HOLMES ANNIVERSARY VOLUME 



but little has been recorded in regard to the yacatas of this part 

 of the Tierra Caliente of Michoacan. 



The mounds are irregular in shape and average from ten to fifteen 

 feet in height. In the smaller one, the first to be investigated, excava- 

 tion was commenced at the northern side. The first skeleton found was 

 that of a child; it was greatly decayed, but enough remained to show 

 that the body had been buried in a flexed position. Grouped about the 

 head were two molcajetes, or bowls, one within the other, and two ollas. 

 One of the molcajetes has a hole drilled in the bottom (pi. I, d). The 

 skeleton found was that of an adult in an extended position ; a mol- 

 cajete rested on the feet, and two others and a small olla were near 

 the skull. 



After the second skeleton had been removed, a massive artificial 

 wall of volcanic scoria was encountered. In removing the stones that 

 formed this structure it was found to be of Spanish origin, as pieces 

 of sugar molds were scattered throughout the soil beneath the stones. 

 As this wall had been sunk to a considerable depth, the work was 

 terminated and our efforts were devoted to another yacata nearby. 



In all, three skeletons were found in the first yacata, including 

 one that was taken out by one of the workmen after our investigations 

 had been discontinued. This digging was done during our absence 

 from the mounds, but fortunately we were able to recover the pottery 

 that had been removed. With the three burials were fourteen vessels. 



The results of the investigation showed that the first mound had 

 been built, at least in part, of the refuse from houses or from old 

 middens. Crude cooking jars filled with debris were found, their posi- 

 tion seeming to indicate that they had been deposited with the refuse 

 in them. Layers of ashes were encountered, and potsherds were 

 found throughout the greater part of the explored area. There was 

 no evidence of cultural stratification. Dissociated from burials was 

 a flat mortar-like piece of pottery which will be described later. A 

 grinding stone, an obsidian flake, and numerous large fragments of 

 vessels were also found apart from human remains. 



The second yacata was situated a hundred yards westward from 

 the first one examined. A trench thirty feet wide, which included the 

 greater width of the mound, was dug nearly to the center, when the 

 work had to be discontinued. 



The first burial encountered was that of an adult, represented 

 only by the skull. East of the skull were a bowl and an olla, the former 

 inverted and resting on the mouth of the olla. West of the skull was 

 a large olla, crushed by the weight of a stone placed over it. Near 

 this olla was another, of smaller size, with a cover of animal form. 



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