Shell Effigy, Human
date: label: Accession Date
content: 30 Dec 1966
name: label: Collector
content: Richard K. Meyer
label: Donor Name
content: Richard K. Meyer
label: Site Name
content: Craig Mound
notes: label: Notes
content: Style: Craig C Element: Body present, head missing Alteration: Reuse, weathered Manufacturing Notes: Human cut out and decor on inner surface. However, the bead designs for the person are carried around to the back (outer shell) surface at wrists and knees and feet. The outer was previously engraved leaving a palimpsest of designs on the outer surface. Design: Human figure, done on engraved shell cup fragment Surface Modification: Incised Symbols: Dotted circle in diamond on belt. Simple bead grids at knees and feet. Triangular bib form at neck. Residue: Red stain on outer. Use Trace: Clearly re-used. Comments: Original design on outer surface was Braden B and was used in refitting the head. The Braden B cup design shows portions of large heads, with bi-lobed arrow headdresses and roaches. Phillips and Brown 1983, PL. 285 (Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings from Craig Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma. Vols IV-VI) remark that the head was acquired from the Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation by the Smithsonian, and that the 2 pcs are now together. I have no record of such a transaction, and there is no head here.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 1 Oct 2015
label: Site Number
content: 34LF40
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Spiro, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Archaeology
culture: label: Culture
content: Prehistoric
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 272249
label: USNM Number
content: A448772-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Effigy
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: ca. 21 cm
label: Width - Object
content: ca. 10.82 cm
label: Weight - Object
content: ca. 339.5 g