NO. I HONDURAS STRONG, KIDDER, AND PAUL 4I 



occurred in the heavy clay below this for 2.25 meters ; below this was 

 a sterile light clay loam extending to and below the water level. From 

 the point where we struck the first artifact (at a depth of 2 meters), 

 the soil was stripped off in successive layers each 25 centimeters 

 thick, the first one being designated as P i (i. e., pottery level i) 

 and so on through the occupation level. In all, 13 burials were en- 

 countered in this excavation, 10 extended (P 5-9) and 3 bundle 

 burials (P 4-6). The skeletons were in crumbly condition, and the 

 skulls were badly distorted by the pressure of the earth. Only two 

 complete skulls could be saved. Grave gifts were sparse, no complete 

 pots occurring with any of the burials. One bundle burial had 2 clay 

 spindle whorls (top of P 4), and another bundle burial (P 6) had i 

 copper fishhook, 16 obsidian flake knives with needle sharp points, and 

 a broken cooking pot containing bird bones. Layers of small adobe 

 bricks and small baked clay basins near certain burials were the main 

 structural features encountered. Broken pottery was quite abundant 

 in this excavation, coming from 10 levels. The types and sequence 

 represented will be discussed in the final report. 



Excavation 2 was 16 meters east of excavation i. It was roughly 

 5 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 5.40 meters deep in the deepest 

 portion. It contained only one extended skeleton fP 3). From the 

 surface, mixed sand and silt extended down a little less than 2 

 meters ; here the soil changed to a light clay. This layer of light clay, 

 without artifacts, extended down slightly more than i meter. Be- 

 neath this was a dark, heavy clay containing artifacts. Artifacts 

 occurred throughout 7 levels or 1.75 meters. The cultural deposit 

 sloped down toward the south (i. e., toward the river) so that it 

 extended to the top of P 8 there, whereas on the north side of the 

 excavation it terminated on top of P 4. A living level occurred 

 in P 3 and it is the termination of this which sloped down to P 8 on 

 the river side suggesting a refuse heap. In absolute level, P i in 

 excavation 2 corresponds to P 4 in excavation i. Obviously, the 

 deposition of refuse at this site had been little disturbed by burials. 

 On the other hand, the occurrence of only three levels on the north 

 side with what appears to be a dump heap (correlated with level P 3) 

 on the south suggests that the deposit represented a relatively uni- 

 form period of no very great duration. A bed of coarse sand occurred 

 at a depth of 4.25 meters and below this was a light clay loam extending 

 to and below the water level. Except for the sloping dump on the south 

 edge, this stratum was devoid of artifacts. 



The various ceramic and artifact types from excavation 2 will be 

 briefly discussed and any obvious stratigraphic changes noted. 



