NO. 2275. USE OF SLINGS IN PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA— MEANS. 327 



As regards color and design these slings are admirable. Black, 

 white, brown, yellow, and red are the commonest shades; but blue, 

 green, buff, and pink also appear, though with less frequency. Some- 

 times the sling proper is without ornamentation, or its tassels are its 

 only decoration. More often, however, the cradle and that part of 

 the cords which is next to the cradle have a well-executed design in 

 colors. Although geomtric designs are in the majority, the zoomor- 

 phic element makes its appearance, as in Nos. 301002, 301007, 301010, 

 from Nasca. Doctor Hrdlicka is of the opinion that the decorations 

 of many of the strings represent a snake. All the specimens, save 

 Nos. 301046 and 301047 from Lomas, are entirely of wool. The two 

 exceptions specified have cotton foundations with wool embroidery. 

 (See pi. 22, fig. 3.) The prevalence of wool is interesting as indi- 

 cating a well-developed trade between the coast and the mountain 

 regions, for the wool-bearing animals indigenous to Peru all live 

 at high altitudes.^ Although they are not represented in the collec- 

 tion under discussion, other materials were used for slings in ancient 

 Peru. Slings made of human hair, of llama hide, and of vegetable 

 fiber have been reported from Ancon.^ 



In point of size the slings vary widely. Their dimensions may be 

 summarized thus : 

 Total length of slings : 



Maxlmura=2S feet (No. 301124). 

 Miniranm=3 feet, 3 inches (No. 301010), 

 Averagers feet, 10 inches. 

 Cradle : 

 Length — 



Maximum=18* Inches (No. 301002). 

 Mininmm=3 inches (No. 301026). 

 Average=7f inches. 

 Width— 



Maximum=3i inches (No. 301070). 

 Minimuin=i inch (Nos. 301022 and 301116). 

 Average=li inches. 



II. DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF A COLLECTION OF SLINGS FROM 



SOUTHERN PERU. 



Specimen No. 301001. — Cradle of a sling of the solid-cradled type. 

 Locality: Nasca. 



Colors. — Red and yellow. 



Design. — Three longitudinal rows of diamonds formed by yellow lines on a 

 red ground. 



Material. — Wool. 



RoiKirks. — The structure consists of two parallel warps onc.-iscd in a 

 continuous spiral woof very closely wound about the two warp-threads, Over 



» Scott, 191.3, p. 390. PMower and Lydekker. 1891, p. 300. 



• S(>e Reiss and Stuebel, pi. 76, flg. 9. Spfcimens showing the use of these ma- 

 terials occur In several museum collections, notahly In that of the Peabody Museum of 

 Harvard University. A sling decorated with feathers also appears there. 



