FBWKBS] ABCHEOLOGICAL OBJECTS 179 



Porto Rico. At tlie eastern end of Cuba the prehistoric culture some- 

 what resembled that of the other islands of the Greater Antilles, but 

 at the western end it was very different, indicating- that the higher cul- 

 ture was not indigenous but was introduced from Haiti and Porto Rico. 

 The two extremities of Cuba, the regions nearly coextensive, one with 

 the province of Pinar del Rio, the other with Santiago and Puerto 

 Principe, may have been at no distant geological epoch separate 

 islands, the intermediate lowlands then being under the sea. It is 

 logical to suppose that the faunal and floral^ differences may have 

 originated at that time, and if that epoch were very recent, as evi- 

 dences seem to show, man may have dwelt on Cuba when the extremi- 

 ties were separate islands. At no distant time, probably not long 

 before the discovery of the West Indies by Europeans, the majority 

 of Cuba's inhabitants were low in culture, but an influx of a higher 

 culture had alreadj' affected the eastern end. The western extremity, 

 even in the time of Columbus, still remained in a primitive condition. 

 The race had not been influenced by the culture of Haiti, nor, what is 

 more remarkable, by that of the neighboring peninsula of Yucatan, on 

 the soil of which there had developed one of the highest stages of cul- 

 ture attained in America in prehistoi'ic times. The culture of western 

 Cuba was not as highly developed as that of Porto Rico, if we judge 

 from the character and artistic excellence of the archeological remains. 

 Unfortunately there is very limited matei'ial from which to form a 

 true conception of the nature of the primitive culture of Cuba. Local 

 museums are poor in specimens, and there are few specimens from 

 this island in foreign collections. One or two of the objects are so 

 different from those of the neighboring islands that their exceptional 

 character can be explained only on the theory that the cultures were 

 different. 



Plate Lxxii, a and a', represents the front and side views of an idol 

 in the Santiago Museum that comes in this category. The object is 

 undoubtedly an idol, but of a foi'm different from iu\j originating in 

 Porto Rico. The author believes it to be genuine, but so exceptional 

 is its form that more testimony would be desirable to establish fully 

 its authenticit}-. 



In 5 is represented a stone upon which is carved a human face. It 

 was purchased by the author in Santiago de Cuba. The idol shown 

 in c, preserved in the museum at Santiago, diffei's somewhat from 

 idols of Porto Rican oi'igin, but has a pestle form not unlike some of 

 those from this island descril)ed in the preceding pages, and is made 

 of coral rock. 



Pottery 



The aborigines of Porto Rico were expert potters, as is proved by 

 specimens of their craft that have been found in abundance in shell 

 heaps, caves, and other sites. No whole pieces of pottery fi'om Porto 



