﻿Vol.2] 
  SAN 
  AGUSTIN 
  AND 
  TIERRADENTO 
  HERNANDEZ 
  DE 
  ALBA 
  857 
  

  

  San 
  Agustin 
  culture 
  — 
  statues, 
  globular 
  jars, 
  tripods, 
  cups 
  with 
  hori- 
  

   zontal 
  projecting 
  rims, 
  and 
  flattened 
  jars 
  with 
  down-turned 
  rims. 
  

   However, 
  the 
  outstanding 
  finds 
  are 
  of 
  another 
  culture, 
  the 
  Tierra- 
  

   dentro 
  style, 
  characterized 
  by 
  hypogeums, 
  or 
  underground 
  rooms. 
  

   These 
  chambers 
  are 
  excavated 
  in 
  the 
  bed 
  rock, 
  a 
  soft 
  granodiorite, 
  

   on 
  artificially 
  leveled 
  terraces 
  along 
  the 
  ridges, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  high 
  

   hills. 
  They 
  are 
  generally 
  circular 
  or 
  elliptical 
  in 
  plan, 
  have 
  a 
  roof 
  

   that 
  is 
  vaulted, 
  flat, 
  or 
  cut 
  on 
  a 
  slant, 
  and 
  have 
  sides 
  with 
  inset 
  re- 
  

   cesses 
  or 
  niches. 
  One 
  descends 
  into 
  the 
  largest 
  chambers 
  by 
  means 
  

   of 
  a 
  shaft 
  with 
  well-hewn 
  straight 
  or 
  circular 
  stairs. 
  The 
  interior 
  is 
  

   covered 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  cement 
  which 
  conceals 
  the 
  imperfections 
  of 
  the 
  

   excavation 
  and 
  forms 
  a 
  background 
  for 
  the 
  decorations, 
  which 
  are 
  

   painted 
  in 
  black, 
  red, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  orange 
  (pi. 
  175, 
  top). 
  The 
  de- 
  

   signs 
  range 
  from 
  parallel 
  lines 
  or 
  solar 
  figures 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  simple 
  

   examples 
  at 
  Loma 
  Alta, 
  to 
  bands 
  of 
  concentric 
  rhomboids, 
  and 
  painted 
  

   and 
  relief 
  human 
  bodies 
  and 
  faces, 
  in 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  subterranean 
  

   rooms 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Andres 
  zone. 
  Detailed 
  descriptions 
  of 
  two 
  simple 
  

   examples 
  at 
  Loma 
  Alta 
  and 
  one 
  elaborate 
  type 
  at 
  San 
  Andre's 
  will 
  

   serve 
  as 
  illustrations. 
  

  

  One 
  tomb 
  at 
  Loma 
  Alta 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  room 
  with 
  an 
  elliptical 
  

   floor, 
  flat 
  roof, 
  and 
  almost 
  vertical 
  walls. 
  It 
  measures 
  10 
  feet 
  (3.04 
  

   m.) 
  in 
  width 
  and 
  7 
  feet 
  (2.41 
  m.) 
  in 
  depth. 
  The 
  entrance 
  arch, 
  32 
  

   inches 
  (0.8 
  m.) 
  wide, 
  opens 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  toward 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  

   descent 
  shaft, 
  which 
  has 
  steps 
  placed 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  entrance. 
  This 
  

   shaft 
  was 
  filled 
  with 
  earth, 
  and 
  stones 
  formed 
  a 
  covering 
  which 
  pre- 
  

   vented 
  the 
  earth 
  from 
  entering 
  the 
  excavated 
  room. 
  A 
  horizontal 
  

   decorative 
  band 
  in 
  relief 
  runs 
  around 
  the 
  entire 
  wall 
  just 
  below 
  the 
  

   roof 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  front 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  near 
  the 
  right 
  are 
  five 
  sun 
  

   figures 
  with 
  hollow 
  centers 
  painted 
  red, 
  from 
  which 
  radiate 
  lines 
  

   painted 
  alternately 
  red 
  and 
  black 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  figure 
  to 
  the 
  left, 
  and 
  

   white 
  and 
  red 
  in 
  the 
  four 
  remaining 
  figures. 
  

  

  Another 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  simple 
  type 
  is 
  an 
  excavation 
  which 
  is 
  6.3 
  m. 
  

   (about 
  21 
  feet) 
  wide, 
  3.5 
  m. 
  (11 
  Ji 
  feet) 
  deep, 
  and 
  2 
  m. 
  (7 
  feet) 
  high 
  

   (the 
  usual 
  height 
  of 
  this 
  type 
  of 
  excavation). 
  Its 
  entrance 
  arch 
  on 
  

   the 
  northwest 
  side 
  is 
  1.5 
  m. 
  (5 
  feet) 
  wide. 
  The 
  panels 
  forming 
  the 
  

   walls 
  and 
  roof 
  are 
  notably 
  curved 
  and 
  the 
  entire 
  wall 
  surface 
  is 
  deco- 
  

   rated 
  with 
  broad 
  horizontal 
  lines 
  placed 
  thus: 
  A 
  white 
  line 
  at 
  0.7 
  m. 
  

   (2.3 
  feet) 
  above 
  the 
  floor; 
  a 
  red 
  one 
  at 
  0.15 
  m. 
  (% 
  foot) 
  from 
  this; 
  

   at 
  0.1 
  m. 
  (4 
  inches) 
  from 
  the 
  first 
  line, 
  another 
  white 
  one; 
  a 
  blank 
  

   space 
  above, 
  0.38 
  m. 
  (15 
  inches) 
  wide; 
  then 
  the 
  white 
  line 
  repeated, 
  

   followed 
  by 
  a 
  red 
  one 
  at 
  0.5 
  m. 
  (19 
  inches) 
  ; 
  at 
  equal 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  

   latter, 
  another 
  red 
  line; 
  and 
  at 
  0.1 
  m. 
  (4 
  inches) 
  from 
  the 
  former, 
  

   a 
  white 
  line 
  which 
  completes 
  the 
  decoration. 
  In 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  this 
  

   excavation 
  are 
  10 
  small 
  irregularly 
  placed 
  pits 
  filled 
  with 
  decayed 
  

  

  