April, igoi. The Island of La Plata — Dorsey. 265 



Somewhat similar in shape to these perforated stones is a series 

 of stones varying from two to three inches in length, rectangular in 

 shape, but tapering somewhat on each face toward the end ( PI. LX, 

 ^^ /•> S)- These stones have not been perforated from end to end, 

 but instead there is a hole extending from each end toward the center 

 for the extent of a quarter of an inch, which is met by a hole of sim- 

 ilar size coming from one of the faces of the stone. In the illustra- 

 tion is a specimen which had been broken in two, which makes plain 

 this manner of perforation. 



Additional bead-like stones were found ( see PL LX, a-d) all of 

 which were perforated from side to side, but on three specimens the 

 diameter along the perforation of the stones is considerably less than 

 the transverse diameter. Only one of these specimens is more or 

 less imperfect. 



ENGRAVED STONES REPRESENTING THE HUMAN FACE. 



Among the most interesting objects in stone found were three 

 elongated V-shaped stones, the shortest one measuring four inches 

 in length, the longest one five and one-half. These stones have a 

 breadth of about one inch at the base and taper off toward the outside 

 edge in all proportions. Each one bears on its edge a conventional- 

 ized human face consisting of a lateral incision for the mouth and 

 excavations for the eyes. In Fig. a, PL LXI, two parallel lines start 

 at the back of the head and take a downward direction meeting in 

 front below the chin ; while further down on the stone are two 

 additional parallel lines which begin at the back and meet in front. 

 Just over the eyes is a circular line which begins at one side of the 

 base of the stone and passes around to the other side. On the narrow 

 crown of the head are two lateral lines and one median line; these 

 median lines are crossed at regular intervals by eleven sharp 

 incisions. Fig. b resembles to a certain extent the figure just described. 

 There is simply one line on the body of the figure which bounds the face 

 and separates it from the body proper. Around the head, and 

 passing over the forehead from one side to the other, are two parallel 

 deep incisions, extending down into the top of which are a number of 

 deep incisions at regular intervals which start just at the top of the 

 head. Fig. c has exactly the same markings as have been noted for 

 Fig. a. The top of the head, however, in this figure is not sharp but 

 flat and is provided with little incised lines, as has been noted in 

 Fig. b (see Fig. 45). 



