Io8 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



A SHELL INSCRIPTION FROM TULA, MEXICO. 



BY FREDERICK STARR. 



Perhaps the most interesting piece of carved shell so far found in 

 Mexico is the specimen now to be described. It was found at Tula, a 

 town lying fifty miles north of the City of Mexico, famous as one of 

 the localities explored by Charnay and one of the traditional sites of 

 the Toltecs. The specimen at one time belonged to Dr. Antonio 

 Peiiafiel and will be figured and discussed by him in his great work on 

 San Juan de Teotihuacan. As this work, from its great cost, will have 

 but a small circulation, it seems desirable to place the specimen within 

 reach of a larger number of students than are likely to be its readers. 



The specimen consists of a rather irregularly shaped fragment of 

 haliotis shell. It has suffered from time's effect and shows a danger- 

 ous tendency to splinter and scale. The material is nacreous and still 

 retains much of its lustre and some of its play of color particularly on 

 the outer, convex, surface. The fragment has been trimmed and 

 ground to an imperfectly rectangular form ; one corner is quite sharply 

 right angled and the two edges there meeting plainly show the opera- 

 tion of grinding. On the inner, concave, surface are three drilled 

 holes. l\vo of these, near the right hand border, are carried com- 

 pletely through the specimen and were apparently intended for the 

 passage of a cord for suspension. These holes were drilled with a 

 solid drill and from both sides; the lower one is smooth bore and of 

 nearly uniform diameter ; the upper more plainly shows the drilling as 

 done from both sides and is smaller at the middle where the two drill- 

 ings meet. The diameter of these holes is about 4mm. The third 

 hole is situated near the upper left hand corner but was never bored 

 entirely through the shell. On the outer, convex, surface we also find 

 three holes : two are those already described as piercing the piece and 

 are near the left hand border ; the other, never finished though carried 

 almost through, is near the right hand border, not far from the bot- 

 tom. The specimen measures 93mm. in height, 57mm. in greatest 

 breadth and not more than 8mm. in thickness. 



The whole inner, concave, surface is occupied by an elaborate carv- 

 ing representing a seated figure. The legs are crossed, the feet bare; 



