182 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 177 
there is no way of deciding which duration is more representative, two 
totals have to be given, one using each of the figures for B-1. Adding 
the longest durations for B-1 and B-3 and the single duration for 
B-2 gives a total of 417 years for the Abary Phase. If the shorter 
duration for B-1 is used, the result is reduced to 298 years. 
There are very few data on the Abary Phase other than those pro- 
vided by the habitation refuse. The only evidence of burial pattern 
comes from Verrill’s (1918 b) report on the excavation of an urn 
cemetery on the Abary River. The description is difficult to evaluate, 
but some of the vessels were apparently buried and others exposed. 
All appear to have been plain. One illustrated is reconstructed as 
having an everted rim, a globular body, and an annular base. Everted 
rims are extremely rare in the ceramics of the habitation sites, and 
if the reconstruction is accurate it suggests a special shape may have 
been used for burial. Verrill estimates that the cemetery contained 
some 30,000 urns, which is undoubtedly a gross exaggeration. It ap- 
parently contained a sufficiently large number of burials, however, to 
indicate that it was used by a number of villages or for a considerable 
period of time. 
One of the most interesting aspects of the Abary Phase sequence 
is the chronological position of pottery types of Mabaruma Phase 
origin or showing Mabaruma Phase influence (fig. 77). These occur 
only at the earliest site, except for one sherd of Akawabi Incised and 
Modeled style on a plain ware of Abary Phase manufacture that was 
found at B-2. The frequency of the trade sherds and the degree of 
influence exerted on Abary Phase pottery, manifested in the copying 
of vessel shapes and decorative styles, implies rather close and con- 
tinuing contact between the two Phases. The possibility of using 
this evidence for estimating the time of arrival of the Abary Phase 
will be discussed elsewhere (see pp. 185-186). 
DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES OF THE ABARY PHASE 
The Abary Phase is represented by three habitation sites along the 
left bank of the Abary River between 43 and 95 km. above the mouth. 
The site area is typically small, but the refuse deposit of 50 cm. 
suggests a relatively high degree of village permanency. Fragments 
of stick-impressed clay may indicate wattle and daub house construc- 
tion. The only evidence of burial pattern comes from Verrill’s 
(1918 b) report of excavation in an urn cemetery on a knoll near 
the riverbank. 
The pottery of the Abary Phase was classified into three plain wares, 
comprising 99 percent of the total sherds. Tiger Island Plain, 
tempered with cariapé, is the dominant early type. It gives way to 
Taurakuli Plain, tempered with crushed potsherds, and this type is 
the majority ware during the remainder of the Phase sequence. In the 
