326 
ANTHROPOLOGY: H. J. SPINDEN 
rare. In caves and near sacred lakes on the wind-swept paramo many 
interesting figurines of men and women have been discovered, the 
former seated on stools and the latter in a variety of standing and sit- 
ting poses. These are seemingly the idols of a primitive agricultural 
people. By the peculiar style of construction and decoration of these 
figurines the student of ancient art can clearly demonstrate a cultural 
bond between Venezuela and Central America. Breast ornaments 
of shell and serpentine, carved to represent highly conventionalized 
bats, are common in the Andean province but become rarer as one 
passes towards central Venezuela. 
The shores and islands of Lake Valencia are rich in archaeologi- 
cal remains. The level of this body of water has fallen about twenty 
feet since the coming of the Spaniards leaving old shore villages high 
and dry and making possible stratigraphic studies. Irregular earthen 
mounds containing a wealth of material, broken and entire, are found 
at a number of sites. Unfortunately for science the most remarkable 
group of mounds is now being destroyed in a hasty and unguided search 
for specimens. In this region collars of carved shell beads are often 
unearthed as well as s.tone pendants in the form of frogs. Pottery 
is decorated by modeled designs among which the highly convention- 
aHzed bat with outstretched wings is prominent. Figurines that repre- 
sent human beings, jaguars, frogs, etc., are common and often finely 
executed. Connection with the Andean region is evident in pottery 
shapes as well as in the styles of decoration. A development over a 
long period of time doubtless took place here with a succession of some- 
what different types. 
Passing towards the east the material available for study falls off in 
quantity. On the llanos to the south very Kttle collecting has been 
done although ancient village sites exist along the rivers. The few pieces 
brought to the attention of the writer show that an ancient sedentary 
culture of the "archaic school" once flourished here. Archaic pottery 
is also found at points along the Orinoco and it may be remarked that 
this ancient ware is very different from the varnished pottery now made 
by the uncivilized Indians of southern Venezuela. Little is yet known 
concerning the archaeology of eastern Venezuela. Collections made in 
Trinidad show a marked change from the types of the central region 
but not a complete break. West Indian forms are well developed here. 
But while regional study shows what might be expected, namely 
a series of merging types in accordance with the principle of divergent 
development, there are features of Venezuela archaeology that offer 
evidence of customs once prevalent over the entire area. Urn burial 
