134 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 92 



ment about 40 yards from east to west. The form of these erect slabs 

 suggests the foundation of a temple or similar building, especially in 

 the center, and again at the west end, where a double room is sug- 

 gested. Test pits here were not productive. South of this low en- 

 closure is an irregular alignment of large leaning or fallen rock slabs 

 (fig. 35, C). Mound 4 (fig. 35, mound 4) is 7 feet high and appears 

 to be composed of earth. Here, according to the newspaper account, 

 the Mitchell-Hedges party secured a number of specimens. To the 

 north and to the northwest are two more alignments of vertical rock 

 slabs, many of which are still erect. About 80 yards west of the 

 enclosure a great jungle-covered hill rises abruptly. 



Although potsherds and other artifacts may be found almost any- 

 where within the enclosure, they are not very numerous and no refuse 

 heaps were encountered in our work. The boulder walls, which are 

 not especially well adapted for defense, the earth and stone mounds, 

 and the stone alignments all suggest adjuncts of a temple or ceremonial 

 site rather than a place of regular habitation. Taken in conjunction 

 with Young's description of niches and " seats for idols ", the general 

 arrangement here calls to mind the temple and idol on an island 15 

 Spanish leagues from Trujillo that were mentioned by Salcedo in 

 1527. There is no way to prove that this was the Plan Grande site, 

 but, so far as present researches are concerned, the complex around 

 Plan Grande (which includes Marble Hill Fort and the Sacrificial 

 Spring) is by far the greatest and best-preserved island ceremonial 

 site on record. One of our local guides, however, stated that there 

 was another site very similar to Plan Grande near Black Rock Point, 

 but we were unable to visit this site. Moreover, as will be shown 

 shortly, both Bird's party and our own evidently missed an important 

 ceremonial place at Stuart Hill on Utila Island (see Rose, 1904) ; 

 hence it is undoubtedly premature to draw any such comparative 

 conclusions at this time. 



Our small sample pottery collection from Plan Grande was obtained 

 from the surface, from the trial pits inside the stone walls, and from 

 the dry creek bed. It includes a few Polychrome I and II sherds, but 

 the majority of the pieces are of plain or elaborate monochrome ware. 

 From the dry creek bed comes one restorable vessel (pi. 31, fig. 2, c), 

 a globular pot 12 cm high of brick-red ware. It is fairly well polished 

 and is decorated by a line of indentations making a sort of guilloche 

 pattern caught up by small applique lugs. An iguana head lug show- 

 ing traces of black paint is the only Polychrome I piece. Polychrome 

 II is represented by a rim fragment (like fig. 11, a, d) and two frag- 

 ments of similar handles with small conventional manatee head lugs. 



