FEWKEs] CULTURE AREAS IN THE WEST INDIES 171 



of Porto Rico. The excavations have revealed the form and size of 

 these inclosures and uncovered posts indicating buiklings mentioned 

 by Oviedo. 



The caves and shell heaps have likewise been investigated, but up 

 to this time, with the exception of articles by Messrs. Aitken,^^ 

 Mason,== and Dr. Haeberlin," the results are not known to the author. 

 Several unique objects have been excavated; others have been pur- 

 chased from native collectors. 



The most important result of this work in caves was the discovery 

 of bones of extinct animals, and others belonging to modern periods, 

 as similar bones occur also in shell heaps. The aborigines of the 

 West Indies probably used many animals for food, thereby hastening 

 their extinction. 



In both Porto Eico and Espanola we find evidences of a cave people 

 and settlements of Carib— a vigorous nomadic stock— but the caves 

 had practically become burial places, or ceremonial in their use. Evi- 

 dences of the use of caves for these purposes occur all over Porto 

 Rico, and, although they have not been thoroughly investigated, 

 enough material has been taken from them to show that the cave 

 inhabitants had many points in common. 



There is considerable similarity in the artifacts from Porto Rico 

 and Santo Domingo, and many differences between them and those 

 from the Lesser xVntilles, so that as a culture area the Greater An- 

 tilles are well differentiated from the Lesser. 



Archeological Specimens 



The specimens in the Heye collection from Porto Rico add much 

 to our knowledge of the prehistoric period in Borinquen life, not- 

 withstanding there are many duplicates of those already elsewhere 

 described. 



The Heye collection contains several new forms of zemis, stone 

 implements, pottery, wooden objects, and those made of bone and 

 shell. Tiie stone implements are naturally the most numerous and 

 will be first C9nsidered. 



The type form of celt from Porto Rico is the petaloid, which, 

 wherever found, has the same form and finely polished surface, 

 as contrasted with the rough surface of the ax (fig. 28) or paddle-like 

 stones of the Lesser Antilles.^* 



= Porto Rican Burial Caves. Proc. 19tli Int. Cong. Amer., pp. 224-22S, 1917. 



K Excavation of a now arohoological site in Porto Rico. Proc. ISth Int. Cong. Amer.. 

 pp. 220-223, 1917. 



=3 Archeological work in Porto Rico. Am. Antlirop.. n. s., vol. xix, pp. 214-2.38, 1917. 



« For a discussion of tllstrihution of the petaloid and ax form of implement see 

 Fewkes, Aboriginal Culture in the Lesser Antilles, Bull. Amer. Geog. Soc., vol. xLvi, uo. 9, 

 1914. 



