— ee errr eee Seer 
SS ee aaa. 
THE ARCHAIC HORIZON 61 
its higher destinies. The sudden rise of the superior 
culture of the Mayas snuffed it out untimely in southern 
Mexico, but in other and more distant regions the in- 
fluence of the ascendant Mayan civilization was less 
strongly felt and was not sufficient to more than modify 
the original character of the archaic art. In other 
_ words, where the archaic art was given a few extra cen- 
turies to run it arrived at superior results. 
It is probable that the unusually elaborate effigies 
from western Mexico are somewhat later in date than 
the comparatively simple figurines of central Mexico. 
But still better examples of local development out of 
the archaic are to be found in the Isthmian area. Here 
the most ancient remains (according to types, since 
actual stratigraphy has not yet been determined) appear 
to be common in the arid regions and rare in the humid 
regions. But in certain humid regions, such as the 
Peninsula of Nicoya on the Pacific side of Costa Rica 
and the Mercedes district on the Atlantic side, are found 
modified types of clay figurines and stone carvings that 
still retain many archaic features. Now, there is little 
doubt that in general these figurines and sculptures be- 
long to an horizon above that of the truly archaic. The 
associated decorative art in painting is of a higher type 
than that of the Archaic Period in the north and shows 
in fact many points of contact with the painted designs 
on the vessels of the Mayan civilization. 
Perhaps the most interesting type of figurine (found 
in both the localities named above, but more common in 
the west) represents a nude female in a sitting pose. 
The actual body treatment is very like that of the 
archaic seated females from Salvador and Mexico, but 
the surface is painted over with designs in glossy black 
upon dark and brilliant red. The paints as well as the 
