THE WAI WAI PHASE 
DESCRIPTION OF SITES AND EXCAVATIONS 
In recent years the upper part of the Essequibo River has been oc- 
cupied by the Wai Wai, a Carib-speaking tribe that has moved grad- 
ually into British Guiana to fill the void left by the disappearance 
of the Taruma. Their intrusion into the area covered by the 1952-53 
survey is too recent to have left much archeological evidence. Two 
former village locations were investigated, one of which was in the 
process of transformation into an archeological site, and their descrip- 
tion is of particular interest for its bearing on the interpretation of 
archeological habitation sites in the tropical forest area of South 
America. 
E-2: EREFOIMO 
E-2 occupies the summit of a high hill on the right bank of the 
Essequibo, about half way between the Taruma Phase sites of E-3 
and E-1 (fig. 79). The bank rises at about a 30-degree gradient to 
a height of 18 meters above the December water level. A narrow 
path led through the heavy growth to the hilltop, where the vegeta- 
tion was smaller and less dense. The former clearing (Area B), 15 
meters wide and 25 meters deep, bore no traces of former house struc- 
tures, but our guide said that two houses, one large and one small, 
formerly stood there. Sherds were scattered on the surface, with 
slight concentration at the east and west ends of the clearing. For- 
merly cultivated plants were still observable, including maracujd 
(Passiflora sp.), tree gourds, wruct (Bixa orellana), castor beans, and 
tree cotton. There was no depth to the refuse deposit, and the soil 
contained large amounts of fine, lateritic concretion gravel. 
Tall, secondary growth separated Area B from Area A, 50 meters 
farther back from the river bank. This part of the site contained 
the most recent habitation area, including remains of a circular, com- 
munal house, and work shelters. The habitation clearing measured 
about 30 meters wide by 45 meters deep and was surrounded by dense, 
secondary growth indicative of a former field. ‘The main house stood 
near the rear of the clearing, surrounded and partly overgrown with 
‘tall jointgrass, small trees, and vines. As in Area B, much of the 
vegetation was still composed of cultivated species, such as maracujé, 
tree gourds, tree cotton, wruct, papaya, and a plant with a black berry 
247 
