368 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



A trench was run into the pyramid on the eastern side of the same 

 plaza. The floor of the plaza itself, finished like the other floors, was 

 uncovered, and also the very much ruined face of the pyramid. In this 

 trench, as well as in all others, the stratification was studied carefully 

 in order to ascertain the manner of disintegration of the mounds. 



The fourth and last mound on which excavations were undertaken 

 was the small one just south of the main group around this second 

 highest plaza. This mound proved to be a small square building, 

 3.75 meters on a side, set upon a low platform, 30 centimeters in height, 

 which made a terrace a meter wide on all four sides of the building. 

 On the western side of the building a small steep stairway of eight 

 steps led to the top, which was about 2 meters above the platform. 

 The walls of the building were of unfinished stones, but those of the 

 platform consisted of well-dressed limestone. The interior of the 

 building had been completely filled. Excavations in the center of the 

 mound disclosed, at a depth of 3.5 meters below the top of the building, 

 a tomb of large, rough, flat limestone slabs leaning against one another 

 to form ajrude vault. In this tomb was the skeleton of some impor- 

 tant personage, laid on its back at full length, with the head 

 towards the north. With the burial were found five unbroken pottery 

 vessels, an obsidian knife, and a necklace composed of eighteen spheri- 

 cal beads of serpentine and jade, and five beads of clay and bone. 

 Although the vessels were somewhat incrusted with lime, it was possi- 

 ble to obtain the designs, in colors, of four of the five. One, cyclindrical 

 in shape, was fluted. 



The dearth of smaller objects was very noticeable. In the course 

 of the entire excavations, not a single bone implement was found and 

 less than a dozen stone tools appeared, but potsherds were very com- 

 mon indeed. A large collection was made, showing examples of all 

 of the many variations in shapes and wares. In accordance with the 

 permit granted by the Government of Guatemala, the objects found 

 in the tomb were deposited with the local authorities at Flores. 



While excavating for a large cistern near the plaza of Flores, the 

 government exposed several floors, many potsherds, and at least one 

 grave. From this work two complete vessels were saved. 



The interest shown by the inhabitants of Flores towards the end 

 of the work was extremely gratifying, in view of the fact that at the 

 beginning there was an atmosphere of tacit disapproval. On Sundays 

 especially, a great many groups climbed the steep path from the lake- 

 shore to inspect the work. The governor and his staff, all of whom had 

 evinced a keen interest from the very beginning of the work, visited 

 the excavations many times. On the eve of departure. Dr. Guthe was 

 informed that the government would install a glass case in the public 

 library in order to exhibit the collection, would place a guard at the 

 excavations to protect the walls and mounds from vandalism, and also 

 place a roof over the tomb to protect it from the weather. 



