Faunal And Archeological Researches In Yucatan Caves

Author : Edward Herbert Thompson
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9780265767641
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (676 download)

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Download or read book Archaeological Researches in Yucatan written by Edward Herbert Thompson and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2017-10-26 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Archaeological Researches in Yucatan: Reports of Explorations for the Museum In a hillside to the southeast Of the pueblo is The Cave of the Dead. Entering the narrow mouth of the cave and following a rough inclined sur face for a distance of about forty yards, we came to a crevice in the floor. A lighted candle lowered burned clear, and revealed firm ground about nine feet below. Entering with some difiiculty, I found myself in a rough, tunnel like chamber, with the floor sloping upward and pillars of beautiful brown crystals of calcite glistening and scintillating in the light Of the candle. The floor was also Of crystalline calcite, and in its structure were imbedded and clearly visible many human bones. Some had projected above the glistening surface, but these had been hacked or broken Off. So far as the chamber floor could be examined, it was covered with human bones. A portion of the floor, owing to impurities, is of an opaque character, but investigation proved it to be also thickly covered with bones. For some reason skulls or their fragments do not seem to be as numerous as they should be. I asked Of the native hunters who first found this cave if they had found and carried away or destroyed any skulls, or if they had known of_any one who had done so since the discovery, and they unhesi tatingly answered to the contrary. Portions of skulls were, however, found, and teeth as well. The frontal bones were not flattened nor were the teeth ornamented or filed. Fragments of vessels of unmistakable antiquity were found in numbers, intermixed with the bones, and clearly indicate that these bones are not of modern burial. In places the dripping water has worn away instead of depositing lime material, and in the basins thus formed are found bones, pebbles, and potsherds, all equally worn and rounded by the dripping and rippling of the water around them. The problems presented by the finding Of this accumulation of human bones in such a strange situation are difficult to solve. From the fragments encountered it is clear that many earthen vessels had been placed in the cave, and it may well be that many persons seeking refuge from some sudden invasion were caught entrapped by their enemies and_ so perished; or, this may have been a general burial - cave. But these caves are full of surprises by reason of their natural formation, and perhaps future investigation which I have in view may solve the problem. The native hunters who first found and entered the cave say that they found several vessels of hard burned clay. They were perfect when found, but when taken home were given by their Wives as playthings to their children. An earthen vessel in the hands Of a native child soon ceases to be of value to science. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.