Copy of a letter from Professor F. W. Putnam 
PEABODY MUSEUM OF AKERICAH ARCHAEOLOGY ADD ETOTQLOCtY 
HARYARD UHIYERSITY 
Cambridge, Mass. Apr.£4,1876. 
My dear Mr. Holmes: 
Many thanks for the piece of matting from the cliff 
house. I regard it as a very valuahle specimen and I shall mount 
it carefully Between glass for the Museum. Have you seen any sim¬ 
ilar matting in use in any of the present Pueblas? It is specially 
interesting to me as I have fragments of mats from the ancient graves 
j in Peru somewhat like it. I am as yet not at all satisfied with the 
theory regarding the ancient ruins of Col. and I hope you will he 
able to get more material from them and clear up the question. I 
wish I could get a chance to have a few months on the ground. This 
working at home about such things is not at all satisfactory. 
I was very much interested in your last bulletin which 
Dr. Bissels sent me. You have all done good work there and have 
given much information of great value. The more I find out about 
the ruins the more I am convinced that we must look to the south for 
their origin. I feel greatly indebted to you for this fragment of 
mat and to Dr. Hayden for the photographs he sent me of the Central 
Am. ruins. 1 hope Mr. Jackson was successful with his models of 
the Cliff houses and that I can make some arrangement by which I can 
get copies for the Peabody Museum. If he is able to let me know 
at what cost I can obtain copies I wish he would do so that I may 
get the proper appropriation for the same. 
With kind regards to Dr. Hayden, Mr. Jackson and others, 
believe me 
Truly yours, 
i 
/s/ F. W. PUTNAM 
P. S. I have seen a note in (the Hat.?) of a jar found 
by your party in Colorado that was said to be like the black Peruvian 
jars. If this is so, it is a very important matter and I hope 
you will have the jar figured. I have a large collection of Peruvian 
pottery that I shall soon describe and I would like to know more about 
your jar. I have pottery like what you figure on pi. 13 from a mound 
in Utah and am having cuts made for publication. I simply mention 
this fact in my report soon to be issued. 
F.W.P. 
Mr. W. H. Holmes, 
Washington, D. C 
