Nicaraguan Antiquities

SWEDISH SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY
NICARAGUAN ANTIQUITIES
BV
CARL BOVALLIUS
STOCKHOLM,
K N
C.
188C
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SWEDISH SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY
WICARAGUAN ANTIQUITIES
BY
CARL BOVALLIUS
STOCKHOLM, 188G KONGL. BOKTRVCKERIKT

P. A.
NORSTKDT
&
SONER
TO
THE ROYAL ANTIQUARY OF SWEDEN

Dr.
HANS HILDEBRAND
THIS WORK,
THE PUBLICATION OF WHICH HAS BEEN POSSIBLE

ONLY BY
HIS KIND EXERTIONS,
IS
GRATEFULLY DEDICATED
BY THE AUTHOR.
ICARAGUA
L of
is
a very rich
field
for research to the student

I I
American Archaeology, and so two years stay in Central America.
found
it
during
my
less
had there the good
fortune several
rich
in
times to meet with localities
more or
remains from the prehistoric or rather pre-spanish period.
Not very much being known about Central American antiquities, and the literature on this subject being very poor, especially with regard
to
the
Nicaraguan ones,
purpose here to describe briefly and to
figure the
more important
statues, rock carvings, ceramic objects etc.,
found by
me
in
Nicaragua and partly delineated or photographed

brought home to Sweden.
Unfortunately
I
on the
the
spot, partly
wanted
means of carrying home any of the collections contain a number of more

mostly
statues; but
my
Nicaraguan
relics,
easily
transportable
examples
of
pottery.
These are
now
deposited
in
.
the
ethnographic
collection
of the
all
R. Swedish State
Museum.
The
accompanying
plates
are
executed after
my
original sketches
or photographs taken on the spot.

before been figured or described;
figured
it
Most of the
statues have never
some
of
them are mentioned and
by E. G. Squier*
turned out,
*
work on Nicaragua. As however, on comparisons being made by me on the

in
his splendid
Nicaragua:
numerous
people, scenery, monuments, and the proposed interoceanic canal. In two volumes. London, 1852. original maps and illustrations.
its
With
spot,
that
I
some of
Squier's
fit
figures
do not quite agree with the
originals,
have thought
to publish also
my own
drawings of
these previously figured statues, 6 in number.
Although
of
the
this sketch is certainly
not the place for an account
history
of Central
permitted to give a brief

notices
America or Nicaragua, yet I may be statement of those few and disconnected
that
at
we
that
possess with regard to the nations inhabiting Niperiod,
caragua
when
the antiquities here spoken of were
probably executed.
The
are,
sources of our knowledge of these people
and
their
culture
besides the above quoted
work
of Squier,
the old Spanish chroniclers, Oviedo,
Guarros, the memoirs of

tion of
Torquemada, Herrera, and Las Casas and Peter Martyr, the relascattered notices in the
O.
Thomas Gage, and

DAMPIER
a.
works of Gomara,
I.XTLILXOCHITL,
At
Gil
the time of the Spanish invasion under the

in the years
command
of
Don
Gonzales de Avila
1521 and 1522, the region
now occupied by
the republic of Nicaragua and the north-eastern
part of the republic of Costa Rica,
was inhabited by Indian nations
of four different stocks,
which very probably may be considered
as being of different origin

at
and having immigrated
into the country
widely separated periods.
The
Atlantic
coast
with
its
luxuriant
vegetation
its
but
damp
climate and the adjacent mountainous country with

forests
at
vast primeval
were the home of more or

It
less
nomadic
tribes, remaining
a low stage of civilization.
may be
inferred,
however, from
certain indications in the account of the third
voyage of Columbus,
and from the scanty notices of several of the so-called buccaneers or filibusters, that those Indians were more advanced in culture and
manner of
life
than
the
hordes,
that
may be
regarded as their
descendants
at
the
present
a.
day:
the
Moscos,
the
Ram as,
the
Simoos
or
Smoos
o.*
Between
great lakes,
this strip of
country on the eastern shore and the two

(the lake of Ni-
Xolotlan (Managua) and Cocibolca
caragua), the intermediate highland, which shelves gradually towards
was inhabited by los Ch on tales, as they are denomiThe name is still preserved in Departemento nated by Oviedo. de Chontales. They lived in large villages and towns and were
the
lakes,
agriculturists.
Possibly they were of the same stock
as,
or closely
related to, the large
parts
Maya-family which extended over the eastern of Honduras and Guatemala and furnished the population of
This guess acquires a certain probability by the
in their
Yucatan.
several
fact of
words
language being similar to the corresponding
ones
in
some
Maya-dialects.
The Poas, Toacas, Lacandones,

