ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCHES IN NICARAGUA. 71 



age, and fragments of rough pottery ornamented with pinched and clotted 

 borders. 



The surface of the neighboring low land was, in some places, covered with 

 shards and marine shells, principally oysters, clams, and two or three varieties 

 of volutes. This was the first appearance of kitchen-middens ; but they were 

 afterwards seen in the form of immense shell-heaps, closely set, and almost cov- 

 ering acres of land on the Costa Rica coast, near Nagascola, on the northwest 

 side of Culebra Bay. 



MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY NEAR SAN JORGE. 



Just before leaving Nicaragua I visited a place in the environs of San Jorge 

 where pottery was manufactured in considerable quantity. An old woman and 

 several girls were at work ; one of the gii'ls not more than six or seven years old. 

 The clay was taken from a cut in the road near the house, the sand from the 

 road-bed, that of the lake shore not being considered so good. The fashioning of 

 the pottery was begun on the bottom of other vessels, and it was then built up by 

 the rope method. The ears and handles were added afterwards by luting. The 

 surface was made even, first with the fingers repeatedly dipped in water, and 

 then with a smooth stick, the latter giving quite a polish to the surface. A finer 

 polish was obtained by rubbing with a smooth stone. Red earth was occasionally 

 washed over vessels as a paint, and some were blackened with smoke while 

 moist. The ware was partially dried before being burned. The articles were 

 well made, and very pretty and graceful. Nos. 28,930-1 are modern vessels of 

 similar make from Masaya. 



