Al'l'ENUIX. 321 



Among the stone carvings is a somewhat rude and weathered specimen, to 

 all appearance intended to imitate a fish. A handle rises from its back, as Fig. 

 378 shows. The object is flattish, about two inches thick in the middle, and 

 nearly fourteen inches long. It weighs eight pounds and a half. The material 

 is a rather compact, gray rock of volcanic origin. It is the only specimen of 

 this kind sent by Mr. Keith, and I am unable to make any suggestion as to its 

 use. It is probable, however, that it served a symbolic or ceremonial purpose. 

 There is no trace of wear observable in any place. 



3 



FIG. 378. Stone-carving in the form of a fish. Costa Rica. (60895). 



Chiriyui, State of Panama, United States of Colombia. It is now about 

 twenty-five years that great excitement was caused by the discovery of large 

 numbers of gold images in graves situated in the Chiriqui district, now belong- 

 ing to the State of Panama. The cemetery, or huacal, which has furnished most 

 of these intei'esting specimens of aboriginal art, is located in the parish of Bugaba, 

 about twenty-five miles from David, the principal town in the district. It covers 

 an area of twelve acres. The graves themselves were oval or quadrangular pits, 

 lined with stones. They contained, in addition to the gold articles, well-formed 

 clay vessels of various forms, animal-shaped clay whistles, stone celts and arrows, 

 and metates of a highly ornamental character. The bodies, it appears, had alto- 

 gether yielded to decay. The gold images alone, however, claim our attention in 

 the present instance. They were evidently cast and afterward finished by beating, 

 and their technical execution reflects credit on the skill of the manufacturers. 

 Their forms were those of wild beasts, birds, reptiles, and fishes peculiar to the 

 region ; some represented men or semi-human monsters of hideous shape. They 

 probably served as ornaments or charms, worn by the living and buried with the 



E41 