These
also are
and
Guatusos may
possibly be their descendants.
living at a decidedly lower stage of civilization than their
supposed
ancestors.
If
the eastern part of Nicaragua, on account of
its
almost im-
penetrable forests and

place
of a
is
damp
climate,
is
less
fit
to
be the dwelling-
highly cultivated people, the western portion, on the
contrary,
much more
happily
endowed
in this respect
and seems
cannot but contradict, on the ground of my own investigations, the suggestion of nomadic tribes on the east coast of Nicaragua were related to the Caribs, and the Melchoras on the river San Juan are certainly of Carib stocks. All the indiviespecially duals of the Simoo, Rama and Melchora tribe, that I have seen and measured, correspond far
I
Squier, that the
more, both in general habitus and cranial characters, to the Talamanca Indians and Guatusos, indeed even to the Indios mansos in Chontales and in Northern Nicaragua, than to the Caribs
of Honduras
who
are proved to be true Caribs, or to
t,he
Magdalena Indians
in
Columbia who
it
are supposed to belong to the Carib stock.

that Squier's supposition arises
The
differences are so great as to
make
probable
last remains of that people in the West-Indies, after a long and hard struggle for freedom were expatriated and carried to Ruatan, from where they transmigrated afterwards of their own will to the opposite coast of Honduras.
of Caribs was applied to all before the brave Caribs of S:t Vincent, the
from a confusion of names, more particularly because the name Indios bravos of eastern Nicaragua during the Spanish time, long
to be
marked out by nature

civilization.
itself to
become one
of the centres of
plains,
mankind's
thinner,
rivers,
By
its
smiling valleys,
its
fertile
and
but shadowy
forests,
by
splendid lakes, gently flowing

to
and verdant mountains the country appears well able

settle
in
it.
tempt even the most exacting people to

country,
Indeed the
to
on the
arrival
of the Spaniards,
was found
be very
of small
densely populated, and divided amongst a great

sovereignities,
number
to
which could however be referred

language and character.
two separate
stocks, differing in
One
of these, the third
one of those stocks from which has sprung the population of Nicaragua, was los
territory
Choroteganos
or
Mangues. They
all
occupied the
between the two large lakes and
the fertile level country
west and north of Lake

Fonseca.
Managua down
to the Pacific
and Bahia de
Oviedo
asserts that they
were the aborigines and ancient
masters of the country, without being able however to state any

proofs in support of his opinion.
are usually distinguished:
1:0)
Of
los
Choroteganos
four groups
Los Cholutecas on the shores of Bahia

2:0)
de Fonseca; their principal town was the present Choluteca.
Los
Nagrandanos between Lake Managua and the Pacific; their capital was Sub ti aba, near the present Leon. 3:0) Los Dirianos between
the lakes
Pacific.
Managua and Nicaragua and down Their largest town was Salteba near
far
to the coast of the
the present
Granada
and 4:0 Los Orotinas
separated from their relations, inhabiting
the peninsula of Nicoya and the territory of Guanacaste, which

prises the north-eastern part of the republic of
com-
Costa Rica.
Opinions
vary, however, with regard to these groups, several authors being

inclined
Pipiles
to
in
regard
los
Cholutecas
as
a detached
branch
of
los
El Salvador; they would then

there
is
be of Toltecan origin.
their
district
Certainly
number
of local
names within
which seem to corroborate
this opinion.
Other writers are disposed
to ascribe a
Mexican origin
to the Orotinas
and
lastly Dr.
Berendt*
suggests that the whole Chorotegan stock
may be
considered as a
Toltecan offspring, the name Choroteganos being only a corruption

of Cholutecas.
The
last
or fourth of the tribes inhabiting Nicaragua was los

territory occupied
Niquiranos. The
of
all,
by
this
people was the smallest
viz;
the narrow isthmus between
Lake Nicaragua and the
Pacific,
together with the large islands, Ometepec and Zapatera, in
Lake Nicaragua. But although comparatively small in extent this territory was perhaps the most richly blessed of all in this country,
the darling one of nature.
According
to the concurrent testimonies
of the old chroniclers the Niquirans were a Mexican people settled

in
the country at a comparatively late period.
It is
not clear whether
they were Toltecs or Aztecs, and this question cannot probably be

decided until the ancient remains, surely very numerous, that they
have
left
behind them, shall have been accurately studied and com-
pared with the better known Mexican antiquities.

part
I
For
my own
incline to the opinion that they
were Aztecs, and had immiperhaps

little
grated
into
the
country rather
late,
more than a
hundred years before the Spanish invasion.

of
They
lived in a state
permanent
their
hostility
with the Chorotegans and had probably,

the
Oratinas,
on
irruption,
expelled
of
who were
The
thus cut off
from
well
the
built
main
stock
the
Chorotegans.
intelligent
and
Indians
on the island of Ometepec are doubtless the

is
descendants of the Niquirans; this
corroborated by their language,
which the successful investigations of Squier have shown to be of Mexican origin and presenting a very close similarity to the pure
Aztec tongue.
*
the
They
are
now
a laborious and peaceful race, somein
Geographical Distribution of the Ancient Central American Civilisations,

vol.
8,
Journal of
American Geographical Society of New York,
1870,
p.
14*.
what shy of strangers;
in
general they speak Spanish, but
may
be
heard occasionally to talk Indian dialect with one another; with

regard to
afford
se
this
dialect
they
are,
however, extremely unwilling to
any explanations, generally answering es muy antiguo no nada. The Indians of Belen and the surrounding region remind
one of the Ometepec Indians, but are evidently intermixed with

