NO. 14 ARCHEOLOGY OF BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS STRONG 1 39 



Many pottery figurines are on exhibit; some of these, of dark 

 brown pottery, have the grotesque features and fillet work decorations 

 of the specimens from site i, Indian Hill (pi. 28, fig. i, a-c). One 

 headless specimen, of brick-red pottery, is seated with arms akimbo 

 and short, rounded legs projecting in front. One unusual lug or flat 

 pottery head has the well-modeled features more common in the Uloa 

 valley. (Compare Gordon, 1898a, pi. 10.) There are a number of the 

 round or oval pottery whistles ; three of these represent human figures 

 and are unusual for the Bay Islands in having what appears to be a 

 dull white slip. Two of these have grotesque conventionalized faces 

 like Indian Hill figurines (pi. 28, fig. i, a-c). 



The Mitchell-Hedges exhibit collection has one complete roller 

 stamp of plain brown pottery with an intricate incised diamond 

 pattern. A hollow-ended and incised cylinder of steatite of about the 

 same size suggests a similar usage. Another interesting artifact type 

 is a small brown pottery labret identical in form with those made of 

 shell from the Dixon site (pi. 15, h-m). 



Two small copper celts (about 9 cm long) with broad, sharp blades 

 and squared edges and butts are unique. They call to mind similar 

 implements in the trader's canoe encountered by Columbus. Aside 

 from these, work in metal seems rare in the Mitchell-Hedges collection. 



There are several small carvings of what appears to be dark green 

 jade or jadeite, and a number of green talc. One large, elaborately 

 carved bead and a flat plaque with humanoid faces in relief are both 

 of jade or jadeite. The remainder of the smaller carvings are some- 

 what similar to, but less complex than, the small carvings from the 

 Dixon site (pi. 11). One bead of quartz crystal (like pi. 29, /) and 

 a considerable variety of other beads like those from the Dixon site 

 (pi. 14) are present. 



A rather unique specimen is an unfinished, slender jar (18 cm 

 high) with two vertical lugs, carved from a block of steatite. There 

 are two small tripod bowls (similar to fig. 34, c) of white marble. 

 Two beautifully shaped petaloid celts, each about 30 cm long, are 

 present. One of these, of dark stone, still shows chipping on the butt, 

 although the sharp blade is well polished. The other, of gray-green 

 stone, is highly polished over its entire surface. Three cylindrical 

 roller pestles, the largest about 45 cm long, are of the .usual type. 

 Although the foregoing description of this large collection makes no 

 pretense at being either complete or exhaustive, it has been included 

 as an essential part of our present knowledge of Bay Island archeology. 



