Title: Ancient civilizations of Mexico and Central America
Identifier: anivili03spin (find matches)
Year: 1943 (1940s)
Authors: Spinden, Herbert Joseph, 1879-1967
Subjects: Indians of Mexico; Indians of Central America
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: IMLS / LSTA / METRO

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THE ABOHAIO TTOKIZON 59 developed into a rather special domestic breed. Snakes are sometimes found as a plastic decoration on pottery but there are few signs of serpent wor- ship. We can find no evidence that human sacrifice was practised. The presence of human figurines in graves lias already been mentioned and the sugges- tion made that some of them may have been intended as portraits of the dead. Nude female figurines in sitting or standing positions have an unbroken dis- tribution from Mexico into South America and it is not unlikely that the primitive agriculturists asso- ciated them with fertility and used them as amulets to secure good crops. The male figurines may have been votive offerings for success at arms. Archaic Pottery. The ordinary pottery of the Archaic Period from Mexico and Central America is heavy and simple in shape. The globular bowl
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Fig. 18. Typical Tripod Vessels of the Archaic Period, from Morelos, Mexico. with a constricted neck is a common form as well as wide-mouthed bowls with or without tripod sup- ports. Lugs and handles are very common. When plain, the tripods are large, hollow and rounded, with a perforation on the under side, but they are often modified into faces and feet. .Many vessels are decorated by the addition of modeled faces en- abling as to make a direct connection with the fig- ures in clay already described. In fact the decoration of pottery of this early pe-

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