FEWKES] ARCHEOLOGICAL OBJECTS 17 1 



forma de cono; hacia un extremo del eje mayor de la base hay varias molduras eap- 

 richosas, y en el extremo opuesto una cara humana. Unidas las Jos jiartes del fdolo, 

 semeja el todo una serpiente enroseada eon fisononifa humana. 



[Translatjnn] 



All these idols, although they vary in size and in the kind of stone of which they 

 are made, for some are of quartz" and others of limestone, '' have the same general 

 proportions and form. Earh one is composed of two distinct and separate jjarts, 

 which fit perfectly together: 1st, an ellipsoidal ring, on the external surface of which 

 is cut a serpent's tail; 2d, a massive piece, the base of which, when it fits the ring, 

 is flat and of ellipsoidal shape, while the upper part terminates in a cone; toward the 

 end of the greater axis of the base there are various capricious moldings, and at the 

 opposite end a human face. When the two comjionent parts of the idol are united, 

 the whole resembles a coiled serpent with human pliysiognomy. 



One or two other authors spoak of these collars as '•snake stones." 

 but as no additional grounds for this identification are given, they 

 apparently accepted Acosta\s conclu.sion. 



Several significant facts appear to support the theory that another 

 object was once attached to the undecorated panel of the stone collar : 



1. This panel is left rough and is never decorated; its plane of con- 

 vexit}' is approximately the .same as the concave curvature of the base 

 of the three-pointed stones. It has a pit or depression in its center, 

 and the base of the three-pointed stone sometimes has a similar pit in 

 the same relative position. On the theory under consideration the 

 object of these pits would l)e to insure a firmer attachment of the two 

 objects. The use and function of both collars and three-pointed stones 

 are enigmatical, but their geographical distribution is identical. 



2. Some of the elbow stones appear feebly to support the Acosta 

 theory in this way: The elbow stone of the Latimer collection resem- 

 bles closelj' that part of a collar which includes the boss and one panel. 

 An examination of this panel shows that it conforms in relative posi- 

 tion to the undecorated panel of a collar. A human face is carved in 

 relief on this panel in the place at which the three-pointed stone would 

 have been cemented to the collar. The ell)0w stone figured by Pinart 

 has a similar face cut on its panel. On the supposition that there is a 

 Iflieness in form between stone collars and elbow stones this fact juay 

 be significant. 



It may be mentioned that since Acosta wrote the lines above quoted 

 a larger number of these three-pointed stones than he saw have been 

 examined, and that from increased knowledge of them minor correc- 

 tions of his account are possible. For instiince, what he calls '"capri- 

 cious moldings"' toward the end of the greater axis are undoubtedly 

 legs or appendages, while the "human face" at the other end of the 

 greater axis is now known sometimes to be replaced by the head of a 

 bird, lizard, or other animal. Acosta apparently was familiar with but 



