Implements and Artefacts of the North-east Greenlanders. 



459 



Fig. 41. 



a boring on either side, but has not been fully pierced ; in the third 

 and last specimen, L. 3396, which was found together with that 

 shown in Fig. 41 fr, boring has been commenced from one side only. 



In the description of the find at Snenses, house 406, mention 

 was made (p. 374 75) of some small animal figures, carved in 

 bone, and pierced for threading on a string 

 (PL XI, 25). Three such figures (PL 

 XXV, 7 9) were also found at Rypefjeldet, 

 probably all in house 522, where the one 

 at least (L. 3902) lay in a little cavity at 

 the fore edge of the bench 1 . Of the figu- 

 res three from Snenses (L. 3748 50) re- 

 present swimming birds, apparently loons. 

 They are from 1'8 to 3*2 cm. long, and 

 flattened at the bottom so as to stand; 

 two of them are figured PL XI, 23. 

 One, from Rypefjeldet, (PL XXV, 7) re- 

 presents a sitting falcon, a bird which, 

 as far as my knowledge goes, has not 

 hitherto been found among carvings from 

 Greenland. It measures 2*9 cm. from head 

 to tip of tail (L. 4002). The remaining 



four (PL XI, 45 and XXV, 89) are seals; one (PL XI, 5) which is 

 3 cm. long, (L. 3751) is rounded, the three others (L. 3752, 3902 and 

 4001) measuring 2*2 to 4*5 cm., have a flat resting surface, indicating 

 that they were intended to show the animals as lying on their backs. 

 It is thus extremely doubtful whether these figures were designed 

 as hanging ornaments, since, from the way in which the holes are 

 bored, they would hang not only head downwards, but flank out- 

 wards. The question of their possible use as toys or pieces in a game 

 has been discussed in the foregoing, under the heading quoted. 



Together with the falcon was also found a small bone bear 

 (PL XXV, 6) in a standing position, with neck outstretched. Fore- 

 and hind legs are shown, but joined in pairs, as in the fine large 

 figure of a bear Fig. 3, p. 376. The present figure, which is' 4*1 cm. 

 long, has originally been finely polished, but is now much weather- 

 worn; it is pierced with a large hole in the middle. AMDRUP found, 

 at Cape Tobin, a figure of a whale similarly pierced, together with 

 several other animal figures pierced with a small hole at the hinder 

 end, as those above described. 2 



1 As regards the two others, (L. 400102) all that is known is that they were 

 found by MYLIUS-ERICHSEN in one of the houses 52224. 



2 THALBITZER I, p. 478, Fig. 58. 



