A SMALI. TWO-HANDLED SAUCER WITH A MOST CHARMING DESIGN IN THREE COLORS 

 REPRESENTING SOMEWHAT DIAGRAM MATICALLY A PAIR OE BUTTERELIES 



Two of these dishes were found in one cave at Machu Picchu along with a skeleton of 

 a tall woman, possibly the high priestess. The other articles in the cave were also of supe- 

 rior qualit3^ This pair of saucers is one of the best examples of the highest stage of 

 the development of Inca pattern. 54 natural size. 



and architects, there are the fragmentary 

 remains of the ancient metallurgists, pot- 

 ters, and weavers. Here and there in old 

 burial caves may be found specimens of 

 bronze and silver ornaments, tools, and 

 utensils. Originally there was consider- 

 able gold to be found ; but four centuries 

 of treasure-seekers have left so little in 

 the way of precious metals for the mod- 

 ern explorer that he must have other ob- 

 jects in view or he will be sadly disap- 

 pointed. 



The larger part of the population of 

 this lofty American Tibet today is com- 

 posed of non-Spanish-speaking Indians. 

 Their commonest language is Kechua or 

 Quichua, which was taught to their an- 

 cestors and probably forced upon them 

 by the Tncas, who flourished between 

 iioo A. D. and 1572 A. D. In many vil- 

 lages there has been so slight an element 

 of European influence that manners and 

 customs of very ancient origin may still 

 be observed and studied. 



Our knowledge of the distribution of 

 the ancient peoples who preceded the 

 Incas and of the gradual formation of 

 the Inca Empire is based largely on the 

 writings of the Spanish conquerors and 

 their friends. These writings are full of 

 exaggerations and misstatements, so that 

 our information in regard to the Incas 

 and the other ancient tribes of the Andes 

 is very uncertain. 



The historical geography of the Andes 

 of Peru and Bolivia offers a series of 

 problems of intense interest. These in- 

 clude the origin of the ancient cities, 

 such as Tiahuanaco, Cuzco, and Machu 

 Picchu ; the relation of the dift"erent types 

 of architecture, including the monolithic, 

 the adobe, and the rubble ; the question 

 of the migration of races, the spread of 

 the ancient civilization, and the sequence 

 of cultures, besides a thousand and one 

 queries as to the manners and customs, 

 government, religion, and philosophy of 

 those illiterate but very skillful engineers 



