MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND 
 ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 
 
 Vol. I. — Nos. 4, 5. 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE TTLOA VALLEY, 
 
 HONDURAS. 
 
 CAVERNS OF COPAN, 
 
 HONDURAS. 
 
 Report on Explorations by the Museum, 1896-97. 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE BYRON GORDON. 
 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM. 
 1898. 
 
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PLATE I 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. I., No. 4. 
 
 Pottery Uloa Vai.ley. Colored Decorations, Groups A, B 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ~ ilMin , ' 
 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OP THE 
 
 PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND 
 ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 
 
 Vol. I. —No. 4. 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE HLOA VALLEY, 
 
 HONDURAS. 
 
 Report on Explorations by the Museum, 1896-97. 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE BYRON GORDON. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM. 
 
 1898. 
 
Copyright, 1898, 
 
 Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and 
 Ethnology, Harvard University. 
 
 University Press : 
 
 John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U. S. A. 
 
EDITORIAL NOTE. 
 
 These two memoirs, issued under one cover, contain an account of the 
 explorations in Honduras by the Peabody Museum in the years 1896 and 
 1897. During these years the work at the Ruins of Copan was suspended, 
 owing to the unfortunate position taken by the present government of Hon¬ 
 duras in relation to the edict granted to the Museum by the former govern¬ 
 ment. Mr. Gordon has therefore turned his attention to other localities in 
 that region, and has been so fortunate as to find much of interest and impor¬ 
 tance relating to the antiquities of the country. 
 
 The Uloa valley, as shown by Mr. Gordon’s researches, was at one time 
 well populated, but was not, at least for any length of time, occupied by 
 the people whose ruined buildings of stone are found on various sites from 
 the Copan valley and Guatemala to Yucatan and southern Mexico. That the 
 Uloa valley was a region visited by several distinct peoples in ancient times 
 seems to be shown by the mixture of cultures, as represented by the pottery 
 and other objects found in the great deposits of refuse exposed along the 
 banks of the river. This commingling of cultures, indicative of the various 
 peoples who have occupied this rich, valley of the Uloa, is worthy of an 
 extended research, to which this report b}^ Mr. Gordon opens the way. 
 
 The stone covered mounds, discovered by Mr. Gordon, comprise a 
 group similar to others that have been referred to by travellers in the region 
 of the headwaters of the Uloa. These mounds should be thoroughly ex¬ 
 plored, for it seems probable that an extended research would bring to light 
 something of importance in relation to the people who built them. The one 
 rude sculpture of stone discovered by Mr. Gordon and figured in his report, 
 certainly has a closer resemblance to the rude sculptures from Nicaragua 
 than to the elaborately sculptured monoliths of Copan. 
 
 Mr. Gordon’s explorations in the caves on the hillsides of the Copan 
 valley do not give evidence of extreme antiquity of man in that region ; 
 although the caves were undoubtedly used by man many centuries ago. 
 Here again the culture of the people, as indicated by the few objects found 
 
 95 
 
4 
 
 EDITORIAL NOTE. 
 
 in the caves, is different from that of the builders of the ancient city of 
 Copan not many miles away, unless the pottery vessels were made for 
 special rites connected with the caves. 
 
 All the illustrations in the two memoirs are from drawings by Mr. 
 Gordon or reproductions of his photographs. The specimens figured or 
 specially alluded to in the report form only a small portion of the collection 
 made by Mr. Gordon. The entire collection is arranged in the Museum, and 
 is open to all students. 
 
 As in former years, the expense of these explorations and of the publica¬ 
 tion of these memoirs has been met by the contributions of generous patrons 
 of American research. Mr. Charles P. Bowditch and the Honorable Stephen 
 Salisbury have shown a special and substantial interest in the Central 
 American explorations. To Mr. Bowditch I am personally indebted for his 
 unceasing devotion to this research, and for his personal supervision of the 
 many details involved in carrying it on. 
 
 F. W. PUTNAM, 
 
 Curator of the Museum. 
 
 Harvard University, Cambridge, 
 June 6, 1898. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS 
 
 TO THE PEABODY MUSEUM EXPLORATIONS IN HONDURAS 
 
 1896 - 97 . 
 
 CHARLES P. BOWDITCH, Boston. 
 ERNEST W. BOWDITCH, Boston. 
 JOHN M. FORBES, Milton. 
 
 MISS ELLEN F. MASON, Boston. 
 HENRY PICKERING, Boston. 
 
 ESTATE OF MARY HEMENWAY, Boston. 
 FRANCIS L. HIGGINSON, Boston. 
 
 STEPHEN SALISBURY, Worcester. 
 MRS. CHARLES E. WARE, Boston. 
 MISS MARY L. WARE, Boston. 
 
 96 
 
RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 In October, 1894, I arrived at San Pedro Sula, on my way from Puerto 
 Cortez to Tegucigalpa in the Republic of Honduras. The rains which had 
 fallen heavily for some weeks still continued, the streams were swollen, and 
 the condition of the roads was discouraging, — a state of affairs that made 
 travelling extremely difficult. It was during the delay caused by the diffi¬ 
 culty of obtaining animals for such a journey that I first received intelligence 
 of prehistoric remains on the Uloa. A resident of the town showed me a 
 specimen of painted pottery which resembled specimens from Copan already 
 familiar to me. The owner of this specimen informed me that it was 
 brought to him from the Uloa River by an Indian who claimed to have 
 found it on the bank of the stream where it had been washed out during 
 a flood. The locality where it was found was given as Play a de los Muertos, 
 or Shore of the Dead, — a place that would seem to have received its name 
 from circumstances connected with the buried relics of a former population, 
 which are found in this as well as in other localities along the course of 
 the river. It is probable that when the name was first applied, it was 
 common to see human bones as well as pieces of pottery unearthed by the 
 annual floods, which tear away the banks and sometimes change the course 
 of the river for miles. Even at the present day an occasional skull or 
 fragment of bone is exposed by the same cause. 
 
 Before proceeding on my journey I rode from San Pedro to Playa de 
 los Muertos, a distance of about twenty-five miles. The way lay over a 
 level country consisting largely of deep bottom lands, very rich and covered 
 with luxuriant vegetation. On arriving at the place I found that the river, 
 overflowing its bounds, had partly inundated the site of the little native 
 village situated upon its bank, driving the inhabitants from their flimsy 
 huts of poles and thatch. It was evident that further investigations would 
 have to be postponed till a different season. 
 
 The explorations which form the subject of this report were carried 
 on in May and June, 1896, and from March till June, 1897. These months 
 being in the dry season, the river was then at its lowest, and afforded the 
 best opportunity for making the investigations. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM I.-13 
 
 97 
 
6 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 The two rivers, Uloa and Chemilicon, draining separate mountain 
 systems in the interior, converge as they approach the coast, and, traversing 
 the broad plain which forms their common valley, empty into the Gulf of 
 Honduras at points not more than eight miles apart. At one time, perhaps 
 not very remote, when their respective volumes of water were much greater 
 than now, the two rivers became united long before they reached the coast, 
 and formed a broad stream whose waters were spread over a great part of 
 the region that lies between the present water-courses. Then, when the 
 volume of water decreased, owing to climatic changes dependent on varia¬ 
 tions of geological conditions or other causes,* the point of confluence 
 advanced gradually towards the coast until at last the two streams reached 
 the sea by independent courses and by different mouths. The waters of 
 the Uloa and its tributaries, which, form the larger stream, confined them¬ 
 selves to the east of the valley, and the Chemilicon became confined to 
 the west. It is not probable, however, that their separate existence when 
 once established remained constant. Subsequent variations and temporary 
 changes in the conditions governing the amount of discharge caused their 
 swollen currents to reunite at different periods. Even at a time so recent 
 as to be within the memory of the present inhabitants, owing to a sudden 
 increase in their respective volumes, the two streams became united for a 
 short time near their mouths. In times more remote this reunion would 
 have been much more extensive, and would have involved the flooding of 
 a great part of the valley and the destruction of any human society that 
 may have been developed on its productive soil. It will be well to have 
 these considerations in view when we come to examine the actual conditions 
 underlying the superficial aspect of this region to-day. 
 
 The whole valley is covered with an almost unbroken forest, and there 
 is not to be found above the surface more than very insignificant vestiges 
 of a former population; nor is there in its whole extent a town or a village 
 
 * The changes here indicated are apparent from the conformation of the valley and the con¬ 
 tinuous deep river deposits from the east of the Uloa to the west of the Chemilicon. The interior 
 of the country furnishes abundant evidence of similar changes uniform in character with the drying, 
 up process, which according to numerous observations has been going on over the land surface of the 
 earth through later geological and historical time. This evidence of a diminution in the amount of 
 water standing and running in the interior of Central America, although not so marked as in many 
 parts of the world, is nevertheless ample. The much broken Cordilleras are in many places inter¬ 
 sected by deep canons which could have been formed only by running streams of considerable volume, 
 and which now contain water only for a short time and irregularly during the period of greatest 
 precipitation. More striking are the signs of dried lakes. The wide depression known as the plain 
 of Comayagua was at one time occupied by a lake whose boundaries are marked by ancient terraces 
 and shorelines, and whose outlet was the Humuya, a branch of the Uloa. That there has been a 
 perceptible change in the amount of flowing water in recent times would seem to be indicated by 
 the presence in different localities of ancient village sites, marked by ruined houses and other struc¬ 
 tures of stone, upon the borders of what are now dried watercourses or channels containing water 
 during a short part of the year only. Since there is at present no convenient water-supply for these 
 long-abandoned communities, it is only reasonable to suppose that at the time when the sites were 
 chosen the amount of precipitation was greater than it is now. 
 
 98 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 7 
 
 or a single hut that does not stand upon the buried relics of what must have 
 been a very extensive and flourishing community. One can scarcely dig 
 a drain or excavate a fox’s hole without coming upon some relic of former 
 industry. At San Pedro, along the whole line of the railroad that runs for 
 fifty miles through the valley, or wher¬ 
 ever excavations have been made for 
 any purpose, the experience has been 
 the same. It is not possible to exca¬ 
 vate the whole valley, but where the 
 rivers have cut their channels through 
 the old alluvial beds, and particularly 
 in the terraces of the Uloa, we have 
 an opportunity of observing the con¬ 
 ditions that have been described. In 
 the lesser channel of the Chemilicon 
 the same conditions pertain, but to a 
 less extent. 
 
 Embarking at La Pimienta and 
 passing down the Uloa in a canoe, the 
 chief details that at first impress them- Fig- 1. — Typical Form of River Bed. 
 selves on the spectator are as follows. 
 
 The course of the river is rather crooked, and at each turn the bank oppos¬ 
 ing the direction of the current and receiving all its energy, is undergo¬ 
 ing constant encroachments, which in flood times are considerable. Con¬ 
 sequently this bank takes the form of a vertical cutting, presenting a cross 
 section of unconsolidated strata of sand and clay about thirty feet in height 
 and lined on top with dense masses of manaca palms and other trees. 
 
 Fig. 2. — Typical Section of River Bed. 
 
 The opposite bank, which occupies the inside of the curve and is conse¬ 
 quently receiving additional depositions from the river, takes the form of 
 a sloping beach of sand and gravel, often attended with drifting sand and 
 dunes. This is the typical condition, and serves to indicate the process that 
 is going on (Figs. 1 and 2). These vertical banks, where the old alluvial 
 
 99 
 
RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 strata are freshly exposed and well in view, present the continuous spectacle 
 of broken pottery and fragments of bone from the surface of the water up 
 to within a few feet of the top. In places these objects are very numerous 
 for stretches of several hundred feet, then diminishing gradually and some¬ 
 times almost disappearing for miles. They are most numerous in streaks 
 or strata at various levels, with intervals of several feet between in which 
 they are scarcely noticeable or entirely absent, as appears to be the case 
 sometimes. In order to gain further knowledge of the situation, it was 
 necessary to select the localities that promised the best results, and excavate. 
 Since the details of the work, the methods employed, and the conditions 
 involved remained the same throughout, it will be well to give only a 
 summary of the work, and such incidents connected with it as may be of 
 interest or importance, before proceeding to bring together the results in 
 their proper relations. 
 
 The inhabitants of this region are different in many respects from the 
 natives of the mountainous districts in the interior. Their ethnological 
 antecedents would be difficult to trace, but I am convinced that there is an 
 infusion of Carib blood which in its later constitution involves a strong Negro 
 element. The physical resemblance to the modern Carib of the coast is in 
 some individuals very noticeable, and in many respects the disposition of 
 these people resembles that of the Carib; their exclusiveness and aversion to 
 dealings with strangers are marked Carib traits. Since the latter are averse 
 to mixing with people of different blood from their own and have a strong 
 attachment to the salt water, the present instance of departure from deep- 
 rooted customs must have been brought about by refugees or outcasts. For 
 the rest, the racial antecedents of the people who are met with in the village 
 communities on the banks of the Uloa River are derived from the Xicaque 
 Indian and the Spaniard. 
 
 From La Pimienta to the mouth of the river there are twenty or thirty 
 of these villages varying in size from half a dozen to fifty or sixty huts, 
 often completely hidden among the trees and rarely attended with any 
 clearing or cultivated fields. The inhabitants follow the usual occupation 
 of doing nothing. There is abundance of fish in the river, and the forest 
 is full of game, but they seldom take the trouble of procuring either, pre¬ 
 ferring to subsist on green plantains alone. In respect of industry they 
 certainly do not take after their Carib progenitors. 
 
 The village of Santana is situated in a bend of the river where it 
 makes a large loop, affording long stretches of high vertical banks, and 
 therefore offering a suitable field for excavation, since by passing under the 
 banks in a canoe the most likely spots could readily be chosen. Here the 
 three most important excavations were made. 
 
 After a clearing had been made on the margin of the bank at the 
 point selected, an arbitrary stratum four or five feet in depth was removed 
 100 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 9 
 
 over an area extending one hundred feet along the edge of the bank and 
 an equal distance in the other direction. Then a second stratum of the same 
 depth was removed, and so on down to the level of the water. In the first 
 of these strata there were few objects. In an excavation at Playa de los 
 Muertos the objects appeared to continue in increasing numbers, from their 
 first appearance down to the level of the water; but it must be said that the 
 conditions here were not so favorable for observation, as it rained almost 
 continually while the work was in progress, and the sides of the excavation 
 were constantly falling in. We will therefore proceed to a consideration of 
 Excavations 2, 3, and 4. 
 
