E d 
eeaaan ARCHEOLOGY IN BRITISH GUIANA 281 
of an old village, where sherds were scattered around on the ground. 
The description suggests a site similar to R-36 or R-87. Both vessels 
were Kanuku Plain, one Vessel Form 6 a (pl. 66, e) and the other 
Vessel Form 6 b (pl. 66, f). 
R-36: MORMISWAU HEAD 
A patch of savanna high in the south Kanuku Mountains matches 
the extent of the largest Rupununi Phase site in the survey. It oc- 
cupies a basin composed of several rounded hills with a small] valley 
between (figs. 109, 111; pl. 56, 6). At the east end of the valley, 
palms and other tall trees mark the course of one creek, the Mormis- 
wau, while the Mouri-wau drains from the northwestern edge. 
Forest begins at a sharply defined line on the hillside and continues 
up to the peaks that surround the basin. The sharpness of the line of 
demarcation between savanna and forest, and the coincidence of the 
habitation area with the savanna suggest that this is a clearing of arti- 
ficial origin, dating back to the establishment of the village. Sherds 
were concentrated on the flatter hilltops and ridges, becoming sparser 
on the slopes. Four areas of most intense occupation were distributed 
around the basin and are indicated by the letters A, B, C, D (fig. 111). 
In addition to aboriginal remains, several objects of European origin 
were collected (see table L, pp. 315-317). 
This habitation site differed from others of the Rupununi Phase 
in having a group of funerary urns near the center of the east half 
of occupation area A. These vessels were partly buried in the ground 
from 0.90 to 2.00 meters apart, except for one that was 10 meters from 
the others. They were rounded jars 28 to 50 cm. in diameter. The 
mouth appeared to have been covered with an inverted bow] or open 
jar, and fragments of bone could be detected in the dirt inside. AI 
the burials seem to have been made at the same time, and perhaps 
represent an epidemic that caused the abandonment of the village, 
since burial in the habitation area is not characteristic of the Rupunini 
Phase. 
R-37: BIS MOUNTAIN 
On the southern side of Bis Mountain, just below the summit, are 
a number of grass-covered terraces and slopes (fig. 109). To the 
north, east, and west, the terrain rises to tree-covered peaks and ridges, 
while to the south the ground falls off rapidly affording an unob- 
structed view across the savanna far below. A small creek flows 
through a depression that separates the highest grassy summit from 
the adjacent forested hillside (fig. 112). The tall grass covering the 
ground impeded visibility of the surface slightly. The heaviest con- 
centration of sherds was on and around a small rock-studded knoll 
near the south edge of the savanna area, although the protruding 
