Ladd] PARTTA AND SANTA MARIA ARCHEOLOGY, PANAMA 97 



As in the Parita Polychrome, the style of decoration in the 

 Macaracas varieties is predominantly curvilinear. Design layouts 

 are well proportioned and general decorative technique is highly 

 developed. All three colors, black, red, and purple, occur frequently, 

 especially the alternate use of red and purple in repeating elements. 

 Line or corner terminations are delicately graduated lines, often 

 curved in a fashion similar to that of the Parita type. 



MACARACAS POLTCHROMEj PICA-PICA VARIETY 



Sample. — 33 vessels or large fragments; 118 sherds (pis. 5, d, and 6). 



Paste. — The temper is crushed rock with both black and white 

 particles which are easily visible to the naked eye. Paste like that 

 of NIspero variety, Parita Polychrome, is usually fired a brick red 

 (Munsell hue 2.5YR 4/6-8), ranging from reddish orange to a bro\vn 

 red (Munsell hue 2.5YR 6/6-8 to 2. SYR 3/4-6). Thickness ranges 

 from 4-8 mm. and averages around 6 mm. even in the larger vessels. 

 Hardness rates as 3 on Mohs' scale. 



Shapes. — The shapes include plates on taU pedestals, collared 

 globular jars, and deep pear-shaped bowls with high shoulders and 

 incurving rims (fig. 35,/, h, c). Of the latter shape, most are assumed 

 on the basis of rim sherd only, thus some of the original vessels may 

 have been shallower than the one illustrated. Both this variety and 

 that which follows are noted for the number of miniatures produced 

 and provide a wide range in size for the type. Miniatures as small as 

 6 cm. in diameter are fairly common, while the largest complete 

 vessel, a pear-shaped bowl, was 45 cm. in maximum diameter. 

 Between these two extremes are pedestal plates and collared jars 

 ranging from 22-26 cm. in diameter. 



Other shapes found at the He-4 site in 1957 by Dr. Russell Mitchell, 

 John W. Acker, and others include straight collared jars with con- 

 stricted orifices (fig. 35, e), which are almost snub-nosed bottles, the 

 same shape with three loop handles appended vertically and equidis- 

 tantly about the shoulder, and cylinder jars with angled shoulders 

 and bases (fig. 35, k) (Russell H. Mitchell, personal communication). 



At the El Hatillo site all jar bases are rounded and plate bases are 

 pedestaled. Plate lips and rims are rounded but otherwise un- 

 modified. Jars have short outcurved collars with rounded lips, or 

 lips slightly flattened horizontally. Lips on the pear-shaped bowls 

 are rounded and thickened (fig. 35, c). 



Appendages and construction. — The method of construction is not 

 apparent. One significant characteristic noted was the occurrence of 

 wedge-shaped or cuneiform slits, usually two or three in number, 

 about two- thirds of the way up on a few of the pedestal bases. This 

 feature is shared by the Higo variety. 



