ANCIENT STONE IMPLEMENTS — ETHERIDGE. 27 



zon tally on the back, the phallic nature is self-evident, and I 

 think it much more likely to have been an emblem (priapus or 

 lingam) of that nature. 



Although not found in the Yodda Valley, we have another 

 stone of equal interest (Plate vi., hg. 3), but it would not surprise 

 me to find it originally came from that area. Jt is a heavy slab 

 of basalt bearing an excellent example of spiral incising. It is 

 from Boianai, Goodenough Bay, North-east Coast of New Guinea, 

 and was presented by Mr. F. de S. Buchanan, but whether dis- 

 interred or found on the surface I am unable to say; the origin 

 is said to be quite unknown to the present natives The object 

 as a whole was called by the latter wakima Mrukiru mana, and 

 the spiral design giripipina. The slab measures sixteen inches 

 long, by eleven inches wide, and six deep, and weighs 62 lbs. 

 The incised spiral, a very perfect one, is ten and a half inches in 

 diameter and consists of six whorls. It is quite unnecessary to 

 dilate here on the widespread occurrence of this form of petro- 

 glyph in America and Europe, and even in Australia as rock- 

 shelter pictographs and churinga ornamentation. Spiral motive 

 does not appear to be common in New Guinea present day 

 decorative art. It is found on some Trobriand lime spatulas and 

 Buruburu drums and shields from the Papuan Gulf District. 



In 1905 Mr, P. J. Money, a member of the New Guinea 

 Anglican Mission, presented us with a large quantity of pottery 

 fragments and incised shell-pieces, found on digging into ancient 

 village mounds at his station of Wanegela. The incised motive 

 on this pottery is quite different to that on any of the existing 

 New Guinea pottery, and to Mr. Money the present natives dis- 

 claim all knowledge of it, and the fabricators. The interesting 

 point, however, in connection with the present subject is the 

 occurrence of shell-pieces (Cones) bearing beautiful examples of 

 spiral incision-work! Referring to this find, Mr. Monckton 

 says — "In some excavations carried out by the Mission and 

 natives at Rainu, in Collingwood Bay, an interesting discovery 

 was made of an old village site of a forgotten people and a 

 quantity of broken and ancient pottery found, of curious and 

 unique design and shapes. The pottery was much superior to 

 any now made or in use, and there is no tradition or record of 

 the people by whom it was made. Among human remains at a 

 depth of 4 feet, two fragments of carved shell were found, placed, 

 I think, originally in graves. The art of carving on hard shells 

 is not now practised " 4 This discovery of ancient pottery and 



Monckton -Loc. cit., p. 33. 



