NO. I HONDURAS STRONG, KIDDER, AND PAUL 43 



sherds of this type have incised as well as painted designs around 

 the neck. The more or less realistic birds and animals occurring on 

 vessels of this type from the lower levels at Santa Rita (farm 17) 

 (pi. 7, b-d) are lacking at Las Flores. In levels P 6-7, vessels of this 

 type have lower necks, irregular handles, and incised as well as painted 

 designs. 



Polychrome sherds from thin-walled, vertical vases of so-called 

 Mayoid type occur in all levels in excavation 2. The majority have 

 florid, conventionalized, all-over designs in red, black, white or purple 

 on buff, orange, black, or white slips (pi. 5, /, g, h, i, j, k, I, m). 



The majority of designs are elaborated and extremely conventional- 

 ized reptilian, animal, mask, or anthropomorphic forms. They often 

 cover the entire surface of the vessel and are difficult or impossible 

 to reconstruct in their entirety from sherds. Crude skeuomorphic 

 glyph bands occur from P 5-7, as do elaborately modeled projecting 

 monkey or animal head lugs in the same levels (pi. 5, /, g). 'In some 

 cases the designs are outlined with incisions. In the upper levels 

 several sherds with red and purple spots occur (pi. 5,/). Bases are 

 flat, dimpled or annular, and hollow cylindrical as well as solid, thin, 

 rectangular, tripod legs occur in all levels. None of the isolated 

 and graceful processional or " dancing " figures occur in excavation 

 2, although a few sherds with this type of decoration were found in the 

 deepest levels of excavation i. 



In addition to polychrome, straight-walled vases, a number of low 

 bowls or small jars have similar types of designs. In P 1-2 occur 

 polished red or orange sherds. In P 3 there are fragments of about 

 six small jars with solid rectangular, tripod feet and eroded black and 

 red designs. From P 4 to P 7, small tripod jars and low bowls with 

 an orange slip, and red and black conventional or crudely realistic 

 designs are common. These are in the Mayoid rather than the Bold 

 Geometric tradition, though an occasional blending between these 

 major styles occurs. In some instances incision is used to outline 

 painted designs. In P 7 was found an unusual, restorable bowl of 

 thin, polished ware, with an orange slip, and conventional, black 

 and red, monkey and rosette designs outlined with incisions, a dimple 

 base, and a low " vestigial " spout to one side of the direct rim 

 (pi. 6, b). Three similar low "vestigial" spouts occurred in P 2-3 

 as well ; hence they cannot be regarded as strictly early at Las Flores. 



From P 5-7 came a few fragments of Mayoid sculptured pottery. 



A restorable tripod vessel of this type is painted all over with an 



orange wash, except for the carved panel of elaborate Mayoid faces 



which apparently had no slip (pi. 6, d). A tiny vessel with a similar 



4 



