﻿102 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  portrait 
  heads, 
  complete 
  figures, 
  animals, 
  birds, 
  frogs, 
  houses, 
  moun- 
  

   tains, 
  and 
  various 
  types 
  of 
  fruits 
  and 
  plants. 
  

  

  Another 
  frequent 
  shape 
  is 
  a 
  container 
  with 
  a 
  straight 
  cylindrical 
  

   spout 
  and 
  a 
  curved 
  hollow 
  handle 
  from 
  the 
  spout 
  to 
  the 
  body. 
  Some 
  

   vessels 
  are 
  globular 
  with 
  constricted 
  flaring 
  collars, 
  on 
  which 
  modeled 
  

   or 
  painted 
  faces 
  may 
  be 
  depicted. 
  Double 
  bowls 
  are 
  not 
  very 
  

   numerous. 
  One 
  standard 
  shape 
  resembles 
  a 
  flower 
  vase 
  from 
  a 
  

   constricted, 
  circular, 
  flat 
  base 
  the 
  sides 
  flare 
  out 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  large 
  and 
  

   graceful 
  vessel. 
  The 
  dipper 
  bowl, 
  with 
  a 
  long, 
  conical 
  side 
  handle, 
  is 
  

   equally 
  characteristic 
  of 
  Mochica. 
  Although 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  shape 
  

   categories 
  in 
  Mochica 
  ceramics 
  is 
  limited, 
  considerable 
  variety 
  is 
  

   achieved 
  by 
  the 
  painted 
  and 
  modeled 
  and 
  relief 
  designs. 
  

  

  Mochica 
  ceramic 
  design 
  is 
  basically 
  realistic, 
  so 
  that 
  a 
  detailed 
  

   study 
  reveals 
  many 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  time. 
  Geometric 
  de- 
  

   signs 
  are 
  not 
  lacking, 
  however, 
  and 
  include 
  the 
  scroll, 
  the 
  spiral 
  band, 
  

   a 
  step-and-scroll 
  combination, 
  an 
  angular 
  scroll, 
  lines, 
  bands, 
  stars, 
  

   dots, 
  circles, 
  triangles, 
  and 
  the 
  like. 
  In 
  their 
  ceramic 
  decoration, 
  the 
  

   Mochica 
  people 
  portray 
  the 
  life 
  around 
  them. 
  The 
  flora 
  and 
  fauna 
  

   are 
  faithfully 
  represented. 
  The 
  human 
  head 
  is 
  so 
  faithfully 
  modeled 
  

   and 
  so 
  individualistic 
  that 
  such 
  vessels 
  are 
  properly 
  called 
  portrait 
  

   jars. 
  The 
  painting, 
  relief, 
  and 
  modeling 
  also 
  portray 
  scenes 
  of 
  such 
  

   common 
  activities 
  as 
  fishing, 
  weaving, 
  and 
  warfare. 
  Even 
  evidence 
  

   of 
  sexual 
  psychology 
  is 
  portrayed 
  in 
  the 
  erotic 
  pottery. 
  In 
  fact, 
  

   the 
  Mochica 
  ceramics 
  are 
  in 
  one 
  sense 
  a 
  picture 
  book 
  of 
  the 
  culture. 
  

  

  Cloth 
  is 
  rarely 
  preserved 
  on 
  the 
  North 
  Coast 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  consid- 
  

   erable 
  saltpeter 
  content 
  of 
  the 
  sands. 
  However, 
  incised 
  clay 
  spindle 
  

   whorls 
  are 
  common 
  and 
  the 
  ceramic 
  decoration 
  portrays 
  cloth 
  gar- 
  

   ments. 
  One 
  famous 
  vessel 
  shows 
  female 
  weavers 
  working 
  under 
  the 
  

   direction 
  of 
  a 
  supervisor. 
  Judging 
  by 
  this 
  indirect 
  evidence, 
  the 
  

   standard 
  male 
  costume 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  wide, 
  decorated 
  breech- 
  

   clout 
  held 
  in 
  position 
  by 
  a 
  belt, 
  a 
  shirt 
  with 
  sleeves, 
  and 
  a 
  rectangular 
  

   mantle 
  which 
  was 
  draped 
  over 
  the 
  shoulders. 
  Wide 
  collar 
  bands 
  are 
  

   depicted, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  turbanlike 
  headdresses 
  which 
  suggest 
  

   clan 
  or 
  social-rank 
  distinctions. 
  

  

  The 
  wealth 
  of 
  archeological 
  materials 
  furnishes 
  a 
  basis 
  for 
  a 
  gen- 
  

   eral 
  picture 
  of 
  Mochica 
  culture. 
  Subsistence 
  was 
  basically 
  agri- 
  

   cultural. 
  There 
  is 
  direct 
  evidence 
  of 
  large-scale 
  irrigation 
  projects 
  

   and 
  of 
  cultivation 
  with 
  a 
  hoe. 
  The 
  modeled 
  pottery, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  

   cases 
  the 
  preserved 
  plants 
  themselves, 
  prove 
  that 
  maize, 
  manioc, 
  po- 
  

   tatoes, 
  sweet 
  potatoes, 
  calabash, 
  squash, 
  pumpkins, 
  and 
  peanuts 
  were 
  

   all 
  cultivated. 
  Many 
  fruits 
  were 
  utilized, 
  such 
  as 
  pepino, 
  pacae, 
  

   lticuma, 
  and 
  several 
  varieties 
  of 
  cactus. 
  In 
  ceramics, 
  both 
  the 
  fruits 
  

   and 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  represented 
  in 
  anthropomorphic 
  form, 
  suggesting 
  

   the 
  association 
  of 
  magical 
  or 
  religious 
  practices. 
  A 
  "Maize 
  Goddess" 
  

   is 
  particularly 
  conspicuous. 
  

  

  