April, 1901. The Island of La Plata — Dorsev. 255 



CHARACTER OF THE EARTH EXCAVATED. 



The earth (see Fig. 39) to a depth of a foot or more was of a 

 pinkish color and contained much charcoal. About nine feet beneath 

 this was found a compressed stratum of charcoal and aches one foot 

 thick. This rested on a bed of pure ashes about two feet thick; 

 eight feet below this was encountered another and thicker bed of 

 pure ashes. In the intervening portions were found stratified layers 

 of sand and gravel. In this sand and gravel were found many curi- 

 ous fragments of pottery which seem to have been originally in the 

 form of images and idols. Besides potsherds, numerous squared 

 and rectangular stones of different sizes and shapes were encountered. 

 All this material was, I believe, brought down from the highlands 

 above, for we discovered several refuse heaps on the summit of the 

 plateau in which we found the same class of stones and pottery as 

 below. 



THE GRAVE AND ITS CONTENTS. 



Near the center of the triangle and just above the lower bed of 

 ashes was found a grave with the fragments of two skeletons, but in 

 such poor state of preservation that no portion of them could be 

 saved. With the skeletons were found several earthenware vessels, 

 images of gold and silver, small gold pins and beads, several copper 

 pins and a large stone axe. The grave was apparently an intrusive 

 burial and sustained no relation either to the beds of ashes or to the 

 stones and potsherds found elsewhere promiscuously. The other objects 

 found in the grave consisted of three images of gold, one of silver and 

 one of copper, copper bells, several earthenware vessels and a very 

 remarkable stone axe. All this material is unlike that of the coast 

 tribes of Ecuador or the Yuncas of Peru but closely resembles that 

 found in Quichua territory throughout the highlands of Ecuador and 

 Peru. It is thus quite clear that we have here two distinct kinds of 

 material which, as seems highly probable, are the results of two 

 periods of occupancy. I shall first describe the material from the 

 graves. These, I believe, were of comparatively recent origin and 

 their presence is, I think, to be regarded as accidental. 



GOLD AND SILVER IMAGES. 



The gold and silver images are of the usual form such as are 

 found in the highlands of Peru and Ecuador. The largest image 



