72 THE COLLECTION OF OSTEOLOGICAL MATERL\L FROM MACHU PICCHU. 



The first skeleton (Ost. Coll. 3238) is that of a young man about twenty years of age. 

 Although, if other skeletal parts were lacking, the skull might almost be mistaken for that 

 of a woman, its male sex is made certain by the pelvis. No ponderous stone implements 

 were found in this delicate featured young man's grave ; instead some shreds of rotten 

 brown cloth, and an elaborately incised and drilled gray talc necklace ornament (M. P. 

 624), shown on Plate IV, figure 7, to which I shall refer again; a number of bone beads 

 and some pieces of what appears to be a bead made of fused green glass. This last article 

 should be carefully considered with reference to the possibility of showing whether the 

 interment is of pre- or post-Columbian age. 



The second individual (Ost. Coll. 3239) buried in this cave is proved by his skeleton 

 to have been a small man approaching middle age. The skull (Plate XXVII) is very small, 

 considering its sex, the measured cranial capacity being only 12 18 ccm., but its contours 

 exhibit characteristic male irregularity and roughness, and the glabella, zygomata, mastoids 

 and occipital protuberances are strongly developed. The pelvis, which is in an excellent state 

 of preservation, is also thoroughly male in its form. Although the long bones are air fairly 

 well preserv'cd and free from decay, the difference in the discoloration of their proximal 

 and distal ends is so marked as to indicate veiy plainly that this mummy was interred in 

 the contracted position. The cave seems to have been well sheltered from the weather, 

 since the muscles of the posterior aspect of the left thigh still adhere to the bone as a mass 

 of desiccated and frayed fibers. 



Pieces of cloth and cord (M. P. 623, 630, 631) made from brown llama wool had 

 been used in preparing this mummy for the grave; a small black jug (M. P. 944) in almost 

 perfect condition, that doubtless once contained the native equivalent of the restorative con- 

 ventionally carried in such jugs, two small stone tokens or counters (M. P. 632, 633), 

 two bone heads (uncatalogued), and two bronze neck ornaments (uncatalogued) were also 

 found with the remains. A few fragments of llama bones and a humerus of some large 

 falconiform( ?) bird may represent the food provided for the tenants of this burial cave. 



Cave 85. 



The location of this cave was "half-way down to the river, on the east side of Machu 

 Picchu mountain." The human remains are of comparative little value, for they consist 

 of a few badly decayed fragments from the skull and skeleton of a small adult person — 

 presumably of the female sex. Provisions for the dead are represented by broken llama 

 bones and a few parts of a small opossum's skeleton. The other material found in the grave 

 furnishes a long list, and contains some valuable and interesting articles. 



The pin or bodkin (M, P. 635) shown on Plate IV, figure 6. is the prettiest piece of 

 worked or carved bone in the collection. Nearly 9 cm. in length and carefully worked 

 down to just proportions, it has an ornamental head neatly executed in the design of two 

 perched birds in the act of "billing." What genus and species of the Coliiiiibidccthe clever 

 artist intended to represent, is beyond my knowledge, though if there is anything in a 

 name, there would be a semblance of propriety in referring the birds to Osculatia sp. The 

 only point that I wish to emphasize is that the circles inscribed on the perch, like eggs in 

 a nest,* and those representing eyes appear to me, after examination and measurement, to 



♦ The excessive number of eggs is attributed solely to artistic license. 



