172 



ISLAND CULTXIBE AREA OF AMERICA 



[ETII. A.N'X. 3-t 



The pottery found by the author in Cueva de los (iolondrinos, near 

 Manati. fra<^ments of which are figured in Aborigines of Porto Kico, 

 is coarse, not unlike that from the Lesser Antilles, and very much 

 more like that from Barbados. As was pointed out, there are like- 

 nesses to pottery found in shell heaps of Porto Eico and in other places 

 of the island. It was not i»ssible to distinguish this pottery from 

 sea caves from that found in open juegos de bola, as no extended col- 

 lections had been made from the ball courts, and so far as could be 

 judged this difficulty still confronts us. The pottery from the shell 

 heaps is now better known than it was a dozen years ago, and it 

 would appear that the ceramics from shell deposits is cpiite imlike 

 that from some of the caves, as, for instance, the Cueva de los 



Golondrinos on the noith shore. It 

 is, however, difficult to make this 

 statement comprehensive, as it ap- 

 pears that caves were used for burial 

 purposes, especially in the uplands, 

 by a people more recent than those, 

 if anj', who lived in caves. 



" The present inhabitants of His- 

 paniola still find the figures of Zemes 

 in several parts of the island, and it 

 is b}' this sign they know where In- 

 dian towns formerly stood, as well 

 as b}' certain heaps of shells found 

 under ground; the Indians having 

 been very fond of shellfish; and as 

 often as this happens, very curious 

 discoveries are to be made, by con- 

 tinuing to dig a little, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of such heaps; for here are generally to be found 

 eveiything this people used; such as earthen vessels, flat earthen 

 plates for baking cassava bread, hatchets, and those little plates 

 of gold they used to hang to their nostrils, and sometimes to 

 their ears; but above all, a considerable quantity of Zemes of every/ 

 form." -^ 



PETALOID CELTS 



Fig. 



28. — Outliue i 

 edgo and side. 



f ax. shown from 

 (3.5 inches.) 



The majority of the stone axes from the Porto Rican area belong 

 to a type which, from its resemblance to the petal of a flower, has re- 

 ceived the name petaloid. A much closer resemblance in form, how- 

 ever, is that to an almond nut, from which fact these implements 



'' JcCfprys, Natural and Civil History of the French Dominions in North and Soutb 

 America, pt. 2, p. 15. 



