NO. I HONDURAS — STRONG, KIDDER, AND PAUL II5 



by the small size of the present sample, but both the figurine and 

 artifact fragments, like the pottery, show unique types. 



There can be no doubt that, just below the elaborate polychrome 

 horizon at Los Naranjos, there occurs another cultural level which 

 appears to be surprisingly primitive. When it is remembered that 

 our deepest excavations at Los Naranjos were slightly less than 3 

 meters, it can be seen that here is an area where deep excavations may 

 yet furnish evidence regarding the truly simple cultures of Central 

 America. On the Ulua, where we conducted our largest and deepest 

 excavations, we were eventually stopped by reaching the water level. 

 At Lake Yojoa this was not the case. A larger expedition, with 

 adequate time and equipment, providing it is not led too far astray 

 by the richer polychrome deposits, should be able to work out a most 

 important sequence of human occupation in this immediate region. 



OTHER SITES 



Seeking for a deep Yojoa polychrome refuse heap suitable for 

 stratigraphic analysis, we conducted a small excavation about i kilo- 

 meter northeast of El Eden (see site 2, near that village, map, fig. 

 20) . Miguel had brought us a number of polychrome sherds from this 

 place, his sample including a dark brown and highly polished tripod 

 bowl fragment with delicate geometric incisions on the body, an in- 

 censario fragment with rather elaborate geometric painted designs, 

 and a small whistle shaped like a turtle. This sherd deposit was located 

 in the abrupt face of a steep bank terminating a small, densely wooded 

 arroyo. This arroyo led down toward one of the deep sink-holes which 

 here mark the course of the Rio Blanco. The region is a maze of small, 

 abrupt canyons or sink-holes, and is covered by unbelievably dense 

 bush. 



We dug a trench, 3.5 meters long and i meter wide, along the face 

 of the bank, encountering our first potsherd at a depth of 40 centi- 

 meters. From this point down all artifacts were segregated according 

 to horizontal levels averaging 30 centimeters in depth. Unfortunately, 

 only three levels were encountered when we ran into sterile yellow 

 clay. The exposed surface of the bank below this point appeared 

 devoid of any human detritus. The upper 30-centimeter level con- 

 tained a number of well-executed fragments of polychrome ware 

 with highly conventionalized Mayoid designs. A tripod leg proved 

 to belong to the dark brown and incised dish fragment secured earlier 

 by Miguel. A number of heavier polychrome sherds had geometric 

 designs in red and black, suggesting the Bold Geometric Ulua type, 



