488 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



on the Etowah Kiver, iier^r Cartersville, Georgia. Origiually carved as 

 a head or bust, the seams in the marble have opened aud the face part 

 has split off, fornung a quasi mask. The representation is of the human 

 face, which appears quite natural in its i)ioportion and features; with, 

 however, slight resemblance to the physiognomy of the iSTorth American 

 Indian. This has no signification and is not worthy of consideration, 

 for this group of mounds has furnished the copper and shell objects 

 noted by Prof. W. H. Holmes in the Second Annual Report of the 

 Bureau of Ethnology, quoted in my paper on "The Swastika," and 

 described at length in the report of Professor Thomas.' Professor 



Thomas says that in all their leading features 

 these designs are suggestive of Mexican or 

 Central American work. 



Some of the Mexican sculptures were de- 

 scribed in the paragraphs on j ade. Masks and 

 sculpture in stone from Mexico are here con- 

 tinued. 



Fig. 143 represents a typical Mexican mask 

 of greenish mottled feldspatbic stone, and is 

 5^ inches long. Its back is slightly concave 

 and the mouth and eyes'have been excavated 

 by drilling, as can be seen in the corners. It 

 is finely polished throughout its entire sur- 

 face. The holes in the edges by which it 

 could be fastened are shown. Dr. Rau gave 

 as his opinion that these masks were used 

 for covering the faces of idols on certain oc- 

 casions. 



Figs. 144 and 145 are specimens from Mexico 

 representing the human form. 



Pi2)es. — The pipes used by the aborigines of 

 North America were not infrequently orna- 

 mented with sculptured representations of men 

 aud women, but a greater number were orna- 

 mented with animal forms. The books written upon the archaeology of 

 the North American aborigines abound in representations of these 

 sculptures. Squier and Davis, Dr. Eau, Abbott's "Primitive Indus- 

 try,"' Jones's "Antiquities of the Southern Indians," Thruston's "Antiq- 

 uities of Tennessee," and similar works contain these representations in 

 greater or less numbers. A few specimens of animal forms were not 

 utilized as pipes, but it is entirely uncertain whether they were not 

 unfinished si)ecimens intended for pipes. 



Engrared Tablets. — Certain engraved or incised stones or tablets 

 have been found in the United States, under circumstances which 



Fig. 141. 



MASK, OF GROTESQUE APPEAR- 

 ANCE. POTSTONE. 



Moigantown, Catawba Coimty, 

 Kortli Carolina. 



Cat. No. 360(11, U.S.K.M. f., natural size 



' Twelftli Amnial Report of tlie Biu-eau of Ethnology, pj). 303-311, with iilatesxvii, 

 XViii, aud ligs. 186-192. 8eo also tig. 150, p. .501. 



