THE ARCHAIC HORIZON 53 



The technique of manufacture naturally changes 

 somewhat with the increase in size. There is also 

 reason to believe that the largest hollow figures come 

 from the end i)i the Archaic Period in Mexico, and 

 especially those that have been found in the state of 

 Jalisco and the territory of Tepic. The eyelids are often 

 rather carefully modeled and sometimes an eyeball is 



O ® & €"^ <S> O) 



3 * 8 9 7 



Fig. 1 •"). Types of Eyes of Archaic Figurines. 



put in between the lids. These and perforated eyes 

 seem to be the latest characters to be developed in the 

 archaic art and it is significant -that they are not found 

 over such a wide area as the forms of eyes given above. 



Ancient Customs. We may gather much of an 

 ethnological nature from the study of these quaint 

 figures. Articles of dress and adornment are shown as 

 well as musical instruments, weapons, etc. Head- 

 dresses may consist of fillets, turbans, and objects 

 perched on one side of the head. Noserings and ear- 

 rings are abundantly represented and in considerable 

 variety. We may be sure that weaving was rather 

 highly developed because many garments such as 

 shirts, <kirts, and aprons are painted or incised with 

 geometric designs. Body painting, or tattooing, appears 

 to have been a common usage. Among weapons the 

 (itlntl, or spear-thrower, was already known and knobby 

 clubs seem to have been popular. Men are shown 

 beating on drums and turtle shells, while women nurse 

 children and carry water. Since the large figures of 

 clay arc often found in tombs it is not impossible that 

 they were intended to be portrait- of the dead. Many 

 have a startling quality of caricature. 



