548 -4MERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. S . , 34, 1932

tion of tonal color value is much greater than with most North American Indians or Hawaiians. To attempt to relegate them6 to a much lower musical level is doing them an injustice. On pp. 220-221 of my review, to which reference is made at this point by the author, I find a technical analysis of the tonal structure of the Copper Eskimo songs, with no remarks of a n evaluating or comparative character. The author’s remark seems t o refer, unless my analysis is questioned on a technical basis, to the statements I have made on p. 224: The author contends that the Copper Eskimo songs are generally longer and more varied, with more frequent combinations of themes than Indian songs. In my opinion, the Copper Eskimo music, as a local development, stands above the music we know from other Eskimo areas; it seems richer than the music of some Indian areas, but inferior to others.

The question of the functioning of intervals in primitive music is sufficiently im- portant to warrant this explanation which, I hope, will prevent a further misunder- standing of my previous comments.

GEORGE HERZOG

PREHISTORIC POTTERY AND CULTURE RELATIONS IN THE MIDDLE GILA I n brief reply to the recent criticism by the late Dr. F. C. ten Kate of the Heming-

way Expedition of 1888 and 89 of my alleged neglect of early field workers in a paper published under the above title (American Anthropologist, vol. 32, no. 3, 1930) I should like to state the following.

It is assuredly not for one generation to neglect the studies of those preceding them. Dr. ten Kate admits, however, to the regret of younger archaeologists as well as of older, that no full study of the reconnaisances, excavations, or material gathered by the Hemingway Expedition was ever made or published. Consequently, what the present day archaeologist may gather of its results is limited to the one American and the four brief foreign references noted by Dr. ten Kate, or to even briefer notes in publications of men who happened to have come in contact with the expedition.

Until recently, Fewkes’ detailed papers on Casa Grande, and other papers merely locating and briefly describing ruins seen, published in the Bureau of Ethnol- ogy reports, and Kidder’s short survey of the section then known as the “Lower Gila,” published in his Soulhweslern Archaeology, comprised the only available direct scientific data on the region now designated the “Middle Gila.” Publications on work done in adjoining areas were of value, although usually rather indirectly, to those interested in the field of the Middle Gila. Pottery sequences and relationships in this region had never been thoroughly investigated; indeed, work has not been even approximately finished on these questions. Recently several institutions have interested themselves in the area-those carrying on investigations at the time my article was published being the Los Angeles Museum, the University of California, Gila Pueblo of Arizona, the Arizona Museum of Phoenix, and the Arizona State Museum in connection with the University of Arizona at Tucson.

6 Reference is made to the review in a footnote.

mscussrog A N D CORRESPONDENCE 549

As for the scores and scores of parallels indicating a close relationship of the “Middle” and “Upper Gila” cultures and the present pueblo culture in general,

while the modern pueblo culture is generally accepted as a continuation of that of the prehistoric period, it has never yet been proven from what branches of the pre- historic the modern has descended. Recent evidence collected by the Museum of Northern Arizona indicates that the historic Hopi pottery is a lineal descendant of prehistoric prototypes of the Jeddito district. Evolution of the wares of Pecos from prehistoric to historic times indicated that the people responsible for the late wares were probably descendants of those who had previously lived in the same district. That small groups from the arid hliddle Gila trekked northward toward the end of the prehistoric period is probable, although never yet definitely proven. Evidence of intercourse and possibly of some visiting expeditions between north and south is plentiful, but when one considers the general similarity of the pueblo culture all over the southwest, it is obvious that only detailed examination of the distribution of physical or cultural characteristics distinctly peculiar to one region may be taken as evidence of the movements of the people of that region. Absolute knowledge of such distribution must depend upon more extensive excavation in the Southwest than has yet been made by all the expeditions who have ever sunk spade into these ruined dwellings.

In objecting to the statement that evidence of forced abandonment of the region was a t present lacking, Dr. ten Kate avers,

On the contrary, Cushing has proved beyond a doubt that earthquakes were one of the main causes for the abandonment of whole towns.

