REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 33 



(6) psychology, (7) bibliography, and (8) publication, with the necessary adminis- 

 trative and miscellaneous work. Most of the researches are necessarily carried 

 forward in the field, while the field material is elaborated in the office. Accordingly, 

 the held work and the office work are treated together except in so far as the former 

 may bo considered exploratory, when it commonly relates to different lines of pri- 

 mary research. 



EXPLORATION. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year Dr. J. Walter Fewkes was in the field in Arizona, 

 having completed during June a recounoissance of the little-known country includ- 

 ing the northeastern extension of the Mogollon escarpment about the head waters of 

 Rio Verde, lie repaired early in July to Holbrook, and proceeded to explore the 

 ruiued villages of northeastern Arizona. After a more or less successful reconnois- 

 8ance extending over a considerable district, he chose for detailed work the ruin 

 known as Sikyatki. Here he was joined by Mr. F. W. Hodge. It was ascertained 

 through tradition and literary record that the ruin represented a wholly prehistoric 

 village; and excavations were begun with the certainty that all material exhumed 

 would, for this reason, be of especial value in indicating the aboriginal condition of 

 the pueblo builders of this district. The anticipations were fully realized in the 

 results. In all of the abundant material exhumed and duly transferred to the United 

 Stafes National Museum no trace of intrusive accultural art was found; every piece 

 was clearly prehistoric ; and the collection was the richest both in quantity of mate- 

 rial and the quality of the ware and its symbolic decoration thus far obtained in this 

 country. While it is especially rich in decorated pottery, many other articles illus- 

 trating primitive handicraft and customs were obtained, together with a sufficient 

 amount of somatologic material — crania, etc. — to reveal the prominent physical char- 

 acteristics of the ancient people. Extensive collections were made also in the ancient 

 ruin of Awatobi. Dr. Fewkes' operations were brought to a close toward the end of 

 August, when he returned to Washington with his collections, comprising seventeen 

 boxes from Sikyatki and Awatobi, and three from the ruins on the head waters of 

 Rio Verde. 



Separating from Dr. Fewkes at Holbrook about the end of August, Mr. Hodge 

 made a recounoissance of all the inhabited pueblos of New Mexico comprising ZuTii, 

 Acoma, and Laguna in the western part of the territory, Cochiti, San Felipe, Santo 

 I tomingo, Santa Ana, Sia, Jetnez, Isleta, Sandia, Taos, Picuris, Santa Clara, San Juan, 

 s.i n Ildelbnso, Pqjoaque, Nambe, and Tesuque, in the valley of Rio Grande. At 

 nearly all of these pueblos he was able to obtain valuable information relating to the 

 social organization, beliefs, migrations, and affinities of the natives. In several 

 cases the Indians have remained so completely isolated as to be little known to 

 students, and accordingly much of the information is essentially new. 



Tlio early part of the year was spent by Mr. James Mooney in the field in Okla- 

 homa in researches concerning the Kiowa Indians, the details of which are set forth 



elsewhere. 



Noteworthy exploratory work was conducted by Mr. W J McGeo in continuation 

 and extension of the explorations in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, begun during the 

 lasl fiscal year. Outfitting at Tucson, Ariz., he started southward on November 9, 

 L895, crossing the frontier at Sasabo" and proceeding thence in a different direction 

 from that already reconnoitered. P>y the middle of the month he reached the most 

 elaborate prehistoric works existing in northwestern Mexico, near the rancho of 

 Sau Rafael de Alamito, on the principal wash known locally as Rio Altar. The 

 works comprise ten-aces, stone walls, and enclosed fortifications, built of loose stones, 

 nearly surrounding two buttes, of which the larger is three-fourths of a mile iu 

 length and about 600 feet in height. 



These ruins are know.n locally as "Las Trincheras," or as "Trinchera" and 

 "Trincherita." The whole of the northern side of the larger butte is so terraced 

 and walled as to leave hardly a square yard of the surface in the natural condition; 



sai 90 3 



