PEPPER— YACATAS OF MICHOACAN 



tripointed handle spans the upper portion of the cover. Regardless 

 of the fact that the chief physical characteristics of the effigy are not 

 represented, this cover was unquestionably designed to represent a 

 conventionalized form of the turtle. 



These were the only covers that were found, but a fragment show- 

 ing an arc of an annular ring similar to the one that ornaments the 

 cover first described, was found in the excavation. Covers of this 

 type have been found in other parts of southwestern Michoacan. 

 Lumholtz 1 illustrates a cover of this general form. 



The molcajetes, three of which are shown in plate I, d, e, f, are of 

 the usual bowl form, each of them having either a low annular or a 

 tripod base, the former predominating. Most of these vessels are of 

 the flaring type, although in each series there are incurve forms. The 

 general color of the ware is dull orange-brown; over this, in some 

 cases, a red slip has been deposited, sometimes covering the entire 

 interior, but generally forming a band about the inner rim. These 

 vessels, as their name implies, were used for grinding chile and other 

 articles of food. The lower part of the interior of the bowl is scored 

 with some pointed implement, forming a corrugated grinding surface. 

 In some the scoring takes the form of a design, whereas in others no 

 ornamentation was attempted, the object being merely to produce a 

 rough, irregular surface that would facilitate maceration of the food. 

 As a rule the exterior of these vessels is plain, but a few of them are 

 fluted, the straight or slightly wavy lines encircling the upper part 

 (pi. I, e). One specimen (/) has four incised decorative patterns placed 

 equidistant on the inner rim; these were cut after the vessel had been 

 fired. Another (d) has a hole, three-quarters of an inch in diameter, 

 drilled in the bottom. Whether this was done ceremonially, or whether 

 the hole was designed for some utilitarian purpose prior to the use of 

 the molcajete as a mortuary vessel, is not known. 



The cazuelas, or bowls, with one exception are similar in size and 

 shape to the larger examples of the molcajetes, and had the same low, 

 annular base. The only variant is a small one of dull-orange ware; 

 it is four inches in diameter by an inch and a quarter deep, and the 

 interior is decorated with a red band composed of two encircling lines 

 between which is a wavy line. 



The ollas found in the mounds range from comparatively small 

 ones (pi. I, b) to one eight inches in height. The smaller ones are 

 plain, but the two largest examples have a decorative panel below the 

 rim, in one instance extending to the shoulder of the vessel, and in 

 the other to a point a few inches below the rim. All the ollas are of 



1 Carl Lumholtz, Unknown Mexico, vol. II, plate opposite p. 404. 

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