Page:The American Indian.djvu/323

Rh toward effigy vessels and vases bearing frogs, monkeys, etc., in relief, peeping over the brims. Spindle whorls of pottery, highly engraved, are frequent, but quite distinctive are the cylindrical pottery stamps for printing cloth and body painting. This may be considered as an independent invention of roller printing.

Emerald mines were worked. Colombian collections contain numbers of stone tools, particularly ax blades, some of which are grooved.

Very little is known of Venezuela, but the highland portion seems to have had culture affinities with Colombia. Unusually large stone mortars have been reported; ax blades are rectangular and triangular; pottery is rude, but shows incised decorations and the relief figures of Colombia; bone points and implements are abundant. Only a few mounds have been reported.

20. Ecuador. While Ecuador has some striking individualities, it nevertheless does show similarities to Peru on the one hand and to Colombia on the other. Historically, it is considered that a certain unity prevailed over the whole territory between the present boundary of Peru in the south and the River Ancasmayu on the north. This province is usually designated as the empire of Quito. The archæology of this region is not very well known, but there seems to be considerable variety and curious local developments. Two general subdivisions are recognized, the interior highland culture and that of the coast plain. Of the latter, Manabi is the most peculiar, with its stone chairs, carved slabs, pillars, and stone buildings; traits not found elsewhere.

Burial mounds are frequent on the coast and extend northward from Quito. Gold work is not so strongly developed as elsewhere but there is a special development in the art of overlaying with gold leaf. This, as well as pottery, is more highly developed on the coast. A great variety of stone and copper club heads and axes is to be found in the highlands, but they are not conspicuous on the coast.

21. Peru. Under another head we have outlined the culture of this area, hence we may merely note the chronological and