Ladd] PARITA AND SANTA MARIA ARCHEOLOGY, PANAMA 231 



both Gir6n and Code pottery in a vague fashion, ^^ but the discrepan- 

 cies between the Momil assemblage with its mammiforni supports, basal 

 flanges, figurines and other Formative traits and the Santa Maria- 

 Early Cocl6 phases which lack these traits are too great to argue for 

 any strong influence between the two regions. The same conclusion 

 holds true for contact between the Betanci Complex and Santa Maria 

 and/or Early Cocl^ phases, but in this case, the probable time gap 

 argues more definitively against diffusion. ^^ 



Proceeding eastward, the affinities between Early Cocl^ vessels at 

 Venado Beach and Sitio Conte and those of Reichel-Dolmatoff's First 

 Painted Horizon (La Loma and El Horno Periods) in the Rancheria 

 region are more realistic chronologically. A few design elements 

 featured in the polychromes of both Colombian periods and shared 

 by Panamanian vessels are quite specific,^" while the slate pendants 

 and shell beads of the El Horno Period are reminiscent of jewelry 

 of the Early Code Phase. Other general resemblances include red 

 on white painting for both Colombian periods (comparable to the 

 Red Line varieties of Panama) and the Black Incised wares of La 

 Loma and El Horno (comparable to the Smoked ware varieties of 

 Panama). Later in the Rancheria sequence vague smiilarities be- 

 tween the Portacelli Period pottery and Code and Azuero polychromes 

 are apparent. But, with the possible exception of the rendition of 

 birds and the sharing of a checkerboard design motif,^^ very few of 

 the similarities are close. 



Moving farther eastward, most of the similarities noted are between 

 the Late Code and Herrera Phase pottery of Panama and the Period 



'8 Both groups share an emphasis on plastic decoration, but the Panama pottery lacks the zoning, pattern- 

 ing, and designs which are characteristic of the Momil plastic decoration. The similarities noted in painted 

 wares are based on the Momil black on red sherds illustrated in Reichel-Dolmatoff, G. and A., 1956, plate 

 12, 1 and especially 2, to Aristide pottery and the Momil polychrome and black on white sherds of plate 13, 

 egpecially 2, which could easily be lost in a Coclfi sherd lot. It may be noted that although the polychrome 

 has its greatest popularity in the lower levels of Momil II, it and the bichromes both begin in the middle 

 of Momil I, probably earlier than either Santa Maria or Early Code. 



i» The similarities are between the general appearance of Betanci Bichrome vessels illustrated by Reiehel- 

 Dolmatofl, Q. and A., 1957, plate 6, 3, 4, 7, and the black line geometric patterns of Aristide group ceramics 

 and more specifically between the hachure of plate 9, 3, and designs on Escota, Crosshatched variety. 

 The associated types of the Betanci Complex, light gray. Modeled incised and excised, all look very differ- 

 ent from Santa Maria or Early Coclfi Phase pottery, and the Bichrome itself shows different shapes as 

 well as the use of black and red lines for the design. Moreover, Betanci also included copper bells, mounds, 

 and tumuli, all absent in the Panamanian phases, and it occupies the most recent position in the Slnfi 

 River sequence with probable historic contact (Reiehel-Dohnatofl, G. and A., 1957, p. 130). 



20 Two specific design elements (Reichel-Dolmatoff, G. and A., 1951, pi. S, 1,3, 6) of La Loma polychrome 

 are present in Early Cocl§ vessels at Venado Beach and are illustrated by Lothrop for Early polychrome 

 cups and carafes at Sitio Conte (Lothrop, 1942, figs. 311, h, 110, and 107). The scroll motif, although quite 

 differently executed, is common for both La Loma and Early Cocl6. In the El Horno Period the "volute 

 sigmoid in the form of comb" (Reichel-Dolmatoff, Q. and A., 1951, pi. 21, /, 2, 4) is practically duplicated 

 on an Early polychrome effigy jar at Sitio Conte (Lothrop, 1942, fig. 122). 



»' Compare plate 11, 9, 11, IS, of Reichel-Dolmatofl, G. and A., 1951, with the "pelican" of the El Hatillo 

 variety, figure 10, c. The checkerboard pattern is found in the Macaracas type, figure 40, k, in true three-, 

 color polychrome and also on the burial urns of Cut No. 2 at Los Cocos which Reichel-Dolmatofl believes 

 are probably contemporary with the second phase of the Portacelli Period (ibid., p. 164 and pi. 26, 10, 14, 

 16). In the latter case the design is in bright red on a white ground. 