I n Earthquake History of the United Stales, Special Publication No. 149, U . S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Dept. of Commerce, 1927, were listed but five earthquakes in Arizona. Their intensity ranged from that sufficient to crack plaster on buildings without injury to those buildings, to that capable of psrtially or totally destroying buildings. They are listed: 1906, Flagstaff; 1910, Flagstaff; 1912, Flagstiff district; 1913, throughout Arizona and New Mexico, details lacking; 1916, Esst edge of Arizona. These, it will be noted, are all in northern and eastern Arizona, mountain- ous and volcanic country, entirely different from the sandy plains and low moun- tains of the Middle Gila. Something of the shock of the earthquake of May 3, 1887, whose epicenter was in Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico, was felt as far northward in Arizona as Tucson and Tombstone. No structures then standing were destroyed. This was the only earthquake known in southern Arizona in historic times, ac- cording to old timers in the district. It is the only one reported for southern Arizona in the bulletin cited, although shocks of California earthquakes are claimed to have sometimes reached as far eastward as Yuma during the early American period.

To quote Dr. G. M. Butler, Director of the Arizona Bureau of Mines, May 13, 1931: Apparently most of Arizona is now, and has been for a long time, very stable. We know of no faults along which movement is taking place, and everything indicates that the stresses

5% AMERICAN A NTHROPOLWIST [N. s., 34, 1932

have been in a state of equilibrium for a long time. I do not think that anyone would dare state positively that earthquakes did not disturb the prehistoric inhabitants in Southern Arizona, but, personally, I think it is unlikely that they did so.

FLORENCE M. HAWLEY Arizona State Museum

Tucson, Arizona THE CULT OF THE CROCODILE

The recent discoveries by Professor Anti of Padua University at the site of Tebtunis (Fayum, Egypt) show that crocodile worship was peculiar to that place as a t Kom Ombo (Upper Egypt). The site is regarded as Graeco-Roman and dates as such from the IVth century B.C. It is evident that the local deity Sebek (Sekneb- tuni or Sebek, Lord of Tunis) was adopted by the Greek colonists engaged there locally in agriculture. The exact origin of the crocodile cult is undetermined. The reptile is regarded as a symbol of fertility and also strength.1 Nilotic people seem to have regarded the reptile as a river god and there are vestiges of this belief to- day.

A fortress monastery, 400 feet by 200 feet, which was enclosed by a brick wall 13 feet thick and 20 feet high, was discovered a t Tebtunis. The building was similar to the Coptic fortress monasteries so familiar to tourists on the Nile. The priests of the Tebtunis monastery appear to have practised all the arts and sciences for which their medieval Christian successors became famous in Europe. Definite traces of surgery, medicine, literature, painting etc. have been found in the dwellings.

This crocodile cult is found in many other places. The Illustrated London News of May 30, 1931 contains photographs of the sacred crocodile of Ibadan (Nigeria) which is said to be a t least 150 years old and still possesses a hearty appetite.

It is a curious fact that certain natives from Argungo, near Sokoto, seem to possess the power of charming these reptiles. Pilgrims from Argungo to Mecca used to catch crocodiles in the Blue Nile(Sudan),and after killing them ate the flesh. The writer had all his servants and camel-men laid up for several days with swollen glands, which they attributed to a surfeit of crocodile flesh when traveling on the Abyssinian frontier. I t is possible that strict Moslems avoid eating the flesh of the crocodile on much the same grounds that Europeans abstain from pork, Delta Nile fish, goat’s milk and other recognised germ carriers in Africa.

ARTHUR E. ROBINSON 2 Brampton Road

England St. Albans, Herts

DISCOVERIES IN PALESTINE Tell-el-Aj jul

It gave us much pleasure to renew our personal acquaintance with Sir Flinders Petne at his recent exhibition a t London University College.

1 When1 was in Nubia the ovaries of the crocodile were publicly sold and eaten as aphro- disiacs and a cure for barren women. H. E. R.