•>•> 



ANCIENT AKT O 



PKOVINCK OF CHIRIQUl 



At Cal<lera, a few leagues [north] from the town of David, Ues a granite block 

 known to the country people as the piedra pintal, or painted stone. It is 15 feet 

 high, nearlj' 50 feet m cii-cumference, and flat on the top. Every part, especially 

 the eastern side, is covered witli figures. One represents a radiant sun; it is fol- 

 lowed by a series of heads, all. with some variation, scorpions and fantastic figures. 

 The top and the other side have signs of a circular and oval form, crossed by lines. 

 The sculpture is ascribed to the Dorachos (or Dorasques), but to wliat purjinse the 

 stone was apphed no historical account or tra<lition reveals.' 



These inscription.s are irregularly placed and much scattered. 

 Tliey are thought to have beeu originally nearly an inch deep, but in 

 jilaces are almost effaced by weathering, thus giving a suggestion of 

 great antiquity. I have seen tracings of these liunrrs maile I'cccntly 

 by Mr. A. L. Pinart which show decided diffevcmi's in detail, and Mr. 

 McNiel gives still another transcrii^t. I present in Fig. .3 ,Mr. IMcNiel's 

 sketch of the southwest face of the rock, as he has given considera- 

 bly more detail than any other visitor. Mr. McNiel's sketches show 



Southwest face of the pictiirerl s 



seventeen figures on the opi^osite side of tlie rock. Seemann gives 

 only twelve, while Mr. Pinart's tracings show upwards of forty upon 

 the same face. These three copies would not be recognized as refer- 

 ling to the same original. That of Mr. Pinart seems to show the 

 most careful study and is probably accurate. Good photographs 

 would be of service in eliminating the inconvenient personal equa- 

 tion always present in the delineation of such subjects. These 

 figures bear little resend)lance to tliose painted upon the vases of 

 this region. 



Other figures are said to be engraved upon the bowlders and stones 

 used in constructing the burial cists. De Zeltner states' that ' ' one 

 often meets with stones covered with ritde allegorical designs, repre- 

 senting men, pumas (tigre ?), and birds. It is particularly in such 

 huacas as have pillars and a vault that these curious specimens of In- 

 dian art are found. " " 



Columns. — A number of authors speak casually of sculptured 

 stone columns, none of which have been found in place. Seemann 



' Seemann: Voy. Herald, Vol. I, p. 313. 



'•' A. de Zeltner: Notes sur les sepultures indiennes du departement de Chiriqui. 



