Evening star., 1901-10-01
RELICS FROM PORTO RICO.
A Collection of Archaeological Treas
ures From Southern Island.
From the New York Herald

A Collection of Archaeological Treas
ures From Southern Island.
From the New York Herald.
New York now possesses the only COM
plete collection in existence of archaeologi-
cal treasures from Porto Rico. This is now
In the American Museum Of Natural His
tory. 1t was largely made since the Span
ish-American war; and an explorer who
reached New York recently from the island
says there are further archaeological
remains left there.
The native American people of Porto
Rico are extinct. They could not endure
Spanish oppression and become submis-
sive slaves. as might an African native.
But at one time they were an interesting
people, well advanced in certain arts as
New Yorks new collection testifes. Some
years ago the museum had a collection of
ancient stone implements, but the treas
ures secured since the island came into our
possession complete and round out that
collection.
The stone objects were probably made by
the ancestors of the Caribs They differ
greatly in fneness Of finish, polish and ar
ttstic form from stone objects found in
other places The use of many of these
objects is unknown. There was no written
language on the island before it's discov-
cry, and the millions of Caribs and Ara
walks who lived in the West Indies have
since vanished. There has not been a GIN
gle full-blood descendant of these people
living in the region during the last half
century The names Of places preserve
few of their words. But there is no tradi-
tion about the stone objects.
Among these specimens Of the stone age
are many peculiar rings or ovals Of stone
resembling horse collars in size and shape
Some weigh twenty pounds, others seventy
and they are found as deep in the ground
as nine feet Many are strangely and beau
tifully carved. Some of these resemble q
coil or loop, with one end projecting be-
yond the coil, where it seems to be tied.
Such fine stone carvings must have been
intended for serious and important USE
possibly religious, as religion above all
other powers has led man to execute diff
| hcult and permanent work. They could not
| be collars to be worn for punishment as
too much art Is lavished upon them but
| they may have served In religious sacri-
fees.
| The mystery which surrounds these GU
rlous stones Is not yet solved, although
| over forty years ago the savants OF Copen-
hagen, London and Paris were struggling
with the problem. having but few speci-
| brought some to New Yofk. We now have
| many of them In the Museum Of Natural
History. The mystery Of their use remains
| unSolved.
One resembles the lower half Of such col
lar as above described. but the carving
seems to occupy a different position.
| There is little four-legged metate, or
Il
| could have been used upon 1t. There is also
| one with four legs and the head and tail Of
| an animal, while the back Is fiat or even
/ dish shaped and useful for grinding.
| But these objects, the use of which may
| be surmised, are not SO interesting as GER
| tain peculiarly carved and polished stones,
| reminding one Of great snails with high
| backs and their heads on the ground. Some
of these are really beautifully symmetrical,
| we'll polished ard even. made Of beautiful
| and variegated stone. What they could
| have been used for Is unknown. Were they
| household gods, fetiches. objects Worship
| ped by men or by women? 1t is possible
| that carvings may yet be found represent
| ing one of them in use, for the prehistoric
people Of Porto Rico were able to draw re-
1 alistically, as Is proven by the carved
/ faces, some of which are fairly well exc
| cuted, although some are crude.
| These people were also skillful as potters,
and the many little pottery heads are in
| teresting. as they differ from anything we
have in the United States.
The early explorers did not preserve the
| Mexican paper codices. but destroyed them
| In their zeal to obliterate all Of the old re-
| ligion. In order to make way for Christian
| ity. Had we these books, in even a small
proportion Of their abundance before the
conquest, we might find reference In them
| to the inhabitants OF the islands to the
] east Of Mexico. and SO possibly solve these
Porto Rican mysteries.