foreign elements.
According
one of
to
Oviedo, Torquemada, and Cerezeda, the
last
whom
accompanied Gil Gonzales de Avila

is
in his expedition
1522, and thus
able to speak, like Oviedo, from his
own
personal
observations, the Niquirans had reached a higher degree of civilization
than their neighbours.
However, the Chorotegans were
also pretty far
advanced
the
in
culture.
Indeed,
reading
scanty
descriptions
of the
last
days of
these nations, one feels tempted to assert that in harmonic develop-
ment of the mental

which,
faculties
they were superior to that nation,
by its crowds of rapacious and sanguinary adventurers, honoured in history with the name of los Conquistadores, has fixed upon
itself
the heavy responsibility for the annihilation of this civiswift
lization.
For indeed so
and radical was
this
annihilation,
and the bloody crimes of a greedy soldatesca, that history knows of no similar
through the fanatical vandalism of christian*
priests
example.
of
Thus
the investigator of the comparatively

is
modern
culture
Central America
obliged
to
travel
by more toilsome and
doubtful roads than the student of the ancient forms of civilization

of
Egypt and
India,
although these were dead several thousands
of years ago.
So much, however, has come

advanced
to
the knowledge of our time,
as suffices to prove that the nations of Central

far
in
America were very

in
political
and
social
development as well as
science
insight
for the
and
in
art.
But no other way

culture,
is
left
to
us of gaining an
this
than to search the country perseveringly

in the
purpose of disclosing the monuments, hidden
ground
reigns
or enviously concealed by the primeval vegetation, that
now
alone
in
many
of those places, which were formerly occupied

cities,
by
populous and flourishing
and
artistically
ornamented temples.
of Mexican culture,
finally
By comparing
somewhat
to
these
monuments with those

in
better
at
known
certain
respects,
we may hope
arrive
the solution of
some of the
intricate
problems con-
cerning the ancient nations of Central America and their history.
The
in
antiquities figured
by me were found
for the greatest part
the island of
to
close
island
Zapatera, the rock carvings in the islet of Ceiba Zapatera, only some few ceramic objects are from the
of
O me tepee.
All
these
localities
are
contained within
this
the territory occupied
by the Niquirans, and on
account
may
probably be considered as specimens of

closely related to this.
Aztec
art,
I
or of an art very
Those few
statues that
in
have seen
in the
neighbourhood of
Granada and
in
Las Isletas
in
immediately off
the
little
Granada, as well as the statues and high-reliefs

island of
volcanic
Momotombito
Lake Managua, the former belonging

latter to los
probably to los Dirianos, the

to
Nagrandanos, appear
me
to
be much more rudely executed, without any attempt to
copy the human body; whereas many of the statues of Zapatera

testify
to
a pretty accurate study of the
human body,
etc.,
often pre-
senting faithfully elaborated muscle portions
so as to
make
it
probable that the Niquiran
artists
used models. There certainly are
found rather fantastic
figures
even
among
these
statues,
but
in
general their originators prove to be

ception,
artists of
more
realistic
conthe
and
at the
same time of more developed technics than
Chorotegan
artists.
From
the
monuments
etc.
found farther northother places
wards
at
Copan, Quirigua, Uxmal, Palenque, and

America, the works here described
differ
in Central
indeed so
much
that
it
is
not easy to
most considerably, point out more than a few

communicated by
our know-
common
With
artistic features.
the
exception
of the
meagre
notices,
Oviedo and Cerezada and

ledge of
their compilers, the source of

is
Nicaraguan
antiquities
E. G. Squier's interesting
work
Nicaragua: its people, scenery, monuments and the proposed interoceanic canal*. After Squier some other American
by him; Dr Earl Flint of Rivas has during many years searched for and collected
investigators
have followed
in
the road opened
antiquities, partly in the
of Ometepec.
tion
am
Department of Rivas, partly in the island obliged to Dr Flint for much valuable informato me,
on the present subject, kindly communicated

of meeting with
when
had
the pleasure
him
at
Rivas
in
January 1883.
He
has sent the collections gradually brought together by himself, to

the in
Smithsonian Institution. Nicaragua** Dr

J.
In
Archa5ological researches
gives a highly interesting
F.
Bransford
where he made a large collection of grave-urns, other vessels of pottery, and smaller relics of stone and metal. He occupied himself principally in investigating
description
of his researches in Ometepec,
burying-places on the west side of the island and he has thrown

a
new
light
on
of
this
part
of
Niquiran
is
archaeology.
His
very
large collection,
the
788 numeros,
in
deposited in the collections of
Smithsonian Institution
Washington.
He
has also figured

to
several rock-carvings from
Ometepec; these seem
be a
little
ruder
and
less
complicate than those delineated by
me from
ancient
the island of
relics
Ceiba.
Dr Bransford
also
describes
several
from
* Smithsonian Contributions to knowledge (383), vol. 25.
Washington 1885 (1881).
Talmac, San Juan del Sur

