Copper. Objects 125 



may have been intended to portray lightning. There were a number of 

 objects of the sort which are shown in Plate LXVII, Nos. 3-4. They 

 are diamond-shaped, containing four perforated ovals. In the top and 

 bottom ovals the perforation is round ; in those at the sides, oval. This 

 is particularly mentioned, because it affords evidence that the artistic 

 proportions were usually preserved by this people. This is true of their 

 bone carvings, as well as of their copper work. In Plate LXVIII, 

 Nos. 1-3, are figured designs evidently cut with the aid of patterns. 

 The central cosmic symbol is not uncommon in Mexico and Asia, and 

 has been variously interpreted. Putnam and Willoughby 1 have 

 compared these designs with the serpent designs found on the Cincinnati 

 tablet and with similar designs from the Turner and Hopewell groups 

 They have made a study of these symbols and published an abstract of 

 their observations. 



An object which apparently represents the claws of a bear is shown 

 in Plate LXIX, No. 1. Several specimens of this sort were found with 

 the sheet-copper deposit. Apparently they were made by hammering 

 sheet copper over narrow convex wooden forms. On two of them the 

 lamination is visibile. In one specimen, a claw which had been broken 

 off is mended with a piece of copper fastened underneath and attached 

 with small rivets. It is possible that these objects were used as combs. 

 Combs of bone have been found in Iroquois sites and at Madisonville, 

 but I am unable to state whether any of these were of this form. In 

 Plate LXIX, No. 2, is shown a fish effigy, four of which were found in 

 the deposit. These were not all of the same size, and there are variations 

 in the length of the body and the shape of the mouth and fins. The 

 gills, and the juncture of the fins with the body, are shown by curved 

 lines. There are, two small perforations above and below the eye, and 

 another pair at the base of the dorsal fin. The tubercals at the mouth 

 are shown by repousse work. These effigies appear to represent the 

 large sucker, locally known as the "red horse," which is common in the 

 Scioto River. I do not know why this fish should have been selected, 

 as one would think the Indians would have preferred the bass, catfish, 

 or even the perch, for these designs. It is possible that the effigies repre- 

 sent the buffalo fish instead of the "red horse" or common sucker. 



Two slender slightly hollowed copper objects are shown in Plate 

 LXX, Nos. 1-2. They have two small perforations at the wide concave 

 end. But for these perforations they might be considered utensils of 

 some sort; but as it is, they must be placed in the unknown class. 



Symbolism in Ancient American Art, Proceedings of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, Vol. XLIV, 1896. 



