Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans: Second annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-81, pages 179-306Holmes, William Henry
History
Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans: Second annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-81, pages 179-306
Holmes, William Henry
Indian art; Indians -- Antiquities
In Fig. 1, Plate LV, we have a well-preserved disk which has four
involute lines, the others having three only; these lines are deeply cut
and, for about one-third of their length, penetrate the shell, producing
four crescent-shaped perforations. The circles in the third or dotted
zone are neatly made and evenly spaced, and inclose circlets and conical
pits. The dots in the intervening spaces are closely and irregularly
placed, and in number range from forty to forty-five, giving a total of
about three hundred and forty. Other features are as usual. The specimen
was obtained from a stone grave in Kane's Field, near Nashville, Tenn.,
and is now in the Peabody Museum.
It is possible that the specimen presented in Fig. 2, Plate LV, should
not be placed in this group; but as there are many points of resemblance
to the type, it may be described here. At first sight it appears that
one of the outer zones is lacking, but it will be seen that through some
unknown cause the two have been merged together, alternating bosses of
the outer line being carried across both zones. The whole design has
been carelessly laid out and rudely engraved. The lines of the involute
are arranged in four groups of two each and occupy an unusually wide
belt. There are near the margin two sets of perforations for suspension.
The specimen was obtained from the Brakebill mound, near Knoxville,
Tenn., and is in an advanced stage of decay.
[Illustration: PL. LV--SHELL DISKS.
1. From a mound near Nashville. (1/1)
2. From the Brakebill Mound. (1/1)
Tennessee.]
In Plate LVI, Fig. 4, I present a small specimen, which has the
appearance of being unfinished. The zones are all defined, but, with the
exception of the outer, which has thirteen bosses, are quite plain. The
lines are deeply but rudely cut. It was obtained from a stone grave at
Oldtown, Tenn., and is now in the Peabody Museum.
Besides the type specimen already presented, there may be seen in the
National Museum two very good examples, from a mound near Franklin,
Tenn. The smaller is about three inches in diameter and is nearly
circular; it has suffered much from decay, but nearly all the design can
be made out. The lines of the involute penetrate the disk producing
short crescent-shaped perforations; the circles in the dotted zone are
seven in number and inclose the usual circlets and conical pits; the
dots in the intervening spaces are too obscure to be counted. The
specimen has sixteen marginal scallops. The larger specimen is somewhat
fragmentary, portions being broken away from opposite sides. It is
nearly four and a half inches in diameter, and the design has been drawn
and engraved with more than ordinary precision. The central circle
incloses a perforated circlet, and the involute lines are long and
shallow. The dotted zone has seven circles with inclosed circlets and
pits. The outer zone contains fifteen oval figures.
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