Bone Carvings 163 



placed on the altars of Mound 25. None of these can be restored, which 

 is unfortunate; for, if we had them restored, we could form much better 

 and more complete conclusions concerning these people. 



Fig. 66 shows one of the largest carvings of human figures, the face 

 being partly destroyed by contact with a mass of copper. It is ebony 

 black from the fire. Willoughby thinks that this was the head of a 

 baton, but the lower part is missing. There appears to be a head-dress 

 of some sort, and it is interesting that the human heads found show 

 several different methods of hair-dressing. Fig. 67 shows another head, 

 probably also from a baton. The top of the head is apparently covered 

 with a flat object. The ear is perforated in four places, probably for 

 the attachment of ornaments. At the back of the head is a perforation 



Fig. 630. 

 Tracing of a Bird's Head on Bone. 



less than 3 mm in diameter in which a plug of bone or antler is inserted. 

 Some of the heads illustrated by Squier and Davis have a similar 

 perforation. 



In regard to Fig. 68, Willoughby observes, "The most noteworthy 

 striking carving of the human figure recovered during the exploration is 

 wrought from ivory, and like all of the ivory (fossil mammoth ivory) 

 carvings from the altars, is very badly injured by the heat. A portion 

 of the face is missing, the arms and other parts of the body are broken 

 and the lower extremity of the sculpture destroyed. A convolute 

 tattoo mark appears upon the cheek. An incised line across the upper 

 part of the forehead marks the hair line, or indicates the front edge of 

 a head-dress. Back of this line are two ear-like ornaments, one of 

 which has been broken. An appendage analogous to the same feature 

 in Fig. 67 projects from the back of the head. This is also broken. 

 The hair is gathered into a large chignon, and is apparently confined 

 in a net. The meshes of the net seem to be represented by incised lines. 



