73 
The occurrence of whole, or nearly whole, skulls and lower jaws of 
several different kinds of mammals, and the beaks of several species of 
birds, suggests the use of medicine bundles similar to the “mysterious 
packages” of the modern Iroquois. 
Perhaps some of the larger bone heads, mentioned on page 64, were 
used by medicine-men in some of their ceremonies. 
It is possible that the earthenware pipes, especially those bearing 
human and animal forms, which in some cases may have represented 
manitous and religious symbols, and some of the earthenware pots with 
modelled human faces on the rims, were used in religious ceremonies. 1 
Although snake forms occurred on earthenware pipes, they probably can- 
not be taken as evidence of the existence of a serpent cult. 
The carved prong of an antler shown in Plate XVII, figure 24, and 
more fully described under “ Art,” may have been a phallic symbol. 
The small earthenware human figurine in Plate XV, figure 30, may 
have been used in the practice of witchcraft, as are similar small bone 
human forms among the Seneca of New York ( See Skinner, 2:114, and 
Harrington, 4: 228). The head in figure 31, in the same plate, may be part 
of a similar figurine. 
CHARMS AND AMULETS 
Only one natural stone object of a grotesque shape that might have 
been an amulet was found (Cat. No. VIII-F-12409) . 2 It is possible that 
the clay concretion with an incised X on one side, seen in Plate XV, 
figure 18, was a charm. The quartz crystals are more likely to have been 
charms than the specimens just described, and may have been hunting and 
divining fetishes like those of the Cherokee, 3 medicine-men’s charms as 
among the Eskimo, or may have been applied to a person believed to be 
bewitched to draw forth “ leaves, pebbles, etc.,” as among the modern 
Tuscarora {See Smith, E., pages 68-69). Another object, which may have 
been an amulet, is a polished periotic bone of a deer. The notched or per- 
forated teeth of the bear, raccoon, and wapiti (Plate XV, figures 2 to 4) 
may also have been used as charms. 
Gorgets Made of Human Skull 
The gorgets made from pieces of human skull, of wdiich there are eight 
fragmentary and two whole specimens, may have been amuletic. Most 
of them seem to be derived from the parietals (See Plate XV, figure 32), 
but two, one of which is seen in figure 33, are made from the vertex and 
include part of the frontal and parietals, the one figured being evidently 
derived from the skull of a young individual, as synotosis of the sutures 
has not commenced. The edges of these objects are either rounded or 
ground off at a slant. One has the arterial grooves of the inside surface 
partly obliterated by grinding, and three others have the convex surface 
>The aesthetic purpose was secondary to the magical or religious in many cases. Respecting the occurrence of 
human and other forms on pottery, Holmes (2: 163), says: "It is not unlikely that superstition gave rise to the use 
of these life-forms and restricted them to the places on the vases and pipes to which they are so scrupulously con- 
fined.” , 
According to the Jesuit Relations (vol. XXXIII, p. 211) the Hurons considered certain stones of a peculiar 
shape as lucky, 
Hodge, Handbook Am. Indians, s.v. “fetish.” 
