205 



HEAD SCULPTURED IN HARD STONE 



BY THE 



MUYSCA INDIANS. 



BRACELET OF OBSIDIAN. 



PLATE LXVI. 



The sculptured head is the work of the ancient 

 inhabitants of the kingdom of New Grenada. 

 The stone, considered by some mineralogists as 

 a smaragdite, is undoubtedly nothing but a green 

 quartz passing into hornstone. Perhaps this 

 quartz, of extreme hardness, is tinged, like the 

 chrysoprase, by the oxid of nickel. It is per- 

 forated in such a manner, that the openings of 

 the cylindric hole are in planes cutting each 

 other at right angles. We may suppose, that 

 this perforation was made by means of tools of 

 copper mixed with tin ; for iron was not used 

 either by the Muyscas or the Peruvians. 



