110 



BUREAU OF AMEEICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[bull. 64 



-Bird carrying a fish outlined on shallow 

 I found in Mound No. 17. 



(b) A shallow plaque, 28 cm. in diameter, painted throughout 

 a dark reddish-yeUow, and finely polished. Upon the upper surface 

 was outlined in fine black fines a bird, apparently a sea hawk, carry- 

 ing in its claw a good-sized fish, possibly a stone bass (fig.. 59). 

 The artist probably witnessed this event many times, as the mouth 



of the Rio Hondo, where stone 

 bass abound, is a favorite fish- 

 ing ground for sea hawks and 

 frigate birds. 



(c) A number of painted and 

 glazed potsherds of all sizes. 



Beneath this second chamber 

 a thii'd was discovered, roofed in 

 with rough flags, of the same 

 dimensions as the other two. 

 The floor of this chamber was 

 cemented over; nothing except 

 fimestone blocks and mortar was 

 found between it and the bot- 

 tom of the mound. Upon the floor lay a soUtary plaque, of a deep 

 reddish-yellow color, the upper surface divided by black lines into 

 four equal spaces, in each of which was crudely outlined in black a 

 fish, probably meant to represent a stone bass. On digging into the 

 summit of the mound outside the area occupied by the chambers, 

 the foUowing objects were brought to fight: (a) A cylindrical vase of 

 light, thin, well-made pottery, 16^ cm. high by 13 cm. in diameter, 

 painted light yellow throughout and finely pofished (fig. 60) . Upon 

 one side of the vase, within an oblong space outfined in black, are 

 a number of curious mythological animals, above which is a row of 

 six glyphs, seemingly explanatory of the picture be- 

 neath (pi. 19, a). Both animals and glyphs are very 

 carefully executed in red, black, and brown, on a 

 yellow background. The lowest figure on the right 

 somewhat resembles that on a vase in the American 

 Museum of Natural History,^ upon which the Long- 

 nosed god is associated with bulbfike objects, flowers, 

 and a bird (probably a pefican). On this vase the 

 Long-nosed god is seen with a bulblike object, possibly 

 a root, from which project interlacing stalks, at the 

 ends of which are water-lily buds. Above these is a bird, possibly 

 a sea hawk. The whole comiotes water, or fertility, (b) A second 

 vase, similar in shape, but somewhat larger (fig. 61), is painted 

 yeUow and pofished throughout. Upon this is depicted a cruciform 

 object, with outgrowths from the upper and lateral fimbs of the 



Fig. 60.— Cylindri- 

 cal pottery vase 

 found in Mound 



No. 17. 



See Spinden, Maya Art, fig. 79. 



