1892.] Prehistoric Anthropology. 813 
consideration at the hands of the Government, and a complete 
system of laws are now in force providing for the proper inves- 
tigation of these monuments, their preservation and the con- 
servation of the objects found therein. Any person in the 
Kingdom making a discovery of archeological objects is 
required to make it known to the proper department of the 
Government at Rome. If he would excavate he must also 
notify the Government, and it will send an inspector who will 
supervise the excavation, keep a diary of all work done and 
a register of all objects found. This he does from actual 
observation, for he is required to be on the ground every day 
during the progress of the work. 
At Corneto-Tarquini the excavations have been continued 
for twelve years, practically by the same band of workmen 
under pay of the town with a permanent Government inspec- 
tor. All objects found are registered and reported to the 
Government. Nothing will show the contrast between the 
interest in these matters shown by the Government of Italy 
and that of the United States better than to tell the purpose _ 
of this register. It is that the Government may have control 
over the objects; that if they be desired by the Government 
for any of its museums it may have the prior right to purchase 
at a fair valuation, and if the objects be sufficiently rare and 
valuable from an artistic or scientific point of view it may 
prohibit and prevent their exportation and consequent loss to 
the country. 
- The United States, so far from having any such govern- 
mental control over or interest in any of the prehistoric 
antiquities, whether monuments or otherwise, has had no 
serious thought of such control. Neither the Government nor 
any of its officers or institutions have ever, to my knowledge, 
even considered a proposition for the purchase of any of these 
prehistoric monuments, and if they or any of them have ever 
supervised or inspected an excavation it certainly has not been 
with a view to purchase the objects that they might be dis- 
played in any of the museums. No officer or institution of 
the United States has either power or authority to purchase 
real estate, whether it be a prehistoric monument or not. 
