78 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 177 
the surrounding area. In previous years the site had been under 
manioc cultivation, and an old resident recalled finding a number of 
pottery heads at that time. In 1953 it was occupied by an abandoned 
citrus orchard. Several large clumps of bamboo grew east of the 
site and another was between the site and the creek. Behind the site, 
to the northwest, Koberimo Hill rises to a high summit. 
In addition to the collection of a surface sample, a 2- by 1-meter 
strata cut was excavated in the southeastern part of the site, the side 
nearest the creek. Controlled in 8-cm. levels, it had the following 
characteristics: 
Level 0- 8 em___ Soil black with abundant small reddish iron concretions 
whose presence gives the soil a lighter hue. Sherds 
common; one piece of modern chinaware. 
Level 8-16 cm___ Conditions the same except soil more compacted with a 
high percentage of concretions. 
Level 16-24 em__. Lateritic soil so hard it has to be loosened with a pick. 
Sherds still abundant. 
Level 24-82 em___ Soil acquires a yellowish tinge at 30 cm., becoming yel- 
low-brown clay with abundant iron concretions at 30—- 
32 cm. No sherds below 380 cm. 
Level 32-75 cm___ At 35 em. the clay becomes very compact, changes to a 
yellow-orange color and concretions become larger. 
These conditions represent the natural structure of the 
hill. 
N-—21° KOBERIMO HILLTOP SITE NO. 1 
At the crest of Koberimo Hill (figs. 4, 22), two separate areas with 
sherds were located. N-21 is on the northwest side of the summit. Pot- 
sherds were scattered over an area 75 by 80 meters in a manioc garden. 
All surface sherds were fire marked from the burning of the field and 
badly eroded. A few were found toa depth of cm. Large to small 
iron concretions were concentrated throughout the soil, almost like 
gravel paving, reminiscent of the badly eroded areas of the Rupununi 
savanna, and the reddish-brown soil was not discolored by habitation. 
A total of 512 Mabaruma Phase sherds was collected from the surface 
and tests. 
N-—22 : KOBERIMO HILLTOP SITE NO. 2 
On the southeast side of the summit of Koberimo Hill (figs. 4, 22) 
there is another shallow habitation site comparable in all respects to 
N-21. Sherds are scattered in a manioc garden from the surface 
to a depth of 2 to 3 em. over a circular area 85 meters in diameter. 
The surface collection numbered 216 sherds of Mabaruma Phase types. 
Verrill (1918 a, p. 14) mentions finding “a few earthenware heads 
and numerous pieces of highly decorated pottery” on the “highest and 
most barren portion” of Koberimo Hill, which may correspond to 
either N-21 or N-22. 
