188 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [ 78,19761

ization of these waterworks during the 1400s, as Tenochtitlan grew in size and power. More importantly, there are hints that the Aztec, as in many of their endeavors, were following earlier practice and, in part, renovating earlier facilities.

One of the merits of this study lies in suggesting directions for future work. Thus, field archaeology, of the kind recently practiced in the Basin by Armillas and Parsons, should lead t o the detection of some of the kinds of features mentioned in the sources. Modeling, based o n precise topographic data, should make i t possible to quantify relations between microrelief, water levels, water volumes, rates of flow, salinity and chinampa hectarage, with implications both for archaeology and Palerms reconstruction. We may thus even get to know where and when the earlier occupants of the Basin were laying the foundations of the Aztec system.

Finally, Palerms study also bears, of course, on Wittfogels theory of hydraulic society, although the relationship is some- what less than direct. I t is conditional, in part, o n further work, that could show that the Aztec were perpetuating a much older system, designed, perhaps, in Cuicuilco, Xico, Atzcapotzalco, or Teotihuacan. There is also the question of whether the Wittfogel model is deductively correct. While the appeal to complexity and multiple causa- tion can be indeed an evasion of the issues, as Palerm suggests (p. 15) , there are many who believe today that the strategic fac- tors here may include, or even consist entirely of, variables unrecognized in the hydraulic hypothesis. In its own terms, however, that hypothesis does gain relevance from Palerms finding that preconquest chinampa farming probably entailed state control on a significant scale, and that the water works of the Aztec had a directly productive function.

Ancient Ecuador: Culture, Clay and Cre- ativity, 3000-300 B.C. Donald Lathrap, Donald Collier, and Helen Chandra. Catalogue of an Exhibit Organized by the Field Museum of Natural History, April 18-August 5, 1975. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1975. 110 pp., drawings, figures, maps, photographs, color plates, bibliography, catalog of the exhibit. $5.95 (paper). (Introduction and Conclusions in Spanish and English.)

Donald E. Thompson University of Wisconsin, Madison

This review is concerned with an ex- hibition catalog which I have been asked to assess in conjunction with the exhibition itself. Under these novel circumstances, I feel it would be best to start with the latter. The exhibition, organized by the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, with the collaboration of many individuals and institutions in this country and in Ecuador, closed August 5, 1975, in Chicago, but will be shown in New York (September 23- November 18), Kansas City (January 15- February 29, 1976), Urbana (September 5-October 3), Minneapolis (March 8-May 8, 1977), and, after July 1977, in Quito and Guayaquil.

For anyone, professional or aficionado, interested in New World archaeology or in any way concerned with Precolumbian art, the assembling of this exhibition is an event of extraordinary importance. Never before, to my knowledge, have these remarkable and hereunto little known styles of pottery been brought together in this country in so comprehensive an exhibit. Since it has been largely assembled from private and public collections in Ecuador, it is unlikely that such a collection will be seen again in North America for a long time.

The primary concern of the exhibit is with the ceramics of the Ecuadorian Forma- tive: Valdivia, Machalilla, and Chorrera Periods. Although the chronological develop- ment is well treated in the exhibit, a major part of the space is devoted to interpreta- tion, the cultural implications that may be drawn from the pottery. Physically, the exhibit had to be designed t o travel, and for this reason uniform and rather simple rectangular cases which employ plexiglass and can be readily dismantled were used. All cases are the same height and have the same square floor plan, bu t monotony has been avoided by careful positioning of the cases in the room and by varying the height of the floors within the cases. In addition, some objects are placed upon plexiglass stands and some are hung from above, again providing some variety. Lighting is from above and is quite adequate for the pieces to be clearly viewed from most angles. There has been an unfortunate tendency in recent years in some institutions for exhibition technique (I am almost inclined t o say exhibitionism) t o take over displays much to the detriment of the objects themselves, which are pre- sumably what the viewers are really coming t o see. This exhibit, I am glad to say, is tastefully displayed, the messages are clearly imparted, and the objects can be adequately viewed, all without the props and gimmicks so essential to Madison Avenue-inspired dis-

