Report of the President 



85 



it being of the same general type as Bonito, excavated by the 

 Hyde Expedition of some years ago. This season at Aztec 

 was in the main preliminary. The site was cleared of vegeta- 

 tion and drift and the standing walls sounded. Those showing 

 weakness were strengthened with cement to prevent collapse 

 when the supporting debris was removed. In addition, thirty- 

 four rooms were cleared in the east wing. This ruin promises 

 to be one of the most important in the Southwest. The work 

 was supervised by Assistant Curator Nelson, but under the 

 immediate direction of Mr. Earl H. Morris of the University 

 of Colorado. 



Another special problem was the chronological investigation 

 of the Zufii region by Professor A. L. Kroeber of the Univer- 

 sity of California, and Assistant Curator Nelson and Assistant 

 Leslie Spier of the American Museum. Professor Kroeber 

 continued his work of last year upon the social and town 

 organization of the surviving Zufii, and in cooperation with 

 him Mr. Spier made excavations in Zufii and the neighboring 

 sites. The result of this one season's work is a fairly satis- 

 factory chronological grouping of the sites around Zufii. 



Assistant Curator Nelson made a general survey of the 

 little-known sites west of the Rio Grande, particularly in the 

 valley of the Puerco; the results when published will more 

 definitely define the distribution of pueblo culture. 



Another important problem is the survey of Porto Rico 

 under the auspices of the New York Academy of Sciences and 

 the Porto Rican Government. The field work was directed by 

 Assistant Curator Spinden, who early in the year visited Vene- 

 zuela, a preliminary archaeological survey of the most prom- 

 ising sections of which gives a tentative chronological classifi- 

 cation of the prehistoric culture, which will serve as a point of 

 departure for more intensive work in the islands. Later, in 

 Porto Rico, special attention was given to ceramics and strati- 

 graphic work in shell deposits. The sections made reveal in 

 a satisfactory way the chronology of the island's culture. A 

 summary of the results was given at the last Annual Meeting 

 of the New York Academy of Sciences. 



Finally, we come to field work among the surviving natives 

 of North America. Curator Goddard investigated the White 



