ART TN STONE.
As has been observed above, the West Indies yield no specimens of palmolithic implements. Indeed, their prevailing types of stone weapons and utensils are singularly fine in workmanship. Sonic antiquaries go so far as to say that the specimens from that locality are of a more elaborate and finished nature than those derived from almost any other people. This is exaggeration; but they certainly furnish many fine examples and sonic unique forms. They show au immense variety in shape and a con siderable attempt at ornamentation, while the patience and skill evinced in working very hard stones into elaborate shapes are remarkable.
are from ten to twenty inches in length, larger at one extremity than at the other, and frequently decorated with the head of some animal or of man. Illustrations of two from the island of St. Domingo are given on Plate 8 (figs. 32, 33). The material of which they are formed is a close-grained serpentine.
An utensil often worked into curious forms is the hand-hammer or pestle, such as we see represented in Figure 34. Many of the specimens have fantastic heads which also serve the purpose of handles.
Stones and the two most puzzling forms of stone implements found in the West Indies are the "manuniform" or "cocked-hat" stones and the collars. The latter, as has been previously stated (p. 91), are also obtained in Mexico, where they arc considered by antiquaries to have been used in human sacrifices. They are still more abundant in the West Indies, and must have had some highly important application, as their manufacture involved a great deal of labor. They average about twenty inches in length by sixteen in width, external measurement, and are either oval or pear-shaped, the latter being more highly polished and richly ornamented than the former. The ornamenta tion and arrangement of the aperture indicate that they were intended to be worn, some on the right, others on the left shoulder.
The mannniform or "cocked-hat" stones (pi. 8, figs. 26, 27) are some what triangular in shape. They vary from five to ten inches in length and from two to four in width. The material is marble, greenstone, or some volcanic product. The base is usually rough, while the ends and top taper to points which are finished with elaborate care. Indeed, Professor
Mason of Washington, in describing a series of them, pronounces them, with reference to elegance of design and variety of execution, as belong ing to the highest type of sculptured stone implements in the world. Their use is entirely conjectural. Some consider them mullers for grind ing paint; others suppose they were lashed to handles and used as the heads of war-clubs.
and stone bowl with rectangular and curved designs carved on its exterior is shown on our Plate (fig. 31). It may have been used as a mortar for beating up roots and fruits. Small stone tables, sometimes called "mealing-stones" (fig. i 1), are not infrequent. They much resemble the Mexican met/at/ (see p. 9o). Their purpose, however, has led to some discussion. They also are much the same in form as the seats (fig. 2) manufactured of stone in Peru. Hence it is maintained by some writers that they were stone stools. Figure 4 is another form.
Jamaica very noteworthy class of antiquities from the West Indies are the so-called "Jamaica stones." They are obtained in consid erable numbers exclusively from the island of Jamaica. They are long, narrow, rounded, and highly-polished chisels (fig. 5). They do not re semble specimens found on the mainland, but present a striking and curious similarity to a class of stone tools from Central France. Polished stone axes, with grooves or with their edges expanding into wings at the top, are also common in the West Indies.
Slew Implements in. to the northern shore of the continent, the stone relics are divided into a surface series and a series obtained from the shell-mounds which line the coasts. The latter are more ancient, of ruder manufacture, and in forms indicating that they are the art-products of a different people. It has been argued that these mounds were thrown up by wandering colonies of Caribs, who did not remain long enough to perfect their utensils. That the mounds are not of extremely remote antiquity is proved by the numerous fragments of coarse earthenware with which they are interspersed to the bottom, and by the species of shells of which they are composed.