E d 
pete ARCHEOLOGY IN BRITISH GUIANA 261 
side of a large agricultural clearing (fig. 107). Village permanency 
is slight; two houses under construction in 1952 were abandoned in 
1955. x 
House.—All the Wai Wai houses except one were 9 to 11 meters in 
diameter. The exception was 19 meters in diameter, almost twice 
the usual size. The steep, conical roof joins vertical sidewalls about 
1.25 meters above the ground (pl. 48, a). Both roof and walls are 
covered with palm thatch. Two doors, at opposite sides, provide ac- 
cess and illumination. The inside has no partitions, but each family 
occupies a particular place along the side and keeps its possessions 
there. 
Since the interior of the communal house is too dark to be used as 
a work place for the making of baskets, arrows, bead aprons, and 
other objects, several small shelters are constructed in the clearing 
outside. These are typically triangular, with the roof coming to a 
high point at the front, and with no sidewalls. 
Population.—The 1952-53 adult population of four Wai Wai vil- 
lages was: Yaka Yaka, five men and five women; Yewarda, three men 
and three women; Mawika, seven men and five women; Weelya, three 
men and two women. 
Pottery.—Pottery is made by the women at irregular intervals, as 
needed. Each woman works alone. Clay is usually derived from 
special locations where the quality is superior to the usual river bank 
clays. No temper is added, so the various amounts of sand in the Wai 
Wai archeological material probably represent natural inclusions in 
clay from different sources. Large, football-shaped hunks of clay, 
dampened to the proper consistency for easy working, constitute the 
prepared raw material. Handfuls of this clay are taken for model- 
ing into coils, which are rolled vertically between the palms held in 
front of the chest (pl. 51, b). As each coil is prepared, it is added 
to the vessel and pressed tightly onto the previous coil. Only the 
flat bottom is made without coiling by stretching the clay to the de- 
sired shape (pl.51,a). After several coils have been added, the excess 
clay is scraped off with a piece of gourd (fig. 106, a, b; pl. 52, a). 
When all the coils have been applied and the vessel shape completed, 
both surfaces are given a final scraping to remove major irregularities 
(pl. 52,a). Asmall, smooth nut (fig. 106, ¢) may be used for further 
smoothing. The completed vessel is dried for about 4 days in the house 
near the cooking fire before being fired. For firing, the pot is placed 
mouth down on the ground. Bark and sticks are stacked on end 
around it (pl. 52, 5), ignited, and left to burn down. If the vessel is 
to be painted, this is done after cooling with red and black vegetable 
dye. The decorated exterior is usually covered with a transparent 
resin added to the reheated surface so that it flows easily and makes a 
hard glossy coating. __ 