 In No. 2 the objects occurred in three' principal layers, each about two 
 feet thick. The first occurred at a depth of eight feet, the next at a depth 
 of fifteen feet, the third at a depth of twenty-five feet. These layers were 
 not clearly defined, however, and the intervals also contained objects, though 
 in much smaller numbers. These objects did not differ in general character 
 in the different layers, either in this excavation or in the others. They 
 grew less numerous towards the bounds of the excavation, as indicated on 
 the face of the bank, and almost disappeared in every direction; but not 
 entirely, for no matter how far the excavation was carried something would 
 be found at intervals. It will be understood that the site of each excava¬ 
 tion and its dimensions were determined by indications on the face of the 
 bank. 
 
 In No. 3 there were agian three principal layers, at depths of twelve, 
 twenty, and twenty-five feet The last was in this case by far the most 
 extensive of the three. 
 
 In No. 4 the objects occurred in four principal layers, at depths of six, 
 twelve, eighteen, and twenty-six feet. In the case of the first of these 
 layers the greater part of the objects occurred in a thickness of one and one- 
 half feet. In the second they occurred principally in a range of three feet. 
 The third was about the same as the first, and the fourth smaller. 
 
 In general there was an interval between the different layers in which 
 scarcely any relics occurred, and it is also to be noted that the lower limit 
 of each layer was better defined than the upper; that is to say, in going 
 downwards the objects increased in numbers more gradually and ended more 
 abruptly; but in no case could you say where the layer began or ended. 
 It is impossible to say how far the relics continue below the bed of the river, 
 but that they continue below the surface of lowest water is evident. In 
 all cases the objects, which consisted chiefly of fragments of pottery, were 
 distributed through, and so intimately associated with, the strata of sand 
 and clay in which they were embedded that they had every appearance of 
 having been laid down simultaneously with these strata. The stratifications 
 were fairly well defined, and though somewhat uneven were continuous 
 and horizontal. 
 
 101 
 
10 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 It was rarely that an entire object was discovered, and the fragments 
 of those that were broken were sometimes scattered. Different frag¬ 
 ments of the same vessel were often found several yards apart, while in a 
 few instances nearly all the pieces of a shattered object were found within 
 a radius of two or three feet, all being on the same or nearly the same 
 level. Small fragments of bone were encountered regularly in the same 
 levels with the other objects; and although there were no well-defined burials 
 and nothing of the character of tombs, the fragments of bone, although their 
 evidence is rather meagre, must be regarded as indicating burial-places in 
 which the human remains have all but disappeared. The only point of 
 special interest attaching to these remains is the filing of two front teeth, 
 in a set found at a depth of twenty feet, in a manner similar to those 
 found in the tombs at Copan. In Excavation 4 two skeletons much 
 decomposed lay a few feet below the surface, but no objects were associated 
 with them. In this instance there were several mounds scattered over the 
 surface, and the burials are, I think, to be referred to these, which must 
 have been of later origin than the remains embedded in the banks; for 
 although nothing was found in these mounds themselves, the strata beneath 
 them contained the usual objects, as already described.* At the points 
 where the other excavations were made the surface was perfectly level, and 
 without any indications of a former population. These are the main facts 
 obtained in the excavations; their bearing will be discussed further on, after 
 an examination of the material brought together. 
 
 One day I came upon a solitary Indian who lived by himself in the 
 forest. He was held in great terror by the people on the river, being, as 
 they said, a low savage and not a Christian. He was called Nicho, a con¬ 
 traction of Dionicio. After our first encounter I met him so frequently that 
 I suspected he was putting himself in my way; but though he was a surly 
 dog and somewhat irascible, he never showed any hostility toward me. 
 Since it was notoriously his habit to shun his fellow-men, I wondered at 
 this display of sociality. It was explained afterward when he told me that 
 I was better than the people on the river, — a conclusion which indicates 
 a singularly correct knowledge of character. It was not long before we 
 became quite friendly, and as he knew the forest thoroughly I decided to 
 
 * These mounds are irregular in shape, and built of water-worn stones and earth. They vary 
 in size from scarcely perceptible elevations a few feet in diameter to as much as thirty or forty feet 
 broad and from four or five to twelve or fifteen feet in height. In this particular locality there 
 may be fifty or sixty such mounds scattered over an area of two or three acres. Groups like this are 
 found here and there over the entire valley. The word used by the Spanish-speaking natives of this 
 region to describe these mounds is cnlpulis, the plural of the Nahuatl word signifying “ clan;” and 
 a modern village situated between the CJloa and the Chemilicon is called Los Calpulis on account of 
 its proximity to a group of these mounds. The significance of the word as applied in this way is not 
 apparent, but that Nahuatl words should have found their way to these parts after the conquest is 
 to be expected, since in this very valley the march of Cortez and his Mexican allies to Honduras 
 terminated in 1526. 
 
 102 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 11 
 
 employ him as my guide. It was under his guidance that I found the only 
 group of mounds of any especial interest that I saw in this vicinity. They 
 are situated about six miles eastward from the river, near the base of the 
 mountains. There are numerous mounds scattered over an area of about 
 ten acres, but the most notable group occupies a much smaller space in the 
 southeastern part of the area (Fig. 3). The southeastern extension of this 
 group consists of a quadrangular enclosure surrounded by a ridge of rough 
 stones raised to a height of about five feet. The eastern part of the enclosed 
 
 Fig. 3.—Plan of Ruins East of the Uloa River. 
 
 area is elevated to the level of the surrounding ridge, and upon this eleva¬ 
 tion stands a square pyramidal mound, about forty feet in height, terminat¬ 
 ing in a rounded point. In front of the raised area, opposite the centre of 
 the mound, is an idol, broken in three pieces. The lower part was stand¬ 
 ing when found, and the other two still retained evidence of the blows by 
 which they had been broken off. A sketch of this idol in its present 
 condition with parts replaced is shown on the next page. It stood about 
 seven feet high, was sixteen inches in diameter, and was rudely carved from 
 
 103 
 
12 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 a hard igneous rock, almost black in color (Fig. 4). It would seem to 
 have been the chief object of worship in the community. In fact 1 saw no 
 other carving at all, and only one other stone in the form of a pillar. In 
 the northwestern corner of the enclosure is another 
 mound about ten feet in height, having a level 
 area about fifty feet square on top; while in the 
 eastern side occupying the place of the enclosing 
 ridge is another mound one hundred and twenty 
 feet in length, sixty feet in width at the base, and 
 about thirty feet in height. An excavation (Plate 
 XII., Fig. 3) was made through the centre of this 
 mound (a b, plan), which resulted in nothing more 
 interesting than a knowledge of its interior struc¬ 
 ture. A few very small fragments of rough pottery 
 were indeed found, but their occurrence was prob¬ 
 ably accidental and they were of but small interest. 
 In the interior of the mound was a core made of 
 a hard homogeneous mass of red clay. This would 
 seem to have been the original mound. On 
 its top was a smooth floor or platform of 
 hard burnt clay ; fires had been built upon 
 it, but the ashes had been swept clean from 
 the hardened floor and lay in masses over 
 the sloping sides of the mound. After¬ 
 ward the whole had been covered with 
 earth, and the mound, thus raised to nearly twice the original height, had 
 been covered with rough stones (Fig. 5). An excavation was also made 
 into the side of the large square mound, and its structure was found to 
 
 be the same. At some distance north 
 of the principal group of ruins is a 
 smaller group consisting of a square 
 enclosed by long mounds. In this 
 square was a small mound not more 
 than three feet high. In its centre 
 was set a small plain pillar, a column 
 of schistose rock formed by natural 
 
 „ „ cleavage. It stood about four feet in 
 
 Cross Section of Mound. , . , ,, , . .. 
 
 a | p ] an Height above the surface oi the mound, 
 
 Fig. 4. — Stone Idol. 
 
 Fig. 
 
 while two feet of it were beneath. I 
 had the entire mound removed, and 
 dug beneath the column to the natural level, but found nothing. Other 
 excavations were made in mounds of various shapes and sizes, in the hope of 
 finding tombs, but none could be located. 
 
 104 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 13 
 
 While clearing away the debris at the base of the carved idol, I found 
 three rude beads, a broken pendant (Fig. 6), and some fragments of a small 
 tablet, all of crystalline limestone. This stone is almost pure white, with 
 streaks and touches of delicate green, owing to the presence of chrome mus¬ 
 covite, flakes of which are distributed through the limestone crystals, giving 
 the mineral the appearance of certain varieties of jadeite. 
 
 During the three weeks which I spent in camp at these ruins, I made 
 several excursions along the lower slopes of the mountains. The object of 
 one of these journeys was to visit a wonderful enchanted pool in a deep 
 ravine that Nicho was acquainted with. I had heard of this interesting 
 place from others, but no one except Nicho had seen it, although all were 
 familiar with its magic echoes. This ravine sometimes sends forth a loud 
 melodious sound which may be heard many miles away and is regarded by 
 the people of the region as an infallible sign that it is going to rain. In 
 fact it is a regular weather bureau, with this pecu¬ 
 liarity, that it is always reliable ; for the sound is 
 so modulated as to indicate by its pitch whether 
 the coming storm is to be heavy or light. The 
 amount of promised rain is in exact proportion to 
 the volume of sound, and thus it proclaims 
 to the accustomed ear with unerrin; 
 cision the approach of a passing sho 1 
 heralds the terrific thunder-storm ( 
 tropics ; and this is no fiction, but 
 which any one may demonstrate for himself 
 by going and listening to it. On account of 
 these phenomena the place is called La Que- 
 brada Encantada, The Enchanted Ravine. 
 
 The account which I obtained from Nicho was not told in sequence 
 as it is given here. Nicho was neither romantic nor communicative, and 
 I had to draw his story from him almost word for word by dint of much 
 cross-questioning and systematic prompting. But granting, if necessary, 
 that my suggestive solicitations may have stimulated his imagination rather 
 than his memory, there can be no doubt that what he had to say indicates 
 the general drift of some old tradition of which some scattered remnants 
 still survived in his unreceptive and unmindful brain. 
 
 It was while cutting our way through the tangled undergrowth in the 
 forest in search of the Quebrada Encantada and its mysterious pool, that I 
 learned in the manner I have described the secret of its strange behavior. 
 According to Nicho, this pool is the abode of a golden dragon. In former 
 times, before the Spaniards came, it was lined with golden pebbles and the 
 sands at its margin were grains of gold, and it was the custom of the golden 
 dragon to rise occasionally to the margins of the pool and receive the offerings 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM I. — 13 105 
 
 Fig. 6. — Portion of Broken 
 Ornament carved from Crystal¬ 
 line Limestone. 
 
14 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 that were made to him by the people. If they wanted rain they would 
 bring their offerings and lay them on the golden sand beside the pool, or cast 
 them on the water; then, while all the people chanted a prayer, the dragon 
 would rise from the cave where he dwelt in the depths of the pool, and take 
 the good things that were offered him, and there never was a drought or a 
 famine in the land. Then, when the Spaniards came and the people were 
 driven from their homes, the golden pebbles and grains of gold disappeared, 
 and the golden dragon, retiring into the uttermost corner of his watery 
 cavern, withdrew forever from the upper world. There he still lives and, 
 as formerly, controls the clouds and the winds that bring the rain. The 
 spirits of the Indians, too, still hold their meetings of an occasional evening 
 by their accustomed pool, now lost in the solitude of the forest, and it is the 
 sound of their chanting that makes the voice of the ravine. The monkey 
 hears it and returns an answering cry, the jaguar hears it and retires to the 
 shelter of his den, and the lazy half-caste native, propelling his clumsy 
 canoe along the river, pauses for a moment as it strikes his ear, then, mutter¬ 
 ing the name of his patron saint, swears that a storm is near, and rouses 
 himself to more telling exertions. 
 
 When we had made our way through the forest for a distance of about 
 two miles from camp, we arrived at a deep dark ravine, into which we 
 descended, holding on to roots of trees and projecting masses of dark gray 
 rock. In the bottom there was a stream up which we continued to journey 
 with much difficulty for a distance of half a mile or more. We seemed to 
 be entering the very heart of the mountains whose dark masses towered 
 above us. As we proceeded, the ravine grew narrower, the sides higher and 
 more precipitous, and we had to increase our exertions as the way became 
 steeper and the masses of rock over which we had to climb higher and more 
 dangerous. At last we arrived at our destination, and further progress was 
 impossible. The first thing that attracted attention was a cataract that 
 came tumbling down the side of the mountain, and after a final leap of fifty 
 feet was precipitated into a pool some forty feet in diameter and very deep. 
 This pool is surrounded by vertical masses of hard fine-grained rock, except 
 at the outlet in front. At the foot of the fall the water is thrown into 
 violent commotion and forms a seething whirlpool, while towards the mar¬ 
 gins there is scarcely a ripple, and so clear is the water that I could count 
 pebbles at the bottom fifteen or twenty feet below the surface. 
 
 The refreshing coolness of the place was a pleasant contrast to the 
 closeness of the forest and the heating exertions of the journey, while its 
 wild romantic charm was in keeping with its legendary associations, and 
 made it a fitting place for the performance of sacred rites and mysteries. It 
 is just such spots that man in a state of nature endows with supernatural 
 gifts, or associates with his ideas of power and wisdom. Paying divine 
 honors to that which inspires in him feelings of admiration and awe, he 
 106 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 15 
 
 identifies it with the spirit whom he worships as the Author of all things, 
 or with some lesser divinity who represents one of his attributes as ruler 
 over the powers of nature. In other lands this spot would have been a 
 favorite haunt of naiads, or a rendezvous for the alluring nixies; but the 
 savage mind dwells darkly on the grim and terrible in nature, and so to 
 the sombre imagination of the Indian it was a dragon who kept guard over 
 the sacred pool and dwelt in its enchanted depths. 
 
