UNCLASSIFIED OBJECTS, CULTURE III, SOUTH KURGAN. 169 
not determinable. Traces of the polishing are visible on both sides. The shaft 
end was made by sawing around the bottom of the hoe. 
The advanced culture of the South Kurgan also shows itself in implements 
and objects which were in a certain sense intended to serve as luxuries, and with » 
them we will close the list of objects from the middle strata. 
Seals and stamps.—In describing the excavations in terrace B, mention was 
made of the discovery of a three-faced stone seal of tri- 
angular cross-section, showing figures on all three sides 
(S.K. 73). The black stone shows some cracks and 
scratches. On it are represented a man, a lion, anda 
griffin; the stone is shown in fig. 400 and the negative 
and positive casts in plate 45, fig. 8. It was found in 
terrace B at +28.25 feet. The work- 
manship is very imperfect, the cutting 
is shallow, and the representation of 
human and animal forms leaves much 
to be desired. The human figure is par- 
ticularly awkward, both as regards its attitude and the rendering of the form in 
detail. The animals are somewhat more successful; at least there is no doubt as 
to their identity. Very little care was taken, however, in representing the legs of 
the lion; and the characterization of the head is not sufficiently apt. The griffin 
is better, even though the wings are clumsily placed on the neck of the animal. 
More simple ornaments are produced by the other stamps made of stone and 
Nee Be) De (e078) clay. Concentric rings with a high central 
boss were produced with a stamp made of 
~e greenish-white clay (S.K. 341; fig. 4or1 and 
/ i = plate 45, fig. 9), from shaft C of the upper 
digging, April 26, 1904, in the middle 
layers of culture III. A cross form, with 


ae 
ridges projecting between the arms and 
(C) mee ae showing crescent-shaped figures at the top, 
}..- is shown in the square clay stamp with a 
perforated handle (S.K. 105; fig. 402; plate 
45, fig. 11), from terrace B, between + 25 
©) feet and + 26.25feet. A partially preserved 
O stamp of dark-gray, polished stone, with 
vee perforated handle (S.K. 170; fig. 403 and 
401( 0.5) plate 45, fig. 7), from the upper digging, 
between + 25 feet 5 inches and + 29 feet, served to produce a star pattern. 
Stone vessels.—We may also class vessels made of stone among the precious 
objects of luxury, of which only small fragments—lip and bottom pieces—remain. 
They are small, deep, steep-walled cups with variously lipped forms. In some 
the lip is only slightly thickened, as in S.K. 256 (fig. 404) from terrace B, between 
+21 feet 5 inches and +23 feet 7 inches. In some it widens outward horizontally. 

