IIISTATUES INTHE ISLAND OF CEIBA.
Ceibahas certainly been densely populated in ancient times. This fact is testified by the rich quantities of relics discovered there from time to time. InRivasDr.Flintshowed me objects of bronze, stone, and earthen-ware as well as small ornaments of thin golden plate, spirally twisted glass-staves a. o., that were found in Ceiba. And although my own excavations did not turn out so productive as I had been led to expect by the rich treasures I had seen from the island, they, however, yielded extremely valuable contributions to my collection. These will be spoken of below, in connection with the results of my diggings in Zapatera and Ometepec. No statues are now to be found in the island, but it is reported by tradition that several were formerly to be found at the north side of the island, which were carried off long ago to a hacienda in the isthmus. These statues are said to have been comparatively small-sized. On the other hand, the island is rich in rock-carvings, and its highest point, a flat mountain ridge, level as floor, has, from this cause, received the name ofCerro de Pantheon. This mountain ridge is, in my opinion, the continuation of that edge of a crater which surrounds Bahia de Chiquero. The carvings found on its south-western spur,Punta de Pantheon, cut in the solid rock at a depth of two meters below the lowest surface of the lake, prove thatthe island has sunk at a late period, and thus corroborate my hypothesis of the earlier connection between Ceiba and Zapatera. This connection has been dissolved by the gradual sinking of the volcano.
The western portion of the island is plain, partly cultivated, partly covered by bush, the eastern is very rugged. Cerro de Pantheon, its highest point, is about 60 meters above the surface of the lake. This mountain ridge is 80 to 100 meters in length by 10 to 15 in breadth, and offers an extraordinarily well-fit place for rock-carvings. And, indeed, the ancient inhabitants of the island have made such an eager use of this opportunity that the whole crown of the ridge is densely covered with sculptures. This crown, as has been mentioned before, forms a perfectly level surface; indeed, it is not quite impossible that human hands may have helped nature to level it. On the part of the mountain chiefly occupied by the rock-carvings, the vegetation was very scanty, consisting of low shrubs and stiff grass. I could not detect any carvings on the different sides of the mountain, nor on the large loose blocks of stone north of Cerro de Pantheon. But on large flat or round blocks, detached long ago from the side of the mountain, and lying all the way down to the southern shore at Punta de Pantheon, numerous carvings were found. Such were also to be seen there in the solid rock as well on land as on that part of the rock that stretches into the lake. I can here give illustrations only of the lesser part of the carvings. The wreaths were generally even, boldly cut, 4-6 cm. broad, 2-3 cm. deep.
aPl. 37.
It represented the upper part of a human figure. The face was broad, with round eyes, broad nose, and square mouth. The head was surmounted by four plumes, meant, according to the conception of my Indians, to represent a crown of feathers. On this account, they honoured the figure with the name of «La Reyna». The chest was short and broad, the arms very long, the hands circular, the left one much larger than the right one, both provided with eight radiating fingers. The length of the figure from the crown of the head to the lower edge of the breast was 64 cm.; the breadth between the elbows 127 cm.
bPl. 37.
It may possibly have been intended to represent a very primitive human figure. The face was formed by two concentric circles; the eyes and the mouth were represented by three small shallow cavities. On the head there was a kind of head-ornament, broader upwards, or possibly the face of an animal, also marked with three cavities. The body was a rectangular enlargement without arms, with a straight furrow in its middle; from its lower edge there issued one long, straight leg, ending in a short foot, broadening outwards. The entire length of the figure was 82 cm.; the breadth of the face was 16 cm.
cPl. 37.
This was possibly also meant to be a human figure, though the legs were wanting. The face was a broad oval, with three holes situated more to the right, representing the eyes and the mouth. On the head was a little, tiara-shaped ornament. The arms were short, without any traces of hands. The whole length was 70 cm., the breadth of the face was 20 cm.
dPl. 37.