 Everything about the place seemed to confirm the legend, even to the 
 disappearance of the gold ; and the veracity of Nicho as a custodian of tra¬ 
 ditionary lore remained unimpeached. The pool had undoubtedly been the 
 scene of some sort of transactions in ancient times. A row of huge bowlders 
 had been placed in a line across its outlet several yards below its margin, 
 and a shelving ledge of rock which projected over the deepest part was worn 
 smooth on its upper surface; but I saw no carvings or symbols of any kind 
 upon the rocks. Curiously enough, however, while digging in the sand and 
 gravel about the edges of the pool, I un¬ 
 earthed a single fragment of painted pottery, 
 with the head of a serpent or dragofi clearly 
 outlined in black upon its surface (Fig. 7). 
 
 The fragment is only three inches across, and 
 the body of the dragon is broken away. I 
 showed this symbol to Nicho, and tried to 
 stimulate his memory by it, but he remained 
 indifferent, and merely shook his head at all 
 iny efforts. 
 
 It should be added that the sound heard 
 before rain is to be attributed to the water¬ 
 fall. Ordinarily its sound may be distinguished half a mile away, but 
 before a storm it may be heard for many miles along the river. The 
 phenomenon, although it needs explanation, is in keeping with the well- 
 known habits of running streams and waterfalls. A photograph of the 
 place is reproduced on Plate XII., Fig. 2. 
 
 The conditions under which work could be carried on in the thick of 
 the forest were not altogether pleasant. The air was close and hot, and the 
 insects, which at first were scarcely noticeable, gathered in swarms about the 
 scene of our operations. During the day there was no respite from the per¬ 
 secution of flies, and particularly of a small black gnat that came in clouds, 
 assailed every bit of exposed skin, and entered the eyes, nostrils, and mouth; 
 then there was a large yellow fly, with a very painful sting, and another as 
 big as a hornet which attacked the horses in such numbers and with such 
 ferocity that I had to send them to a small clearing on the other side of the 
 river. At night the mosquitoes made it impossible to sleep without the pro- 
 tection of a net, and even then they managed to make their attacks through 
 
 107 
 
 Fig. 7. —Fragment of Painted 
 Pottery Vessel with Serpent’s 
 Head. $. 
 
1G 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 the bottom of a hammock of stout sail-cloth. Of course there were snakes, 
 scorpions, tarantulas, and other minor details of life in a tropical forest. It 
 was a forest abounding in wild animals. The most conspicuous of these was 
 a little white-faced monkey with a habit of chattering and an inquisitive 
 disposition, who sometimes surrounded us in numbers and watched our move¬ 
 ments very critically from the branches of the palm-trees. There was also 
 a large black baboon who never came near, but seemed to confine himself 
 to the tops of the highest trees. These latter paid no attention to our doings, 
 but sometimes made the night hideous with their bellowing. Then there 
 were deer, tapir, peccary, and jaguar, not to mention many smaller animals 
 such as sloths and ant-eaters. Alarms were frequent in the encampment, 
 where the workmen slept on the ground, as some wild animal came prowling 
 among them in the dead of night; but we never had an actual attack. 
 
 About the middle of April, on the arrival of Holy Week, a festival 
 observed in Central America with the strictest attention to that part of 
 the teaching which demands abstinence from any sober or industrious occu¬ 
 pation, I broke up camp at the ruins. Disappointed at the result obtained 
 from more than two weeks’ labor, 1 concluded to abandon the mounds and 
 to continue excavations on the river banks when the period of religious 
 abstinence referred to had passed, and my men had time to recover suffi¬ 
 ciently from their pious dissipations to begin earning silver with which to 
 celebrate the next similar occasion. 
 
 All these excavations involved the same set of conditions, and afforded 
 similar results. Before leaving the region I made a journey to the mouth 
 of the river, making excursions into the forest at intervals, and where it 
 was possible marching through it and joining the canoes at some point 
 farther down. Owing to the density of the forest, it would be difficult to 
 make anything like a thorough exploration of the extensive region lying 
 between the mountains that form the barrier to the almost unknown country 
 of Yoro on the east and the highlands of Santa Barbara on the west, a tract 
 corresponding to the common bottom lands of the Uloa and Chemilicon 
 rivers. In the lower reaches of the Uloa I observed the same signs of buried 
 relics attended by the same phenomena as in the localities where the excava¬ 
 tions were made, but less frequently, and in diminishing quantity towards 
 the mouth. Proceeding up the river beyond La Pimienta, I occasionally 
 found objects similar to those taken from the excavations in the vicinity of 
 Playa Muerto and Santana. These signs continued up even to where the 
 river occupies a narrow gorge among the mountains. Wherever an old 
 deposit occurred along the course of this stream, it was almost sure to con¬ 
 tain fragments of pottery. Just below La Pimienta the Uloa receives the 
 waters of another stream formed by the confluence of Rio Blanco — the 
 outlet of Lake Yohoa — with the combined waters of the Sulaco and the 
 Humuya. In each of these streams I found fragments of pottery sticking 
 
 108 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 17 
 
 in the banks, but only in the last named, which is the largest, were they at 
 all noticeable, and even in that were not very numerous. The Humuya 
 drains the plain of Comayagua in the interior of the country, but I did not 
 attempt to follow its course so far. 1 followed for several miles the course 
 of the Sulaco River, which drains the mountains to the east, but only near its 
 confluence were the conditions favorable to the preservation of relics; for 
 the rest of its course the stream occupies a rocky bed among the mountains. 
 As for Rio Blanco, long before one reaches the lake, the stream becomes 
 a mountain torrent. The Uloa may be navigated by a canoe as far up as 
 Santa Barbara, a distance of some fifty miles above La Pimienta. In the 
 Rio Blanco a canoe can proceed only a few miles, and cannot pass above the 
 junction of the Sulaco and the Humuya, about fifteen miles above the mouth 
 of the Rio Blanco. 
 
 There appeared to be a good many fish in the rivers, and I had plenty 
 of hooks, but I could never get them to bite. This unskilfulness on the part 
 of the fish may be attributed to the fact that they are not accustomed to be 
 taken in that way. The Indian method of fishing is entirely different. We 
 put it into successful practice, under Nicho’s supervision, while we camped on 
 one of the smaller streams. A certain vine called by the natives barbasco 
 grows plentifully along these water-courses. It averages in thickness that 
 of a man’s thumb, and has a tough woody texture. When the Indian goes 
 fishing, he selects a quantity of this vine, cuts it into suitable lengths, and 
 pounds it with a club on any convenient stone that comes to the surface of 
 the water. A yellowish sap is thus extracted, which mingles with the stream 
 and kills every fish for a considerable distance along its course. A net 
 stretched at some convenient point lower down collects them as they float 
 along. As an article of food the fish does not seem to be injured in the least 
 by the poison. I found them of a good quality and agreeable flavor. Nor 
 is the water apparently made the less suitable for drinking by the infusion 
 which proves so deadly to the fish. It would seem to be the peculiar property 
 of the juice of the barbasco that it is poisonous to fish but harmless to other 
 animals. 
 
 109 
 
18 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 OBJECTS FROM THE EXCAVATIONS. 
 
 The collection of objects found in the excavations includes a great 
 variety of forms, and nearly all are of clay. These objects may be grouped 
 as follows, in the order of numerical importance: — 
 
 1. Pottery vessels. 
 
 ,A v, 2. Terra cotta whistles or musical instruments. 
 
 3. Terra cotta figures and masks (hollow). 
 
 4. Terra cotta figures or statuettes (solid). 
 
 5. Terra cotta stamps or seals. 
 
 6. Stone vases and ornaments. 
 
 Not included in these groups are a few fragments of obsi¬ 
 dian, one fine obsidian flake knife five inches in length (Fig. 8), 
 a small obsidian chisel, a green stone chisel (Fig. 9), two broken 
 objects of stone (Fig. 10) such as are found throughout Central 
 America and Mexico and supposed to have been attached to 
 handles and used for beating bark cloth, one metatl, or rub¬ 
 bing stone with the hand piece, a conch shell prepared for 
 blowing, a few perforated shells, and a number of objects 
 made of clay, that are not easily classified or are of an uncer¬ 
 tain character. 
 
 The first group, that of pottery vessels, is far the largest, 
 although of the number represented comparatively few are 
 entire. They embrace a great variety of forms, and repre¬ 
 sent a very considerable range of character, even tending to 
 distinct and well-defined types. In artistic quality they range 
 from the heavy coarse ware of common utility to decorative 
 vases representing the highest development of the ceramic art of America. 
 Nearly all of these finer articles are represented by fragments only. In a few 
 cases a sufficient number of the pieces of a specimen were 
 recovered to furnish the entire decorative design, but in the 
 vast majority of cases only a small portion of the decoration 
 is preserved. Not only these more delicate articles, but also 
 the larger, heavier and coarser, were in most cases reduced to 
 fragments. Most of the entire specimens belong to an inter¬ 
 mediate and less interesting class, which by reason of their 
 moderate size, their shape and strength, escaped with little 
 injury through whatever vicissitudes they may have passed. 
 For convenience of description the pottery vessels, in so far as they are 
 well enough represented to be classified, are here divided into five groups, 
 designated by the first letters of the alphabet: — 
 
 110 
 
 Fig. 8. — Obsid¬ 
 ian Flake- 
 Knife. *. 
 
 Fig. 9. — Green 
 Stone Celt, •§ 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 19 
 
 A. Pottery of a high artistic quality, corresponding to varieties common 
 to all regions subject to the influence of the ancient Maya civilization, and 
 chiefly represented by specimens from Copan and Northern Guatemala. The 
 
 Fig. 10. —Implement used in the Manu- Fig. 11. — Small Pottery Vessel 
 
 FACTURE OF BARK CLOTH. f. WITH DESIGN CAST ON OPPOSITE 
 
 Sides, f. 
 
 greater part of this pottery is decorated in colors, which in many instances 
 retain their brilliancy. Other varieties have the decorative designs either 
 incised or stamped on the surface. One specimen of the latter sort requires 
 
 special mention, owing to its relations with specimens from other localities. 
 It is part of a small flask-shaped vessel, made of a fine clay, light gray in 
 color and unpainted (Fig. 11). On either of the flat sides is a design in 
 
 ill 
 
 Fig. 12. — Pottery Vessel from G-uatemala. f. 
 
20 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 relief. The two sides are identical, and are apparently made from the same 
 mould or moulds taken from the same original. The edges are plain. In 
 Guatemala City I saw in private hands a similar specimen said to have come 
 from the Alta Vera Paz region of Guatemala. The drawing (Fig. 12) is 
 made from a cast of the original. The same figure adorns the two flat sides, 
 and is the same as that on the specimen from the Uloa River. On each of 
 the curved edges of this specimen is a double row of hieroglyphics, also in 
 
 relief and identical on both edges. The design on the two flat sides, as 
 well as that on the two edges, must either have been made from the same 
 mould or have been cast in moulds made from the same original. There are 
 in the Peabody Museum fragments of another similar specimen from Copan. 
 It is larger than either of the others, though scarcely thicker than the one 
 just described. The flat sides are plain, while a hieroglyphic inscription in 
 relief is repeated on either of the curved edges (Fig. 13). It will be seen 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 21 
 
 that the characters in the inscription are the same as those in the inscription 
 on the specimen from Guatemala, but they are differently arranged. These 
 three specimens are alike in the peculiar quality of the material, in color, in 
 shape, and in finish, and would seem to have come originally from a common 
 locality. 
 
 B. Pottery of a high artistic quality, closely resembling certain varie¬ 
 ties belonging to group A, but possessing certain distinct and characteristic 
 features, particularly a form of handles shaped like the head of some beast 
 or bird. 
 
 C. Pottery distinct from other known varieties, and with group B con¬ 
 stituting types that are apparently confined to the region here represented. 
 The individual specimens of this group which are in general much larger 
 than those of groups A and B, are decorated in colors, but less highly fin¬ 
 ished than the latter. 
 
 Fig. 14.— Whistle. §. 
 
 D. The specimens comprising this group are of an inferior grade to 
 those of the foregoing groups, and but little decorated. They are character¬ 
 ized by a vertical spout, which appears to have been invariably equal in 
 height to the mouth of the vessel. In most of the specimens shown this 
 spout is broken off (Plate VII., n, o, p, q). 
 
 E. In this group are thrown a number of specimens, many of which 
 are of a character common to every locality. Others, while bearing some 
 resemblance to recognized types, are difficult to classify. 
 
 The whistles or musical instruments present a great variety of fanciful 
 shapes. A common form consists of a hollow image of the human form 
 or else a monkey, with an extension ending in a mouth-piece at the back. 
 A very curious specimen represents a pair of twin monkeys joined together 
 (Fig. 14). Another (Plate IX., i) represents a pair of frogs mating, and 
 another (Plate IX., j) has the form of a large bullfrog. Each of the latter is 
 a double whistle; that is to say, the air sent into it from the lungs divides into 
 two currents corresponding to two separate cavities in the body of the frog. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MDSECM I.— 14 
 
22 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 This combination is so arranged that the double vibrations produced give a 
 very excellent imitation of the trill of a bullfrog. Other specimens have the 
 forms of birds and various beasts. Most of the 
 foregoing have two vents equal in size and equally 
 distant from the mouth-piece. A different type 
 has a simple opening for blowing and three vents 
 (Plate IX., o, p, q). Another interesting specimen 
 has the form of an 
 animal of mythologi¬ 
 cal character (Figs. 16, 
 
 Fig. 15- Portion of ^ j t ig unfortu _ 
 
 Whistle, of Terra- ' 
 
 Cotta, i. nately broken, which 
 
 Fig. 16. — Pottery' Whistle, or Musical Instrument, f. 
 
 renders it incapable of being performed upon, but it would seem to have been 
 an instrument of this character. The only opening is at the base of the 
 animal’s spine, and is about half an inch in diameter. 
 
