MAYA INDIANS OF YUCATAN AND BRITISH HONDURAS 



97 



details of the sculpture can not now be deciphered. The back and 

 sides are plain and unsculptured. Close to tliis monoli"th lay a small 

 stone altar, 2 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 4 inches; on its upper surface is 

 represented the figure of a skeleton with head bent over the extended 

 right arm, while the h^f t is held in to the side, the elbow joint at right 

 angles. In front of the skeleton is a double row of hieroglyphs, 

 each row containing 7 glyphs, most of which are in a fairly good 

 state of preservation. An excavation was made round the part of 

 the monolith still standing. It was found to be surrounded by a 

 solid foundation of Idocks of limestone, held together by cement, 



FiCr. 43.— Fiinls found in ruins at Naranjo. 



among wliich were found, near the base of the stela, and actually in 

 contact with it, the two eccentrically shaped fUnt objects shown in 

 figures 41 and 42. In excavating a stela at the ruins of Naranjo, 

 Repubhc of Guatemala, Teobert Maler found the fhnt illustrated in 

 figure 43, a, and in clearing another stela at the same ruins 24 similar 

 fhnts were -found (fig. 43, l-s). Of these he says: 



During the excavation of this "starfish stela" quite a collection of very interesting 

 flint ornaments, 24 in number, came to light. Among them were crescents, such 

 as are seen as ear ornaments on certain stelse of Yaxha and Tikal, several curved or 

 even S-shaped pieces, which, perhaps, were used asnose ornaments, a serrated lance 

 and a serrated plate, a piece in the shape of a cross, and one composed of three leaves, 

 a double lance, single lances, etc. 

 70806°— IS— Bull. 64 7 



