166 
tin. The darker bricks are still wet, while the lighter 
ones are dry. The blocks are to be used for the wall 
in the background (see p. 43). 
g, The Indian dwellings in the foreground are surrounded 
by freshly hoed milpas, the furrows of which roughly 
follow the contours of the valley. Many trees are 
left standing, far enough apart so as not to shade the 
corn excessively. The cliffs in the distant background 
are those of Panka at a confluence of Quixcap tribu- 
taries (see map 20), and consist of unconsolidated 
volcanic ash and pumiceous conglomerates, subject to 
serious landslides with undercutting. 
Prate,11 
This trail has been depressed nearly 15 feet in places, largely 
through centuries of walking by Indians and their 
animals. The Indians in the foreground are from 
Concepcién and the environs of Solola, while the three 
men in the*background are Maxefios (from Santo 
Tomas Chichicastenango). Photograph taken Febru- 
ary 1932. 
PLaTE 12 
a, This cargo weighs about 150 pounds, slightly more than 
the heaviest load ordinarily carried by a man. The 
Solola man on the left is wearing an old-style large- 
checked rodillera (black and white wool); the 
Tecpan man on the right wears a new style one, with 
small, bluish checks, folded in front instead of 
wrapped, : 
b, The vendor is a Quezalteca who lives in Solola. Gasoline 
tins (see foreground) were used exclusively for ship- 
ping the honey in trucks. Solola men are standing in 
the background. 
c, These cacastes, made in Totonicapan, usually measure 
about 214 by 2 feet, and 10 inches deep, with legs 
about 10 inches high to make it easier to lift them 
from the ground from a stooping position (see p. 9). 
Young boys carry smaller cacastes, in proportion to 
their size. They may be lined with palm mats or 
covered with maguey cargo nets, as here shown. The 
man on the left has plantains, pineapples, and other 
tropical fruits inside, and a sea turtle tied on the 
outside. The Indian facing the camera has on top 
of his cacaste a bunch of pacaya palm leaves, to be 
used for decoration. Men on the trail generally 
carry a blanket and a palm mat (pfetate) for a bed, 
palm rain cape (suyacal) during the rainy season (or 
all year in the piedmont), cup, coffee pot, small kero- 
sene lamp, a bottle of kerosene, and a bottle gourd for 
water. Pitch pine torches are often used instead of 
lamps on the trail after dark. Gasoline boxes 
(crates for two cans of 5 gallons each) serve the 
purpose of cacaste for carrying fruits, vegetables, 
and many other comestibles, and cloth goods and 
the like. Nets are also much used especially for 
corn ears. Cloth merchants in the Quezaltenango- 
Totonicapan-Momostenango region roll up their goods 
in carrying cloths, the ends of which are tied and 
passed around their heads or shoulders, not requiring 
the mecapal. Women, though they sometimes use the 
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY—PUBLICATION NO. 4 
mecapal, especially with netloads of pottery, never 
carry a cacaste. 
d, In the background is Lake Atitlan and volcanoes Toliman 
and Atitlan. Pine trees are often trimmed as in 
this picture, for the branches are used for decoration 
and for flooring, especially during fiestas. Some- 
times only a few terminal tufts are left on a tree. 
e, For notes on iguanas, see p. 39, 
PLaTE 13 
a, The iguanas are tied on so that their tails hang down 
on either side of the net-covered cacaste; the green 
parrot is sitting on top of the load just back of the 
iguanas. Note the rolled-up swyacal on the left, 
the blackened coffee pot on the lower right side 
of the frame, and the staff. Lake Atitlan and San 
Pedro volcano are in the background. 
b, Solola women vendors are seated at the left. Their shirt 
sleeves are always rolled up to about the point of 
the huipil “sleeves.” The woman buying the chickens 
is from Argueta (Totonicapan). Light brownish 
turkeys like the one shown are common in this region. 
The older types of Solola men’s rodilleras may be 
seen at the extreme left and extreme right. (Line 
3, map 22, looking east.) 
c, These pigs are brought from the markets of Chiché and 
Chichicastenango and are sold in Solola, Atitlan, and 
Lowland markets. The Maxefio in the right fore- 
ground is wearing the usual costume for trade 
journeys (especially to the Lowlands), consisting of 
white cotton manufactured shirt and pants with red 
home-woven sash. The vendor to the left of the 
center is wearing the regular Chichicastenango men’s 
costume, of black wool (pl. 8, b). Grouped around 
him are (left to right) an Argueta woman, San 
Antonio man, and Solola man. Totonicapdn cobblers 
occupy the booths in the background, against the 
Municipal Theater. (North end, line 7, map 22.) 
The men in the inset picture are San Francisco 
la Unién men at San Francisco el Alto, setting out 
for distant Lowland markets. The strings from the 
pigs, one attached to each, are twisted so as to keep 
them in a compact bunch (see pp. 38, 39, 78). 
PLATE 14 
a, Seven cacastes, of various sizes and variously loaded with 
small glazed and large semiglazed pottery are visible 
in the picture. These men will return to the Altos 
from Guatemala City with Chinautla tinajas, (see 
pp. 54, 80). 
b, Miscellaneous small items sold by these merchants include 
everything from cigars, spices, medicinal herbs, soap, 
and trinkets (left) to ropes, needles and threads, 
incense, and shallow tin pans (right) for irrigating 
onions. Three gasoline boxes used for carrying these 
appear in the background (see p. 77, and line 48 
(middle), map 22, view to southwest). 
c, This picture illustrates the use of the common balance, 
with baskets (many have tin bowls instead). The 
woman is holding open a zsute to receive the maize. 
(Line 3, map 22.) 
