Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-01-02
Interesting Relics of Costa RIGA

place in this section Of the state.b
Interesting Relics of Costa RIGA
One day, as M. c.. Keith, who has
lived in Costa Rica for a long time,
walked past large tree lying prone
i'm the neighborhood of Mercedes, a
severe storm having uprooted it the
preceding night, he noticed something
glittering in the earth that still chung
to the roots. An examination showed
this to be gold and on further search
number of ancient golden ornaments
were soon found. 1t is supposed that
tthe tree grew over the grave of an
ancient native chief and its roots en-
meshed the objects which had been
inferred with his bones. These finds
encouraged Mr.. Keith to make SER
les of extensive excavations in vari-
Gus parts of the country with the re-
suit that a total of about $4,000 ar
chaelogical specimens, wrought in
gold, pottery or stone have been I'M
earthed.
1t appears that most of the pieces
made of gold were worn as ornaments
before being placed in the grave with
their owners. The characteristic ami
NAL life of the country is represented
among them and a number of them
are believed to have a NEUROLOGICAL
or religious significance.
Some of the ornaments are of beat
en- gold and some are castings, part
of which appear to have been cast in
one piece and part to have been cast
in several pieces and then welded to-
gether A wax casting process SIM
liar to that used in the Orient APP
pears to have been used. The pat
terms were first made of resin or wax
and then enclosed in clay. When the
clay dried the resin or wax was melt
ed and poured out, leaving the hollow
castings to be poured into it. In MAX
ing hollow castings the metal-work-
ers built the the patterns over a core
CT clay which was held in place by
pins. Several specimens in the Keith
collection show traces of the clay core
used in making the patterns. After
the rough castings were taken from
the molds they were finished Ivy being
beaten and FURNISHED.
The ancient metal-workers made
heavy platings of gold over copper, as
well as thin, and rather poor, gild-
ings. 1t is supposed that they lined
the molds with gold leaf or ell
sprinkled gold dus. into them before
Ill ulOlltn COpDCl. DOihC
speciemns are of pure gold, others of
of various intermediate alloys. Silver
and platinum are found in some as
natural alloys of the gold. The gold
wrought into these ornaments is be-
lieved to have been obtained from
placer deposits.
1t appears that the crocodile was
deiied and in great favor among
these prehistoric people for many. of
the ornaments represent gods in hui
man, animal. and bird form, with the
heads of crocodiles. In number OF
cases human beings are represented
with queer headdress and carrying
Various objects in their hands. There
are many pieces fashioned like frogs
while others represent lizards, turtles
and crocodiles or allegators. Some
of the powerful animals capable of
doing either great harm or great good
it appears were deified.
In the collection are gold bells,
modelled in the form of monkeys,
birds, grotesque heads, ETC., and most
of them are. considered fine examples
of metal work. 1t is believed that
bells of copper and gold served as
money among the people of Mexico
and Cetnral America prior TO the time
of the American Indian.
Objects made CT gold have been
found in only a very small proper
ton of the graves that have been
searched and this leads to the conclu-
sion that they must have been used as
funeral offerings only at the burials
of chiefs. Pottery and carved stone !
ornaments were found in a number of
the ancient graves examined but rare
ly in any that contained gold. The
graves were usually lined with bould- /
ers or slabs of stone, but they rarely
contained any bones when opened,
presumably because the climate there
is extraordinary conducive to decay
rather than because interments were
made at an extremely remote period
in the past.
The Keith collection is extremely
valuable, not only because 1T contains
so many fine specimens of the ancient
metal-workers' art, showing various
technical processes used, but because
relics of this kind are now compare
lively rare. owing to the fact that, !
since the advent of the Spaniards in
the lands inhabited by these prehis-
toric people, treasure-hunters have
been busy rifing ancient graves and
the metal articles taken. from tneH
have nearly all found their way into
the melting pot.
The name Costa Rica, meaning
erich coast" was piven to this coun-
try by the early Spaniards because of
the large amount of gold they obtain
ed from the natives, whose ancestors,
it is now believed, were the makers
and wearers of the interesting metal
ornaments and decorations that have
been brought to light there in mod
ern times.
A Scottish doctor who was attend
ing laird had instructed the butler
of the house in the art of taking and
recording his masters temperature
with Thermometer. On paying his
usual morning call, he was met by
the butler, to whom he said:
uxU~u H. Lx.xn fho losxI,o fovv.-