IRON AXES. 



275 



own native designs, should be mentioned an ornament from the isthmus 

 (P. M. 13205), which is made of two thin concavo-convex and circular 

 pieces of copper or bronze, 3 inches in diameter, perhaps once forming orna- 

 ments on an old Spanish horse-bridle. These pieces have been fastened 

 together with native-made twine passing through holes which have been 

 roughly punched at the edges of the plates, so as to form a double-convex 

 object. One surface of this has been coated with asphaltum and closely 

 covered with seven concentric rows of small shell beads. In this manner 

 a large ornament, with a hole for suspension, has been formed, closely resem- 

 bling the little article made of bone, and the larger one of asphaltum, which 

 were also ornamented with shell beads, and of which descriptions have been 

 given under the head of "Ornaments" on a previous page. 



Fig. 134 represents a small iron axe found in a grave at La Patera. 

 Several axes of this and allied forms were also found 

 in the graves at the isthmus on the island of Santa 

 Catalina. 



Another form of iron axe from La Patera is shown 

 on Plate XV, Fig. 5, and is of particular interest, as 

 the oxidation of the iron has preserved the form of the 

 feathers over the surface shown in the figure, and the 

 structure of cloth on the opposite side, in such a way 

 as to prove that this valuable article was either care- 

 fully enclosed in a fabric made of coarse cloth and 

 feathers, or was in contact with such materials forming 

 part of the dress or coverings of the body with which it 

 was placed in the grave. 



It will be remembered that several of the copper 

 axes found in the mounds in Iowa, a few years ago, 

 furnished undoubted evidence that they had been 

 wrapped in cloth at the time of deposit, and it seems very natural that 

 all valuable articles, particularly cutting-tools of metal, should be depos- 

 ited with care by the surviving friends for the use of the departed 

 in his future state. To the firm and wide-prevailing belief that such 



Iron axe of European 

 make, £. 