 Besides these, which are entire, or sufficiently complete for their char¬ 
 acter to be obvious, there are a number of fragments which may have been 
 parts of similar instruments. The highly embellished human mask (Fig. 18), 
 the animal’s head (Fig. 19), and a, b, c, d, e, /, g, h, i, on Plate VIII., are 
 probably portions of whistles. 
 
 114 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 23 
 
 In the third class are a number of images, somewhat resembling in a 
 general way specimens from Oaxaca. The best example of this form of 
 
 object is that shown on Plate IX., n. 
 It is about nine inches in height, 
 and represents a nursing mother. The 
 youngster, seated cross-legged on her 
 knee, wears a headpiece, necklace and 
 
 Fig. 17. — Same Object as Fig. 16, Opposite Side. f. 
 
 ear ornaments similar to those worn by the woman. The former wears 
 also a girdle, and the latter a nose ornament and bracelets. The headdresses 
 
 Fig. 18. — Terra-Cotta Mask, probably Fig. 19.—Portion of Whistle, f. 
 
 Portion of Whistle. £. 
 
 are painted blue and yellow, and the necklaces and ear ornaments, blue; 
 the remainder of the figures are a light red. The entire object consists of 
 a moderately thin shell of baked clay, the interior being hollow. There is 
 
 115 
 
24 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 a round opening about half an inch in diameter at the back of the head; the 
 pupils of the eyes are represented by holes, and there is a pair of openings 
 between the filed teeth. In Plate IX., I and t , are shown other examples of 
 the same class of objects. In this class also is included a number of masks 
 and similar objects, which, although resembling in material and workmanship 
 those which embellish many of the whistles, do not appear to have belonged 
 to any such articles (Plate VIII., j to v). 
 
 Three small masks of terra cotta (Plate XII., a, b, and c) have holes 
 around the edges at the back, probably for fastening them to the dress, in the 
 manner indicated by sculptures from Copan. They are of a very fine clay, 
 very hard and polished, and may have been painted in such a way as to 
 imitate carved stones.* All the objects included in classes two and three 
 are cast. A few samples of the clay moulds used in their manufacture were 
 found during the excavations. 
 
 Although many of these objects, and particularly the heads and masks, 
 are modelled with much artistic skill, none can be said to be faithful copies 
 
 of natural objects. Evidently the artist, 
 not being bound to imitate nature, had 
 free scope for the exercise of his fancy; 
 still he doubtless adhered to prescribed 
 forms and followed conventional rules 
 within certain limits, for these masks and 
 heads, of which those shown in Figs. 18 
 and 19 are typical examples, are probably 
 fanciful representations of mythological 
 characters. 
 
 Coming now to the fourth class of ob¬ 
 jects (Plate X.), we meet with a higher 
 development of the artistic sense, and, in giving form and expression to 
 certain conceptions, a much closer attention to nature as it is. A few 
 specimens only were found, none being entire. The subject is the human 
 figure, and the material is a fine light-colored clay. The modelling is 
 fairly good. The figures are solid, well burnt, and very hard. The surface 
 is polished, and in one case ( b) there is evidence of a white enamel having 
 been used. The female torso (Plate X., g) has a girdle about the waist; 
 with this exception the figures are nude. They bear evidence of a very 
 accurate perception of nature and a real ability to copy it correctly, indicat¬ 
 ing an artistic instinct that is capable of developing a high degree of realism. 
 
 Next in order is a number of clay seals or stamps (Plate XI.). They 
 are flat plates of baked clay, having some conventional design in deep lines 
 on one side and a short stub for a handle on the other. In some instances 
 
 Fig. 20.— Terra-Cotta Stamp and 
 Whistle. 
 
 * Mr. E. II. Thompson found in Yucatan clay beads on which remained traces of the green 
 paint by which they had been made to look like jadeite. Memoirs Peabody Museum, No. 3. 
 
 116 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 25 
 
 this handle is enlarged and converted into a whistle (Fig. 20). One of 
 these seals is cylindrical, and lias a hole through the centre (Fig. 21). 
 
 On page 33, Fig. 34, is shown a pair of small receptacles of burnt clay; 
 they are divided sometimes into two and sometimes into three compartments, 
 and resemble crucibles ; but it cannot be said definitely what their use really 
 was. On Plate XII., d, is shown a double paint-holder, which still contains 
 a quantity of bright red pigment. The clay pipe, shown on page 41, Fig. 35, 
 
 Fig. 21. — Cylindrical Stamp, f. Fig. 22. —Object of Baked Clay, prob¬ 
 ably Ear Ornament. 
 
 is the only pipe from Honduras of which we have any record.* The curious 
 little object shown in Fig. 22 is hard to describe. There is a twin specimen 
 from Copan in the Museum, and I am of opinion that they are ear orna¬ 
 ments, and form another instance of imitation jewelry. The little projection 
 at the smaller end would serve to keep the ornament in place. They are 
 polished and very hard, and if painted might be made to look like stone. 
 The nature of several clay objects, one of which is shown in Fig 23, is 
 not apparent; they resemble little marlin spikes more than anything else, 
 but it is hard to see why such an instrument should be made of clay. 
 
 There remain to be mentioned only the objects carved from stone. Of 
 these the most important are the two vases of cal cite (Plate XII., e, /). 
 Few specimens of this type have been reported. One figured in the Journal 
 dr. la Society dev Americanistes dr Paris, 
 
 Numero 1, is reported to have been 
 sent by a lady in Comayagua, Hon¬ 
 duras, and to have been found in the 
 river Humuya, which is a branch of 
 the Uloa; but the exact locality is not 
 stated. Another vessel of the same type is in the American Museum of 
 Natural History in New York. It was in Squier’s collection, and has been 
 supposed to have come from Mexico, but without authority, as there is no ref¬ 
 erence to it in any of Squier’s writings. In the absence of any reliable infor¬ 
 mation concerning it, it ought to be referred to this Uloa region of Honduras, 
 where similar specimens are known to have been found. A fifth specimen is 
 in the possession of a resident of San Pedro Sula. It came from the same 
 
 Fig. 93—Implement of Baked Clay. §. 
 
 * This is the only pipe from Central America in the Museum, and the only one that has been 
 found in that region, to my knowledge, except the remarkable stone pipe found by the late Mr. 
 Svlvanus Miller in Salvador, and now in the Douglas collection in the American Museum of Natural 
 History, New York. 
 
 117 
 
26 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 locality as the two figured on Plate XII., while a sixth has been sent to the 
 Berlin Museum. All these specimens differ but little from each other in 
 respect of form and ornament. That shown on Plate XII., e, is provided with 
 a rim about three-quarters of an inch deep on which the vessel rests; some 
 of the others mentioned have similar rims ornamented with open work. 
 They are carved from calcite of a translucent variety, and exhibit consider¬ 
 able elegance of design which is in keeping with the 
 beauty of the material. The walls are about one-eighth 
 of an inch thick; the interiors are smooth and even, 
 showing no tool marks. A grotesque head of con¬ 
 ventional form projecting from either side serves for 
 handles. A design of conventional pattern carved in 
 low relief covers the outside surface, the chief device 
 
 Fig. 24. — Ornament 
 CARVED FROM CaL- 
 CITE. i. 
 
 and leading feature of this decoration being a sort of 
 
 grecque. The derivation of this form of ornament 
 is uncertain and the notion unfamiliar, but the device 
 is associated without doubt with some set of ideas connected with the 
 particular office which these vases were intended to fulfil. There are 
 some indications that point to a feathered monster as the original form from 
 which the various features are derived, the grecques resulting from the 
 transformation of the feathers, through conventional treatment. Besides 
 the specimens mentioned, there are a number of fragments which, although 
 their evidence is meagre enough, lead to the conviction that the practice of 
 this branch of art was not uncommon. Moreover they represent vases differ¬ 
 ing in shape and ornament and exhibiting a high degree of skill in the 
 manipulation of stone in this particular form. An object carved from 
 calcite and representing a death’s head is shown in Fig. 24. The back 
 is hollow, and each side is pierced as if for fastening the ornament to the 
 dress. 
 
 Fig. 25. —Design on Fragment of Terra Cotta Figure. £. 
 
 118 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 27 
 
 PAINTED DECORATIONS ON POTTERY. 
 
 Among the vases from the Uloa River, those forming groups A and B 
 exhibit the most elaborate color decorations. The colors used are black, 
 yellow, red and white; although their composition is not known, they are 
 unquestionably of mineral character and generally retain their brilliancy. 
 The quality of the paste employed in these two groups is the same; it is 
 made of a light red clay of a fine grade, and the ware is well burnt and very 
 hard. Usually, before the colors were laid on, the vessel was treated with a 
 thin orange or cream colored slip, and on this ground the various designs 
 were drawn, and then before firing the surface was polished with a smooth 
 stone or other implement, of which the marks are still visible in a number 
 of instances. There is no uniformity in the relation of colors in the design 
 to those of the slip; a light red or yellow wash seems to have been a favor¬ 
 ite ground for the color decorations. 
 
 The conventional forms employed in the decorations on group A are 
 more or less familiar to students of the Maya codices. In one part of the 
 group, that which is made up of the bowl and cup forms, the decoration is 
 arranged in bands and zones of varying width, encircling the vase from top 
 to bottom. The designs here reproduced, illustrating these forms, are trans¬ 
 ferred to flat surfaces without breaking up the relations and with only 
 such slight and inconsequent distortion as results from the changed form 
 of the available space. Geometrical figures, i. e., straight lines and circles, 
 are drawn mechanically instead of in the bold freehand of the original; 
 otherwise no departure is made from the character of the original drawing. 
 With each design is given a sketch of the corresponding vase (Figs. 26 to 
 30 inclusive and a, Plate III.). In these drawings black represents black, 
 red is represented by line shading, and the yellow or orange ground is 
 left white. The design shown on Plate IY. is painted on a vase nine inches 
 high and seven inches in diameter. The entire surface of the vase, which 
 is made of a fine red clay, was covered before firing with a cream-colored 
 slip, and the design drawn boldly on this in black and different shades of 
 red. The space between the figures was then painted black. There is no 
 sign that care was taken in the drawing. The decorator evidently worked 
 rapidly and even carelessly. The drawing of the life figures is extremely 
 crude, — a fact which is best seen in the treatment of the right hand of 
 the personage holding a band or piece of ribbon, which the painter has 
 made to look like a fork with three prongs. Around the rim of the vase 
 ornament in the form of a kind of grecque, drawn in black. Below 
 
 119 
 
 is an 
 
RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 this come a narrow red band and a black band of the same width. A 
 white or cream-colored band divides this upper portion of the design from 
 the main motive. From the narrow black band are suspended twelve 
 
 Fig. 26 .—Design painted on Vase. f. 
 
 objects, all alike and divided into groups of four by three looped devices 
 depending from the same line. Each of these twelve objects is made up of 
 four parts, — a shield; a cord (represented by the conventional cord symbol 
 Tcaam ) by which the shield is suspended; a device upon the shield corre- 
 120 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 29 
 
 sponding to the sign for Lamed, one of the days of the Maya month; and a 
 wing attached to the bottom of the shield. The lower part of the design 
 consists of a group made up of the plumed serpent and a personage repre- 
 
 Fig. 27.— Design painted on Yase. 
 
 senting some divinity. The serpent’s body is bent in the form of an arch, 
 under which are placed two square crosses. This group is repeated once. 
 On Plate V. is shown the design on another vase similar to that just 
 described. The two designs are of much the same order. All the outer 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM I. — 15 121 
 
30 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 surface of the vase is covered with a rich, cream-colored slip. In the 
 upper part of the design the space between the outlines of the figures is 
 covered with a black paint, and the additional features of the figures are 
 added in red. As in the former instance, the objects forming the chief 
 feature of this part of the design are suspended from a black band followed 
 by a white line. In this case there are fifteen suspended shields divided 
 into groups of five by the looped figures. The shield with its device, which 
 resembles an escutcheon charged with a bend sinister between two annulets, 
 
 Fig. 28. — Design painted on Bowl. 
 
 is not in this case among the familiar symbols of Maya chronology. The 
 lower part of the design, which represents a procession of three figures each 
 holding a sun shield, is drawn in black and various shades of red upon the 
 cream-colored surface. 
 
 Group B is less satisfactorily represented than group A, owing to the 
 fragmentary character of the specimens, and no entire design can be made 
 out. Among the figures employed, however, many can be recognized as 
 derivations from Maya symbolism but exhibiting certain peculiarities in the 
 manner of treatment. The vases of this group are further differentiated 
 from those of group A by the introduction of new conventionalisms, the 
 principal innovation being the handles representing animal features — the 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 31 
 
 head of a bird or beast — with which the vases of this group seem invariably 
 to have been provided. This feature is seen on the specimens illustrated on 
 Plate I. Figs. 10, 12. 
 
 The red porous ware comprising group C differs from all known varie¬ 
 ties in the character of its decoration as well as in form and workman- 
 
 Fig. 29. — Design painted on Bowl. f. 
 
 ship. The paste, while similar in character, was subjected to a temperature 
 lower than that employed in the firing of the foregoing groups. Although 
 complete specimens that would furnish accurate information respecting 
 shape and size are wanting, the vessels appear to have been unusually large, 
 the middle circumference being in each case the largest. The decorator 
 
 123 
 
32 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 seems to have employed only red and black in his color delineations. The 
 whole surface of the vessel was first treated with a light red slip and 
 
 Fig. 30. — Design painted on a Bowl similar to that shown in Fig. 29. 
 
 the design drawn upon this in black or in dark red. The surface of the 
 pottery is without polish, and is less highly finished than groups A and B. 
 
 A figure drawn in black on a frag¬ 
 ment of one of these vases is shown 
 on Plate III., b. 
 
 The animal shown in Fig. 31 
 is taken from a fragment of a vessel, 
 the remainder of the design being 
 entirely lost. The figure is painted 
 in red on a yellow ground. 
 
 Fig. 32 represents the decoration 
 on the rim of a vessel of which noth¬ 
 ing else remains. A band, an inch 
 and a half in width, was marked 
 out on the surface before firing; a row of glyphs was drawn upon this band, 
 and the intervening spaces were cut out with a sharp instrument, leaving 
 the glyphs standing in relief. Above each glyph another symbol is painted 
 in red. The remainder of the surface is painted white. 
 
