512 ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 3 



into the southern United States. Tlie Creeks in 1666 were described 

 as having in their council houses " thrones " for the cacique and 

 important persons and " small formes " around the fire for lesser 

 people.^ 



Aerican stools are invariably cut from the solid, joining being 

 practically absent in Indian arts. In consequence no seats with backs 

 or even rudimentar}- beginnings of joined backs are seen in con- 

 tinental America, the stool being at first, as suggested, only a but- 

 tock prop in the posture of squatting. 



In discussing the stone and pottery objects in the form of stools 

 or metates resembling stools from Chirqui, Panama, Dr. W. H. 

 Holmes says: 



As bearing upon the possible use of tliese specimens it should be noticed that 

 similar stool-like objects are made of clay, the softness and fragility of which 

 would render them unsuitable for use as mealing plates or mortars, and it would 

 also appear that they are rather fragile for use as stools. I would suggest that 

 they may have served as supports for articles such as vases or idols employed 

 in religious rites or possibly as altars for offerings." 



From other countries of Central America many remarkable exam- 

 ples showing sldll in working stone have been found in archeologic 

 sites. In general they follow the form of the Indian stool cut from 

 a cylindrical block of wood sectioned from a tree trunk. It is 

 altogether likely that the precursors of the stone stools were of 

 wood. 



The West Indian specimens surviving are of more aberrant form, 

 in some cases reaching to the rank of chairs. (PI. 4.) There are 

 three types ; the common 4-legged metate form in stone, a hammock 

 form in stone and wood (pi. 3, figs. 1 and 2), and a remarkably ad- 

 vanced form of curved-back chair like a steamer chair which seems 

 to be a development of the hammock type. Specimens figured by 

 Dr. J. Walter Fewkes,'^ used by Prof. O. T. Mason in his descrip- 

 tion of the Guesde collection, show that the chair represents a man 

 lying on his back with his limbs drawn up to form the legs of the 

 piece. The chair is a unique example of aboriginal furniture design, 

 comparing favorably in art with an}^ ancient Old World specimens. 

 West Indian stools illustrate the advance made by these Indians 

 in culture. In some respects they corroborate the theory that tribes 

 in an insular environment are helped by their situation to develop 

 a high culture. 



Among the more remarkable antiquities found in America are 

 the great carved stone seats from the province of Manabi, Ecuador.^ 



B Swanton, J. R., Bull. 7S, Bur. Amer. Ethnol., p. 64, 1922. 



^Ancient art of the Province of Chiriqui. Sixth Ann. Rep., Bur. Amer. Ethnol., p. 29, 

 1888. 



''Twenty-fifth Ann. Rep., Bur. Amer. Ethnol., TI. XCIII, 7, p. 206. 



*Tho antiquities of Manabi, Ecuador. By Marshall H. Savillo. Contributed to South 

 American Archeology, vol. 1, pp. 23-49, pis. 4-27. The George G. Heye Expedition. 

 New York, 1907. 



