42 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. II. 



than of enemies. Chalmers is quoted by Haddon as saying that he saw- 

 in the temples of the village of Maina ' ' numerous skulls of men, women 

 and children, crocodiles and wild boars, also many breasts of the casso- 

 wary. All are carved and many painted. The human skulls are of 

 those who have been killed and eaten. * * * I fancy each man 

 who has killed or helped to kill a foe has his own peculiar painting 

 and carving on the skull."* This author suggests that the skulls may 

 have been used as offerings to the wicker images seen in the temples. 

 It is possible that Chalmers' idea that the skulls seen were the skulls 

 of enemies taken in battle was only a guess. I do not have sufficient 

 of the literature of the subject at hand to enter into a discussion of 

 this point, but believe it to be a fact sufficiently well established that 

 among many of the insular peoples skulls of friends and relatives 

 were preserved and revered as sacred relics, and even in cases became 

 the subject of superstitious veneration or worship; and this is cer- 

 tainly much more reasonable than to suppose that any such feelings 

 should extend to the skulls of strangers and enemies. It is undoubt- 

 edly true, how 7 ever, that the skulls of enemies were and still are taken 

 and preserved by these and many other peoples; the reason most 

 commonly given being the belief that they imparted to the possessor 

 some of the enviable qualities of the person represented, beside no 

 end of magic influence. These skulls were used as drinking cups, 

 and may have been thought to impart extraordinary properties to the 

 liquid used. Employed thus and for ceremonial purposes they were 

 probably painted, engraved or otherwise ornamented, but I have 

 difficulty in believing they would be carefully kept intact, preserved 

 with great care and elaborately ornamented as are the skulls here 

 considered. 



CARE OF CRANIA. 



The preservation of these skulls was evidently a matter of much 

 concern to the owners. It was essential that they should be perfect 

 in every detail. Especial care was taken that no part should be lost. 

 The jaws were secured by fastenings at the right and left and in front. 

 The teeth were carefully tied in and when lost were replaced by arti- 

 ficial teeth made of wood or other material shaped in imitation of the 

 original teeth. This is illustrated in Nos. 40,612, 40,616, 40,614, the 

 much decayed wooden substitutes being still in place. 



* Quoted by Haddon, Decorative Art of British New Guinea, p. 109. 



