Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 3-188 — John Shaqi
Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 3-188Holmes, William Henry
History
Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 3-188
Holmes, William Henry
Chiriquí (Panama : Province) -- Antiquities; Indian pottery -- Panama; Indians of Central America -- Panama
Graves of a particular form are said to occur sometimes in groups
occupying distinct parts of the cemetery, but the observations are not
sufficiently definite to be of value. The graves vary considerably in
form, construction, and depth, and are classified variously by
explorers. In the Bugaba cemetery Mr. Merritt found two well marked
varieties, the oval and the quadrangular, reference being had to the
horizontal section. The oval grave pits were from 4½ to 6 feet deep and
from 3 to 4 feet in greatest diameter. A wall of rounded river stones 2½
to 3 feet high lined the lower part of the pit, and from the top of this
the entire space was closely packed with rounded stones. Within the
faced up part of this cist the remains of the dead, the golden figures,
pottery, and implements had been deposited. This form is illustrated in
Fig. 1 by a vertical section constructed from the description given by
Mr. Merritt.
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Section of oval grave.]
The quadrangular graves were constructed in two somewhat distinct ways.
One variety was identical in most respects with the oval form
illustrated above. They were sometimes as much as 6 feet deep and
frequently 4 by 7 feet in horizontal dimensions. In the other form a pit
4 by 6½ feet in diameter was sunk to the depth of about 3 feet.
Underneath this another pit some 2 feet in depth was sunk, leaving an
offset or terrace 8 or 10 inches in width all around. The smaller pit
was lined with flat stones placed on edge. In this cist the human
remains and the relics were placed and covered over with flat stones,
which rested upon the terrace and prevented the superincumbent mass,
which consisted of closely packed river stones, from crushing the
contents. A section of this tomb is given in Fig. 2, also drawn from the
description given by Mr. Merritt.
[Illustration: Fig. 2. Section of a quadrangular grave, showing the
surface pack of river stories and the positions of the slabs and
objects of art.]
[Illustration: Fig. 3. Grave with pillars, described by De Zeltner.]
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Compound cist, described by De Zeltner.]
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