localities
in
the department of Rivas, and of Costa Rica.
some
in
Nicoya,
in the republic
From
a linguistic
point of
to
wiew Dr Berendt* has given very valuable contributions

civilisation of
our knowledge of the ancient
Nicaragua by
his
sharp-sighted and successful investigations into the Indian idioms

of that country and into those of Mexico and of the northern parts
of Central America.
In
the
night of the
New- Years-eve 1882
1883
arrived at
little
Ometepec
From
this
from Granada, and took up

in
my
head-quarters at the
borough of Muyogalpa,
the north-west corner of the island.
point excursions were
made
in different directions, and,
although
I
my
time was pretty severely taxed by zoological researches,
found however some opportunities of undertaking archaeological
diggings.
Hardly one kilometer to the west of the burying-place examined
by Dr Bransford, a symmetrical mound, rising one meter and a half above the ground, was dug through (Station 1). It contained a little bowl, pieces of a larger urn of an unusual thickness, feet and fragments of a tripod vase, and a
little
bronze figure of a
saint, the last
one evidently a foreign guest among the other objects. At Los Angeles (Stat. 2) two statues, both very badly frayed, were measured
and sketched; some

out.
insignificant fragments of pottery
were digged
At
a bay (Stat. 3) on the north side, between

in
Muyogalpa
chisels,
and Alta Gracia,
a place said
by
the Indians to have formerly
been a town, fragments of divers small pottery, two stone
one molidor, and perforated and polished
shells of a species of
Oliva and a species of Voluta, from the neighboring coast of the

* See above.
IO
Pacific,
were dug out.
In a valley, or rather ravine (Stat.
4),
near
Alta Gracia, where a heap
of pretty large, partly cut stones
seemed
to indicate the site of a large building, several
fragments of pottery
were found together with a cup of earthen ware, and a well preserved
little
sitting
image of painted
1.
terra cotta, pretty similar to
that figured
by Bransford,
level
c, p. 59.
At a height
of nearly
350 m.
above the
of the
lake on
5),
the west side of the majestically
beautiful volcanic cone (Stat.
while digging
in
a rather extensive
lid,
stone-mound, a very pretty, vaulted earthen urn with

in three coulours,
painted
was found, and,
besides, a great
many
fragments
of pottery.
made
excavations also at six other places in Ometepec,
for inst. in the isthmus
between Ometepec and Madera, but without
any
results
I
worthy of record.
in this
it
stayed
roving
through
the
charming double-island for more than a month, on horse-back and on foot in all directions,
rowing
its
ascending
volcano,
and
sailing
over
the
delightful
I
lagoons and bays, that border

late
shores,
and amongst which
shall
forget that very paradise for the hunter,
Laguna de Santa
Rosa and Charco Verde.

ginning of February,
I
my
Having left Ometepec about the benext visit was to tierra firme, where
made some
easily
executed, but not very successful excavations,
immediately to the north of
San Jorge.
Isletas,
de Rivas'
sailed
to
Las
From Departemento also called Los Corales,

Graexistence
to
an extremely beautiful
little
archipelago, just southwards of
nada.
The whole group
owets
its
the
volcano
Mombacho,
which towers high above
it,
the islands consisting exof
clusively of the remains of one or
more eruptions
Mombacho.
it
But the vegetation here

changed those
traveller
is
is
so powerful and luxuriant, that
has
piles of black stones into smiling islands,
which the
never tired of admiring.
Only on the outside of the
II
archipelago,
where the often angry lake of Nicaragua has checked
the development of the verdant cover, the black,

still
gloomy
basalt
is
open to the view, lashed by white-foaming waves. In several of the islets statues were measured and delineated, but unfortunately
the
photographic apparatus could not be used on
this
occasion.
visit to
outfit,
I
After a stay of
some days among Las Isletas and a short

purpose of completing
Granada
set sail for
for the
my
photographic
Zapatera.
On my
now
arrival i
encamped
for a long time
on the playa of Bahia de Chiquero.

semicircular bay there are
families,
five
Along "the playa of the houses, the homes of as many
being
the
only inhabitants at the present time of this
which was, no doubt, formerly populated by many thousands of Niquirans, possessing rich towns and splendid
large
fertile
and
island,
temples.
The
islet
of
to
Ceiba
is
situated off Bahia de Chiquero (see
map
2).
According
but
in this
my
opinion,
its
Zapatera
is
certainly a volcanic
is
island,
manner, that
cone,
north-western part
the
summit
of a sunken
itself,
volcanic
Bahia de Chiquero being the crater
the narrow, elevated mountain-ridge which surrounds the bay,

islet
forming the edge of the crater and the

tion of this edge.
of Ceiba the continua-
Laguna de Apoyo,
may
situated scarcely one kilo-
meter from the shore,
then be regarded as a side-crater.
Zapatera
delightful
plains,
exhibits
an abundant variety of beautiful scenery,

rivulets, fertile elevated
in
valleys,
watered by streams and
magnificent mountain-cones, clothed
verdure to the very
summits, and bays and lagoons offering excellent harbours.

fortunately
I
Un-
had not an opportunity of examining,
in
an archaeologic
point of view,
more than a
of Ceiba.
part of the north side of the island
and the
island,
islet
My
kind
hosts of the settlement in the
Don Jos Lobo, Donna Julia Solorzano, S:rita VIRGINIA Mora, Don Jacinto Mora and others, zealously assisted me in my
12
zoological as well as archaeological investigations.
warm-hearted benevolence
pleasant remembrance of
my stay in my long journey.

