April, 1901. The Island of La Plata — Dorsey. 279 



some phase of character, cannot be too highly admired. The many 

 forms of arm and leg-bands and ornaments, revealed in the fragments 

 of vessels, as well as the man)' ways of fashioning the arms and feet 

 are also worthy of mention. 



GENERAL CONCLUSIONS. 



It seems probable that we have on the island of La Plata 

 evidence, first, of the long occupation by a people who probably 

 resorted here during certain seasons of the year, perhaps for the 

 celebration of religious rites. In no other way can I account for the 

 enormous accumulation of ashes and charcoal which was revealed in 

 our excavations at the foot of the triangle, and in no other way can I 

 account for the great quantities of engraved stones and of the 

 thousands of fragments of earthenware images, which, so far as I 

 can determine, did not serve a utilitarian purpose. That the island 

 was not a place of permanent occupancy is shown, I think, from the 

 absence of objects representing every-day phases of domestic life, 

 such as we might naturally expect to find. One statement that I 

 have been able to find after careful examination of the early writers 

 on the west coast of South America is in this connection of unusual 

 interest. Cieza de Leon, after speaking of certain events on the 

 mainland, says : 



" In another small island, at no great distance, the natives say 

 that in the time of their ancestors there was a temple or Huaca, 

 where they also worshiped their gods and performed sacrifices. 

 Round the temple they had quantities of gold, silver, and other 

 valuable things, such as woolen clothes and' jewels, which had been 

 offered up at different times." 



This, I believe, refers to the island of La Plata and perhaps 

 solves the problem as to the presence on the island of the pottery 

 images. Concerning the engraved stones, I am still, after much 

 consideration, unable to offer any clew as to their probable use. The 

 question that they might have entered into certain games has been 

 carefully considered, but they show practically no marks of usage. 

 There is such an enormous range of variation in the size, character, 

 etc., of these stones that it is hard to conceive of any game or series 

 of games in which they might have been used. The second conclu- 

 sion which, I think, may safely be made is that the graves discovered 

 by General Flores and myself in the explored triangle, represent 

 intrusive burials. Furthermore, I am inclined to believe that the 



