je luatcham.—ANCIENT CHILIAN SKULLS 205 
The remains I have mentioned were found at an average depth 
of four feet nine inches, and the result of my observations in- 
cline me to the belief, that since the date of their burial, the 
whole level has been under the sea and has afterwards been 
upheaved; the present height above the sea level being over two 
hundred feet. 
My reasons for this conclusion are as follows:— the skeletons 
are found in all instances in a layer of black deposit mixed with 
shells, which lies inmediately urpon the calcareons stone, (com- 
posed by the bye of minute particles of sand, brokcen shells, and 
fine fragments of stone, compressed into a solid mass). This 
black soil is still deposited in the southern part of Coquimbo 
Bay, where there is little current, and is quite distinct from the 
other deposit of the bay. The shells most abundant in it are: 
concholepas, fisurellae, chitonae, patellae & lapas. 
Above this black deposit there is a layer of calcareous com- 
pound of a yellowish white colour, from 15 to 16 inches in thick- 
ness. This produces a very good quicklime and has led to the 
establishment of limekilns in the neighbourhood. On the top of 
this again is a bed of sand, with a light topping of gravelly 
mould. This too is full of shells. 
_ Here then we have three layers of different colours and con 
ditions. On removing the skeletons plural Iwas most particular to 
notice in each case, if these three layers were intact, finding that 
in every instance they were so; a clear proof that the burials had 
taken place before the deposition of the upper two layers; as in a 
contrary case, all three wonld have become mixed, on refilling 
the excavations. 
I have been able to iorm no estimate as to the probable date 
of these burials as the whole country shows such multiple signs 
of a vast series of submersions and upheavals, that speculation 
would be vain. 
The remains mentioned were so encrusted with the black 
deposit spoken of, that it was only with great difficulty I could 
remove it. All these remains have suffered remarkably little 
from weathering, and in most cases have lost little of their or- 
ganic substances, being in these respects, quite the reverse to 
those found in the saddhills and shell mounds. This is doubt- 
lessly owing to the tight packing and extremely fine nature of 
the deposit in which they were embedded, which is almost im- 
pervions to filtering. As an example of this I subsequently 
noticed that in uncovered parts after three days heavy rain, the 
moisture had only penetrated to the depth of two or three inches, 
and that in the parts where it had been most upturned, and so 
become loosened. 
