174 



ISLAND CULrUBE AREA OF AMERICA 



[ETH. ANN. 3* 



men is less acute than is ordinarily the case and the sides enlarge 

 as they recede irom it, forming a cap, which appears to fit over the 

 point of the celt as indicated. A cross section of the length of this 

 modification of this form of petaloid is evident in the accompanying 

 illustration. 



The most important differences in the petaloids ai'e not so much 



in shape as in the form and na- 

 ture of the heads, bodies, or faces 

 engraved upon them. A special 

 group has been made to contain 

 petaloids with engraved surfaces, 

 called ceremonial celts, scA'eral un- 

 described sj)ecimens of which have 

 been studied by the author. An- 

 other kind of petaloid celt, also 

 elevated to a special group called 

 monolithic petaloids, has a handle 

 and ax in one i^iece. The celt jDre- 

 serves its almond shape, but the 

 handle maj' be variously modified. 

 Several specimens of this group, one of which is in the Heye collec- 

 tion, have been studied bv the author. 



Fig. 30. — Brokcu monolithic celt. 



Engraved Celts 



The following is quoted at length from the author's account^" of 

 these implements in the Heye Museum. 



The majority of stone objects known from the larger islands 

 are finely polished, while those from the Lesser Antilles are of 

 a different fonn, with a rough surface. The former are called 

 celts; the latter are commonly known as axes. The peculiari- 

 ties of these objects found in the West Indies indicate that these 

 islands formed a sharply defined culture area in prehistoric times. 

 Their technique suggests an occupation by man for a consider- 

 able period, for it takes many years to develop the culture that 

 they express. AVe find, moreover, that the geographical distribu- 

 tion of the two different types of these objects can best be ex- 

 plained on the supposition that they belong to two radically differ- 

 ent culture regions which can be readily distinguished. These 

 two subcultural centers, geographically speaking, are the Greater 

 and the Lesser Antilles — the former characterized by the smoothly 

 polished celt; the latter by the rough ax, having an enlarged, well- 

 developed poll, differentiated from, the blade by encircling grooves 



«»Engra.vP(l Celts from the Antilles. 

 no. 3, lai.'i. 



Contributions from the He.ve Museum, vol. II, 



