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SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 63 



SHELL BRACELETS AND CARVED SHELLS 



Two or three shell bracelets were excavated from Mimbres ruins, 

 and there were also found carved shells and tinklers not unlike those 

 of northern New Mexico ruins. Some of these when excavated were 

 found near the head and are supposed to have been earrings. Five 

 shell rings were still on the bones of the forearm of a child when 

 found. One of the shell bracelets owned by Mr. Osborn was cracked 

 but was pierced on each side of the break, indicating where it had 

 been mended; another had figures incised on its surface, and a third 

 had the edges notched, imparting to it a zigzag shape, like that of a 

 serpent. Many shell beads, spires of shells used for tinklers, and 

 other shell objects, all made of genera peculiar to the Pacific Ocean, 

 were found during the excavations. 



Pottery 



forms and colors 



The comparatively large number of vases, food bowls, and other 

 forms of decorated smooth ware in collections from the Mimbres is 



Fig. II. — Braided handle. 

 V2 nat. size. 



Fig. 12. — Small bowl. 

 Diam. z^A" ■ 



largely due to their use in mortuary customs, and the fact that almost 

 without exception they were found placed over the skulls of the 

 dead. Although the largest number o| vessels are food bowls, there 

 are also cups with twisted handles (fig. ii), bowls (fig. 12), vases, 

 dippers, and other ceramic forms found in pueblo ruins.^ 



Coarse, undecorated vessels showing coils, indentations, superficial 

 protuberances, and other rude decorations like those so well known 

 in Southwestern ruins, are well represented. Some of these were 



^ One of the exceptional forms of pottery has a flat rectangular base, the four 

 sides being formed by bending up segments of a circular disk (fig. 18). 



