362 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s. f i t 1899
This ancient custom can now be traced from the Pueblo region of Arizona to southern Central America.
6. The terra-cotta tubing found in the mound may perhaps be explained as serving some mythological purpose — perhaps to form an outlet for the escape of the shade of the dead. This explana- tion, however, is not altogether satisfactory, and further excava- tion in this region is needed to shed light on its significance.
7. The great importance attached to mortuary rites is shown by the elaborately constructed tombs containing mural paintings and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The terra-cotta figures and the funeral urns attest the very high attainment of the ancient Zapo- tecas in the art of modeling earthen objects.
8. The absence of anything like mosaic carving or patterns in the walls, such as are found in Mitla, is of great interest ; further- more, the mural paintings of Xoxo are widely different from those of Mitla. The excavations give additional proof that the ancient palaces of Mitla are not to be attributed to Zapotecan culture, but are the remains of a city built by the great Nahuatl tribe. This is further rendered probable by the fact that the character of the paintings of Mitla and those of the ruins of San Juan Teotihuacan, in the valley of Mexico, are practically identi- cal. The tombs of Mitla, like the palaces, are constructed with walls having mosaic patterns.
The valleys of Oaxaca, Etla, and Zachila contain many groups similar to those of Xoxo, and of far greater extent ; and as my work in Xoxo reveals a tomb of different character in each mound that was excavated, it is extremely probable that a great variety of new material for the study of Zapotecan culture will be brought to light by further explorations carried on in this territory.
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