

INDIANS OF SOUTH AMERICA G7 
attained the highest type of civilization on this continent in prehistoric 
times. Unlike the Mexicans however, they had no written language. 
They were tillers of the soil and raised maize, potatoes, beans, coca and 
cotton. The Incas domesticated the llama, which was used as a beast of 
burden. They excelled in the manufacture and decoration of pottery 
vessels, in metalwork, and in textile fabrics. In the case directly in 
front of the entrance are displayed gold and silver objects 
Gold and 
, such as beads, cups, pins and earrings which show the skill 
Silver 
of the Incas in the beating, soldering and casting of metals. 
In weaving they were perhaps preéminent among prehistoric peoples, many 
Textiles of their specimens exhibited here being unsurpassed at the 
present day. The materials used were cotton and the wool 
of the llama, alpaca and vicuna. In the first cases on the right are examples 
of these textiles with looms and shuttles. [The musical instruments of 
ancient Peru are discussed in Guide Leaflet No. 11.] 
The alcove cases are geographically arranged, showing exhibits from the 
north toward the south of South America, then up into the interior of the 
continent. ‘The two-spouted drinking cups, copperwork, slings such as are 
still in use, portrait jars, vessels upon which the decorations represent fruit 
and vegetables and scenes from daily life, and black pottery, are all pre- 
historic and a number of the specimens are of rare beauty as well as valuable 
from an archeological standpoint. 
The collections in the gallery rail cases include quipos used to keep 
accounts, various kinds of corn which with the lima bean and potato have 
been introduced into our country from Peru; charms and medicines, coca 
which was chewed, and maize which was used to make the national drink 
chicha. A number of the chicha jars are on exhibition on top of the wall 
cases at the east end of the room. | 
The mummy in the case at the west end of the room was found at 
Chuquicamata, Chile, and is the body of an Indian which has 
been remarkably preserved by nature. This Indian may have 
met his death by the caving in of some mine, and in the dry 
climate of the region the tissues of the body have been so thoroughly im- 
pregnated with copper salts that the original form of the man is retained. 
On the north side of the wall are the ethnological collections from Brazil, 
British Guiana, Paraguay and Colombia. War implements, basketry, 
featherwork and musical instruments are arranged in these cases. One 
Chilean 
Mummy 
case contains skulls which evidence most extraordinary skill in trephining. 
; For ritualistic purposes or for cures or for some other unknown 
Trephined 
Skulls reason, this supposedly modern surgical operation was suc- 
cessfully performed. Many of the tribes deformed their 
