Gann] MAYA INDIAKS OF YUCATAN AND BRITISH HONDURAS 



89 



32.— Obsidian arrowhead 

 from Mound No. 10. 



side of the base, and two cresccTitic objects chipped from chert, 

 somewhat resembhng that seen in plate 15, e, but smaller, without 

 projecting spines at the convexity of the crescent, and altogether 

 more crudely and carelessly made. 



After the sand and lime had been removed from tliis chamber to 

 a deptli t)f nearly 30 feet it was found that the walls became continuous 

 with the solid foundation of masonry upon 

 which the mound stood. This was very diffi- 

 cult to penetrate, and so far as was ascertained 

 contained nothing further of interest. The 

 roof of the chamber was next attacked from 

 the sunmiit of the mound. To a depth of 

 nearly 2 feet notliingwas found but fine, brown 

 alluvial soil, fidl of the roots of plants and 

 trees. Beneath this the real structure of the 

 mound began, for not so much as a sohtary 

 potsherd or chip of fhntwas found in the earth 

 on the summit of the mound, indicating clearly that this layer had 

 accumulated since its construction. Beneath the earth layer, to 

 the roof of the chamber, the mound was composed of blocks of lime- 

 stone of varying size, loose friable mortar, and powdered limestone. 

 In the first 8 feet notliing except a few potsherds was found. At 

 this depth two shallow circular saucers, each 7J cm. in diameter, 

 were unearthed. These were made of coarse 

 red unpaintcd pottery, and close to them lay a 

 fmely chipped flint object (fig. 33, a, &). This 

 was rounded at both ends, narrower at the 

 handle than at the base, and markedly con- 

 vex on its under surface (fig. 33, a, h). The 

 front part of the under sm-face was quite 

 smooth and pohshed, evidently from attrition, 

 while that part of it marked A A bore dis- 

 tinct traces of blue paint. There can be little 

 doubt that tliis implement was a paint grinder, 

 as a specimen almost exactly similar was found 

 ina moundnearCorozal, bearing traces of green 

 paint on the under surface. Fourteen nicely 

 polished redchsh stone beads, spherical in shape, together with four 

 smaller beads of a light-green color, and a leaf-shaped spearhead of 

 flint, were found adjacent to the paint grinder. Immediately beneath 

 these was found an object made of what seems to be redcUsh-brown 

 agate,- this is 10 cm. in length, oval in section, 1 cm. in its greatest 

 breadth, tapering off to a blunt point at each end, and finely polished 

 all over. With it were nearly 300 small triangular obsidian objects of 

 the shape shown in figure 34. These vary in length from 1 J to 2| cm. 



33.— Flint object 

 Mound No. 10. 



