C)14 THE PAINTING OF HUMAN BONES AMONG THE INDIANS. 



from lu'ur La Paz, Lower California, overy part of which shows 

 intentional red painting, probably in ocher. The sknll is here repro- 

 dnced as a type of specimens of this nature (pi. iii.) In a few 

 patches on different jDarts of the skeleton the paint is nearly rubbed 

 or washed off. 



Professor Boas informs me that some red skeletons have been 

 excavated near Thompson Kiver in British Columbia, but it is not 

 certain whether these bones were accidentally stained or intentionally 

 painted. In the collection of the American Museum of Natural 

 History is a skull (No. OO-KiO-l:) of a Clayoquot warrior from the 

 Avest coast of Vancouver Island that is ])ainted outwardly a very 

 dark brown. There are other skulls from the Northwest in the 

 collection of the American Museum that show red stains (particularly 

 No. 99-3047, Copalis, west coast of AA'ashin<rton : Smith), but in these 

 intentional painting; is doubtful. 



In ^Mexico I have never found any color stain on the bones in the 

 territory of the Tarahumares; but a skeltHon j^ainted red with some 

 vegetable dye and with traces of yellow, describt^l l)V me bef'^re," was 

 obtained by C. Lundioltz just south of this reg'ion. 



Several of the Tarasco crania from ^Nlichoacan (No. 99-175, for 

 example) in the American Museum collection show red stains, but 

 these may be accidental. 



Finally, the American Museum collection includes seA'eral skulls 

 and some bones of ancient Zapotecs and ]Mixtecs, collected by ISIr. 

 Saville in Oaxaca. and some of these show plain and indubitalile 

 signs of intentional })ainting with some inorganic red i)igment, 

 apparently ocher. 



As to Central America and S(»uth Amei-ica. onv of the few refer- 

 ences to the custom which 1 iiave noted concerns the Caribs, who 

 according to Gumilla ( Brinton's Myths of the New AVorld. p. 225), 

 about a year after death cleaned the bones of their dead, bleached 

 them, painted them, and wrapped them in odorous balsams; they 

 were then placed in a wicker basket which was kej)t suspended from 

 the door of the dwelling. " ^A'hen the (juantity of these heirlooms 

 became burdensome they Avere removed to some inaccessible cavern 

 and stored away Avith reverential care."' 



The second instance ])ertains to the Bororos, one of the Amazon 

 tribes, Avho, according to Ehrenreich. unearth the body about tAvo 

 Aveeks after death, clean the bones, paint them red, and additionally 

 decoi-ate the skull with red feathers. Von den Steinen. A\ho Avit- 

 nessed the procedure among the Brazilian Indians Avith Ehrenreich, 

 describes it thus:'' 'The observance lasts a Avhole day. The remains 



« Amer. Anthropologist, n. s.. vol. 3. Sept.-Dec, 1901. p. 701 et seq. 

 ''('orresp. Bl. <1. d. (Jesellscb. f. Aiitlir., Ktliiiol.. Urfiescli., Dec, 190.",, j). lit) 

 (Arch. f. Antlirop., ii. f. I, 4, 1904). 



