission to explore 

 mounds has been refused, but such refusal has generally been based ou 

 valid reasons. 



To the assistants who have carried on operations in the field I extend 

 thanks for the zeal and faithfulness with which their work was per- 

 formed. I am also indebted to Mr. W. H. Holmes, Eev. W. M. Beau- 

 champ, and Mr. Gerard Fowke; and also to Mr. Reynolds for val- 

 uable papers, and to Mr. James D. Middleton for the plats and results 

 of the surveys made by him of works in Ohio and elsewhere. 



It is proper to state here that only a partial study of the articles col- 

 lected has as yet been made. Papers by specialists, describing and 

 discussing them, are being prepared and will appear hereafter. 



C. T. 



