SHELL ORNAMENTS FROM KENTUCKY AND MEXICO 

 By W. H. holmes 



Among the many interesting relics obtained from mounds and 

 burial places in the Mississippi Valley are the engraved shell gorgets, 

 a number of which are now preserved in our museums. The most 

 recent addition to this class of objects was obtained by the National 

 Museum from Mr. C. A. Nelson of Eddyville, Lyon County, Ken- 

 tucky, and comes from a burial place encountered in opening a stone- 

 quarry near Eddyville. It is a symmetric saucer-shaped gorget 

 (plate XXIX ) five inches in diameter and made apparently from the 

 expanded lip of a conch shell (Busycon pcrvcrsiim). It is unusually 

 well preserved, both faces retaining something of the original high 

 polish of the ornament. Two perforations placed near the margin 

 served as a means of suspension. The back or convex side is quite 

 plain, while the face is occupied by the engraving of a human figure 

 which extends entirely across the disk. It will be seen by reference 

 to the illustration that this figure is practically identical in many 

 respects with others already published.^ It is executed in firmly 

 incised lines and is partially inclosed by a border of nine concentric 

 lines. The position of the figure is that of a discus thrower. The 

 right hand holds a discoidal object, the arm being thrown back as if 

 in the act of casting the disk. The left hand extends outward to 

 the margin of the shell and firmly grasps a wand-like object having 

 plumes attached at the upper end, the lower end being peculiarly 

 marked, and b^ent inward across the border lines. The face is turned 

 to the left ; the right knee is bent and rests on the ground, while the 

 left foot is set forward as it would be in the act of casting the disk. 

 The features are boldly outlined ; the eye is diamond shaped, as is 

 usual in the delineations of this character in the mound region. A 

 crest or crown representing the hair surmounts the head ; the lower 

 lobe of the ear contains a disk from which falls a long pendent orna- 

 ment, and three lines representing paint or tattoo marks extend across 

 the cheek from the ear to the mouth. A bead necklace hangs down 

 over the chest and the legs and arms have encircling ornaments. 

 The lower part of the body is covered with an apron-like garment 

 attached to the waistband, and over this hangs what appears to be a 



^ Holmes in Second Annual Report Bureau of Ethnology, pi. Ixxiii. 



97 



