62 
MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
designs are peculiar and it is possible to group the 
figurines with vases in which the same pigments and 
decorations are used. Now, these associated vases are 
characteristically of the cylindrical shape that was in 
Fig. 19. Stone Sculpture with 
protruding Eyes and _ other 
Archaic Characters. Costa 
Rica. 
other kinds of pottery from the Isthmian area. 
great vogue among the 
Mayas in _ post-archaic 
times and the designs paint- 
ed upon these vases also 
have many features in com- 
mon with Mayan work. 
Likewise when we pass 
to the Chiriqui region in 
western Panama we find 
the seated female to be 
common. Again, the asso- 
ciated designs are compli- 
cated and developed far 
beyond the point reached 
in the truly archaic of the 
northern stratigraphic se- 
ries. The figurines belong 
to what has been called 
“alligator ware,”’ because 
the alligator or crocodile is 
the subject of many of the 
designs. A safer classifi- 
cation is made on the basis 
of the clay and pigments. 
The archaic technique is 
also presented in much of 
the relief decoration of still 
In the 
beautiful yellow ware of Chiriqui small human figures 
in the ancient style serve to decorate handles, knobs, 
and legs. 
