PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



by the 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 

 Vol. 93 Washington: 1943 No. 3160 



SKELETAL REMAINS WITH CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS 

 FROM THE CHICAMA, MOCHE, AND VIRU VALLEYS, 

 PERU 



By T. D. Stewart 

 (Based partly on material and data supplied by Rafael Larco Hotle) 



The relationship of cranial type to culture in coastal Peru is just 

 beginning to be examined. Hrdlicka (1911, 1914) maintained, as did 

 earlier writers, that the basic natural type of the whole coast was 

 brachycranic. He concluded, also, on the basis of certain ceramic as- 

 sociations, that at least in the Chicama Valley this original round- 

 headed type had been supplanted largely by one that was long-headed. 

 Subsequently, however, Kroeber (1926b, 1930) identified the ceramics 

 on which Hrdlicka's conclusion was based as being Early instead of 

 Late and hence decided that the earliest type was long-headed. More- 

 over, Kroeber believes that this long-headed form did not change in 

 the Chimu area from Early to Late times. Elsewhere along the coast 

 almost nothing is known about the changes that may have taken place 

 in the natural skull shapes. The chief reason for the lack of such 

 information in a region where crania are so plentiful is the fact that, 

 most of the coastal crania are deformed. 



In the matter of the relationship of deformity type to culture we 

 have more information, owing chiefly to Professor Kroeber's accurate 

 observations. These observations pertain mainly to four parts of the 

 coast: (1) The region of Trujillo on the north coast, (2) about Lima 

 on the central coast, (3) the Cafiete Valley south of Lima, and (4) the 

 region of Nazca on the southern coast, Taking these four areas in the 

 order enumerated, we may briefly summarize Kroeber's findings: 



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