NO. l6 EXPLORATION IN PERU HRDLICKA 3 



limited one, presented itself to the writer during the summer of 

 1910, to visit the Peruvian coast, and as the time at his disposal 

 could not be extended, it was decided to visit the two most im- 

 portant districts on the coast, namely, Pachacamac, and Chan-chan 

 or Gran Chimu. Due to exceptional circumstances, and to kind 

 friends, especially Dr. Max Uhle, the Director of the Museo 

 Nacional, at Lima, and Sr. D. Victor Larco Herrera of the valley 

 of Chicama, and also to the courtesy of the Peruvian Govern- 

 ment, it was not merely possible to make these visits with despatch, 

 but with unlocked for results. The writer was enabled to examine 

 over thirty separate cemeteries, and to gather upwards of 3400 

 crania, with a large quantity of other skeletal parts. And more 

 fortunately still, a large percentage of the gathered skulls, particu- 

 larly from the Chimu district, are free from artificial deformation, 

 so that they will show clearly the cranial type of the people occupy- 

 ing and congregating in these regions. 



With this material, and the available collections from Ancon and 

 other localities of the Peruvian littoral, it will now be possible to 

 learn definitely the physical characteristics of the population of the 

 Peruvian coast for a distance of over 400 miles, and establish a firm 

 foundation for anthropological comparisons for the rest of the 

 country. 



This report, preliminary to a detailed study of the collections, 

 will give only the general results of the writer's observations. 



THE PACHACAMAC REGION 



The great ruins of the temples and city of Pachacamac are situ- 

 ated at the lower end of the valley of Lurin, about 18 miles south 

 of Lima, whence they are reached part of the way by trolley and 

 part horseback. The location is an exceptionally favored one scen- 

 ically. It comprises a cluster of moderate barren elevations, in 

 proximity to the ocean and its rocky islands toward the west, the 

 highly picturesque, green, narrowing mountainous valley on the 

 south and east, and the desert plain and elevations to the north. 

 The ruins themselves are extensive, as well as impressive in char- 

 acter. They comprise not only remnants of two of the most im- 

 portant of the pre-Columbian Peruvian temples and those of an 

 interesting " Inca " convent, but also an extensive, somewhat 

 fortress-like central structure, and several complexes of habitations 

 spreading over the hill and slopes toward the west and northwest 

 of the principal portion of the ruins. 



