ORNAMENTS. 



39 



hard, dark-colored stone, and represent the human form and features distorted, 

 and with legs bent. Two of them have square tapering pedestals, about two feet 

 long, apparently designed to be stuck upright in the ground; and the third may 

 have had a similar one. They are said to be the only objects of the kind found 

 in the graves, though 

 it has been reported 

 that a number of such 

 specimens are stand- 

 ing in one of the grave- 

 yards in a forest at 

 Chiriqui." The three 

 statues in question 

 were from Panama, 

 presumably the prov- 

 ince of Chiriqui. 



Ornaments. Under 

 this head are grouped 

 beads and amulets. 

 Both classes are rare 

 in Chiriqui. Two large 

 highly polished agate 

 beads are reproduced 

 in figures 41 and 42. 

 The conical borings 

 are made with precis- 

 ion at both ends and 

 stop at the center, 

 leaving only room 

 for the passage of a 

 slender thread. There 

 is but a single green 

 jasper bead (fig. 43) 

 in the collection. A 

 small agate pendant, 

 with a vertical and 



a horizontal boring Fig. 40 a. Fig. 40*. 



meeting at a point 

 near the upper end, 

 is seen in figure 44. 



Because of their resemblance to those from Nicoya, the few amulets to be found 

 in Chiriquian collections are presumably of Costa Rican origin, a presumption 

 that is further strengthened by their great abundance at Las Guacas. Hartman 

 states that '" of all the objects found in the burial ground of Las Guacas none 

 are more numerous than the amulets. Several thousand specimens have been 

 unearthed. The commonest are those which have the shape of a celt or a grooved 

 axe, which has been divided lengthwise, the convex side serving as the front." 



Fig. 40. Large statue of a female the so-called Panama Venus ; a front 

 view ; 1> profile view. '/ 