1:0.
Through their Zapatera became the most
The
results of
my
antiquarian researches in
Zapatera may be
Panta del Sapote;
statues, potteries,
referred to three stations:
The
first
station
is
the extreme north-western point of the island,
where
and stone
relics
were found. This station

it
is
beyond
all
I
comparison the
most important one, because

mined, nor even mentioned.
as several statues
has never, as far as

possesses so
know, been exa-
It
much
greater importance,
were found
in their original position,
thus affording
an insight into the manner

station
is
how
they were used.

It
2:0.
The second
Punta de
las Figuras.
forms part of the edge of the
crater, sloping softly
towards the
It
lake,
between Laguna de Apoyo
and Bahia de Chiquero.
has been previously visited by Squier,

of the statues.
I
who
some
ficant
has given figures
of several
Besides those
I
mentioned by him, many of which

that
did not find,
lighted
upon
had escaped
his attention.
In this locality only insigni3:0.
remains of pottery were met with.
The
third station
is
the
little
island of Ceiba, which, instead of statues, that are wanting,
offers
some very
well
preserved rock-carvings of evidently very
ancient date, and, besides, valuable relics of earthen-ware and stone.
Although
in
my
I
visit
to Zapatera
was posterior
in
time to
my
stay
Ometepec,
shall
begin the detailed description of the antiquities

station in Zapatera.
with those of the
first
<aes
STATUES
IN
PUNTA DEL SAPOTE.

sUNTA DEL SAPOTE
length of which
^-''"v-r
7
forms a broad, rounded peninsula, the greatest

Its
is in
N.E. and S.W.
middle part
is
a large plateau,
.-
about 150 m. high, sloping rapidly both towards the lake and the
neck of the peninsula, and thus forming an isolated height of some-
what more than one kilometer
in
length by scarcely one kilometer

is
in
breadth.
The
central portion of this plateau
perfectly level and, judging
by the nume-
rous statues met with here, and the regular form of the stone-mounds, round
which
they
were
placed,
appears to have been a sacred place during the
Niquiran
of
of
period.
On
the very isthmus between the peninsula and the island

conical
stone-structure,
Zapatera rose a enormous, unhewn

Its
30
40
m. high;
in
it
consisted
blocks,
placed
upon one another
pretty regular
layers.
diameter at the base might be estimated at about 40 m.
The
m.
in
top of the cone was truncated, and appeared to form a plane

diameter.
Hans, that
of 6 8
The
I
steep sides were so densely covered by spinous bushes and

to desist from
was soon obliged
my
attempts to mount the summit.
The whole
structure resembled a kind of beacon,
and has possibly been a place

it
of sacrifice,
although
its
dimensions were so large, that

as
is
cannot well be
regarded as such a
the
sacrificial pillar
mentioned by
<casita> has
PETER MARTYR under

stood on the platform
name of <Tezarit.
Maybe a
little
is
above.
Something of the same kind

north
known from Uxmal.

plateau,
Due
were
six
of this
cone,
on the top of the above mentioned

different size.
stone-mounds of oval form, but of very
The
largest
14
(PI. (PI.
41:
1)
measured about
about
fifteen
fifty
m.
in
length by thirty m.
in
breadth, the smallest
41:
6)
m.
in
length by
somewhat
in
less than half in breadth.
The
greatest diameter of each
mound was
N. and S.
The
stones of these
mounds
varied of course in size, but for the most part they were large,
more
or less cubical, from half a meter to one meter long and about half a meter
broad.
Their often regular shape and pretty plane sides, particularly

1,
in
the
mound
have
might lead one to

the
infer that
some of them have been hewn, and
formed
foundations and possibly also the walls of buildings, the

situa-
ground plans of which are indicated by the form of the mounds and the
tion of the statues, of
which
we
are soon going to speak.
STONE-MOUND
At
to
1.
the
mound
(PI.
41), the largest of
all,
and the one situated farthest

in
the
north and west,
several
statues
were found remaining
the
same
still
position, that they originally
must have occupied, because the mound was

in
its
surrounded by
six figures,
standing
circumference; and larger or smaller

in the
fragments of the pedestals of three others were found

the statues themselves were thrown
ground, although
or less broken.
down beside them, and more

it is
Judging by the regular distances between these statues,
probable, that there
have been twelve figures standing
in the
periphery of this building or temple.
The
fact that those
remaining
in
the ground fronted outwards, and that their
backs, which were turned towards the building, were not smooth, but only planecut,
strengthens
my
hypothesis that the figures have formed part of a stone- or

