Ladd] PARITA AND SANTA MARIA ARCHEOLOGY, PANAMA 67 



selected for the type name. Other pubUshed examples are listed 

 either under the sections dealing with variations or the bibliographies 

 hsted with each varietal description. 



All of the varieties discussed here, except the bird bowl, are easily 

 distinguished from the El Hatillo polychrome. However, as will be 

 noted beloAv, the type shares a number of elements with the Macaracas 

 type and is closely allied to it. Designs represent life forms more 

 frequently than do those of the angular style and their depiction 

 tends to be more naturalistic. Favorite subjects are birds (especially 

 the vulture), fish, turtles, and frogs. In addition, one variety con- 

 tains the only unmistakable representations of human beings found 

 at He-4, in this case appearing as small figurines attached to large 

 collared jars between rim and shoulder alongside the neck of the 

 vessel. The designs are beautifully executed with fine control of hue 

 and a graceful proportion. Very few crudely or hastily done examples 

 were found. Design colors are black, red, and purple with the red 

 and purple invariably bordered by black lines. Corners and points 

 are terminated in finely graduated points as is the case with the 

 Macaracas type. The preferred forms of the Parita type include 

 pedestal bowls with and without bird appendages, pedestal plates, 

 and large collared jars with high angular or rounded shoulders and 

 pear-shaped bodies. Unfortunately, the latter was found in sherd 

 form only, and the total shape must be inferred from illustrations of 

 similarly decorated vessels found at other sites. 



PARITA polychrome; NfsPERO VARIETY 



Sample. — 40 vessels or large fragments, 857 sherds (pi. 4, a, h). 



Paste. — The temper is crushed rock, the white particles of which 

 are easily visible without magnification. Paste is usually fired a brick 

 red (Munsell Hue 2.5 YR 4/6-8), though this may vary from orange 

 to dark-brown red (Munsell Hue 2.5 YR 6/6-8 to 2.5 YR 3/4-6). 

 Occasional smooth lumps of hematite occur. Hardness rates at 3 

 on Mohs' scale. 



Shapes. — Basically, the vessels are pedestal based subglobular bowls 

 with incurving rims and rounded lips (fig. 17, a). Occasionally the 

 lip will have a slight upward flange, and the depth of the bowl may 

 vary from those which are fairly deep with a relatively gentle curve 

 in the wall profile to those shallow examples with an almost angular 

 wall profile. Added to this basic bowl form are flat wings extending 

 well around the body on each side, a tail, and a vultm-elike head with 

 hooked beak and a modeled crop on the neck or on the chest (vessel 

 wall). The diameter of the bowls averages about 20 cms. and the 

 bowl height about 9 cms. The only example with pedestal attached 

 measured 21.5 cms. in total height. Pedestal bases are generally 



