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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 2 



property may be made up. Even silver is less 

 safe, for someone may find the buried hoard 

 and steal it. In addition, it is not productive. 

 He who harvests from 50 to 100 car gas of maize 

 is wealthy; while the man who harvests from 

 8 to 15 cargas may regard himself as a typical 

 Cheran citizen. 



them, houses are essentially portable property 

 like furniture, tools, or cattle. 



Little exists in the way of incorporeal prop- 

 erty in Cheran. Perhaps the most important 

 instances are the possession of knowledge of 

 dances or of the texts for the dialogue in such 

 performances as the pastorela. Theoretically 



1 Depending on type and quantity. 

 - Price per weight not ascertained. 

 3 Quantity not ascertained. 



Houses and buildings are also a form of 

 wealth. The traditional type of house is owned 

 apart from the land and is frequently bought 

 and sold apart from the land. This is not true, 

 of course, of stone or adobe buildings. Except 

 for the somewhat greater difficulty of moving 



* Quantity not ascertained ; probably 1 per centavo from opened 

 can. 



^ Depending on size. 



anyone might pick up this knowledge, but there 

 seems a tacit understanding that this should 

 not be done without the permission of the 

 owner. Such knowledge is valuable, as such 

 persons are paid by the mayordomos to teach 

 the performers. 



