E d 
Brpog an ARCHEOLOGY IN BRITISH GUIANA 249 
a large field had surrounded the village. The more advanced state 
of the secondary growth in the field than that in the habitation area is 
probably correlated with two differences in the preparation and main- 
tenance of these two parts of the site. The house surroundings are 
cleaned of vegetation and packed down by constant use, whereas in 
the fields the soil is loose and stumps remain that readily sprout into 
new growth. Grass seems to be most characteristic of the first stage 
of abandonment in habitation areas, whereas in the fields the trees 
return too quickly for grass to gain a foothold. 
Inquiry of the Wai Wai and of Robert Hawkins, resident Protestant 
missionary, elicited the information that Erefoimo was abandoned 
in 1950 after having been occupied about 6 years. The first house 
was built near the river in Area B, and was inhabited by about 15 
people. After someone died, this house was abandoned and another 
built farther back. It is this house that was partially collapsed in 
Area A (pl. 48, 6). In 1949 the village was said to have contained 
49 people, although the communal house is rather small to have shel- 
tered so large a population on a permanent basis. 
E-11:; KUKWA MUTUTO 
A grassy clearing on the left bank of the Essequibo, 40 minutes’ 
paddling above E-10, marks the location of a former Wai Wai village 
said to have been abandoned in 1948. Fallen beams near the edge of 
the 6-meter-high bank marked the location of a former rectangular 
house, and other posts were scattered farther back. Urucwt, cotton, 
and cannalike bushes were still growing in the clearing. That the 
adjacent forest had also been cleared was evident from the presence 
of large stumps still in sound condition in spite of the large size of 
the secondary forest trees. Considerable testing produced only five 
sherds of Wai Wai origin, although the site was reported to have 
been occupied for 3 to 4 years. Other artifacts included three 
fragments of pot rests, three felsite cores of the type used in grater 
manufacture, and one fragment of green bottle glass. At an earlier 
time, E-11 was occupied by the Taruma Phase (see pp. 198-199). 
DATA FROM OTHER INVESTIGATIONS 
No archeological remains have been reported by previous visitors 
to the area occupied by the Wai Wai Phase. 
ANALYSIS OF MATERIAL 
The only items of Wai Wai material culture that can be expected 
to survive archeologically are those made of pottery and stone. Stone 
was used only as a raw material, no stone tools having been made or 
used within living memory. Pottery was used for containers, pot 
rests and spindle whorls. 
