. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. PREHISTORIC ART. 503 olooy Many aboriginal carvings and engravings on bone were found during tlieir excavation. Figs. 251-253 in "The Swastika"' represent variously carved birds and animals from these mounds. Other spec- iuicns were found, mostly in fragments, of which Mr. Bennett, the artist of the expedition, says: These carved traceries or engravings upon bone, even in fragmentary state, evince an artistic mucli beyon
. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. PREHISTORIC ART. 503 olooy Many aboriginal carvings and engravings on bone were found during tlieir excavation. Figs. 251-253 in "The Swastika"' represent variously carved birds and animals from these mounds. Other spec- iuicns were found, mostly in fragments, of which Mr. Bennett, the artist of the expedition, says: These carved traceries or engravings upon bone, even in fragmentary state, evince an artistic mucli beyond the mineral and vegetable stain, and, by their almost microscoric delicacy of execution and nnfaltering precision of line work, show a high de-ree of manual skill. Though some are undoubtedly portions of barbaric and desultory design and unsystematic application of indefinite ideas, others l^espeak a clearly conceived idea, a definite motive and vigorous execution, not inferior to the predominant motives of early Mediterranean decorative art. They are clearly not of an illus- trative or imitative design, either realistic or conventional, but cre- ated design, fouuded on purely me- chanical motive with good concep- tion; and it is regrettable that no complete examples remain to correct artistic valuation of the purpose of the The recent excavations by Mr. Clarence B. Moore in the Florida sand mounds brought to light several of these thin copper j)lates with curious de- signs wrought upon them.' The United States National Museum j^ossesses a number from various States in the central United States. The designs, however, are not of the same character as most of the foregoing. They do not represent human or animal figures, but tend to lines, dots, concentric rings, and designs more or less geometric. Gold and Silver. The world knows enough of the barbarous peoples of historic times, whether ancient or modern, to enable it to predicate with reasonable certainty the use of g
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