All
logwall enclosing the building.
those statues of the
mound
1,
of which
delineated
in the
the upper parts remained, with the exception of
D, and another not
one, carried on their heads a
more or
account
less long
I
and broad projection
form of a tenon, and on

that
this
venture to propose the hypothesis,
they have served to support the wall-plate of a more or less circular

All the statues
building.
were monoliths, cut from blocks of blackish basalt of
a pretty considerable hardness.
The
roof
itself
has probably been covered with

in
palm leaves, a supposition confirmed by certain indications
CEREZEDA and
[5
OviEDO.
think,
I
That the temples should have been open, as SQUIER seems
to
venture to doubt, on account of the above described form of the
statues; this appears to
show
that they
must have been united with one another
by a
wall,
probably of cut stones.
A
pi.
i.
Male, standing figure,
in
an easy posture, with the arms hanging straight

in
down.
digging
finest
It
stood quite upright, but was buried

it,
the earth to te elbows;

It
by
round
it
was
laid
bare
to
all
just
below the knees.
was the
I
and most nobly sculptured of

an
opportunity
the
the Nicaraguan statues that
have
had
of
seeing.
The
full
face,
lips,
neck,
and chest were
carefully
elaborated,
mouth closed with
the adam's apple
marked out
at
;
the throat, the muscles of the chest, as well as of the arms, correctly rendered the hands on the contrary were
somewhat
stiff,
with the thumbs
in
the
same
plane
with
(the
the
other
fingers.
The
shoulders, elbows,
and hips were well
formed
arms were, however, not detached from the body), but passed
into
gradually
backwards
with
the plane-cut back of the stone.
The head was
covered
out
in
a large,
rounded hood or cap, projecting above, and drawn
rounded
flaps at the sides of the neck.
Upwards and backwards

at the sides with
this
hood passed
into a kind of capital,
ornamented
a semi-circular
depression, bordered
by a rounded
rim, with globularly enlarged ends.
The
tenon-shaped projection above the head was unusually large, tapering upwards,
surrounded
in
front
by a double frame,
statue
at the
sides
by a simple, broad,
It
sharply cut one.
The
was
perfectly equilateral.
did not
seem
to
have been exposed to any injury whatever, and was on the whole the best
preserved
of
all
in
this
locality.
The whole
length of the statue from the
upper edge of the tenon to the knee was 225 cm., the breadth across the
shoulders 58 cm., the length of the tenon 65 cm.
B
PI.
2 and
head
3.
Female,
standing
figure,
It
its
slightly
bent forwards, and
its
arms
hanging straight down.
was found
erect, but
imbedded
in
the earth to the
i6
navel; the
head was broken
off,
but was found close to the statue.
The
statue
was very
well sculptured, but not so carefully finished as the preceding one.
The forehead was adorned

was placed the heavy
capital
with a low turban or round band, upon which with
capital,
carvings
in
relief
on the
sides.
The
was surmounted by the square-shaped tenon, the lower part of which

tips.
was surrounded by twenty staves with rounded

to
indicate,
These ornaments seem

was
that
in
this
statue,
as well as in the former one, which
adorned with a double frame, the lower part of the tenon has been
visible,
and only
its
uppermost portion inserted
into the plate of the building.
The
face
and chest were well preserved, although not so accurately rendered as
in
A.
The mouth was

by
large,
half-open, the eyes

flat,
were well marked, deep

pieces.
cut, the ears
hidden
square,
and grooved
The
breasts were held up by
a double, round band.

great.
in
in
The breadth
across the shoulders was extraordinarily
The
shoulders were high and thin, the arms very short and feeble
to
proportion
the body, not entirely detached, but
much more so than
A.
The
length of the statue from the upper edge of the tenon to the
knee was 226 cm., the breadth across the shoulders 66 cm.; the length of
the tenon 34 cm.
C
PI. 4.
Male, half-sitting figure, with straight hanging arms; of considerably less

size than
off,
and B, and very badly damaged.
The head and neck were broken
and crushed into small fragments, impossible to reconstruct. The pedestal
was round, column-shaped, without any ornaments.

arms, detached from the sides of the body.
The
figure
had powerful
The
legs were unusually thick and,
strong the feet clumsy, with thick, short toes.
In the middle of the chest there
was a carved
oval, with a
little
circle in its centre.
The
length of the statue
from the shoulder to the sole of the foot was

shoulders 56 cm.
no
cm., the breadth across the
C
Male, sitting figure, with
its
Not figured.
hands crossed on
its
knees.
The
pedestal
in
was square, remaining erect
in
the ground.
The
statue itself
was broken
17
six pieces, its
face entirely crushed.

similar
It
carried
on
its
head a round, columnF, ornamented with

ears were hidden
shaped
head-dress,
to
that delineated in figure

in
transverse furrows and ending upwards
a tenon.
The
by square,
head
31
itself
flat
pieces 21 cm. in length, resembling those of figure B.
The
was 39 cm. long from the base of the head-dress
to the chin;
cm. broad across the forehead.
The breadth
across the schoulders was
60 cm.
D
PI. 5.
Male, standing figure.
Head, chest with arms, and upper part of legs

pieces on the ground.
broken
off,
and lying
in four
The
it
pedestal was square,
with the upper part ornamented with angular wreaths;
remained fixed
in
the
ground
in its original place,
and carried
still
the feet and the legs (to the knees)
of the figure.
The
face
was of
quite a different type from those of

lips,
A and
B,
with very prominent cheekbones, large

it
and strongly protruding under-jaw;

also here hidden
was adorned with a crown-shaped head-gear. The ears were

flat
by
pieces, thickening upwards, with the lower corners rounded.

