NO. T4 y\RCHEOLOCY OF BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS STRONG 63 



diopsidc is the iiKxst common mineral represented. In outward ap- 

 pearance the two minerals are very similar, but the latter is much 

 the harder of the two. Certain artifacts of both these materials 

 are considerably eroded, and a small portion of both are covered 

 with a rusty brown patination. Ten artifacts, mostly large round 

 beads, are of marble. They are gray-white in color with considerable 

 green flecking, this last probably due to copper contacts. Two small 

 and badly eroded beads are of calcite. Ten artifacts arc of serpentine, 

 including the only unworked pebble in the cache, which is of in- 

 durated serpentine. Several of the serpentine artifacts are merely 

 perforated pebbles, and in two cases the perforations do not go 

 through the object. The lack of finish on most of the very resistant 

 pieces is in contrast to the delicate workmanship manifested on many 

 of the more easily worked pieces of talc. 



Three small heads surmounted with elaborate headdresses are the 

 most striking pieces (pi. ii, d, c, f). They are of apple-green talc 

 with single perforations extending horizontally near the top. In two of 

 the pieces (pi. ii, d, e), a small face is represented at the bottom 

 by oval incised eyes and a nose, and the headdress, presumably of 

 quetzal or other plumes, takes up the greater portion of the artifact. 

 The central one of these heads (pi. ii, e) is the most artistic in 

 finish, especially as regards the exquisite representation of feathers 

 in stone. The third piece (pi. ii, /) differs in having a larger, well- 

 modeled face with slanting oval eyes and large nose. The head- 

 dress is also dift'erent and may represent some sort of a cloth turban 

 held in front with a round brooch. It is a well-executed and beauti- 

 fully symmetrical piece. Three other faces are not so well finished, 

 and two of them appear to be merely simplified versions of the first 

 two (pi. II, a, b, c) with different types of headdresses. One of these 

 is bluish gray (pi. ii, a), another (pi. ii, c) a light green. The 

 third (pi. II, h) is turquoise-blue and has a unique type of square- 

 cut face. All these heads (pi. ii, a-f) have the same sort of hori- 

 zontal perforation through the headdress portion and were probably 

 strung with beads. The perforations average about 3 mm in diameter 

 and are slightly biconodont, meeting near the center. In two pieces 

 each end of the perforation is considerably larger close to the open- 

 ings, giving a marked funnel-shaped ending to the boring. 



Besides the plumed heads, there are a number of other small 

 human or anthropomorphic carvings (pi. 11, /-/'). One of these 

 of very dark olive-green talc (pi. 11, k) bears considerable re- 

 semblance to the piece with a square-cut face previously described. 

 The rich, dark color and the clearly delineated features, which in- 



