The Washington herald., 1914-04-08
SKULLS OF ANCIENT
RACE ARE UNEARTHED
Scientists Return from Explorations
in Peru to Gain Exhibits for
California Fair.
OLD WEAPONS ARE DISCOVERED

The Smithsonian Institution has just
issued second report concerning the
| neid work DR.. Ales Hrdiicka. Of the Ma
tional Museum, carried on in Peru dur
| fng the past year, in connection with the
Panama California Exposition at San
Diego. for which an important exhibit
in physical anthropology Is being pre-
pared.
The Investigations extended over sew
eral hundred miles OF the Peruvian coast
and over hitherto unexplored regions In
the Western Cordiileras. The objects Of
this trip. which occupied the frst four
months Of 1913. were to determine the
| relations Of the ancient Peruyians OF the
mountains with those OF the coast The
expedition proved successful Over 100
ancient cemeteries and many ruins, a
large percentage OF which were previous
ly unknown to science, were examined
and over thirty boxes Of skulls and
other material for future study were coll
lected for the National Museum and the
museum at san Diego.
The writer reports that skeletal mater
ial, which formerly abounded In Peru
and IL essential TO scientific research, Ii
fast disappearing. and In q few years
cannot be gathered without the expendi-
ture Of much time and money.
The results Of the expedition VIII
prove of unusual value to anthro-
pology. While some of the links of
the chain Of evidence are still wanting.
It can now be said with certainty
that the Peruvian coast, from Chic
layo in the north to Yauca in the
south. was peopled predominantly be-
fore the advent Of the whites by one
and the same physical type of Indian.
According to their location. the peo-
pie of old Peru were either fishermen
or farmers Some OF their smaller
dwellings were made of reeds. while
larger structures were built of small
uncut stones, sun-dried brick, or
blocks of adobe. The native dress
consisted principally of a poncho shirt.
a Ioin cloth. and sandals. with simple
headgear.
The pre-Columbia Peruvians of the
coast knew the uses OF gold, silver.
and copper, and worked these metals
to some extent. especially copper In
the manufacture Of weapons. Their
common weapons were a metal or
stone mace, q wooden club. copper
az and knife, the sling. and In some
regions the bow and arrow.
Throughout the whole territory along
the coast the people deformed the heads
of their infants by applying pressure
to the forehead probably by means OF
bandages and pads. which process hat
tened the back of the bead as well. They
did not practice fling. cutting, or chip
ping the teeth, or other mutilations
which would leave marks on the skele-
tons.
1t is evident that in some of the dis
tricts serious wounds Of the head were
frequently followed by the operation
known as trepaning. and although this
was often crudely done. II was success
full in many cases. This practice was
probably carried on even after the COM
ing of the Spaniards.
The results of the expedition failed to
strengthen the theories of the antiquity
Of man in Peru, but tended to prove the
contrary. No signs indicated that any
group occupied any OF the sites for even
as long at twenty centuries. -