Bone Objects and Teeth 



151 



given: "Judging from the number of cut or perforated canine teeth of 

 the bear found with skeletons or taken from altars of the Hopewell 

 group of mounds, it would seem that they were highly prized as orna- 

 ments, and that much time was employed in drilling, cutting, and 

 ornamenting these trophies of the chase. They may be divided into 

 three classes: the whole teeth perforated and ornamented in various 

 ways, as illustrated in Figs. 49 — 5 1 ; the teeth split lengthwise (Fig. 48) ; 

 and those cut laterally (Figs. 53 — 55). Of twenty-eight teeth of the 

 first class found with six skeletons, the majority had two diagonal holes 



Fig. 48. 

 Bear's Tooth Split and Made into an Ornament. 



drilled so as to meet in the interior of the tooth, as illustrated in the 

 sectional drawing (Fig. 56, a, b, and c) and in the left drawing of Fig. 

 49. In a few examples the two holes were drilled more at right angles to 

 the length of the tooth, and penetrated the natural nerve cavity. These 

 teeth may have been attached to the clothing as toggles or used as 

 pendants for necklaces. In Fig. 49 are shown three bears' teeth of this 

 class, found with skeleton 248. The central and right drawings illustrate 

 the front side of the teeth, which were ornamented by inserting pearls. 

 The cavity near the upper end of the central drawing probably con- 

 tained a pearl. Near the centre of the drawing at the right, a deep 

 countersunk hole opens into a similar hole drilled from the opposite 

 side. Both teeth have the perforation for suspension upon the back. 



"The tooth represented at the left in Fig. 49 has three countersunk 

 perforations extending to the natural pulp cavity. Below are the two 



