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Cornugaya Directory 07
Page 01
Many were the wonderful things which had been found in digging near
Cuzco; but most interesting of all to me were the deformed crania--some
flattened to almost an incredible extent on the top, others elongated
backward to an amazing degree, others still with the central part of the
skull deeply depressed, so as to form two globular swellings at the
sides. Others, again, had been squeezed so as to form an angular ridge
longitudinally on the summit. One skull particularly interested me, which
had a pronounced elongation backward, and a dent just above the forehead
which must have been caused by tying the cranium while young and still in
a soft condition. Most of the skulls were of gigantic size when compared
with those of modern times. The lower part was under-developed. Many of
them possessed magnificent teeth.
It is seldom one can visit a place where the people have more primitive
habits than in the city of Cuzco. The streets, so wonderfully
picturesque, were not fit to walk upon. The people threw into them all
that can be thrown out of the houses, which possess no sanitary
arrangements of any kind. Much of the pleasure of looking at the
magnificent Inca walls--constructed of great blocks of stone so well
fitted that no cement was necessary to hold them together--was really
lost through being absolutely stifled by the suffocating odour which was
everywhere prevalent in Cuzco.
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