Pictographs of the North American Indians. A preliminary paper: Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-83, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 3-256

"Pictographs of the North American Indians" by Garrick Mallery is a scientific publication written in the late 19th century. The work explores the significance of pictographs created by North American Indigenous peoples, focusing on their cultural implications and evolutionary aspects of communication through imagery. Throughout the text, Mallery aims to provide a detailed examination of how these pictographs reflect various facets of Indigenous life, from daily activities to spiritual beliefs. At the start of the work, Mallery introduces the concept of pictographs as a form of visual language that conveys ideas and experiences without the use of written words. He discusses how these early forms of graphic art serve as a bridge between oral traditions and the later development of written language. The opening portion also emphasizes the importance of studying these images not only for their artistic value but also for the insights they provide into the history and culture of the tribes that created them. Mallery specifies that his investigation will primarily focus on the pictographs produced by tribes north of Mexico, setting the groundwork for deeper exploration into their meanings and contexts within Indigenous societies.