 124 
 
 Fig. 31. — Design painted on Fragment 
 op Pottery Vessel. $. 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 33 
 
 There are fragments of several vases, belonging probably to group B, 
 which had in each case a projecting and slightly flaring rim, around the 
 bottom, on which the vessel stood. The common form of decoration on 
 
 Fig. 32.— Design incised and painted on Rim of Jar. 
 
 these rims is illustrated in Fig. 33. The central portion of each of the 
 terraced figures in this design is sunken, the clay having been cut out over 
 this space, before firing, to a depth amounting to less than one quarter the 
 thickness of the rim. The rim is also pierced at a point about the centre of 
 this space. It seems probable that the space was inlaid with a piece of some 
 material cut to the same figure and fastened by means of a rivet or dowel. 
 
 Vegetal forms, easily recognized as such, are rare in the decorations 
 of pottery of all classes. On Plate I. Fig. 7, is shown a fragment in which 
 
 Fxg. 33. — Design on Rim around the Bottom of a Jar. 
 
 a vine, forming the chief motive, is treated quite naturally. Animal forms 
 and their derivations are conspicuous even in some of the most conventional 
 devices, and geometrical figures and patterns constructed independently of 
 natural forms and not in imitation of natural objects make up a large part 
 of the painted decorations. 
 
 Fig. 34.—Crucible'-like Objects of Clay. f. 
 
 125 
 
34 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. 
 
 The questions relating to the origin of the remains in the Uloa valley 
 and the manner of their occurrence are rather perplexing. While the region 
 under consideration properly includes the entire plain watered by the two 
 converging streams and having an area of less than one thousand square 
 miles, our discussion is practically restricted to a strip comparatively narrow, 
 though of indefinite width, extending along both sides of the Uloa. The 
 specimens that have been described are from the immediate banks of this 
 stream; and while, as has been said, similar objects occur in other parts, this 
 occurrence is, so far as numbers go, not to be compared with the conditions 
 experienced in the more restricted territory; nor does it seem that the more 
 artistic objects of pottery have been found except in the terraces of the Uloa, 
 although jadeite beads and carved pendants, whistles and pottery of the less 
 ornate varieties, have been found in the most remote parts of the region.* 
 
 * There are some historical references among the early writers from which one would infer that 
 at the time of the earliest colonization this region was thickly inhabited by Indians, Avhose chief 
 town, called Xaco, was destroyed as early as 1524. The Bishop Las Casas says that between the 
 years 1524-35 there perished in the realm of Naco and Honduras more than two million Indians 
 through the cruelty of the Spaniards, and there did not remain more than two thousand natives in a 
 territory of one hundred square leagues.f It is probable that Las Casas did not have a very definite 
 notion of the extension or character of the country which he vaguely describes as the realm of Naco 
 and Honduras. Bernal Diaz, whose testimony as an eyewitness is of greater value, is unfortunately 
 not explicit in his descriptions. 
 
 In 1528 Cortez, having heard false reports of the native wealth of the Honduras or Hibueras, 
 as that part of the Central American mainland is vaguely called in the earliest writings, sent out an 
 expedition from Mexico under command of Cristobal de Oli to found a colony there. Sailing from 
 Vera Cruz, Oli arrived on the north coast and founded a town which he called Triunfo de la Cruz, 
 somewhere near the mouth of the Uloa River. He also conducted an expedition into the interior, 
 against an Indian stronghold called Naco, “ a large township,” says Bernal Diaz, “ which lay in a 
 populous district. It was at this time that Naco was completely destroyed and the whole of the 
 surrounding country laid waste.” About the same time reports reached Cortez that Oli had con¬ 
 ceived apian for proclaiming his independence and making himself governor of the new territory; 
 he accordingly sent Francisco de Las Casas to bring back his rebellious officer. Arriving off the 
 site of the new town just founded by Oli, Las Casas lost his ships with all his equipment in a storm 
 and, being driven ashore in boats, he was taken prisoner, and all his men taken into service by Oli. 
 A short time before this an expedition from Hispaniola, commanded bv Gil Gonzales de Avila, had 
 landed on the coast near the mouth of the Rio Dulce and founded a town called San Gil de Buena 
 Vista. Oli, jealous of Avila’s influence so near the sphere of his own, sent an expedition against him 
 and made him a prisoner. Thus Oli had two enemies in his power, who, regaining their liberty, 
 plotted his overthrow and forced him to take refuge in the woods, where he was soon caught, and 
 executed in the market-place at Naco. Las Casas and Avila then started back to Mexico by sea. 
 
 t “ II est constant que depuis l’annee 1524 jusqu’en 1535 il a pe'ri plus de deux millions d’lndiens dans le 
 rovaume de Naco y Honduras, et qu’il n’v est reste que deux mille habitans sur une etendue de territoire de cent 
 lieues carre's.” (Euvres de Las Casas, Tome Premier. Edited by J. A. Llorente, Paris, 1S22. 
 
 12G 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 35 
 
 Again, no investigations have been made to show whether the remains lie 
 as deep in the parts more remote from the river, or whether they are confined 
 
 Cortez in the meantime having heard nothing from Las Casas for eight months after the latter’s 
 departure from Mexico, and fearing that some mishap had befallen him, set out with a band of his 
 veteran conquistadores and an army of Mexicans to march by land to the country which he knew as 
 the Honduras. After suffering great hardships he reached the coast at Golfo Dulce, where, after 
 crossing the river which flows into that arm of the sea, he came upon the remnant of Avila’s colony 
 of San Gil de Buena Vista, of which the Indians had informed him. Here he learned of the execu¬ 
 tion of Oli. After making a voyage in a brigantine belonging to the little colony, up the Rio Dulce, 
 during which he discovered Lake Yzabal or Lago Dulce and explored the river Polochic, where he 
 fought a battle with the inhabitants of an Indian township, he set sail to explore the coast to the 
 eastward. Choosing the best harbor that is afforded on all the coast, he named it Puerto Caballos, 
 the same that is now called Puerto Cortez, and founded a town which he named Xatividad. At the 
 same time Sandoval, his second in command, marched from Rio Dulce to Naco. Bernal Diaz was 
 among those of the veterans who marched with Sandoval, and he thus alludes to their arrival: 
 “ We came to Quinistan and on the following day in the forenoon we arrived at Naco, which at that 
 time was a township of considerable magnitude, but there was not a single inhabitant to be seen, 
 and we quartered ourselves in a large courtyard where Cristobal de Oli was beheaded. In some 
 houses we were fortunate enough to find a good supply of maize, beans, and even some salt, of which 
 latter we stood in great want. In this place we quartered ourselves as comfortably as if we never 
 meant to leave the spot again.” 
 
 He goes on to say that they lived on friendly terms with the Indians in the neighborhood of 
 Naco. Sandoval had a conference with several of the Caziques, in which they agreed to supply him 
 regularly with provisions. Afterwards he visited several other townships, all of which submitted 
 without resistance, and in time the people of Naco regained confidence and returned to their houses. 
 
 At a few leagues from San Pedro Sula there are to be seen to-day the ruins of an Indian town¬ 
 ship, and on the same site are traces of Spanish occupation in the outlines of the foundations of 
 houses. This place is still called Naco: it corresponds very well with the place of that name men¬ 
 tioned by Diaz as quoted above, and there is every reason to believe that the two are the same. The 
 site contains one of the most extensive groups of earthworks in the whole region. They are com¬ 
 pletely buried in the jungle and are much disfigured, but they appear to have been of the same char¬ 
 acter as those discovered east of the Uloa River, which have been described. 
 
 Cortez, after founding Truxillo farther along the coast, returned to Mexico by sea, while those 
 of his companions who did not embark with him, under command of Luis Marin, marched from 
 Naco towards the town of Guatemala, then recently founded by Alvarado. On the way thither, they 
 met Alvarado, coming towards the coast in the hope of finding Cortez, and all returned to Mexico 
 by way of Guatemala. In this journey, Luis Marin, in whose company was Bernal Diaz, who re¬ 
 counts their adventures, must have passed near the ruins of Copan. 
 
 After the departure of Cortez and his companions from Honduras, the colonies which he had 
 founded were soon strengthened by fresh arrivals from Cuba and from Spain. The interior of the 
 country was explored, rich gold mines were discovered, and soon one of the chief lines of communi¬ 
 cation between Central America and the outside world lay through the Gulf of Honduras and the 
 country bordering on it. Over this route the. product of some of the richest gold mines in New 
 Spain was transported to the north coast, from which the treasure ships put out to sea. Conse¬ 
 quently these waters and this part of the mainland early became a favorite hunting-ground for the 
 buccaneers and gentlemen in the service of Elizabeth ; for the protection of the coast, the fortress 
 of Omoa, for a long time the strongest in the New World, was built. 
 
 The condition of the native population during these times was of course one of abject slavery. 
 They were driven in swarms to the mines, where they perished by thousands under the cruel treat¬ 
 ment of their masters, so that the statement of wholesale depopulation reported by Las Casas is not 
 incredible. 
 
 From the account given by Bernal Diaz one would infer that the country watered by the Uloa and 
 Chemilican rivers and their tributaries was at the time of its discovery supporting a large industrial 
 population. The adventurers found extensive maize plantations, and they were supplied with provi¬ 
 sions in abundance. The people were assembled in towns, some of which would seem to have been 
 of considerable extent. Of these Naco was without doubt the most important, and was large 
 
 127 
 
36 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 to more superficial strata than is the case along the Uloa. The immediate 
 problem consists, first, in finding an explanation of the various phenomena 
 attending the occurrence of relics in the ground covered by the explorations, 
 and, second, in the interpretation of the historical significance of the relics 
 themselves in their relations to remains from other parts of the country. 
 The object sought in the first of these inquiries is a knowledge of the original 
 location and former condition of the relics, the manner of their present dis¬ 
 tribution, and the agencies responsible for the changes they have undergone. 
 It has been seen that these objects are found associated with the alluvial 
 beds in a more or less stratified manner to a depth of thirty feet or more. 
 The first explanation that is suggested by the manner of their distribution 
 together with the facts which point to the shifting action of the river conse¬ 
 quent upon sudden increase of volume, is that the objects were transported 
 by the current together with the clay, sand, and gravel, and laid down 
 simultaneously with these at successive periods. If this were the case, we 
 should expect the objects to show water-wearing, which they do not. The 
 deposits being laid down by the river at present on its shallow side (see 
 Figs. 1 and 2), contain objects transported from the opposite side, and all 
 these objects show extensive water-wearing; the corners are rounded off, and 
 the colors of painted specimens are destroyed by the combined action of the 
 sand and water in the same way that pebbles are rounded and worn smooth. 
 Those taken from the excavations described in the first part of this report, 
 on the contrary, show in no instance the least indication of the wearing 
 action inseparable from alluvial transportation. The broken edges are sharp, 
 having often the appearance of fresh breaks, and the colored and polished 
 surfaces are unscratched. It follows therefore that the interring must have 
 been accomplished without the agejicy of the river. In short, the objects 
 must have been put underground in the customary way in connection with 
 burials, but not to the depth at which they are found at present. These 
 burials must have been made during successive periods of occupation, sepa¬ 
 rated by a series of inundations each of which raised the general level of the 
 
 enough, to be described by Bernal Diaz, who was accustomed to large Indian cities, as “ a township 
 of considerable magnitude.” The historian mentions “houses," but says nothing of their construc¬ 
 tion. They must have been of some pretensions, however, since it was possible for Sandoval and his 
 companions to quarter themselves “as comfortably as if we never intended to leave the spot again.” 
 The inhabitants were peaceable, and would doubtless have received Sandoval in a friendly manner 
 had not the outrages of Oli already given them reason to look upon the Spaniards with fear and 
 distrust. 
 
 Whatever the condition of these people may have been at the time of their first contact with 
 Europeans, they quickly disappeared under Spanish oppression; and to-day the only pure-blooded 
 Indians to be found on the banks of the Uloa River are wild Xicaques who have wandered down from 
 the mountains of Yoro, where that tribe remained in comparative security and isolation through the 
 period of Spanish rule. The people whom the Spaniards found in the valley of the Uloa and the 
 adjoining region must have constructed the earthworks and other objects whose remains are found 
 upon the surface to-day, and these earthworks mark the sites of their towns, all of which were 
 destroyed by the earliest colonists. 
 
 128 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 37 
 
 ground several feet by the deposition of detritus from the mountains. Each 
 of these catastrophes would be followed by a rapid growth of vegetation, 
 and the population would return to the neighborhood of the river, that was 
 their source of life, where they may have remained undisturbed for many 
 generations. Sometimes the site of the later burying-place was directly over 
 that of the old, either by design or accident, and thus we have in places a suc¬ 
 cession of layers, representing the burials that correspond to separate periods. 
 More generally, however, the new site chosen was different from the old; 
 and consequently in certain localities remains are found in one layer only, 
 which may be at any depth, from the level of the water to within five or six 
 feet from the surface. The excavations that have been described were made 
 at points where the number of layers containing relics was greatest according 
 to observations on the face of the bank. The burials were made without any 
 form of tomb, the body together with the associated objects being simply 
 deposited in the ground and covered with earth. The finding of differ¬ 
 ent pieces of the same vessel separated by several feet, suggests that the 
 vessels were sometimes broken before the interment was made, while most 
 of those that were buried entire were subsequently crushed by the weight 
 of the superimposed strata, which increased in thickness at every inundation. 
 Perhaps the most puzzling circumstance is that so many of the objects are 
 represented by portions only, isolated fragments of all sizes being continually 
 encountered in the excavations. Moreover it was not possible to define 
 individual burials or distinguish the corresponding sets of associated objects; 
 there was a certain promiscuity in the manner of their distribution that 
 seems to indicate that the same ground was utilized repeatedly, and that 
 the earlier interments in any particular burying-place were disturbed and 
 their arrangement broken up by those which came later. It is probable also 
 that many of the isolated fragments which are found distributed through the 
 strata were accidentally buried. The distribution of potsherds in the form 
 of refuse through the surface soil is a necessary outcome of continued occu¬ 
 pation by communities in which the product of the potter’s art was exten¬ 
 sively used. Again, if these communities were temporarily obliterated by 
 flood, as has been argued, such objects of stone and pottery as were in use 
 at the time of the catastrophe may have been covered up without the trans¬ 
 portation of which they would have retained evidence. The combination of 
 circumstances here detailed seems to furnish the only solution of the problem 
 that is at all satisfactory. 
 
