Evening star., 1950-06-12
Two Peoples Never Seen
By White Men Found
South Americon lndions Wear
Clothes Only for Ceremonies
By Thomos R. Henry

By Thomos R. Henry
A Smithsonian Institution ethnologiSt
has found two groups Of primitive people
never before seen by white men.
They are the Namhiguars and Terena
Indians Of the Matto Crosse area in
Brazil. In the same region. two groups
remain who still are completely unknown.
The first contact with the hitherto
completely elusive Indians is reported by
DR.. Kalervo Oberg He has been engaged
for the past four years in chronological
studies of the Indian tribes at the head.
waters Of the southern tributaries Of the
Amazon-such rivers as the Xingu and
Tapajos-which rise in the desert meSas
Of the Matto Crosse.
In some ways these are among the
most primitive people left on earth. They
are presumably isolated fragments Of
tribes forced into this inhoSpitaole land
centuries ago. They are among the
worlds best examples of extreme isola-
tionism
This is relativelylittl explored coun-
try, DR.. Ooerg says. In general appear
ance it Is somewhat similar to Arizona
or New Mexico. There is one striking
dkEerence. Along the banks of the rivers
are narrow strips of dense tropical forest
Beyond these forests is desert, too dry for
cultivation and of little value for grazing.
Thus there has been no economic urge to
develop the country and the Indians have
been left alone.
Only Clothing Is Ceremonial.
Through the past century. fringe con-
facts have been made. but the very exist
ence of the two groups found by DR..
Oberg has been known only from Ac-
counts of neighboring groups.
They go completely naked the year
around. Their only clothing is for cere-
monial purposes, and this sometimes Is
quite elaborate. They live largely on FISH.
turtles and such fruits as can be gath
cred from the countryside.
They show traces of a considerable
culture in the past. Their head dresses.
worn for ceremonies, for example. are
quite elaborate. They paint their bodies
with complicated red and black semi
geometric designs.
They believe that men were created
from blocks of wood. Each year this
creation myth is elaborately dramatiSed.
Chunks of wood representing the origi-
nal ancestors are brought in from the
forest The Indians dance around them
anu luldlly til4ON bLtAll III bAlC ANCAs
These people are highly suspicious, not
only of white men, but OF their Indian
neighbors They fear their military
secrets will be stolen. When stranger
approaches. they make haste TO hide
their bows and arrows. p
Brazilian government officials now are
trying to make friendly contact with the
groups still unknown.
Notable discoveries in Egyptian arch
eology extending back to the Fourth
Dynasty. about $500 B. c., have been
made since the withdrawal Of most Euro
peans and Americans from this work
early in the war.
They have just been revealed by DR..
Joseph Lindon Smith Of the Boston Mu-
scum of Fine Arts who has just returned
with the reproductions of some OF the
elaborate paintings found. one of which
is intended for the walls of the Egyptian
Embassy.
This is a copy of a scene from the
wall of the tomb Of tt. an Egyptian
prime minister of the Sixth Dynasty,
which is among the most remarkable OF
all ancient works of art It portrays
the ancient official on a hunting expedi-
ton by boat with his henchmen en-
gagged in spearing hippopotami porpoises
and large fish. It also shows It's men
engaged in ploughing.
This tomb was found at Sakkara,
about Is miles from Cairo.
BY far the most important discovery
reported by Mr.. Smith, however, Is that
of the wall paintings from the shrines
of Queen Hatshepshut and Pharoah
Sesostris. both dating from about 1900
B. c. A large gate. about 200 feet
high. to a temple of the 2lst Dynasty,
about 900 B. c.. was found to be fall
ing down. The only way to preserve
it was to demolish it and then rebuild
it, stone by stone.
Building Blocks Elaborate.
Then it was found that building
blocks from the walls of two far earlier
shrines had been used in building the
later temple. This was q practice OF
the later dynaSties.
Some of these blocks were elaborately
incised and painted. These made 1t
possible to identify them as from the
royal shrines.
The blocks from Hatshepshut's shrine
SIS altogether-give a complete pic
ture of the Feast of Opet. a notable
festival in 18th Dynasty times. A statue
of the god Amon-Ra was taken down
the Nile in a sacred boat, stopping for
special ceremonies and feasts. Each Of
these is portrayed on separate block,
One of the blocks pictures the queen
with the Goddess of Writing, Sheshet.
She is giving orders for the building
of her shrine. Other show the type
of entertainment during the feasts
with girls dancing to the music Of .
blind harpist.