its
The back
of this statue, as well as

to to
its
position in the periphery of the stone-mound, points

it
having formed part of the wall of the building; but

roof,
seems
not,
however,
have served the purpose of supporting the
because the upper part

It
of the crown
in this point
was
from
finely chiselled,
all
and exhibited no trace of a tenon.
differed
1,
the other statues in the circumference of the
mound
with the exception of
1,
that
was
situated almost opposite to
at the
western longside.
to the lower
The
height of the head from the upper rim of the crown
edge of the chin was 45 cm.
The
length of the trunk from
the shoulders to the thighs
was 60 cm.
The breadth
across the shoulders
was 54 cm.
D
At a distance of
5
Not figured.
m. from D,
in
the periphery of the mound, there

its
rose obliquely from the ground a male, half-sitting statue with
arms crossed.
The head and

right
the uppermost part of the chest with the exception of the
shoulder were wanting, and could not be identified

It
among
F.
the existing
in
fragments.
wore a beard reaching

in
to
the
crossed arms, being

It
this
respect as well as
1
posture and workmanship very like
measured
02 cm. from the shoulder to the thighs.

to
The breadth
seemed
have been
less than
50 cm.
Not figured.
Near the place that ought to have been occupied by the next statue, there were lying fragments of an unusually narrow, square pedestal or pillar.
was narrower than the following E, but in other respects more than it did any of the others found here.
It
it
resembled
this
E
pi. 5.
Contrary to the other images of

it
this
mound, indeed, of
this
whole
locality,
did not represent a

its
human
It
figure,
but formed a square
pillar,
provided with
carvings on
in
front side.
carried a narrower superstructure (tenon), bordered

3
front
by a sharp-cut frame, 6 cm. broad,
cm. deep.
The
carvings on
the front side of the pillar itself consisted of wreaths

2
somewhat more than
cm.
deep with a breadth varying from 3 to
cm.
They appeared
to
represent the head of an animal with an eye surrounded by two concentric

circles.
The
sides
of the pillar were narrower, smooth, without any traces
of wreaths,
but bordered by a square-cut frame, 6 cm. broad and 3 cm.

of the
pillar,
deep.
The back
which was turned towards the building, was

front side
rough, without any frame.
The
was provided with a frame only was 50 cm.

in
above, and along the eastern side.

broad,
the
lateral
in
The
front side of the pillar
sides
37
cm. broad.
pillar
The tenon was 40 cm.

in
height
by 38 cm.
that
in
breadth.
The
was so deeply imbedded

I
the ground,
spite
of our
digging
strenuously,
its
did
not succeed to lay bare
more than about 125 cm. of

the tenon.
length,
reckoned from the upper edge of
19
E
Male, standing,
Not figured.
much damaged.
The human
figure supported
on
his
head
the head of a massive animal of the feline genus,
by
its
form most reminding
one of the African or Persian

in several pieces;
lion
(!).
The
statue
was thrown down and broken
only the head of the animal was so far preserved as to enable

this
one to discern something of the original sculpture. Upon

a square tenon.
to the thighs
head was part of
The
length of the statue from the upper edge of the forehead

cm., the breadth across the shoulders 39 cm., the length
was 84
of the face 24 cm.
The head
of the animal
was 54 cm. high and 52 cm. broad.
E
Fragments of a female,
sitting
Not figured.
statue were shattered in the vicinity of
the place, that should have been occupied by the tenth statue.
The head was

It is,
adorned with a turban-shaped head-dress, without any trace of a tenon.

however, very uncertain whether
this statue
has formed part of the
series.
Between the last-mentioned statue and

to
there
was not the
least vestige
in
be found of that statue which ought to have been the eleventh
number,
when reckoned from A.
F
PI. 6, 7,
and
8.
Male, half-sitting figure, with

its
its
right
arm hanging
straight
down, and
impression,
left
one bent,
ad
resting
on the
chest.
According to
it,
my
I
received on regarding the statue and sketching
it
represented a chieftain or
his head.
warrior with a
mask before
his face
and a helmet on
have arrived
at this conclusion from the reasons, viz. that the face
was here incomparably
much
stiffer
than
in
the other images, without the slightest attempt of indicating
the muscles, the cheeks, or the mouth; further that the eyes were
marked by
20
two concentrical
circles with
little
(peeping-)hole in the centre, and that the
whole face and the covering of the head were so much broader proportionally
to
the breadth of the
body than
in
the other statues.

at the
(A somewhat
similar
head was found on the heavily injured statue

cover
to
mound
5.)
The
this
head-
may be
considered
at
to
exhibit
the
form of a helmet;
reached
the
shoulders
both
sides,
hiding the ears completely;
but nearly at
the place of the ears there
was on each
side a shallow circular depression
with a small excavation, probably representing a hole, in the centre.

