Picture-Writing of the American Indians: Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1888-89, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1893, pages 3-822Mallery, Garrick
History
Picture-Writing of the American Indians: Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1888-89, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1893, pages 3-822
Mallery, Garrick
Picture-writing, Indian
One other sign, the imprint of the naked foot, is to be noted,
found only once on this slab. Two human footprints are traced on
one of the pillars of the crypt of the Petit-Mont in Arzon. They
are said to be divided off, by a slight relief, from the rest of
the granite frame on which they are sculptured, and which contains
other drawings. Similar figures, engraved on rock or on tombstones,
are cited from abroad, in lands far apart. In Sweden, the prints
of naked or sandaled feet are common among the rock sculptures
of the age of bronze which represent the curious scenes of the
life of the people of that period. It is proper to note that these
Scandinavian and Morbihan sculptures are not synchronous; the idea
of an immediate influence of one people on the other can not be
entertained. One might, however, maintain the identity of origin.
The other inscriptions of Brittany are enigmatic in every
respect. But they probably had a conventional value, a determined
meaning. There is first of all a sort of complicated cartouche,
plainly defined, having the appearance of a buckler or heraldic
shield. Among the isolated signs it is proper to note a figure
of the shape of the letter U with the ends spread wide apart and
curved in opposite directions. It recalls, with some aid from
the imagination, the character which on the Scandinavian rocks
represents more plainly ships and barks.
The sculpturing of hands and feet is to be remarked in connection with
similar characters on the rocks in America, many illustrations of which
appear in the present work.
B. Souché (_a_) in 1879 described and illustrated curious characters on
the walls of the crypt of the tumulus of Lisières (Deux-Sèvres), France,
some of which in execution markedly resemble several found in the United
States and figured in this work.
SPAIN.
Mr. T. Jagor (_a_) communicated a brochure in reference to the Cueva de
Altamira, transmitted to him by Prof. Vilanova in Madrid: “Short notes
on some prehistoric objects of the province of Santander,” in which Don
Marcelino de Sautuola describes the wall pictures and other finds in the
cave discovered by him at Altamira. Mr. Jagor remarks as follows on the
subject:
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