About the close of May, 1895, I was invited to make a collection of
objects for the National Museum, illustrating the archeology of the
Southwest, especially that phase of pueblo life pertaining to the
so-called cliff houses. I was specially urged to make as large a
collection as possible, and the choice of locality was generously left
to my discretion.
Leaving Washington on the 25th of May, I obtained a collection and
returned with it to that city on the 15th of September, having spent
three months in the field. The material brought back by the expedition
was catalogued under 966 entries, numbering somewhat over a thousand
specimens. The majority of these objects are fine examples of mortuary
pottery of excellent character, fully 500 of which are decorated.
I was particularly fortunate in my scientific collaborators. Mr F. W.
Hodge, of the Bureau of American Ethnology, joined me at Sikyatki, and
remained with the expedition until it disbanded, at the close of
August. Much of my success in the work at that ruin was due to his
advice and aid. He was constantly at the excavations, and the majority
of the beautiful specimens were taken out of the graves by him. It is
with the greatest pleasure that I am permitted to express my
appreciation of his assistance in my archeological investigations at
Sikyatki. Mr G. P. Winship, now librarian of the John Carter Brown
Library at Providence, visited our camp at the ruin mentioned, and
remained with us a few weeks, rendering important aid and adding an
enthusiastic student to our number. Mr James S. Judd was a volunteer
assistant while we were at Sikyatki, aiding me in many ways,
especially in the management of our camp. I need only to refer to the
beautiful drawings which accompany this memoir to show how much I am
indebted to Mrs Hodge for faithful colored figures of the remarkable
pottery uncovered from the Tusayan sands. My party included Mr S.
Goddard, of Prescott, Arizona, who served as cook and driver, and Mr
Erwin Baer, of the same city, as photographer. The manual work at the
ruins was done by a number of young Indians from the East Mesa, who
very properly were employed on the Moki reservation. An all too
prevalent and often unjust criticism that Indians will not work if
paid for their labor, was not voiced by any of our party. They gave
many a weary hour's labor in the hot sun, in their enthusiasm to make
the collection as large as possible.
On my return to Washington I was invited to prepare a preliminary
account of my work in the field, which the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution did me the honor to publish in his report for
1895. This report was of a very general character, and from necessity
limited in pages; consequently it presented only the more salient
features of my explorations.
The following account was prepared as a more exhaustive discussion of
the results of my summer's work. The memoir is much more extended than
I had expected to make it when I accepted the invitation to collect
archeological objects for the Museum, and betrays, I fear,
imperfections due to the limited time spent in the field. The main
object of the expedition was a collection of specimens, the majority
of which, now on exhibition in the National Museum, tell their own
story regarding its success.
I am under deep obligations to the officers of the Smithsonian
Institution, the National Museum, and the Bureau of American Ethnology
for many kindnesses, and wish especially to express my thanks to Mr S.
P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, for the
opportunity to study the ancient ruins of Tusayan. Nothing had a
greater influence on my final decision to abandon other congenial work
and undertake this, than my profound respect for the late Dr G. Brown
Goode, who suggested the expedition to me and urged me to plan and
undertake it.