 The human remains, although of the most meagre description, when 
 taken in connection with the pottery with which they were found associated, 
 confirm the existence of burials. They consist of crumbling fragments 
 of bone occurring in the same strata with the objects of pottery; and while 
 they furnish reasonable evidence of burial-places, they are too minute to 
 supply any information respecting the form of the burials or the relative 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM I.-16 129 
 
38 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 position of the objects associated with them. The data obtained give only 
 a very general idea of the mode of sepulture practised in this region. The 
 objects and utensils were probably placed beside the dead or thrown in the 
 grave as it was being filled up. The fact that no tomb was built and no 
 stones were placed about the body, shows that the people were less careful of 
 the preservation of the dead than most of the peoples of Central America. 
 The almost total disappearance of the skeletons is not more than is to be 
 expected in a region of excessive moisture and in the absence of protection. 
 Even in the well-built graves of Chiriqui, according to various testimonies, 
 human remains are almost entirely absent. The cemeteries were probably 
 located in the vicinity of towns or villages, but absolutely no trace of dwell¬ 
 ings was discovered. The houses were constructed of perishable material, 
 such as wood or adobes. 
 
 The second inquiry has reference to the historical significance of the 
 art relics. There is no evidence here of different periods of culture or 
 separate epochs marked by advancement of the arts or by radical changes 
 of any description. What we find is evidence pointing to an extended 
 period of constant culture during which certain arts which flourished in 
 this region manifest a development equal to that attained by the highest 
 civilizations of Central America. There is no evidence of the use of metals, 
 and architectural remains are entirely wanting. So far as we are able to 
 judge from their remains, it is in the potter’s art — the manipulation of 
 clay — that the people of this region excelled, and it was this art that 
 was most assiduously cultivated. In drawing any such conclusion as this, 
 however, it must be borne in mind that the class of objects dealt with has 
 the advantage of outlasting all the other products of human skill. What 
 degree of perfection was possessed in the manufacture of textile fabrics 
 we have no means of knowing. In certain forms of stone-cutting, the traces, 
 although meagre, show considerable proficiency, while in the matter of 
 color decorations there is abundant evidence of a skill equal to that attained 
 by the people of any of the neighboring provinces. The great body of art 
 relics are in clay; and while in some respects they are closely related to 
 the art of neighboring provinces, in other respects they possess a distinct 
 individuality. It is surprising to find in a region of such small extent 
 such a variety of forms and types as is exhibited by these relics from the 
 Uloa valley. The vases alone represent a wide range both in form and in 
 decorative motives. This great variety of character looks towards an admix¬ 
 ture of races, or at least a diversity of external influence; but whatever 
 combination of minor elements may have entered into the composition of 
 society in this region, or whatever external agencies may have contributed 
 to the production of the objects in question as representing its art and in¬ 
 dustry, it is evident that the dominating influence was Maya. If not a 
 branch of the Mayas, the people, with whose remains on the Uloa River we 
 130 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 39 
 
 are now brought in contact, were in close relations with some portion of 
 that race, whose customs they adopted and by whose culture they were 
 enriched. They were, in fact, subject to the Maya civilization, and the sur¬ 
 viving products of their art and industry pertain largely to that civilization. 
 The absence of architectural remains, the most familiar and remarkable 
 feature of Maya culture in other regions, does not of necessity militate 
 against the proposition just put forward, for in any given region the pres¬ 
 ence of suitable material in an accessible form is a necessary condition 
 to the development of sculpture or the production of enduring monuments 
 of architecture such as are found at Copan and in the ruined cities of 
 Yucatan and Chiapas. But for the proximity of trachyte beds furnishing 
 a convenient workable material, the elaborate architecture of Copan could 
 never have been developed. In the valley of the Uloa there is no available 
 supply of stone that could be manipulated in accordance with the require¬ 
 ments of an architecture like that of Copan, by a people with no better tools 
 than flint chisels. Whatever the inhabitants of the region may have accom¬ 
 plished in the art of building, the material used was less durable than stone, 
 and probably consisted of adobe and wood. 
 
 Art in clay, which in the ancient centres of Maya culture occupies a 
 subordinate position, in this region takes the place of art in stone almost 
 entirely, and accordingly the former is given a wider application than else¬ 
 where. Although here, as elsewhere, the vessel represents the first idea and 
 the leading feature of ceramic art, images, musical instruments, seals, and 
 articles of personal adornment occupy a very important place, and there is 
 a conspicuous ambition to model life forms — natural or mythological — 
 apart from objects of utility. The attempt to model the human form is 
 worthy of especial mention, and is more meritorious than any similar 
 attempt of which traces have survived in the neighboring provinces. 
 
 It is among the pottery vessels that the Maya affinities are most 
 prominent. Of the number represented, either by entire specimens or by 
 fragments, not only do the greater part exhibit technical qualities identical 
 with the pottery from Copan, but especially in the conventional use of 
 certain decorative motives and in the employment of a graphic system 
 common to that of the codices and to the sculptured monuments of Maya, 
 these affinities are very manifest. The same relationship makes itself 
 felt, although in a less striking manner, in the other classes of objects. 
 It is not claimed that this relationship, however intimate, covers the whole 
 ground, or that there is any homogeneity throughout the whole body of 
 ceramic products, as if it were the work of a homogeneous people and 
 represented a culture developed from within. On the contrar}', there is 
 in the tendency toward diversity of type strong evidence of an admixture 
 of races, or of extensive importations derived from a variety of sources; 
 but the incomplete character of the available data would make an analysis 
 
 131 
 
40 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 of these mixed conditions very difficult. The affinity already spoken of 
 is the only one that is definite and obvious. The whistles and musical 
 instruments, while they resemble in some respects similar instruments from 
 the graves of Chiriqui, show a much greater perfection of form and orna¬ 
 ment, and possess a strong individuality. While to a superficial observer 
 none of these instruments are more than whistles or mere toys, an examina¬ 
 tion shows that many of them possess powers which give them a more 
 pretentious character. Very simple in construction, they answer within cer¬ 
 tain limits to the requirements of real musical instruments, and although 
 the mutilated condition of these instruments prevents a satisfactory deter¬ 
 mination of their actual capacity, they serve to show that music in a crude 
 form was cultivated among the people to whom they pertain. There is no 
 proof of the existence of any fixed scale of intervals, but the condition of 
 the instruments makes it impossible to speak with certainty on this point. 
 While all these instruments are limited in musical capacity, those of the 
 more pretentious class, if operated by skilled performers, are capable of 
 producing pleasing melodies. Moreover there is among them a certain 
 correspondence in construction, in the number of tones, and in the succession 
 of intervals that indicates a tendency to conform to more or less definite 
 standards. In the hands of modern musicians these instruments, played in 
 unison, can be made to produce harmony, but it would be rash to say that 
 their owners had any knowledge of this, or that they made any systematic 
 use of their limited musical capacity. The mechanism most commonly em¬ 
 ployed is that of the modern flageolet, as shown in Fig. 20. While some of 
 these are simple whistles, giving one or two notes only, the great majority 
 are provided with two holes equally distant from the mouthpiece; these 
 holes are always exactly equal in size and consequently give the same note. 
 Three notes is the full capacity of these instruments, one with both stops 
 closed, another with either one open, and a third with both open. In 
 the most pretentious class the mechanism by which the sound is produced 
 is a plain opening or passage communicating with the air-chamber, which is 
 provided with three stops capable of producing five distinct tones. Two of 
 these stops are always placed at equal distances from the mouthpiece, and 
 being equal in size, when either one is alone open, the same note is produced. 
 Plate IX., o, p, q, are good examples of this type. 
 
 The stamps or seals resemble very closely the well-known Mexican article, 
 and still more closely specimens from Venezuela. 
 
 Obvious and striking as are some of the extraneous relationships, and 
 particularly that which connects the art and culture of this region with that 
 which distinguishes the people of the great Maya stock, not less remarkable 
 are the traits that distinguish a considerable portion of the art relics of this 
 region from those of all other localities and give a marked individuality 
 to certain groups of objects. The stone vases, represented by fugitive 
 132 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 41 
 
 specimens and constituting almost the only evidence of art in stone, form 
 a unique and interesting group, with marked individual characteristics; and 
 the same is true of a considerable portion of the ceramic products. It is 
 singular that tools of all sorts are almost absent, and implements of war 
 entirely so. 
 
 With regard to the surface remains in the Uloa valley, it can only be 
 said that they appear to have no distinct connection with the underground 
 relics. The few objects of art that have been observed among these earth¬ 
 works bear no apparent relation to the deeper and therefore older material. 
 The carving of the one idol that came under observation is extremely crude, 
 and has more resemblance to Nicaraguan sculptures than those of any other 
 section with which we are familiar. Although there is no definite testimony 
 as to age, these surface remains probably belong to the period corresponding 
 to the earliest Spanish colonization; and whatever the origin of the people 
 to whom they are to be attributed, they did not possess the degree of culture 
 that distinguished their predecessors in the same region. 
 
 Fig. 35. — Tobacco Pipe of Clay. f. 
 
 133 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 PLATE I. 
 
 Samples of fragments of painted pottery illustrating groups A and B. Nos. 4, 7, 10, 11, 
 12, 15, 10 present characteristics which belong to group B; the others seem to repre¬ 
 sent vases belonging to group A. Objects on the plate are reduced £. 
 
 From excavations on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE II. 
 
 Map of the lower watersheds of the Uloa and Chemilicon Rivers. The sites of the 
 excavations mentioned in this report are indicated by the figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 
 enclosed in circles. 
 
 PLATE III. 
 
 a. Design painted on vase, three colors. 
 
 b. Design on a fragment of a large vase, two colors. 
 From excavations on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE IV. 
 
 Decoration on the surface of a vase, group A. Design in three colors. 
 From excavation on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE V. 
 
 Decoration on the surface of a vase, group A. Design in three colors. 
 From excavation on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE VI. 
 
 Fig. 1. View on the Uloa River showing site of Excavation 3, looking down stream. 
 Fig. 2. Bank of the Uloa River at the site of Excavation 4. Excavation begun. 
 
 134 
 
LIST OF PLATES. 
 
 43 
 
 PLATE VII. 
 
 Pottery vessels from the banks of the Uloa Biver, showing variety of forms. 
 a and b. Opposite sides of the same vessel; it is painted red. 
 
 c. Dark gray ware, human features. 
 
 d. Nicaragua type, light red slip. 
 
 e. Light red slip. 
 
 f Body and top of neck painted red. Incised decorations on neck. 
 
 g. Dark gray ware, plain surface. 
 
 h. Dark brown ware, surface polished. 
 
 i. Dark brown slip, incised decorations — horizontal and vertical lines. 
 
 j. Light gray ware, plain surface. 
 
 k. Black ware, plain surface; has suggestion of rudimentary animal features on 
 
 opposite sides. 
 
 l. Tripod form, dark gray, plain surface. 
 
 m. Lower half painted red, upper half painted white with red figures. 
 
 n. Light gray ware, plain surface. 
 
 o. Dark gray ware, incised decorations on upper part. 
 
 p. Dark gray ware, impressed decorations. * 
 
 q. Dark red slip. 
 
 (n , o, p, and q are characterized by vertical spouts. Specimens from Mexico have 
 vertical spouts attached at the upper end to the neck of the vessel, and serv¬ 
 ing also for handle.) 
 
 r. Dark gray ware, plain rough surface. 
 
 s. Light gray ware, plain surface. 
 
 t. Dark brown ware, plain surface. 
 
 u. Brown slip, polished, animal features. 
 
 PLATE VIII. 
 
 Portions of terra-cotta figures and masks, a to i inclusive appear to have been portions 
 of whistles or musical instruments; the remainder seem to have had no connection 
 with objects of utility. 
 
 From excavations on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE IX. 
 
 a. Whistle, human form, one vent, two notes. 
 
 b. Whistle, monkey, one vent, two notes. 
 
 c. Whistle, bird form, one vent, two notes. 
 
 d. Whistle, bird form, single note. 
 
 e. Whistle, quadruped, single note (broken). 
 
 /. Musical instrument, human form, two vents, equal in size, equally distant from 
 mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 g. Musical instrument, human form, two vents equal in size and equally distant from 
 
 mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 h. Whistle or musical instrument, human features (broken). 
 
 i. Double whistle, frogs mating. 
 
 135 
 
44 
 
 RESEARCHES IN THE ULOA VALLEY. 
 
 j. Double whistle, frog form. 
 
 k. Musical instrument, human form, two vents equal in size and equally distant 
 
 from mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 l. Hollow image, human figure. 
 
 m. Whistle, turtle form, one vent, two notes. 
 
 n. Hollow image, nursing mother. 
 
 o. Musical instrument, monkey form with extension at back, provided with a plain 
 
 opening at the top for blowing; three vents, the two lower ones on opposite 
 sides are equal in size and equally distant from mouthpiece; capacity five 
 notes. 
 
 p. Musical instrument, same type as last, animal form, three vents; capacity five 
 
 notes. 
 
 q. Musical instrument, same type as last two, bird form, three vents; capacity five 
 
 notes. 
 
 r. Musical instrument, human form, two vents equal in size and equally distant from 
 
 mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 s. Musical instrument, human form, two vents, equal in size and equally distant 
 
 from mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 t. Hollow image, human figure. 
 
 u. Whistle or musical instrument- (broken). 
 
 v. Musical instrument, human form, two vents equal in size and equally distant 
 
 from mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 w. Musical instrument, human form, two vents equal in size and equally distant 
 
 from mouthpiece; three notes. 
 
 From excavations on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE X. 
 
 Portions of terra-cotta statuettes. 
 
 From excavations on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE XI. 
 
