1(30 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. oa 



MEASUREMENTS 

 CRANIA 



The Cupisnique series (S males. 5 females) is too small to wan-ant 

 drawing conclusions from the average measurements. The Mochica 

 series (13 males. 8 females), plthougb nearly twice as large, is -till 

 too smal] to give more than genera] indications. 4 in view of this 

 situation I have given in table 2 the averages for these two series in 

 comparison with the miscellaneous undeformed series from the Chi- 

 cama Valley described above (page 156). Since this miscellaneous 

 series consists of 50 individuals for ear!: sex, it-' averages may be 

 considered fairly reliable. 



Examination of the differences between the Mochica and the mis- 

 cellaneous Chicama series shows that the mean measurements do not 

 differ more than 2 mm. in the males and G mm. in the females, the 

 average difference between the means being- slightly over 1 mm. in 

 the males and slightly under 2 mm. in the females. In the case of 

 the six indices the average difference between the means is 1.3 units 

 for the males and 2.3 units for the females. When the small number 

 in the Mochica series is considered, these figures indicate a fair 

 degree of similarity. 



Although the means of these two series may show considerable 

 resemblance, it is important also to consider the variability of all the 

 undeformed skulls. In other words, restating the first problem listed 

 above, how do the undeformed skulls from the Chicama-Moche-Viru 

 region represented in these collections compare in homogeneity with 

 other populations ? 



A convenient measure of variability is furnished by Howells's 

 "mean sigma" (19-41), but this is based entirely upon European series. 

 There are only a few standard deviations available for series of 

 American Indians and especially those from single sites or single 

 cultures. However, from the available data I have selected three 

 series that furnish interesting comparisons (table 3). Unfortunately, 

 none of these is from South America. The Pecos series is interesting 

 because it represents the undeformed and least-deformed elements 

 from a single site; the Southern Shell Mound and Arikara series, 

 on the other hand, represent a' single culture or a single tribe as found 

 in more than one site. 



Before considering this comparison in detail, we may note that 

 the metrical variability of a cranial series may be exaggerated by 

 the unintentional inclusion of individuals of the other sex and of 

 slightly deformed specimens. The difficulty of correctly sexing skulls 



♦Measurements of the individual specimens <»f both series are given in tfoe appendix. 



