62 



PICTOGRAPHS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 



Daring his connection with the Yellowstone expedition of 1*7.'5, under 

 tbe command of General Stanley, Dr. Hoffman found elaborate narra- 

 tives of hostile encounters between the Absaroka and Dakota Indians 

 incised upon the bark of cotton wood trees, in the valley of the Mussel- 

 shell River. The Absaroka were shown by having the bark in the fore- 

 head removed, thus corresponding to their war custom of painting that 

 portion of the face red, while the Dakota were denoted by having only 

 the part of the face from the eyes down to tin- chin removed, referring 

 to their custom of painting that part of the lace. The number of indi- 

 viduals was shown by the outline of one individual of either tribe, with 

 added short lines. The total number of arms was shown by drawing 

 one gun and the requisite number of spots. The number of horses was 

 indicated in a similar manner. 



See also with reference to paint on the human person, pages 165 and 

 167. 



The present writer, when reading the magnificent work of Gonte 

 Giovanni Gozzadini, I>i Ulteriori Scoperte Nell' Antica Necropoli a 

 Marzabottonel Bolognese, Bologna, 1870, noticed in Plate XII,Figurel, 

 the representation of a human head in bronze of great antiquity, and 

 that it shows incised lines over the superior malar region, below and 

 outward from the outer canthus of the eye. To any one recently fa- 

 miliar with tattooing and the lines of face painting this gives a decided 

 suggestion, and is offered as such. 



The head is reproduced in Figure 22. 



Fig. 22. — Bronze head from tin- Necropolis of tfarzabotto, Italy, 



A less distinct suggestion arose from the representation of a " Frag- 

 ment of a lustrous black bowl, with an incised decoration tilled with 



