INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY—PUBLICATION NO. 4 
upper slopes of the volcanoes; the summits of the 
cones are bare lava and ash (especially Fuego) or 
are covered with heavy bunchgrass and scattered 
pines. Fuego has been the most consistently active 
volcano in Guatemala, as its name implies. The 
large, gaping crater is plainly visible from the north- 
east. In the distant background, to the left and 
beyond the volcanoes, may be seen the Coastal Plain 
merging with the Pacific on the horizon. 
e, This is a section of the Pan American Highway, January 
30, 1936. The vegetation here, about 3 miles north 
of San Cristébal, near Lake Gilija, is characteristic 
of that of most of Southeastern Guatemala: dry 
thickets, where mimosas, acacias, and many types 
of thorny trees and cactuses are common. The seared 
aspect of the vegetation is pronounced during the 
dry season (November-May). Xerophytism reaches 
its extreme about 60 miles north of here, in the 
Motagua Valley around El Rancho and Zacapa, 
where organ cactuses and other desert forms are 
dominant. It is from the dry departments of south- 
eastern Guatemala that cattle, competing successfully 
with field crops, are raised in abundance for markets 
in Southwestern Guatemala. Ascuncién Mita, in this 
type of country, at 500 m. just 12 miles north of 
here, is the greatest source of dried chile for South- 
western Guatemala. Oxcarts, rare in the Southwest, 
are among the most important means of transporta- 
tion in Southeastern Guatemala and El Salvador. 
f, The selection of maize ears for seed is done throughout 
Southeastern Guatemala. Often the husks of ears are 
peeled back and tied together, and the exposed ears 
are hung up under the roofs of dwellings, especially 
along the pole plates and purlins. The smoke from 
the fire, escaping through the roof, coats the grains 
with soot and protects them somewhat from insects, 
especially weevils and moth larvae. Nets and baskets 
of food and perishables of many sorts are hung up 
and fumigated in this manner. 
Pate 45 
See map 20 and pages 100, 122, 132. 
a, San Pedro is built upon a lava terrace, at the northern 
foot of San Pedro Volcano, just below the central 
point of the photograph. San Juan may be seen at 
the extreme western end of the Lake, beyond the 
fingerlike peninsula of San Pedro. In the distance, 
above it, at the top edge of the picture, is Zunil 
Volcano, with Santa Tomas in the extreme upper 
right. The straight horizontal line, half-way up be- 
tween San Juan and the volcanic peaks, is the top of 
the western wall of the caldera, here largely volcanic 
breccias, with Cerro Cristalino rising above it (ex- 
treme left in b) to a point about 600 m. (2,000 ft.) 
higher than the Lake (map 20). Santa Clara is just 
to the right of this peak, the lower half of which is 
granite, the upper half andesite. 
b, San Pablo is built on the top of a low, gently sloping 
ridge, just below the central point of the photograph. 
The deep valley of the Rio Nahualate lies beyond 
the high, rugged mountains back of San Pablo. Steep 
cliffs along the shore, skirted below by a narrow 
footpath, separate San Pablo and San Marcos (right 
foreground, between the two jutting headlands). 
c, The high ridge near the center of the picture, jutting 
out into the Lake, presents a barrier between the two 
settlements, and partly forms a small bay in front 
of each. San Marcos is divided into two sections, 
on high ground on each side of the valley. Tzununa 
is up on the slope to the left of the valley at the 
extreme right, as it is viewed from the Lake. All of 
these settlements are well above the adjacent valley 
bottoms, to avoid damage from flooding during the 
rainy season: (p. 120). 
d, Cerro Chichimuch, whose summit is at the upper right 
edge of the photograph, is 1,100 m. (about 3,600 ft.) 
above the Lake surface, yet is only 1% miles back 
from the shore. Jaibalito, a small group of houses 
in the arroyo mouth at the extreme right, now an 
aldea of Santa Cruz, was the former site of San 
Marcos, according to local records (p. 120). 
e, The village is situated on a low ridge, probably a fault 
block which slipped into the caldera (see also pl. 27, 
a, b). Local history tells of a former location of 
Santa Cruz on the alluvial fan just to the right (east) 
of the present ridge site, and of the destruction of 
the valley settlement around 1830-40 (see p. 121). The 
church would indicate at least a nucleus of an old 
settlement on the ridge top. About a mile beyond the 
highest point above Santa Cruz is San José Chacaya, 
up on the plateau. Most of the trees around the 
settlement of Santa Cruz, Tzununa, and San Marcos 
are jocotes and citrus fruits. 
f, Two terraces are plainly in evidence in this picture. One 
is just at the lower edge of Solola, about 460 m. 
(1,509 ft.) above the Lake; the other is at about 900 
m. (2,952 ft.) above the Lake level (see also pl. 46, 
a and b), a fault escarpment which is probably the 
northern rim of the caldera. For flooding by the 
Rio Quixcap, see page 61. The valley at the extreme 
right, with Jaibal Finca visible at its base, is planted 
to coffee groves, almost up to San Jorge (elev. 1,770 
m. or 5,807 ft.) visible higher up and near the right 
margin of the picture. Coffee is also planted along 
the slopes to the left, below Solola. 
PLATE 46 
See map 20 and pages 122, 125-126, 132. 
a, The escarpment of the north wall of the caldera may be 
traced horizontally near the top of the picture. Pana- 
jachel is seen as a cluster of white buildings at the 
extreme right, in the coffee groves back from the 
Lake, on the delta just to the left of the rocky river 
course. From it the road (alternate route of the Pan 
American Highway) leads to TzanjuyG at the base 
of the sharp ridge meeting the corner of the delta. 
Thence the winding course of the road may be traced 
up through the well-wooded gorge above San Buena- 
ventura (alluvial fan in the center) and around the 
mountain to Solola, the white streets of which are 
visible at the upper left near the edge of the lower 
terrace. This distance by road is about 5 miles (8 
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