60 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 146 
be contemporary with the latter part of San Agustin, placing it at the 
end of Period III. 
Period IV (a.d. 500 — 1000). — During this period many features of 
the previous period continue, but a number of new elements are intro- 
duced. A characteristic feature is the tendency toward cultural ho- 
mogeneity in northern Colombia, as a consequence of the wider diffu- 
sion of the cultural patterns, a phenomenon that was not evident 
earlier. This was facilitated by greater population density evinced by 
the large number of sites representing this period. 
In pottery, changes can be observed in form and decoration, such 
as the introduction of large storage jars, anthropomorphic vessels, 
and jars with tubular spouts. In decoration, painting loses its impor- 
tance, while modeling and incision acquire great popularity. Archi- 
tectural innovations include circular stone house foundations and 
buildings on platforms. Agricultural terraces, in conjunction with the 
abundance of manos and metates, imply more intensive cultivation of 
maize. There is no evidence of ceremonial centers, but the existence 
of primary and secondary burials with offerings is indicative of 
change in religious beliefs. 
During this period, some regions remained little affected by the 
general cultural advance. Such was the case around the Cienaga 
Grande de Santa Marta, where the population continued to depend 
exclusively on fishing and the collection of shellfish until Spanish 
times. It is probable that environmental factors, such as the swampy 
land around the Cienaga and the sparsity of rainfall on the Isla de 
Salamanca, impeded the introduction of agriculture into these areas. 
Instead, the inhabitants changed their way of life from a seasonal 
dependence on shell gathering to permanent settlement in pile vil- 
lages. This is reflected in the numerous shell middens on this part of 
the coast that show in their upper levels types of pottery characteris- 
tic of Period IV in decoration and vessel shape. 
The latter part of the Tasajeras Phase, which is dated by carbon-14 
at 1000 ± 105 years (Angulo Valdes, 1962), equates with the appear- 
ance of the Second Painted Horizon (Reichel-Dolmatoff, 1954, pp. 
364-365). Included here are the ceramic complexes of Coco and 
Portacelli in northeastern Colombia. The latter shows affinities 
with Code and Chiriqui styles of Panama with the Tierra de los Indios 
style of western Venezuela. Since this ceramic style has not been 
found in Colombia except in the northeast, it seems probable that it 
represents a diffusion to this region from western Venezuela. As far 
as the significance of the similarities with the Panamanian ceramic 
styles is concerned, nothing can be said until evidence is available 
