ON THE AGE OF THE ANDEAN MEDAL, 



(WITH PLATE.) 



BY SAMUEL G ARM AN. 



THE reason for the existence of the present communi- 

 cation is to be found in a letter from the distinguished 

 ethnologist, Dr. M. Uhle,of theKouiglich Museum fur Vol- 

 kerkunde at Berlin, Prussia. His letter is a consequence 

 of the article "An Andean Medal" published by the Essex 

 Institute in Vol. xx, p. 57, of its Bulletin. Lacking time 

 and opportunity to make proper study of the matter in its 

 various bearings, that article was limited to merely put- 

 ting the medal on record by means of a description and 

 sketch, and necessarily the more important work of com- 

 paring and identifying was left to investigators who might 

 find the subject more directly in their own lines of study. 

 A considerable portion of what was thus neglected has 

 been admirably supplied by Dr. Uhle, one entitled by at- 

 tainments and position to speak with authority. The Doc- 

 tor's letter was accompanied by several tracings of the 

 implements to which he makes reference and of these an 

 approximate idea is given in the pen-and-ink sketches, 1, 

 2 and 3, on the plate. As the designs were traced with a 

 pencil, by rubbing it over the paper placed against the 

 ornamentation, a very exact copy of the original will not 

 be expected in ink. Such as it is, however, it is suffi- 

 ciently close to illustrate the points made in the note, be- 

 sides giving a tolerable representation of the styles and 

 workmanship of the period to which they belong. 



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