THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HIST(3RY OF NEW YORK 



397 



fairly good representations. In size these face stones vary from 

 discoid pebbles with a diameter of 3 inches to carved blocks of 

 stone 8 or 10 inches in length. The frequency of stone faces in 

 the southern tier of counties may be accounted for by remembering 

 that the Delaware Indians who occupied this region used stone 

 faces, called fnising, in some of their ceremonies. Effigies of human 

 faces were carved on the posts of their council houses. 



Fig. 55 Stone face from Chemung county 



The Iroquois made some small maskettes in stone, particularly 

 catlinite, but their largest and best carved effigies were their wooden 

 masks, which were used in various ceremonies, both public and 

 secret. Catlinite maskettes have been found in certain Onondaga 

 and Seneca sites. Metallic eye rings of wooden faces are sometimes 

 found. They are flat disks of brass or copper with the centers cut 

 out. 



