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 saville] zapotecan tombs 359

were the covers of boxes or chests of terra-cotta, resting on four feet, and the corners of each box were ornamented with symbolic faces. Evidently at the time the tomb was covered with earth, the boxes were thrown in, for I found their fragments in the excavation. On removing the large stone placed against the door, the floor of the crypt was found literally covered with food vessels and incense burners and the remains of several skeletons. The northern part of the floor was raised by the presence of a large slab of stone covering two-thirds of the area. At the inner end, on either side, were niches in the walls, each of which con- tained human remains. The compartment at the end of the tomb was filled with trunk and limb bones, over which the crania were placed, and all these bones and skulls were painted red. Several pottery vessels and incense burners were placed in front of the bones. Directly below the niches the wall was made by circular stones, one being on either side, and beneath the end niche two were placed side by side.

On the southern wall, just inside the doorway, was a large sculpture representing well-known forms of Zapotecan inscrip- tions. The walls of the chamber were formerly entirely covered with plaster, but during the lapse of centuries, probably acceler- ated by the action of earthquakes, the greater part had fallen off. They had been entirely covered with paintings in various bright colors, traces of which are distinctly visible. Over these bright- colored paintings a thin coating of stucco had been laid, upon which, in black outlines, were painted a series of human figures draped in flowing garments, the tihna of ancient Mexico. There were also complicated designs, possibly hieroglyphics. Many of the faces of the figures were further ornamented by a thin wash of red paint. The remains of these paintings, were they com- plete, would be of great value in a comparative study of the old Zapotecan codices.

The most important feature of the tomb was the hieroglyphic inscription carved on the stone door lintel, as giving an entirely

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