COOKING POTS OF STEATITE. 97 



torn is flattened, and on the interior is covered with a thin coating of as- 

 phaltum. The dimensions of the specimen here described are : Greatest 

 diameter, 10 inches; height, exteriorly, 6.3 inches; diameter of mouth, 

 6.6 inches. Locality: Santa Cruz Island, California. Collected by Paul 

 Schumacher. (Peabody Museum, 9273.) 



Besides the several examples of the larger sizes of these vessels for 

 cooking food are many of quite limited capacity, and which present many 

 marked variations from the typical form, as represented by Fig. 33. This 

 vessel may, indeed, be considered as an intermediate form, although some 

 of the smaller specimens are but miniatures of the larger, as we stated 

 when considering the stone mortars. 



Fig. 2, Plate VI, represents a cooking vessel from La Patera in no 

 important feature differing from the preceding, and is here brought particu- 

 larly to notice as exhibiting the principal means employed in repairing a 

 broken vessel of this character, so that it might be subsequently utilized as 

 a receptacle for food. In the middle of the side exposed in the figure, 

 there will be noticed an extensive fracture extending to the base of the pot, 

 which is irregularly flattened. About one inch from the rim that surrounds 

 the mouth of the vessel is a small hole drilled through the side, and on the 

 other side of the fracture a second hole, but at a greater distance from the 

 rim. Between these, a shallow groove has been cut, joining the two per- 

 forations. The inside of the vessel has a corresponding groove. Into these 

 there has been poured melted asphaltum, which, when hardened by cooling, 

 has formed a band of cement, holding the fractured edges together. It is 

 not improbable that, previous to applying the asphaltum, a cord, either 

 of some fibrous vegetable substance, as bark, or possibly a strip of skin 

 or tendon of an animal, was first used to draw the edges together, the 

 asphaltum poured over it, and thus added strength gained. A vessel thus 

 repaired would, of course, be no longer available for cooking food, as the 

 necessary exposure to heat would soften the luting; but rendered water- 

 tight by this material they were valuable as receptacles for food, whether 

 solid or liquid Dr. Yarrow informs me that several of these ollas were 

 dug up, the bottoms of which had been partially fractui - ed, probably by 

 7 o i 