A R C H A E O L O G Y 189

play technicians. As noted above, a large proportion of the

exhibit is devoted t o some of the implica- tions that can be drawn from the pottery. These are built around a series of themes or topics and are made possible in large measure because of the remarkable elaborateness of the pottery, a large proportion of which is modeled after real things in great detail, especially in the Chorrera Period. One is reminded of Moche pottery from the North Peruvian coast, though the two are really quite distinct from one another in time as well as style. Topics or themes of individual cases include: Agri- culture, in which a photomural of a modern corn field provides a backdrop for maize impressioned pottery and stone and shell tools; Hunting and Fishing, in which a photomural of a caballito del mar in use lends an ethnographic touch to a pottery bottle depicting a man riding o n a similar vessel, and artifacts such as atlatl hooks and shell fishhooks provide more usual back- ground to the cases theme; Housing, in which photographs of a recently excavated house from the archaeological site of Real Alto and of a contemporary Maquiritare multifamily house from Venezuela give an added dimension to an effigy vessel of a house; and Shamanism, which boasts a re- markable bone artifact, probably a shamans sucking tube, carved in the form of what is probably a shaman seated on his typical stool, a contemporary example of which is also shown for comparison. There are too many other such cases t o be fully listed here; favorites of this reviewer include the Chor- rera Period animal effigy vessels, especially the depictions of snakes, sometimes shown being captured by laughing falcons, and the very unusual bat bowls in which the bats head is affixed t o the rim and the leading edges of the wings sweep around to form the rim of the vessel and the wings bend down to form the bottom. So carefully modeled are many of these animal effigy vessels that the animals depicted can be identified as to species.

As already noted, some cases are devoted to chronology and the characteristics of the three periods. There are also several cases given over to cross-cultural comparisons and possible outside contacts. For example, the falcon catching the snake motif mentionecl above is compared to a photograph of a similar theme depicted in San Agustin stone carving; the harpy eagle motif is compared to Chavin; and the probable role of seashell trade as a vehicle for contact is explained. Mesoamerican contacts are also explored in some detail.

One final note: the labels are in both Spanish and English. This is an obvious courtesy to the country from which the pieces come and in which the exhibit will be shown after its tour here. However, this reviewer overheard many Spanish speakers a t the exhibition in Chicago; the same will probably be true in other cities. Bilingual and multilingual labeling is something which could well be kept in mind for future exhibitions in many parts of this country if museum displays are indeed intended for as wide a range of people as possible.

I t should be obvious from what has been said so far that this is an exhibit worth making a considerable effort to see. Good as the illustrations in the catalog are, no picture can really substitute for the real thing. A serious visitor to the exhibit will, however, also want t o purchase the catalog, which is modestly priced given its quality and impor- tance, and anyone who is interested in the subject matter and is unable to visit the exhibit itself should make every effort to obtain a copy, both for the illustrations and the text.

The catalog illustrates each object, a few in color, quite a number in fairly large format, and the majority on a small scale (roughly 3 to 4 cm. square) in the formal catalog section. The quality of reproduction is good throughout. Each object is described in both English and Spanish, dimensions are given, and effigy vessels are identified as accurately as possible. Some idea of the material shown and the quality of the illustrations thereof may be seen in the July 1975 issue of Archaeology (28:198-200) where an announcement of the exhibit is accompanied by six illustrations, two of which are in color.

Lathraps text covers much of the same ground as the exhibit itself, but does so in much greater detail than the labels. This text is the most up-to-date and also the most provocative statement on Ecuadorian archaeology in English; indeed, additions and changes based on current fieldwork were being incorporated practically up t o press time.

The text begins with a discussion of the origins of agriculture in the New World and the new revised chronology that is being followed in the text and exhibit. The second chapter, which deals with the economy, develops the theme of the dependence of Valdivia Period peoples on agriculture and the case for the extensive use of flint corn, probably as early as Valdivia 3 (2300-2200 B.C.), but almost certainly by Valdivia 5-6 (2000-1700 B.C.). Manioc and other tropical lowland crops are also discussed, and the

1 9 0 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [78,1976]

case is made for the priority of cotton cultivation in Ecuador over the Peruvian coast. Hunting and fishing are also dealt with, and other possible foodstuffs such as the Mexican Hairless dog and the palm grub are proposed on the basis of their depiction in Chorrera Period ceramics combined with ethnographic analogy.

