Research Items

Abstract

POTTKKY SKOM TRUXILLO.—The Field Museum of Natural History has issued as No. 1 of Volume 2 of its Memoirslin Anthropology a preliminary report by Prof, A. L. Kroebor on a journey of archæological oxploration in Peru on behalf of the Museum in 1925. Most of the exploration was carried out in the coastal areas of central and southern Peru; but this first part of the report deals only with the pottery art of the northern coast region in the vicinity of Truxillo. Here are the important prehistoric sites of Chanchan and Moche, the former the largest ruin in Peru, the latter containing the highest pyramid, at least in the northern part of the country. Adjoining Truxillo to the north is the valley of Chicama, from which many of the specimens examined may have come though now labelled Truxillo. Truxillo is one of the centres yielding the Chimu type of pre-Hispanic pottery, for long the type, apart from Inca, best known outside Peru. Two varieties are recognised, one red and white classified by Uhie as proto-Chimu, the other black (sometimes coloured) known as Chimu. Three other types are also distinguished, which seem to point to an intercalation of influence from Tiahuanaco between the two styles. Nothing of true Tiahuanaco stylo or of red-white-black geometric has been discovered north of Truxillo. Prof, Kroeber's researches have been directed towards the problem whether the proto-Chiruu style died out under outside influence, or whether it survived, as seemed likely, in attenuated form and was revived as late Chirnu; but he has not arrived at more than tentative conclusions. He is inclined to regard the three colour geometric as later than Tiahuanaooid, while Dr. Ulile is disposed to regard it as earlier. His investigations lead to the conclusion that the proto-Chimu and Chavin styles are contemporary pre-Inca, showing traceable relations with this northern interior. Three colour geometric, a problematical middle Chimu, and the tripod and modelled styles are Tiahuanacoid and o presumably pre-Inca, while late Chimu probably began In pre-Inca and continued into Inca and colonial times.