XXXVI REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. 



textile fabrics obtained from the mound region; and a fourth, 

 on tlie stone implements of the tide-water country, was sub- 

 stantially completed. A fifth paper, on the general archeology 

 of the region, was commenced. 



At the commencement of the official year Dr Cyrus Thomas 

 was engaged in examining and correcting the proof of his "Cat- 

 alogue of Prehistoric Works East of the Rocky Mountains," 

 which was published in the latter part of 1891 as a Bulletin of 

 the Bureau. This examination involved in many cases the 

 necessity of a reference to the authorities quoted. 



Much of his time during the year was employed in writing 

 the final pages of the report on the field work and explorations 

 which for several years had been in his charg-e, and in adapt- 

 ing it to a change in the form and manner of its publication 

 which had been made necessary. This involved the rewrit- 

 ing of many pages and a material condensation of the intro- 

 ductory portion relating to the distribution of types of mounds. 

 It was completed Ijy the close of the fiscal year and filed for 

 puljlication, nearly all the illustrations having been drawn and 

 prei^ared for engraving. 



Dr Thomas devoted all his spare time to the stud}- of the 

 Maya codices and to the preparation of a report on the discov- 

 eries he made therein. One of these, which is deemed of 

 much intei'est and importance, is that, when the Dresden 

 codex, which is considered the most ancient of those known, 

 was written, the year consisted of 365 days, and that the cal- 

 endar was arranged precisely as it was found to be by the 

 Spanish conquerors. His most important discovery, made 

 during the closing days of the year, was the key to the signifi- 

 cation of the hieroglyphic characters of the codices, by which 

 it is probable that the inscriptions may ultimately be read. 

 This discovery, which the tests so far applied appear to con- 

 firm, consists, first, in the evidence that the characters as a 

 rule are phonetic, and, second, in ascertaining the signification 

 of a sufficient, number to form a basis for the interpretation of 

 the rest. If this discovery proves to be what, from the evi- 

 dence presented, it appears to be, it will be of incalculable 

 importance to American archeology. 



