Wassén, Henry

1956.02.0001-0002
Två arkeologiska föremål, lerkärl och okraina, från "Old Line Culture", Costa Rica. Gåva genom intendent Henry Wassén från ledamoten av styrelsen för Museo Nacional i San José, Mr Charles A. Balser (adress: Apartado 1593, San José). Översändandet förmedlat av svenske konsuln L. Holtermann i San José och herr Malte Svensson i Johnson- Line.
I brev av den 4/2 1956 skriver Mr. Balser följande om begreppet "Old Line Culture": "With regards to the 'Old Line Culture' you will not find such a reference in Lothrop as he calls it 'Guapiles' but about four years ago it was decided to denominate this cultural area 'Line Vieja' or 'Old Line'. Both trems are used as it designates a section of the original railroad track from Limon to San José which after som time was changed into more direct communicating way. As Keith brought a bunch of Jamaican negroes to work on the construction of the railroad the English wording of 'Old Line' is quite current on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica. The enclosed reprint (åsyftar en uppsats av Carlos Balser: "A Fertility Vase from the Old Line, Costa Rica" tryckt i American Antiquity, Vol. 20:4, part 1, April, 1955) will show you the free use of both terms, even though outside of Costa Rica it is not yet very current, and either 'Guapiles' or 'Las Mercedes' ware be used."