170 ISLAND CULTURE AREA OF AMERICA [eth. asx. 34 



Caves, Shell Heaps, and Ball Courts 



Archeological objects have been found in many localities in Porto 

 Rico, but they are especially abundant in the caves with which the 

 island is honeycombed, in shell heajis, and inclosures of rectangu- 

 lar shape called batey, cercados de los Indios, or juegos de bola. All 

 these sites are niunerous and have been repeatedly referred to by pre- 

 vious writers. 



The surface characteristics of these places are indicated in Aborigi- 

 nes of Porto Rico,^**" where those of this island were first described 

 in English, although known for many previous years through the 

 descriptions of Dr. A. Stahl."° The vicinity of the ball courts to 

 dwellings is mentioned by Oviedo and several other authors. 



In his pioneer reconnoissance of Porto Rico in 1902— i the author 

 had not the time or means to engage in prolonged intensive work 

 of excavation of caves, shell heaps, and ball courts (juegos de bola).-"" 

 There is much work to be clone in this direction and a fair begin- 

 ning has already been made. The opportunities are very great. 

 Sites of prehistoric settlements are many, and those of historic char- 

 acter can easily be identified. As in all the West Indies, the arche- 

 ologist has barely begun his work, and much remains to be done 

 before the story of the culture of the Tainan race can be adequately 

 made out. One of the most promising islands awaiting the spade of 

 the archeologist is Haiti, and it is to be hoped that ere many years 

 the antiquities of this island may be explored. 



At the time of mj' visit a few desultory excavations had been 

 made by local students in caves and shell heaps, but it remained for 

 an expedition from the New York Academy of Sciences, under the 

 direction of Prof. Boas, to pay especial attention to the subject. The 

 residts of extended excavations have not been fully published, al- 

 though notices of the work have appeared in some of our journals. 



There have been several collectors of archeological material in 

 Porto Rico since my Aborigines of Porto Rico was written, among 

 whom should lie mentioned Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop. who have added 

 several unique specimens obtained by excavations in shell heaps and 

 by purchase to the Peabody Museum at Cambridge. 



Although some light has been thrown on the so-called ball courts 

 from an archeological point of view by the excavations of J. A. 

 Mason and Haeberlin, they have added no new interpretation to the 

 discussion by Oviedo and Stahl or to that in the author's Aborigines 



iM Twenty-fifth Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn. 



'" Los Indios P.orinqupnos. Puerto Rico, 18.S9. 



'"• \n Oviedo tliese sites ni-e called liate.v. Imt country people in Porto Rico speak of 

 them as juegos de bola (game of ball). The old name is still applied to open places 

 before large buildings. 



