The rubble, wherever found in the mound, contained large quantities of
potsherds, together with flint chips and a few hammerstones. In the
spaces FFF were found numerous fragments of metates and brazos, with one
unbroken specimen of each (pl. 12). At the points marked (fig. 22, 1, 2,
3, 4) four human interments were encountered at a depth of 12 to 18
inches beneath the surface. The bodies had been buried lying on the
back, fully extended. The bones were in a very poor state of
preservation, and with each interment were found a few flint chips,
hammerstones, broken spearheads, obsidian knives, and one or two small,
very roughly made, round cooking pots. The whole mound was removed to
provide material for the Corozal streets. On reaching the ground level
it was found that a series of trenches had been cut through the earth
beneath, to the bedrock, and filled in with small rubble. Figure 23
gives a plan of these trenches, which are in the form of two
parallelograms, measuring 9 yards by 6 yards, joined by a third of
approximately the same area. The trenches varied from 3 to 4 feet in
breadth and from 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 feet in depth, according to the
thickness of the layer of earth over the bedrock. The space marked
figure 23, A, contained remains of at least 30 interments; some of these
were in small semicircular excavations made in the surrounding earth
from the sides of the trenches; these are shown at figure 23, D; others
were made in holes dug in the earth at various points within the space
A. The bodies buried in the excavations at the sides of the trenches
seem to have been crowded in, in a variety of positions, in order to
accommodate themselves to the size and shape of the cavity. Most of
those in the space A had been buried head downward, the skulls resting
in some cases in earthenware bowls, with the back bent, legs flexed, and
knees drawn up against the chin. Nearly all these bones were decayed and
friable, and could not be removed without crumbling away. The only
exception was the burial marked figure 23, D´, from which the upper part
of the skull was recovered almost entire, though the facial bones and
lower jaw were lost. This skull (pl. 13, _c_) rested in the bowl shown
in plate 13, _b_, a handsome piece of pottery, standing upon four nearly
globular hollow legs, with slits in their sides, and within them small
spheres of clay which rattled when the bowl was moved. It is painted
yellow and red throughout, and is nicely polished. A great number of
objects were found accompanying the bones in the space A. These included
flint ax heads and spearheads, flint scrapers, and hammerstones, two
obsidian spearheads, and fragments of obsidian knives, shell and clay
beads, and a small cylindrical pottery seal about 3 inches in length,
with a geometrical device in low relief stamped upon it (pl. 13, _a_).
The bones of the peccary, curassow, snake, and of some variety of fish
were also found, together with the shells of conches, cockles, snails,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account