 Terra-cotta stamps. 
 
 From excavations on the banks of the Uloa. 
 
 PLATE XII. 
 
 Fig. 1. a, b, c, terra-cotta masks, probably personal ornaments. They are perforated 
 around the edges at the back, § size, d, double paint-holder, § size; e, / calcite 
 vases, \ size; g, fragment of a terra-cotta model of turkey, i size; h, cup in shape 
 of human head, % size. 
 
 Fig. 2. View of waterfall and pool in the Quebrada Encantada (see page 14). 
 
 Fig. 3. Excavation at ruins near Quebrada Encantada. 
 
 136 
 
PUERTO CORTEZ 
 
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 V 
 
 SAN PEDRO SULA 
 
 fSs/MilwS 
 
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 PLAYA o'; 
 DE LOS MUERTO! 
 
 ^%V.£v>k^W'- 
 
 AP 
 
 WATERSHEDS 
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 AND CHEMILICON 
 RIVERS 
 
 OFTHELOWER 
 
 HisSST- 
 
 r la \ 
 
 : =P|MIENTA O 
 
 ULOA 
 
 POTRERILLOS 
 
 IMIs 
 
 REPUBLIC ofHONDURAS 
 
 
 
 wmm 
 
 mim?/M 
 
 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum. 
 
 \ ol. I. No. 4. 
 
 PLATE 
 
 II. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum. Yol. I. No 4. 
 
 PLATE III 
 
 b . Design on a "Fragment of a Large Vase. Group C. Two Colors. 
 
 Page 32. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum. You. I. No. 
 
■■■■I 
 
PLATE VII. 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. I. No. 4. 
 
 k 
 
 n 
 
 o 
 
 t 
 
 u 
 
 Pottery from 
 
 Banks of the Uloa River, showing variety of forms. 
 
 (About &.) 
 
 HELIOTYPE CO.. BOSTON 
 
PLATE X. 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum. 
 
 h 
 
 Portions of Terra Cotta Statuettes. 
 
 HEUOTYPE CO., BOSTON 
 
 Banks of the Uloa. (About if.) 
 
 Vol. I. No. 4. 
 
 

Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. I. No. 4. 
 
 PLATE XL 
 
 Terra Cotta Stamps. Banks of the Uloa. (About 4.) 
 
 HELIOTYPE CO., BOSTON 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. I. No. 4. 
 
 PLATE Xll. 
 
 Fig. 1. Objects from Banks of the Ui.oa. 
 
 Fig. 2. Waterfall and Pool in Quebrada Encantada. Fig. .3. Excavations at Ruins near Quebrada Encantada 
 
 HELIOTYPE CO., BOSTON 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND 
 ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 
 
 Vol. I.—No. 5. 
 
 CAVERNS OF COPAN, 
 
 HONDURAS. 
 
 Report on Explorations by the Museum, 1896-97. 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE BYRON GORDON. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM. 
 1898. 
 
 ? 
 
Copyright, 1S9S, 
 
 Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and 
 Ethnology, Harvard University. 
 
 University Press : 
 
 John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U. S. A. 
 
CAVEENS OF COPAN. 
 
 In the mountains surrounding the valley in which the ruins of Copan 
 are situated the rocks are of a twofold character. The lower rocks of the 
 region, as I believe is the case throughout Central America, are limestone; 
 overlying these are the beds of trachyte which furnished the building stone 
 for the builders of Copan, and from which the ancient quarry men hewed the 
 massive blocks on which the sculptor carved those intricate designs which 
 adorn the ruined temples and columns and altars to-day. 
 
 At a distance of about four miles from the principal group of ruins, 
 towards the northwest, in a limestone ridge that rises abruptly from the 
 rocky bed of a mountain stream called the Sesesmil, are a number of caverns, 
 which I discovered and explored during the twelve days from April 1 to 
 April 13, 1896, and revisited in June, 1897, to complete their examination. 
 Along the course of the Sesesmil from its confluence with the Copan to 
 a plain called Llano Grande, the outcrops are mostly of trachyte, except 
 where the stream intersects the high ridge called Cerro Maria, the site of 
 the caverns which are to be described. 
 
 The gorge occupied by the river is narrow, and the sides steep. The 
 western side rises from the bed of the stream in a steep but even slope 
 covered with a thick growth of medium-sized trees and by shrubbery, and 
 overhung by rugged cliffs that rise in perpendicular masses for another five 
 hundred feet, making a total height of a thousand feet from the stream to 
 the top of the cliffs. The lower five hundred feet can be climbed by holding 
 on to the trees and shrubs. The cliffs in places may be scaled for some 
 distance by using a great deal of exertion and care, but to reach any of the 
 caves except those at the base of the cliffs is extremely dangerous and diffi¬ 
 cult, if not impossible, for any one not practised in such exercise. The 
 caverns which open into the face of these cliffs are therefore very difficult 
 of approach. 
 
 The first of these which I entered is situated at a height of more than 
 two hundred feet. After scaling the rocks, which afford few resting-places, 
 the entrance of a passage is reached which runs upwards at an angle of 
 45° and parallel to the face of the cliff. The passage thus resembles a stair¬ 
 way closed on the outside by a wall of rock. At the top it expands into 
 
 139 
 

 
 
 
 
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EE PORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 a small chamber with a landing. At a height of about four feet above 
 the floor is a natural opening like a window, whose dimensions are such 
 that a medium-sized man might pass through with comfort, but to a very 
 large man it would be inaccessible. It opens right on the face of the cliff, 
 and overlooks a sheer descent of several hundred feet and the gorge of 
 the river far below. Any one thrown from it would be mangled among the 
 rocks at the base of the cliffs. On the outside, about three feet below 
 the window, is a ledge, about two and a half feet in width, which ends 
 abruptly to the right, and to the left leads around a turn in the face of the 
 cliff and forms a sort of roadway to the entrance of the cave, which can be 
 approached in no other way. This entrance is about six feet wide and ten 
 feet high, expanding towards the interior, and forming a lofty vaulted 
 chamber with projecting masses of dark rock oddly and fantastically shaped 
 by the sport of nature. Just inside the entrance a large stalactite with its 
 lower part broken away is carved into a rude likeness of a human head, 
 with curved lines for the eyebrows and nose and round holes for eyes, mouth, 
 and ears. This is the only bit of sculpture observed in any of the caves. 
 There are no other stalactites in this cave, and there is no moisture. The 
 deposit on the floor, which appears to be quite deep, consists of a fine dry 
 light-colored earth. It did not have the appearance of having been trodden 
 much, and the surface, though soft, was even and without marks. Frag¬ 
 ments of pottery stuck through the surface. This cavern may be one 
 hundred feet in length by fifty feet in width; no galleries were observed 
 leading from it, and its only approach is that described. Besides the 
 pottery, there were charcoal and pitch-pine firebrands which might be of 
 almost any age; the conditions being as they are in the cave, this wood 
 might endure for a great length of time. 
 
 The second cave is some seventy or eighty rods south of this, a little 
 higher up and equally difficult to reach. It is smaller than the first, but 
 otherwise the two are similar. A quantity of reeds, such as the natives use 
 to-day for making partitions in their houses, and beds to sleep on, and for 
 many other purposes, were lying on the floor. They were cut to a length of 
 five or six feet, and had the appearance of great age. 
 
 The third cave, situated where a curve in the cliffs follows the slope 
 upward, is farther north than either of those already described, and at a 
 greater elevation. The entrance is almost hidden by a clump of bushes 
 growing on a projecting ledge. This is the most interesting of the caverns 
 discovered, and was explored to a greater extent than any of the others. 
 It consists of three chambers, of which the first or outer is the largest. Just 
 inside the entrance was an old abandoned eagle’s nest surrounded by heaps 
 of bones of small animals, such as squirrels, small hog, tepisquintli, young 
 deer, and many other species. Overhanging masses of rock protect the 
 entrance from the falling rains, and the interior is perfectly dry. The first 
 
 141 
 
6 
 
 CAVERNS OF COPAN. 
 
 chamber is approximately circular in shape, and measures one hundred and 
 fifty feet in diameter, rising to a lofty vault in the centre. The walls of 
 dark gray limestone, without stalactites, present a gloomy appearance. Upon 
 the floor the deposit is the same as that found in the other caves. When 
 discovered, the surface was very even, without tracks or other disturbance, 
 and offered no very firm resistance to the footstep, which sank half an inch 
 in the dry powdery deposit. Numerous small fragments of pottery appeared 
 sticking through, and in places were charcoal and dried-up hard-pine fire¬ 
 brands, the remains of fires over which had accumulated an earthy dust to 
 a depth of about two inches, representing the depth accumulated since the 
 latest occupation. This surface dust is of the same character as the whole 
 deposit on the bottom of the cavern, the depth of which was finally 
 determined to be at one place fifteen feet. I believe this deposit to be 
 formed by the dry decomposition of the rocks forming the walls. 
 
 The walls slope downward on all sides like a dome, meeting the floor 
 at an angle and forming recesses all around. In one of these recesses 
 
 Fig. 1. — Wooden Axe-handle? from Cave 3. £. 
 
 nearly opposite the entrance I found a wooden object, shown in Fig. 1. 
 It was half buried in the dust, and had every appearance of having lain 
 there a very long time. The state of the wood is not out of keeping with 
 this supposition, because in the absence of moisture there was so little to 
 aid in its decay that it might last for many centuries. A careful search 
 was made in its vicinity for the tool to which it belonged, but no trace of 
 it appeared, and no implement of any kind was found in any of the 
 caverns. 
 
 An excavation twenty feet long and three feet wide was made in this 
 part of the chamber. After the surface layer of dust came a thin crust, 
 which must have been caused by the presence of moisture at some period. 
 It was only a few inches in thickness, and beneath it the material was very 
 dry, soft, and loose, so that the men were able to remove it easily without 
 the use of picks. In the surface crust and beneath it to a depth of three 
 feet were found ashes, charcoal, and potsherds. The latter are not numerous, 
 and are of a coarse quality. At a depth of three feet the potsherds and 
 ashes and all signs of occupation disappeared; the material excavated grew 
 lighter in color, softer, and looser. In appearance and behavior it resembled 
 quicklime, of which it largely consisted. Throughout the whole excavation 
 the material removed rose in the air in thick clouds of suffocating dust. 
 
 142 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 I 
 
 The excavation was carried to a depth of fifteen feet, where the bottom of 
 the cavern was reached in part of the excavation. On the rock floor were 
 absolutely no traces of occupation. 
 
 Close under the sloping wall a skeleton was found ready to crumble. 
 The skull was about six inches from the surface, and the earth rested so 
 lightly upon it that it was still entire when found, but crumbled on being 
 touched. By the skull was a small narrow-necked jar (Plate I., a). The 
 body had been placed in a sitting posture, with knees at chin. In the left- 
 hand side of the chamber, looking from the entrance, a small opening on the 
 level of the floor leads downwards at an angle of 15° under the wall. It is 
 just large enough to admit the body of a man lying flat, and is the end of a 
 passage about forty feet long that leads to a small chamber which I have 
 called No. 2. Though smaller — being only about fifty feet in diameter— this 
 chamber was like the first in appearance, except that it contained more ashes. 
 The floor was level and even, but the way it yielded to the footstep did not 
 suggest any very extensive or recent occupation. As in the first chamber, 
 fragments of pottery protruded from the surface, and one rough vessel rested 
 on the floor near the centre. Near it was a slight rounded elevation which 
 proved to be the remains of a fire, a heap of bones and ashes covered with 
 dust. Over a part of these remains a stalagmite had begun to form, the 
 only evidence of moisture having entered this cave. It was about six inches 
 thick in the centre, thinning away at the edges; many of the charred bones 
 were incorporated in its under part, showing that it had formed and had not 
 been placed in that position. The rough jar which stood close by had the 
 marks of fire upon it, and was probably a cooking-vessel. An excavation 
 about eight feet in diameter and six feet deep was made in the centre of this 
 chamber. Over everything, including the stalagmite, was a layer of dust; 
 on the stalagmite it was at least one inch deep. As in the first chamber, 
 fragments of pottery were found in the first three feet of depth, but after 
 that none were found. During the work the whole chamber became filled 
 with clouds of choking dust. From this chamber another passage similar 
 to the first leads in the same direction to a third chamber, a long narrow 
 gallery which looks like a rift in the rock running to a wedge at either end 
 and at the top. It is eighty feet long and twenty feet wide at the widest 
 part. The walls are black, the air close and foul, and altogether it is as 
 repulsive a hole as could be found in the face of nature. The floor seemed 
 more uneven than in either of the other chambers, and gave way still more 
 to the pressure of the feet, and with a crushing sound. I soon discov¬ 
 ered that I was walking upon the dust and crumbling bones of decomposed 
 human bodies, mingled with ashes and lime. A mass of charred and calcined 
 bones occupied the entire floor to a depth of about two feet. Among these 
 were a few larger pieces which did not show traces of fire, and around the 
 walls were found a number of small jars (Plate I., b, c, d, e, f). An excavation 
 
 143 
 
8 
 
 CAVERNS OF COPAN. 
 
 was made across the centre of this chamber to a depth of three feet. In the 
 last foot excavated the bones disappeared. It is hard to give a conception 
 of what a disagreeable place this was to work in. Outside the mountain it 
 was intensely hot, and inside the temperature seemed scarcely lower ; add 
 to this the close, stifling condition of the atmosphere, that made breathing 
 difficult, and then the thick clouds of unsavory dust that filled the air at 
 every disturbance of the decayed mass on the floor with its associated lime 
 and ashes. The chamber seems to have been used for depositing the partly 
 cremated remains of human bodies. I do not think that fires were built in 
 this chamber itself, for there were no large fragments of charred wood such 
 as would have marked the remains of a fire. 
 
 Cave No. 4 is close to No. 3, in an angle of the cliff. The first chamber 
 is a dome-shaped cavity about one hundred feet across and very lofty in the 
 centre. The floor had the usual appearance. At the side farthest from the 
 entrance a rocky incline led upwards to an opening like a narrow doorway, 
 guarded by a projecting wall of rock; this gave access to a small circular 
 chamber from whose top a shaft leads almost vertically upwards to a height 
 of forty feet, where a narrow passage leads horizontally to one side. Follow¬ 
 ing this a distance of fifty feet, a long, low chamber is reached, quite damp 
 and inhabited by myriads of bats. No digging was done here, and I cannot 
 tell whether or not there are any human remains. 
 
