PREHISTORIC ART. 



503 



olooy Many aboriginal carvings and engravings on bone were found 

 during tlieir excavation. Figs. 251-253 in "The Swastika" ' represent 

 variously carved birds and animals from these mounds. Other spec- 

 iuicns were found, mostly in fragments, of which Mr. Bennett, the 

 artist of the expedition, says: 



These carved traceries or engravings upon bone, even in fragmentary state, evince 

 an artistic aptibu.le mucli beyond the mineral and vegetable stain, and, by their almost 

 microscoric delicacy of execution and nnfaltering precision of line work, show a high 

 de-ree of manual skill. Though some are undoubtedly portions of barbaric and 

 desultory design and unsystematic application of indefinite ideas, others l^espeak a 

 clearly conceived idea, a definite 

 motive and vigorous execution, not 

 inferior to the predominant motives 

 of early Mediterranean decorative 

 art. 



They are clearly not of an illus- 

 trative or imitative design, either 

 realistic or conventional, but cre- 

 ated design, fouuded on purely me- 

 chanical motive with good concep- 

 tion; and it is regrettable that no 

 complete examples remain to correct 

 artistic valuation of the purpose of 

 the whole. - 



The recent excavations by 

 Mr. Clarence B. Moore in the 

 Florida sand mounds brought 

 to light several of these thin 



copper j)lates with curious de- 

 signs wrought upon them.' 



The United States National 



Museum j^ossesses a number 



from various States in the 



central United States. The 



designs, however, are not of 



the same character as most of 



the foregoing. They do not 



represent human or animal figures, but tend to lines, dots, concentric 



rings, and designs more or less geometric. 



Gold and Silver. 



The world knows enough of the barbarous peoples of historic times, 

 whether ancient or modern, to enable it to predicate with reasonable 

 certainty the use of gold and silver for personal adornment among the 



I Wilson, Report U.S.Nat.Mus., 1894, pp. 757-1011. 



3 '-Hopewell Group," Warren King Moorehead in The Antiquarian, July, 1897, 



p. 179. 



^ Journal of Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, X. The specimens are 

 in the museniu of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. 



Fig. 153. 



Sl'OOL OK PULLEY-SHAPED EAR ORNAMENT, COPPER. 



Hopewell mound, Ross County, Ohio. 



Wilson, Sw;istika, ji. S31 , fia;. 2.^0. Natural size. 



