40 BULLETIN 15 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



these finds a large number of earthenware vessels had been destroyed 

 by the laborers. When informed of this, I\Ir. Howellj the owner, 

 very carefully preserved all of the remaining specimens uncovered* 

 later. In 1929, at Mr. HowelFs request, the American Museum of 

 Natural History in New York City detailed Doctor Shapiro to visit 

 the site. Doctor Shapiro obtained a fine collection of skulls, some 

 entire skeletons, and a collection of earthenware vessels recovered 

 along with the skulls from excavations made at the Indian cemetery 

 directly in front of the warehouse. 



Somewhat later Dr. Narciso Alberti, head of the National Museum 

 of the Dominican Republic at Santo Domingo City, w^ent to Boca 

 Chica and collaborated with Mr. Howell in further excavation on 

 the sandy beach in front of the sugar warehouse. Doctor Alberti 

 obtained a remarkably fine series of earthenware vessels and a large 

 number of slmlls. 



In 1930 the writer proceeded to Andres, hoping to learn more 

 of the culture stratification in the village site proper. He did not 

 hope to find any extension of the cemetery beyond the confines of 

 the Boca Chica sugar estate. On investigation it was found that 

 the cemetery projected beyond the eastern boundary line of the 

 estate and underlay all of the native village of Andres, extending 

 even beyond this compact little village about 500 feet to the east. 

 It was this discovery that made it seem advisable to undertake anew 

 archeological excavations at several test places, even though previ- 

 ous excavations had been carefully performed. A large collection 

 both of skulls and of earthenware vessels resulted. 



The site is perhaps the most extensive of any West Indian 

 archeological station known at the present time. More skulls and 

 earthenware vessels have been recovered intact by the different 

 institutions represented than from all of the known sites in the 

 West Indies combined. There is a remarkable uniformity through-, 

 out, both as to midden deposits and burial finds. All of the skulls 

 appear to have been primary burials and have apparently not been 

 disturbed. Burials are flexed, with knees projecting upward under 

 the chin and arms folded on the chest, the entire skeleton being 

 found either squatting in an upright position or on one side, ap- 

 parently with no regard as to orientation in the direction of any 

 one of the cardinal points. Each of the burials was accompanied 

 by one or more earthenware food dishes and water jars; a favored 

 position for the water jars being one at either side and the food 

 dishes in a row directly in front of the flexed skeleton. Pressure 

 from the sand had frequently crushed the larger earthenware ves- 

 sels, particularly the large water containers, and frequently the 

 skulls as well, but just as often it was observed that while the 