Human figure with arms and one leg. The face was nearly triangular with rounded corners. Three holes represented the eyes and the mouth. On the head was a high ornament, like that of the preceding figure. The arms were hanging, of the same thickness with the shoulders. One short and thick leg with a pointed foot. The length of the figure was 92 cm.; its breadth across the shoulders was 26 cm.
ePl. 37.
A spirally wound line running out into some irregular curves, the last part quite straight. The diameter of the spiral was 20 cm.
fPl. 38.
A human figure; the face in profile, high and narrow, with pointed nose and thick, round chin. The eye was a pretty large, oval cavity. Above the head were three plumes, broadening towards the end. Opposite to the face was placed a figure possibly meant to represent the head of an animal, its eye marked by an oval cavity. The neck of the human figure was represented by a rectangle; the body appeared in profile, the breast was convex, the back slightly concave. The arms and legs were represented «en face», the left arm in two parts, the right one in one; the left hand with two fingers, the right one with six. The legs were short, curved; the feet indicated by two ovals. Between the legs a second face was sculptured; the eyes were two small cavities, the nose was a long furrow broader downwards, the mouth a furrow broader in the middle. The length of the figure from the top of the head to the lower edge of the foot was 161 cm.; the breadth across the shoulders 55 cm.
gPl. 38.
A monkey in profile; the head circular without any traces of eye or nose; the body convex before, straight behind; the arm raised, with three-fingered hand, the tail projecting at a right angle, its end spirally wound; the leg bent, with two feet, and the sexual organ behind. The length from the top of the head to the lower foot was 80 cm.
hPl. 38.
A monkey, very similar to the preceding, with larger and more convex body; the arm with three indistinct fingers, the legs very short. The length was 63 cm.
iPl. 38.
A cross, or rather three crosses within one another, the outermost carved with coarser lines than the inner ones. The height of the innermost cross was 15 cm., of the second 22 cm., and of the third or uttermost 38 cm.
kPl. 39.
Two crosses within each other, encircled by a curved line, forming an angle at every one of the corners of the outer cross. The lines of the inner cross were nearly six cm. broad. At the upper and lower ends of the outer cross was an isolated rectangular elevation, and a more or less square one in each of the angles of the cross. The length of the inner cross was 16 cm., of the outer one, 28 cm. The greatest diameter of the surrounding curved figure was 48 cm.
All the above described rock-carvings, viz.a-k, were to be found on the level summit of Cerro de Pantheon;kwas situated almost at the centre of the plateau, its upper short arm pointing exactly northwards. This circumstance may perhaps be fortuitous; nevertheless it ought to be mentioned, because the arms ofiare also directed towards the four principal points of the compass. Pretty nearawas the beginning of a small round water-worn rock-hollow, 30 cm. in diameter.
lPl. 39.
A winding line, one end of which formed a not quite regular spiral, and the middle portion several irregular flexions and angles, the other extremity being perfectly straight. This winding line was cut in the solid rock at the promontory Punta de Pantheon.
mPl. 39.
A double figure consisting of a labyrinth-shaped carving, united with a spirally wound line, the outer circumference of which was formed by almost square tongues, and the inner part by an irregular spiral. The length of the labyrinth-shaped figure was 58 cm., the greatest diameter of the spiral figure 54 cm. It was sculptured in the solid rock near the preceding figure, at the extremity of the promontory, and was now partly covered by water.
nPl. 39.
Almost identical in form with the spiral figure of the preceding carving, but more regular. The inner spiral had more turnings, four in number. The greatest diameter, if the projections are included, was 86 cm. It was also cut in the solid rock at the promontory itself, near the line of water.
oPl. 40.
A queerly composed figure. The greatest length was 109 cm. It was found some little way from the shore at Punta de Pantheon, cut in the solid rock.
pPl. 40.
Some coarsely carved faces; only one had the nose marked, the other four exhibiting only eyes and mouth. The length of the largest face was 25 cm., of the smallest 20 cm. A little spherical excavation, a rock-hollow, was to be seen between two of the faces. They were carved in a loose block of stone, about two meters in diameter, lying a little way up from the shore.