572 



ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 3 5 



Table 1. — Comparison between words in Lencan and other languages 

 [Compiled from Squier, Carlos Oagini, Vicente Restrepo, and other authorities] 



a Nagrandan of Squier. 



The artifacts brought to light during the explorations of which 

 this paper is a report are not characteristic of Maya culture. The 

 painted dish (fig. 2) is similar in style to pottery found throughout 

 Central America. It has none of the features that distinguish Maya 

 pottery from that of other races. 



The carved metate (fig. 4) strongly suggests, both in design and 

 workmanship, countries lying to the south of Honduras. In Leon, 

 Nicaragua, according to Squier, such metates are not uncommon. 

 One figured in his work entitled " Nicaragua : People, Scenery, 

 Monuments, etc.", is of this type. Numerous specimens excavated in 

 the peninsula of Nicoya, Costa Kica, were figured by C. V. Hart- 

 man. From that country southward, these metates occur in more 

 or less modified form as far as Ecuador. 



The inscriptions observed at Tenampua are rude and primitive in 

 character (examples are shown in pi. 4, fig. 2, and pi. 5, fig. 1). 

 Their significance is not clear to me. (Later, Mrs. Popenoe came 

 to the conclusion that certain of these might have been made by the 

 soldiers of General Tosta and other recent visitors sharpening 

 machetes.) They are similar to markings observed on large stones 

 lying on a hillside near Siguatepeque. 



There remain many ruined sites in Honduras which have not yet 

 received adequate attention at the hands of archeologists and eth- 

 nologists. Thorough investigation of these sites will not only throw 

 much light upon Honduranean archeology in general, but will fur- 

 nish specific facts to help clear away the doubts in which certain 

 problems of Tenampua are still enveloped. It is only through com- 

 prehensive study of the entire field, and intelligent comparison and 

 correlation of the material offered by individual sites, that the whole 

 story of pre-Columbian Honduras will finally be reconstructed. 