The third chapter, which deals with ceramics directly, presents the periods in considerable detail, going into shape, decora- tion, and chronological change. Of special interest are the Valdivia bowls decorated to imitate carved gourds and the similarity of these to the Huaca Prieta ones from the North Peruvian coast. A cast of one of the latter is provided in the exhibit; a drawing and photograph in the text. The Machalilla and Chorrera Period pottery is also discussed in detail, but the tremendous variety, especially of the latter, precludes full description. Detailed comparisons are made with other areas, especially the Amazon and Orinoco drainages, but including the Peru- vian highlands and coast, the Ecuadorian highlands, and various parts of Mesoamerica.

The rich figurine tradition is next dis- cussed, followed by Life in Formative Ecuador, drawing heavily on the rich Chorrera Period modeled pottery and on ethnographic analogy. Subjects include per- sonal adornment and the use of coca and hallucinogenic drugs, and many other topics. There emerges a well reasoned reconstruc- tion of many aspects of life during the Formative Period.

The final chapter, entitled Influences of the Formative on the Emerging Civilizations of Mesoamerica and Peru, brings together many of the arguments already put forward, and develops the theme of Ecuadors cul- tural preeminence in the New World prior to about 1000 B.C. The case is made for the influence of Ecuadorian Formative ceramics on the early ceramics of Mesoamerica and the Central Andes. The arguments will no t be summarized here; they are too detailed; but the case is a strong one.

In summary, both the exhibit and its catalog are important contributions to our understanding of the position of Ecuador in New World archaeology and art history. Both are informative, provocative, and a pleasure to absorb visually and verbally. I t will be a long time, I expect, before we see the like of either again.

The Peoples and Cultures of Ancient Peru. Luis G . Lumbreras. Betty J. Meggers, trans. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press

(distributed in the U.S. and Canada by George Braziller, in other areas by Feffer and Simons), 1974. vii + 248 pp., charts, drawings, maps, photographs, literature cited, index. $15.00 (cloth). [Translation with revisions of De 10s pueblos, las cul- turas y las artes del antiguo Peru, 1969.1

David L. Browman Washington University, St. Louis

Lumbreras volume is absolutely essential reading for the New World archaeologist, the Latin American specialist, or anyone who wishes to understand the development of civilization in the Andes. It is one of those beautiful, rare books which is useful t o the uninitiated as well as the specialist. It is clearly written and amply illustrated, so the non-Peruvianist can read it with thorough understanding without being bewildered by jargon, while new interpretations and new data make it equally valuable to the special- ist.

For the general reader, the nonarchae- ologist, or the classroom student, who may need an accurate summary of Peruvian pre- history or a readable text for class use, there is a variety of books to choose from: Bennett and Bird, Bushnell, Kauffmann Doig, Katz, Lanning, and Mason in paper- back; and Larco Hoyle, Willey, and the review volume in hardback. Of these, the top contenders in terms of scope and readability are Lanning and Lumbreras. Because Lum- breras is director of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia y Arqueologia, he brings resources to bear on the presentation of Peruvian prehistory available to none of his competitors; and because the volume is being offered by the subsidized Smithsonian Press, it contains a wealth of illustrative materials, which make it the single best text on Peruvian archaeology available.

A second level of evaluation is for the Peruvianist, for whom Lumbreras book is an exciting new contribution. Promotional flyers suggest that the book is merely a translation with slight revision, but this is not the case; it is a translation with major revisions, and should be entitled a second, revised edition. Comparison of Lumbreras 1969, written in 1967, with Lumbreras 1974, written in 1972, shows major shifts in the categories considered significant. One important change is a decided shift in emphasis from coast to highland. Previously unpublished material, or material published in journals of limited circulation, is sum- marized, including important work by Lumbreras a t Chavin and around Ayacucho, as well as work of the recent Harvard