Ladd] PARITA AND SANTA MARIA ARCHEOLOGY, PANAMA 151 



Spondylus shell, are perforated at one end, and range in length from 

 2.5-6 cms. (pi. 19, n-v). In Find 381, this kind of shell bead necklace 

 is associated with Macaracas type pottery. 



SUMMARY 



He-4 appears to be a ceremonial or cemetery site, probably with 

 areas of occupation in the immediate vicinity as evidenced by the 

 middenlike deposit excavated by Trench 10 on the North Ridge. 

 Despite the fact that Mound IV and possibly Mound VI appeared to 

 be occupational refuse, all the other mounds were apparently built of 

 intentional fill. 



The time span represented by the pottery at the site overlaps that 

 of the Late Code Phase at Sitio Conte and extends into the Herrera 

 Phase. Although there is as yet no evidence of European contact, 

 a carbon-14 date of 415 ±90 B.P., obtained by Philip L. Dade from 

 a deep grave at the site, suggests an extremely late terminal date 

 (Isotopes Inc. No. 1-367, personal communication from Dr. Matthew 

 W. Stirling). The chronological interpretation presented here is 

 based on: the scarcity of Early Code Phase pottery; the high fre- 

 quency of Macaracas type pottery which also occurs in Late Code 

 Phase graves at Sitio Conte; and the high frequency of Parita and 

 El HatiUo type sherds and vessels which, on the basis of a combination 

 of admittedly scanty stratigraphy and absence of grave or cache 

 associations with the Macaracas type, are postulated as perhaps 

 developing in the Late Code Phase but more definitely continuing 

 after the Late Code Phase, at least at this site. With regard to Early 

 Code Phase ceramics, it will be recalled that only 49 Aristide group 

 sherds were recovered and they were all of the Gir6n type (Interior 

 Banded variety) which, while beginning in the Santa Maria Phase, 

 extends into the subsequent Early Code Phase. Of the 108 Code 

 polychrome sherds recovered at He-4, although most are indeter- 

 minant, only a few are clearly Early and more are definitely Late. 

 The indications are not as definite within the Smoked ware type, for 

 a number of modified gutter rims (Platanillo variety, considered 

 Early at He-1 and He-2) were found. However, Sangre variety rims 

 (Early and Late at He-1 and He-2) were also common and thus not at 

 variance with a Late Code Phase interpretation. 



Evidence of subsistence patterns is rare, but the shallow irregular 

 metate stones of Mound I, the legs from ceremonial metates (Mound 

 III), and the manos of Trench 9 and Mound III indicate a dependence 

 on agriculture which could be reasonably postulated on the geograph- 

 ical affinities, high technical skill in ceramics, and Late time period. 

 Although a small amount of unworked shell was present in Trench 10 

 (see Appendix 5, p. 268), shell was rarely found in the excavations, 



