ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCHES IN NICARAGUA. 51 



in shape and rftanncr of ornamentation. The interments and relics were in a 

 line of variable width, a,bout thirty yards from the present coast line, and in nearly 

 the same general direction. Imbedded in a sandy formation about three feet 

 below the surface, with a stiffer earth or clay above, these burials appear to have 

 been made in the sand of the old lake beach, and covered later by the accumula- 

 tion of soil and the wash of debris from the neighboring hills, or possibly by the 

 ashes of a volcanic eruption, as in the section south of Moyogalpa. The soil 

 between this line and the hills is filled to a depth of three feet with fragments of 

 pottery, pestles, grinders, &c. These were not found in numbers of any conse- 

 quence between the line of burials and the lake another indication that the 

 interments were originally on the old shore line ; a line which, in some places, 

 is even now varying, washing away at one point and filling in at another. 



Pier. 108. 



No. 28.741. Stand for round bottomed vessels. 



From the first were obtained many pieces of grinders, chalcedony chips, &c. ; 

 and, among others, several curious pieces of coarse unpainted ware, which appear 

 to have been intended as stands for calabashes and other round bottomed vessels. 

 There were great numbers of painted shards, many vessels of the same class, 

 and unpainted ones of infinite variety in form and design of ornamentation. 

 Many of the latter were oblong, their markings in some cases resembling those 

 on the Huchuetenango urn figured by Mr. Catherwood in Stephens' work.* 



The human bones were usually found with small vessels on either side and 

 a larger one over the skull. Some of the small vessels contained bones of little 

 animals and pieces of charcoal, in others were pieces of pumice stone, shards 

 of painted pottery, and chalcedony chips. One of the first skeletons discovered 

 was lying extended, with the side of the face down. During the first day's work 

 a beautiful chipped axe of whitish chalcedony, and a red one of the same size, 

 were obtained. Among the burials were several upright basaltic columns about 

 three feet in height, resembling those seen later in some of the mounds and shell- 

 heaps of Costa Rica. 



As we proceeded we found that the ground, to a depth of four feet, con- 

 tained many shards, sinkers made of pottery and of beach stones notched, a 

 portion of a chalcedony spear-head, with chips of the same rock and of agate. 

 Some of the ruder vessels were red, from better burning ; while others seemed 

 hardly to have been burned at all. Many of these were shoe-shaped, or like 



* Stephens' Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, Vol. II, p. 228. 



