A POTTERY YASE WIIH FIGTTRE PAINTING, 

 FROM A (IRA YE IN CHAMA« 



By E. P. DiESELDORrF 



A notable discovery h;is recently been made in the Chama valley, 

 known to us through Verhandlungen der (jesellschaft ffir Anthro- 

 pologie for 1893, pages 375 and 548. In the excavation of the north- 

 western temple mound of the upper plaza on the left bank of the 

 Salta river a grave formed of stones was discovered, nearly 8 feet 

 below the surface, containing several pottery vessels, the most im- 

 portant of wdiich I borrowed for a short time in order to make the 

 accompanying draAving (plate xlviii). The original is now in the 

 United States, where it probably figures as one of the chief ornaments 

 of some drawing-room. 



When I first began my excavations in Chama, in 1892, I began to 

 explore the hill in question, but was forced to abandon Avork because 

 the owner forbade further search, in the belief that the articles found 

 were of great money value. 



I observed then that, just as in the northern mound of the lower 

 plaza (described in Verhandlungen, 1893. pnge 376). about 3 feet 

 below the surface there Avas a laj^er of resin about 6 feet broad and 

 one-half of a foot thick, in Avhich a quantity of small broken sacri- 

 ficial plates Avere mingled Avith bits of burnt stone beads and polished 

 disks of iron pyrites, Avhich I recognized as the remains of a burnt 

 offering to the god of tlie north. 



Unfortunately, no notes Avere taken at the lime of the discoA'ery of 

 the grave, but I heard that various pieces of jadeite Avere fouud auiong 

 the pots, but no remains of bones, which is exphiiued by the fact that 

 the tomb had partially fallen into ruins. 



The pottery vase is cjdindric; its height is 23.5 centimeters, and its 

 diameter at the top and at the bottom is 14.8 centimeters, Avhile the 

 sides are 4 millimeters and the bottom 5 millimeters thick. In the 



" Ein bemnltOR Thongefiiss mit figiirlichen Darstelhingen, ans einem Grabe von Chamil. 

 A'crhandliingen der Berliner < Jesellschaft fiir Antlirnpologie, Ethnologie und llrgeschlchte, 

 pp. 372 and following, published in the Zeitsciirift fiir Ethnologie, 1804, pt. v. 



G39 



