NO. I HONDURAS STRONG, KIDDER, AND PAUL 2,"] 



present. All that has been attempted here is to suggest the main trends 

 of a fascinating historical period and to indicate the probable dis- 

 tribution of ethnic groups in the region under investigation. We turn 

 now to outlining the results of direct archeological research. 



ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS 



Chamelecon River 



Our reconnaissance of the middle Chamelecon River extended from 

 May 26 until June 17, 1936. It was aimed primarily at Naco but 

 several other sites were also investigated. Through the courtesy 

 of the United Fruit Company we lodged comfortably at Manacal 

 Ranch (map, fig. 2) which is located about a mile south of the town 

 of Cofradia. Here we obtained horses and mules and were thus able 

 to work at a number of archeological sites in the general vicinity. 

 We first visited the San Luis site just above the confluence of the 

 Naco and Chamelecon Rivers (map, fig. 2). Next we spent 2 weeks 

 mapping and digging exploratory trenches at Naco. The remainder 

 of the time was occupied in making stratigraphic sections and maps 

 at the prehistoric Las Vegas and Tres Piedras mound sites. 



NACO 



All Honduras records of the Conquest refer to Naco, first as a 

 thriving Indian town and later as the site of repeated Spanish settle- 

 ments. The Indian pueblo of Naco was only one of a considerable 

 group in the vicinity. Montejo states that the original population of 

 Naco was 10,000 persons (Colleccion de Documentos Ineditos, 1864, 

 vol. 2, p. 228), an estimate that agrees reasonably well with the previ- 

 ously cited statement of Cortez that the smallest of the pueblos in that 

 vicinity had more than 2,000 houses. Las Casas, speaking of Hon- 

 duras, says : " Tenia Pueblos innumerables, y una vega de treinta 

 leguas y mas, toda muy poblada ... la ciudad de Naco que tenia 

 sobre dos cientas mil animas, y muchos edificios de piedra, en especial 

 los templos en que adoraban " (cited by Bancroft, Native Races, vol. 

 4' P- 77^- When compared to the other authorities, as well as to the 

 size of the ruins, this would seem to be an extremely exaggerated 

 estimate. Similarly, his statement (Las Casas, 1822, p. 45) that be- 

 tween the years 1524 to 1535 more than 2,000,000 Indians perished in 

 the kingdom of Naco and Honduras, leaving only 2,000 inhabitants in 

 a territory 100 leagues square, must be taken with a large grain of 

 salt. Diaz, Montejo, and others give ample proof that the natives of 

 Honduras were cruelly despoiled and that whole districts were de- 

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