OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 127 



would show the occurrence of sti'l other examples of pictographs in 

 the region for there are numerous places favorably situated at the 

 base of the mountains where the granite is highly polished (proba- 

 bly by Permian glacial erosion) and these smooth surfaces furnisli 

 vci'y .u.t^b.e sites tor the engraving of figures. 



While the main purpose of the present paper is to place on 

 record the occurrence and c. ara.ter of the pictographs, their possible 

 mcaivAjy i.r\d their probable date of origin are matters of con- 

 siderab'.e interest. 



The figures in the pictographs are probably intended to rep- 

 resent symbols or signs of ideas rather than actual phenomena. 

 There seems little hope, however, of learning the meaning of the 

 writing. 



In response to a letter of inquiry sent to Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, 

 CVie of tr.e Bureau o. American liLhnology, Washington, D. C, the 

 writer received the following reply : 



Jan. 17, 1923. 

 "Mr. S. Weidman, 

 Norman, Oklahoma. 

 Dear sir : 



In response to your letter of January 13, enclosing photographs 

 of pictographs, I beg to say that the Indians north of Mexico had 

 no definite system of recording ideas in the form of picture writing 

 or otherwise. Pictographs, such as those of which you send photo- 

 graphs, are usually little more than idle markings by one or more 

 individuals, and there is little likelihood that, in most cases anyone 

 ex "pt t' e .rt lan or irr'in.ns ""ho e:ched or painted them know any- 

 thing of their significance. These pictographs are of all ages. The 

 Pueblo Indians of the present day make these etchings on rocks 

 which cannot be distinguished from the most ancient in the same 

 region. 



Very truly yours, 



J. WALTER FEWKES, 



Chief. 



Mr. Long, the photographer was told by Jack Doyeto, who is 

 a Kiowa Indian of unusual intelligence and is considered the his- 

 torian of the Kiowas, that the writings were seen on the rocks 

 when the Kiowas first settled in the region some SO years ago. 

 Doyeto further stated that he had no knowledge of the meaning of 

 the writings and that it was his belief that the writings were made 

 a very long time ago, "Maybe 500, maybe 1000 years ago." 



An examination of the amount of weathering developed upon 

 the rocks upon which the picture writing is engraved and the 



