76 THE COLLECTION OF OSTEOLOGICAL MATERIAL FROM MACHU PICCHU. 



M. P. 663. Problematic earthenware token, six-sided. 



M. P. 1893. Stone knife or scraper. 



M. P. 2053. Piece of building granite, 14 cm. x 4 cm. x 2.1 cm. (approximately). 



A few fragmentary llama bones show that the usual provision of food for the dead was 

 made. 



Cave 94. 



This cave was located on the west side of Huayna Picchu. It contained one female 

 skeleton (Ost. Coll. 3244) in a state of poor preservation. A pelvic fraginent that was 

 saved exhibits a very wide greater sciatic notch — much wider than any male pelvis in the 

 collection — hence there can be little doubt regarding the sex of the skeleton, although the 

 measured cranial capacity of 1350 ccm. appears rather large for a female. The skull, which 

 is entirel}- free from deformation, is moderately brachycephalic and should therefore be 

 regarded as an example of the coastal cranial type. Judging from the obliteration of 

 sutures and the state of wear of the teeth, this individual was at least forty-five years old. 

 It is gratifying to find that the sex of these remains can be detennined, in view of the 

 difficulty sometimes met with in deciding upon the sexual character of fragmentar}' human 

 remains, where skulls considerably above average female size are associated with low stature. 

 The occurrence in large osteological collections of a small but disconcerting proportion of 

 adult male crania of effeminate type justifies the pains taken at Machu Picchu to secure 

 all sexually characteristic pelvic fragments, even if so incomplete as not to be available for 

 exhibition purposes. 



A good many potsherds were brought from this grave. Most of these have been put 

 together, with the result that the matron's outfit of pottery is shown to have comprised the 

 following excellent pieces : 



M. P. 850. Small olla ; buff, with design in dark brown on both sides. 

 M. P. 913. Three-legged brazier in fine brown earthenware (Plate XIV, 



figure 2). 

 M. P. 1050. Fire-blackened, beaker-shaped olla, unusual in having two 



handles, a very small flat handle replacing the customary 



two-headed snake or other ornament, opposite the main 



handle (Plate XIV, figure 3). 

 M. P. 1054. A medium-sized aryballus. 



The brazier or fire-pot found in this cave (Plate XIV, figure 2) is an exceedingly inter- 

 esting piece. Professor Bingham has stated (American Anthropologist, Vol. 17, No. 2, 

 April-June 1915) his opinion that "These braziers were probably used for reheating or 

 annealing small pieces of metal, presumably by means of a charcoal fire." Doctor C. H. 

 Mathewson's comment, quoted in the same article, supports the Director's view. W^iile I 

 do not wish to dispute their opinion, as far as it relates to the possibility of annealing 

 small bronze or silver objects in the vessel, it is advisable to remind my readers that a 

 brazier, even tliough originally designed for the annealing process, could easily be made to 

 serve some other practical purpose, such as parching maize or carrying live coals to rebuild 

 a fire, that would be more in keeping with the sex of the individual whose remains occurred 

 in this grave. Earthenware vessels without feet but otherwise of the same general form 