 An old Ladino who lives at Llano Grande told me one day that there 
 was when he was a boy a very large cave at a certain point in the lower 
 slope of this same mountain. From the entrance a flight of hewn steps led 
 downward a long way into the interior, and there were sculptured figures oil 
 the wall on both sides. People were afraid to enter it, but on one occa¬ 
 sion he and a companion entered with a torch. They arrived at the bottom 
 of the stairway, and walked on a level floor. There were statues standing 
 around, and there were sculptures on the walls. They thought there might 
 be gold hidden away somewhere, but after they had gone a little way they 
 saw something that looked like the devil, and becoming afraid they ran out. 
 So far as he knew, no one else had ever entered it, and some time afterward 
 the entrance became closed up. He pretended to be able to point out the 
 exact spot where it had been, and I had the bush cut over a considerable 
 space and excavated, but found neither a cavern nor any indication of 
 one. Either the old man was lying or he was mistaken about the location 
 of his cave. They are fond of the marvellous, and like to make others 
 gape with wonder at their experiences and tales. It is not at all unlikely, 
 however, that my informant had known and entered some cave that after¬ 
 wards became lost, but his imagination aided his memory, and his love 
 for the marvellous made his story easy. There was nothing artificial about 
 the walls of the caves I examined, and with the single exception mentioned 
 there were no sculptures of any kind. 
 
 144 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 In the eastern part of the same limestone formation is a cave of a dif¬ 
 ferent character from those described. In the upper slopes of the mountain, 
 whose top is broad and flat, is an opening in the form of a well about ten 
 feet in diameter and fifty feet deep. From the bottom of this well a shaft 
 leads to a small chamber with a smooth floor of calcite with stalagmites 
 standing like columns around the sides. The whole chamber is lined with 
 white stalactites and delicate incrustations of calcite. At its extreme end 
 the walls of this chamber converge toward the mouth of a vertical shaft a 
 little larger than a man’s body. On my second visit I was lowered through 
 this opening by means of a stout rope brought for the purpose. At a depth 
 of a few feet the walls of the shaft receded suddenly, leading to a dome¬ 
 shaped cavern, very damp. From the enormous stalactites that depend 
 from above, the water is constantly dripping, which keeps the rapidly form¬ 
 ing calcareous deposit on the floor quite moist. There was no other opening 
 but the one that I came through; and the only trace of human remains 
 I found were the bones of a skeleton almost entirely embedded in the rock 
 and much decomposed. This skeleton lay several yards from the point 
 directly under the opening at the top, and was extended at full length. 
 The depth of the cave was more than one hundred feet measured by the 
 length of rope paid out, and it is therefore certain that a person falling 
 through the opening would have been mangled, and his remains would have 
 stayed where they had fallen, directly below the opening. 
 
 The pottery that was found in these caves is of a character entirely 
 different from that found at Copan. Not a single piece can be said to bear 
 any resemblance to Copan pottery, nor does it resemble the pottery of any 
 other locality with which I am familiar. The facts already obtained do not 
 lead us beyond the positive proof that in this region there once lived a people 
 who made pottery of a different character from that pertaining to the people 
 with whose remains in the same region we were already familiar, and that 
 this people either dwelt in caves or resorted to them occasionally, from motives 
 of practice, custom, or protection. 
 
 The evident strength and security of the position suggest their having 
 been selected for defence ; and in keeping with this are the natural conditions 
 determining the mode of life, for races have only taken up their abode in 
 caves where the inhospitable climate drove them to seek shelter there from 
 storm and cold. In this region all the natural conditions are such as to 
 induce an open-air mode of life. Then it is to be remembered that the 
 caves now known could not accommodate very many persons, a few families 
 at most, although it is not unlikely that there are other caves. 
 
 Again, the facts obtained in the caves do not seem to indicate a con¬ 
 stant occupation for an extended period of time ; the deposit is not compact 
 and hard, even on top, as such an occupation by a number of persons would 
 tend to make it. The absence of moisture would of course help to prevent 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM I. — 18 145 
 
10 
 
 CAVERNS OF COPAN. 
 
 it from being compressed and hardened ; and the water brought to the 
 caves for use would have to be taken from the stream and raised with 
 difficulty to a height of several hundred feet; consequently it would be used 
 carefully and with little waste, and hence there would not be so much damp¬ 
 ness attending the domestic life of the people as there usually is under 
 ordinary conditions. 
 
 The presence of the mortuary chamber with so many bones, as well as 
 the burial in the outer chamber of Cave 3, would seem to indicate a constant 
 occupation or even seclusion. But we know, from the writings of the early 
 Spanish priests, that among the Maya tribes of Central America there was an 
 extensive cave cult, devoted to the worship of a cave god, and the rites and 
 ceremonies were performed in caverns. They are probably identical with 
 the so-called Nagualists whose holy places and sacred objects, says Brinton,* 
 were in caves and deep rock-recesses and not in artificial structures. More¬ 
 over, according to the same author, they disposed of the bodies of the priests 
 of their cult in the same caverns where they held their sacred mysteries.f 
 _ As t0 tlle a o e of these relics and the period to which they belong, there 
 is little to give us any information, or to determine the relative place in 
 history of the people they represent. Whether they preceded those who 
 built Copan, came after or were contemporaneous with them, we have no 
 data whatever for determining. The condition of the bones and of the 
 wooden object, though not indicating of necessity any very great antiquity, 
 proves they are of no very recent date, while the accumulation of a deposit 
 from the decomposition of the rocks without the aid of moisture or vege¬ 
 tation, the formation of a stalagmite upon a bed of ashes and the subsequent 
 deposition of a layer of dust argue a considerable antiquity. If we are 
 to suppose these people were distinct from the builders of Copan, then where 
 are they to be traced ? where else are their remains to be found ? May it 
 not be (to hazard a guess) that these cave relics belong, after all, to the same 
 period as Copan itself and are remains of the Copan people, or the devotees 
 of some old cult among them whose temples were the caves and whose vessels 
 used in the ritual were of a design and character exclusively their own. 
 
 As for the natives now living in the country, they neither knew of the 
 existence of the caves nor exhibited any interest when they were made 
 known to them, except in the fear that they displayed when asked to enter, 
 which can be accounted for as the natural attitude of an ignorant and super- 
 
 - naniei <j. rsnnton, JNagualism. Phila. 1894. Sec. 24. j ibid. 
 
 The same author states (Myths of the New World, New York, 1868), on the authority of 
 Gurailla, that the Canbs preserved the bones of their dead hung upon the walls and doorways of 
 their dwellings, like family armor and insignia; and the learned doctor adds, with an unconscious 
 humor akin to that of the enthusiastic preacher who prayed the Lord to remember the people of 
 uninhabited lands, that “when the quantity of these heirlooms became burdensome, they were 
 removed to some inaccessible cavern and stowed away with reverential care ” (pa<r e o 56) 
 
 The Canbs, however, were a coast people, and are not known to have penetrated into the interior 
 140 
 
REPORT OF EXPEDITION OF 1896-1897. 
 
 11 
 
 stitious people—with whom the devil is not only the ever-active enemy 
 of mankind, but is responsible for everything not readily comprehensible 
 to their minds — towards places of such a doubtful character as dark under¬ 
 ground caverns. 
 
 CONTENTS OF CAYE POTTERY. 
 
 The jar (Plate I., b.) from Cave 3 contained cremated bones of some small 
 animal (too fragmentary to be identified), also a few charred fragments which are 
 probably remains of an infant. 
 
 The jar (Plate I., c.) contained bones of a number of small rodents of differ¬ 
 ent species. These bones are very old, but whether or not they underwent partial 
 cremation is doubtful, for while some of the bones seem to show traces of fire, it is 
 by no means certain that they do. 
 
 The jar (Plate I., d.) contained a few cremated fragments of the bones of a 
 child, and a great number of bones of small rodents like those in the above-men¬ 
 tioned vessel. Thesb latter retain what appear to be traces of fire, and I am inclined 
 to regard them as having been subjected to partial cremation. 
 
 These bones of animals found in the pottery vessels from the cave indicate 
 surely a custom which belonged to the people, of placing in the urns which were put 
 with the dead the remains (cremated or otherwise) of certain species of small 
 animals (generally rodents, if not always). The presence of the partially cremated 
 remains of a child in one of the jars, and what appears to be the same thing in 
 another, suggests that they are cinerary urns in which the cremated remains of 
 children were placed, together with those of the animals above mentioned. It is 
 possible, however, that the human remains may have fallen in, as the jars when found 
 were among a great quantity of calcined human bones, while the animal bones, which 
 in any case are too numerous to have come there accidentally, were found only inside 
 the jars; and the signs of cremation, which in some cases are unmistakable, show 
 that the animals to which they belonged were not intruders at a time subsequent 
 to the burials. 
 
 NOTE ON THE FORMATION OF STALAGMITE. 
 
 The stalagmite formation found in Cave 3, chamber 2, over the remains of a fire 
 and containing fragments of burnt bones embedded in its under side, furnishes no 
 accurate measure of age, although it may imply a considerable lapse of time. 
 
 Stalagmitic growth is irregular, and depends upon a variety of conditions such as 
 the amount of rainfall and the quantity of carbonic acid gas in the air. These condi¬ 
 tions are variable, the amount of rainfall varying with locality, and the quantity of 
 carbonic dioxide in the atmosphere depending upon the quantity of vegetation on the 
 surface. The raindrops, taking up carbonic acid in their passage through the air or 
 
 147 
 
12 
 
 CAVERNS OF COPAN. 
 
 in percolating through the surface soil, acquire thus the power of dissolving limestone 
 through which they pass, and'the carbonate of lime thus taken up is deposited in the 
 interior as stalactites and stalagmites when the water evaporates. Thus the rate 
 of growth depends also upon the amount of evaporation, for if the dripping water 
 were allowed to run away or to become absorbed by the floor of the cave, it would 
 carry most of its charge of lime with it. Therefore in a cave where the conditions 
 are damp and the temperature low, the rate of growth would be slow, while in a cave 
 containing less moisture and with a temperature relatively high the growth of 
 calcareous deposits would be correspondingly rapid. 
 
 The conditions as regards temperature and humidity in Cave 3 at Copan are 
 such as would favor rapid growth; while the amount of annual rainfall and the 
 quantity of carbonic acid in the air are probably favorable to the same end. 
 
 The stalagmite under consideration had acquired a thickness of six inches, and 
 with its corresponding stalactite was the only evidences of the entrance of water at 
 any time. Its growth had long been stopped. It had partly decomposed, and had 
 become covered with about an inch of dust from the decomposition of the walls of 
 the cave. 
 
 It is not easy to make an estimate of the time that it took for these various 
 phenomena to take place, data on the subject of stalagmitic formation being scarce. 
 
 When Kent’s Cavern near Torquay in Devonshire was opened in 1825, inscrip¬ 
 tions bearing the dates 1604,1615, and 1688 were found upon the walls; the oldest 
 of these dates was covered with a thin stalagmitic accretion showing an increase of 
 one-twentieth of an inch in two hundred and fifty years.* If such an instance were 
 taken as a standard, it would give a period of thirty thousand years to the formation 
 of the stalagmite in question. 
 
 This of course would not do ; the conditions which would determine the growth 
 in the two cases are very different. Although the annual rainfall is probably not 
 very different, and the amount of carbonic acid in the air may be taken as the same, 
 the average temperature, which is a very important determining factor, is very differ¬ 
 ent in Devonshire and Honduras, while the conditions pertaining in the interior of 
 Kent’s Cavern, where there is much moisture and low temperature, are the reverse 
 of those pertaining to Cave 3. 
 
 In the Cave of Ingleborough, where rapid evaporation is caused by air currents, 
 a stalagmite on which observations have been made since 1839, has been growing at 
 a rate of about three-tenths of an inch annually. It is evident, therefore, that the 
 presence of a few inches of stalagmite is of little value in determining lapse of time. 
 
 * Transactions of the Edinburgh Geological Society, 1886-S7. 
 
 148 
 
Continued from page 2 of Cover. 
 
 The following works relating to American Archaeology, and illustrating special 
 collections in the Museum, are for sale: 
 
 FRESH-WATER SHELL MOUNDS OF THE ST. JOHN’S RIVER, FLORIDA. —Large 8vo, 94 pages, and 9 
 plates. 1875. By Dr. Jeffries Wyman. This work is based upon the “Wyman Collection” on exhi¬ 
 bition in the Museum. Price, $2.00. 
 
 PRIMITIVE INDUSTRY.— By Dr. C. C. Abbott. 8vo, cloth, 560 pages, 42S illustrations. 1881. This volume 
 contains an account of the archaeological remains of the North Atlantic seaboard of America, includ¬ 
 ing a special chapter on the palaeolithic implements of the Trenton gravels. The work is based upon the 
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 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF MISSOURI: - By Prof. W. B. Potter and Dr. Edward 
 Evers. 4to, 30 pages, 5 plans, and 24 plates containing 148 figures of ancient Missouri pottery, 1S8O. 
 The Missouri pottery on exhibition in the Museum is well illustrated in this work. Price, $1.00. 
 
 A JOURNAL OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY.— Edited by J. Walter Fewkes. Con¬ 
 taining Papers of the Hemenway Southwestern Archaeological Expedition. Four volumes. Square 8vo. 
 Maps and illustrations. The Mary Hemenway Collection is exhibited in the Museum. 
 
 VOLUME I. —A FEW SUMMER CEREMONIALS AT ZUNI PUEBLO.—By J. Walter Fewkes. 1891. Price, 
 $2.50. 
 
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 VOLUME III. — RECONNOISSANCE OF RUINS IN OR NEAR THE ZUNI RESERVATION. — By J. Walter 
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 and J. G. Owens. 1894. Price, $2.50. 
 
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