NO. 14 ARCHEOLOGY OF BA\ ISLANDS, HONDl^RAS STRONG 35 



Our sample collection from here includes 24 sherds. These, like 

 all other pottery noted at the site, are monochrome, ranj^ing from 

 hrovvn to red in color. They are tempered with white (coral) ,c;rit 

 and are rather well ]:)()lished, although they lack any hut the simplest 

 attempts at decoration. Three fragments are from thick, round- 

 hottomed, open howls, one of which has a small ovoid lug with 

 " coffee hean " eyes. Six sherds are from smaller open bowls, one of 

 which has a perfectly Hat rim. Nine are from small howls with re- 

 stricted orifices and low slightly flaring necks. Only one of these has 

 a lug and irregular vertical incisions near the neck. A crudely modeled, 

 solid conical leg and a thick body sherd (i cm in thickness) are the 

 only other pottery pieces. Other detached feet and lugs, some of 

 which were modeled, were noted at the site. 



There are six fragments of prismatic flake knives of black obsidian 

 and many similar pieces were found in the mounds. Fish bones are 

 very abundant, our sample containing four shark vertebrae (species 

 indeterminable), the jaw of a hog fish (Lachiiolaiinus maxiuius) , 

 and others of indeterminable species. Shells did not seem to be very 

 abundant, but a few mammal bones were noted. The fragments of 

 the latter which were saved are too incomplete for identification. 

 Irregular calcined stones and charcoal were observed in the mounds. 

 Our examination of the site was extremely brief but sufficient to in- 

 dicate that it was a definite habitation site, containing much material 

 and apparently of considerable extent. Taken in conjunction with 

 the stone causeways reported as converging on Stuart Hill, of which 

 we were unaware at the time of our visit, the " Eighty Acre " site 

 seems highly important. 



As a whole, the island of Utila is obviously an extremely promising 

 place for extensive archeological research. Habitation, ceremonial, 

 and burial sites are all present, and of these only one or two have 

 been even seriously sampled. The island as a whole has not yet been 

 examined even for surface indications, and this is especially true of 

 the western end. Here on the surface of the ground near the small 

 settlement of Sucsac Cay (see map, fig. i) Bird obtained a small 

 collection of sherds. These include two fragments of open bowls ; 

 two rims of large urnlike vessels with sharply everted lips; several 

 rims from medium to large jars with low necks and flaring lips; one 

 loop handle, and several body sherds. All are of course red ware 

 without slip or decoration. We heard of other burial grounds in this 

 part of the island which evidently resemble that at Black Rock Basin, 

 but we had no time to visit them. 



