Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-11
American Archaeoloqg
BIZ Frederic J. Hdskin

Washington, May 8-The entrance of this
| country into this war will be temporary check
to the development of American archaeology. Un-
less this country is invaded it is quite probable
that most of the excavation work now in prog
| ress in New Mexico and Arizona will be carried
on, but it is expected that all other sites will be
abandoned.
In the year 1879, group of men, headed by
\ Charles Elliot Norton, met in Boston and decided
that something should be done at once to pro-
mote culture in the United States. People, they
declared were money-mad, and culture limited to
a very few.
DR.. Norton and his colleagues founded the
American Archaeology institute. There are now
forty-two archaeological societies in various
cities throughout the country, affiliated under the
American Archaeological institute which has its
headquarters in Washington. Every year repre-
scntatives from each society come to Washington
to outline an archaeological campaign for tn fol-
lowing year. The scope of the institute is very
broad. Following the example OF England and
France, it has established schools of archaeology
in Athens, Rome and the Holy Land which have
accomplished praiseworthy results. Unfortu-
nately, the war has interfered with some OF the
work in these places, and the institute has there
fore Withdrawn the majority of its explorers to
assist in excayating the prehistoric ruins of the
southwest and of Guatemala,
The scholarships in these schools Of archaic.
oogy, as well as the establishments themselves,
are maintained partly by the annual dues of
members and partly by contributions from Ameri-
can universities and colleges. In addition to the
schools, the institute also manages lecture
course, in which noted lecturers make the circuit
Of the various societies and speak on subjects of
archaeological interest, and it also edits very
excellent magazine called "Art and Archaeology"
The latter is included in the price of membership,
which is $40 year. The payment OF 500 at one
time makes one life member, while $500 is the
Of natr .tb; &c raI
quite distinction.
In 1907 the institute opened school of
archaeology in Santa Fe. By this time. it was
realized that America, as well as Europe, had
prehistoric art to be uncovered. Since then. con-
slant excavation has been carried on in the south
west and also in Central America with view to
studying the habits and culture of early Indian
tribes which roamed the continent before us.
The ancient civilizations of the Aztecs and
Pueblos have been brought to light through the
efforts of American psychologists, and the rites
and rituals Of the various Indian tribes with their
peculiar origins, been dug up in the form of
painted relics and given to the museums of the
world. There were the Omahas and cognate
tribes for example, whose excavated relics show
them to have been an intelligent and thoughtful
people, with their own ideas concerning the uni
verse. The Omahas believed in one great life
force which controlled the world and everything
in it, including themselves. They called it
Wakonda.
an their CONCENTRATIONS" says Miss Alice
Fletcher, well known archaeologist who has
done some excellent work in the southwest "the
old men OF the Omahas noted that on the earth
all plants, all animals, lived as groups, each with
its kind they also discerned that everywhere dual
forces were required for the perpetuation of all
living forms. The fructifying rays of the sun were
needed to make the land fruitful, and only by
the union Of the two-the sky and the earth
oAaL1. x..I l.. T.
Upon these two opposites human relations were
projected and to degree made anthropomor-
phic: the sky became masculine, the earth
feminine"
Thus the Omaha organized his tribe on the
basis Of his observations. He. divided his people
the sky and the other the earth. Each of these
sections was in turn divided into number of
groups, constituting separate villages The groups
belonging to the sky section were called the SUM-
the stars, the storm cloud, the moon-all the
things properly belonging to the sky, while the
earth afforded much larger list to choose from,
including trees, animals, plants, ETC.
Everything in nature was respected by the In
dian as containing the same life force as himself
When the infant Omaha was born, he was intro
duced to the cosmos by the village priest who
chanted:
"Hol Ye Sun, Moon, Stars all ye that move in the
heavens
bid we hear me
Into your midst has come new life
Consent We, implorel
Make its path smooth. that it may reach the brow
of the first hill"
Then, the winds, clouds, rain, mist of the air
and the hills valleys trees, grasses, lakes Of the
earth were addressed the same way. The "brow
Of the first hilp meant Infancy, there being four
hills to an Omaha life-Infancy Youth, Maturity
and Old Age. Not until the Omaha was or
years old was he accepted into the tribe with the
permission Of the entire cosmos again, and al
lowed to wear moccasins.
So the whole history of race, with all its be-
liefs and superstitions, may be traced by the
archaeologst, and given to the public for its
greater education and culture. Now the archae-
ologists are to cease their excavations aud do
their share in making history for future research
ers, for whom in archaeological circles there is
already felt great deal of pity If the civiliza-
ton of the twentieth century is ever buried, it is
going to be worse than any jig-saw puzzle ever
invented for the future archaeologist to dig up
and piece together.