General guide to the exhibition halls of the American Museum of Natural History . right, copies of American Indian art, mostly oflate prehistoric date. West WingINDIANS OF SOUTH AMERICA The next hall to the north contains exhibits from the Indians ofSouth America. The collections from the prehistoric Indians of Peru,Bolivia Ecuador, Colombia, etc., are arranged in the front of the hall,while at the rear are exhibits for the living Indians. Unl-ke the ancient peoples of Mexico and Central America, the Peruvians had no written language. They were tillers of the soil and „ raised maize, potatoes,
General guide to the exhibition halls of the American Museum of Natural History . right, copies of American Indian art, mostly oflate prehistoric date. West WingINDIANS OF SOUTH AMERICA The next hall to the north contains exhibits from the Indians ofSouth America. The collections from the prehistoric Indians of Peru,Bolivia Ecuador, Colombia, etc., are arranged in the front of the hall,while at the rear are exhibits for the living Indians. Unl-ke the ancient peoples of Mexico and Central America, the Peruvians had no written language. They were tillers of the soil and „ raised maize, potatoes, oca, quinua, beans, coca, and Ancient Peru _, * . , , . . cotton. They domesticated the llama, which wasused as beast of burden. They excelled in the manufacture and decora-tion of pottery vessels, in metal work, and in textile fabrics. In the casesdirectly in front of the entrance, the gold and silver objects, such as beads,cups, pins, and ear ornaments, show the high degree of skill attained inthe beating, soldering, and casting of metals. INDIANS OF SOUTH AMERICA 81. PIECES OF CLOTH FOUND WITH PERUVIAN MUMMIES The prehistoric Peruvians were familiar with modern weaves, including the finestgobelins, and produced highly decorative effects by harmonized colors and a repetitionof woven-in designs. The Museums collection of mummy cloths is one of the largestin the world, and is much used by teachers and students of art. In weaving, the Peruvians were perhaps preeminent among pre-historic peoples, many of their textiles exhibited here being unsurpassedT ... at the present day. The materials used were cotton and the wool of the llama, alpaca, and vicuna. In the cases near theentrance are examples of these textiles with looms and shuttles. (GuideLeaflet No. 46, Peruvian Art, deals with the meaning of the figuresshown in textiles and pottery.) On the right side of the hall are upright cases containing collectionsfrom important localities in Peru, followed by exhibits from Ecuador,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade191, booksubjectnaturalhistorymuseums
