ES tt ARCHEOLOGY IN BRITISH GUIANA 235 
OBJECTS OF HUROPEAN ORIGIN 
Five of the Taruma Phase sites produced objects of European ori- 
gin, attesting to the existence of sporadic contact. This material was 
examined by C. Malcolm Watkins, Museum of History and Technol- 
ogy, Smithsonian Institution; the descriptions are given in table H. 
TaBLE H.—Obdjects of European origin from Taruma Phase sites 
Site Object Quantity Remarks 
1 a ee Sherds of brown earthenware-- 2 | Not diagnostic. 
KE ee Sherds of white earthenware -- 2 | Narrow green line along edge where rim 
joins bowl. 
1 =) Square ironnailst 2522-3 1 | Length 6.5 em. 
fc eee ee 4 Fragments of clear glass bottle_ 4 | Not diagnostic. 
Fragments of badly rusted 3 | Possibly from a gun? 
mn. 
p OLDS oe Pa ee Small sherds of clear glass-_---- 2 | Probably mirror fragments. 
Small sherd of thick, olive- 1 | Not diagnostic. 
green bottle glass 
Opaque glass ‘‘seed’’ beads-__-- 131 | White, light blue, dark blue and pink. 
Donut-shaped; diameter 1.0-1.5 mm.; 
0.5-1.0 mm. thick; hole 0.5 mm. in diam- 
eter. Fragments of cotton thread from 
stringing. Probably from a bead apron. 
THE SITE SEQUENCE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS 
The seriation of Taruma Phase sites (fig. 101) is based on the analysis 
of 16 stratigraphic excavations in 11 habitation sites. All show the 
same general trend: a decline in the frequency of Yoché Plain and an 
‘Increase in the frequency of Kalunye Plain. Interdigitation of the 
levels of these cuts, and seriation into this framework of those sites 
represented by single levels or single collections, results in a relatively 
smooth pattern of change in the two plain types from the beginning 
to the end of the Phase. At the earliest site, Yochd Plain, with 
coarse, crushed granite temper, comprises 96 percent of the pottery 
sample. From this maximum, it declines to 17.8 percent at the latest 
site in the sequence. Kalunye Plain shows the opposite trend, in- 
creasing from a low of 3.3 percent to a high of 75.1 percent during 
the same period. The third plain type, Mawika Plain, with cariapé 
temper, is sporadic in occurrence, but most abundant near the middle 
of the seriated sequence. Its presence in only a few sites might be 
taken as evidence of trade or perhaps intermarriage with a woman 
from a group with different ceramic tradition were it not for the fact 
that the characteristic types of decoration for the Taruma Phase 
occur occasionally on cariapé-tempered pottery. This suggests that 
Mawiké Plain is a Taruma Phase ware, rather than one acquired by 
trade, although it may be a reflection of alien influence. 
The decorated types of the Taruma Phase comprise 7.7 percent of 
the total sherds. Decoration is generally well executed and applied 
in a series of well-defined techniques and consistent motifs. Kana- 
513186—60-——17 