the lower part of the helmet a thick elevation, grooved length-wise
in
From
front,
came down over the
chest.
amour, or possibly a beard.

the
may be regarded as representing From the face itself, below the nose,
It
a breasta piece of
same shape as the just described elevation was seen to descend, but it was of much smaller dimensions. The left shoulder with the bent arm was somewhat
more
raised than the right.

artist
Both shoulders were uncommorely large and broad,
so that the
almost seems to have intended to indicate the blade-bone.

close to the body,
The arms were pressed

viewed from the
the side.
front,
left
disproportionately narrow
when
but more than sufficiently broad when viewed from
On
its
bent fore-arm the statue held a
little
round
shield, at
the anterior margin of which the
hand projected, showing, unusually enough,

index.
the
thumb of the same length with the sculptured with some signs of muscles.
feet
The
chest and
abdomen were
The
legs were short and thick, the
The image stood on a pedestal, the upper part of which showed a deep cavetto. The pedestal was deeply immersed into the ground. Immediately above the helmet was the square tenon. The
clumsy, with no traces of toes.
length of the statue from the upper edge of the tenon to the upper edge of
the
pedestal
was 207 cm.

head 36 cm.
its
The breadth
across the shoulders was 57 cm.,

well preserved,
that of the
The
statue
was on the whole
and
stood, no doubt, in
original situation.
As
it
seems to be beyond a doubt that the above described

less erect,
statues, which
were found standing more or

five
and at almost equal distances, nearly

in
meters from one another, remained

it
the situations where they had been
originally placed,
cannot be considered too bold, to suppose that we have
here before us an ancient temple exhibiting an example of
how
such a building
21
might be arranged with the Niquirans.

the edifice has been a broad oval, and
It
is
evident that the ground-plan of
it is
highly probable," on account of the

cut, that
it
back of the statues not being elaborated, but only roughly been open, but enclosed by
it
has not
walls, the statues serving as pilasters.

is
However,
must be admitted that this latter circumstance

figures
fixed
far
from being proved.

and more
The
and B, being larger than the others

the
in the periphery-,
deeply
in
ground,
may
possibly have stood at each side of the
entrance or perhaps of a flight of steps, leading up into the temple.
The
light
roof was
rafters,
probably
supported
by a
plate of stone or
like materials.
wood, carrying
covered with palm-leaves or such
STONE-MOUND
2.
This mound, also oval, was much smaller than
mound
was
1;
its
longer dia1,
meter was eighteen meters, the shorter twelve.

separated
It
situated due E. of
from
it
by a depression
in
the ground,
ten to twelve meters

It is
in
breadth, and
was made up of more or
less irregular stones.
impossible
to decide whether this
mound has
also
been surrounded by a series of statues,
and
in
in
such a case, by which, because even those statues which were found
it,
the neighborhood of
less broken.
did not remain in
situ,
but were overthrown, and
more or
The same was

I
also the case with the four remaining
stone-mounds.
Thus
shall
only briefly indicate their situations, and then
return to the description of the statues in the order that they were measured
and delineated.
STONE-MOUND
It
3.
was
situated due S. of
less
lids,
mound
form.
2,
and held rather the same dimensions,

it
but
it
was
symmetrical
in
Near
only
and
1,
two large
stone-slabs,
relief,
or parts of a wall, ornamented with
human
figures in high-
were found.
6
22
STONE-MOUND
Due
Near
it
4.
S.
of
mound
1.
Respectively twelve and ten meters
in
diameter.
the statues
M,
and
were found, none of which can, however,
be with certainty alleged to have been roof-supporter.

quite free.
has surely stood
STONE-MOUND
Situated furthest southwards, of the
taining a
5.
same dimensions as mound

Only one
statue,
2,
but conthere.
much
less quantity of stones.
1,
was found
STONE-MOUND
The
form.
In
6.
smallest
its
of
all,
situated furthest to the east,
of a
more
irregular
vicinity three statues were found,
of which only one,
O, was
delineated.
The
others were crushed into small fragments.
The
mounds,
covered
smaller
will
objects
found
in
by excavations made
in,
and beside these

relics,
be spoken of
connection with the other ceramic
dis-
in
Ometepec and Zapatera.
now
return to the description of the several statues.
G
PI.
9 and
10.
This statue, a double figure, was dug up out of the ground between the
mounds
of
its
and
2.
It
has probably stood

elaborated.
It
free,
is
because considerable portions

evident,
that
it
back were
well
quite
has
not
23
served to support a roof, as the upper part of the head of the upper figure
wanted
a male
every trace of a tenon, and was carefully finished.

figure,
It
represented
somewhat stooping, with bent arms,

this
the hands leaning on
the hips.
Upon
human
figure that of an animal
was
seated, embracing
with
its
fore-paws the head of the male figure.
The
animal was probably

face, with
intended to represent a monkey.
The male
figure
had an ugly
long straight nose; the eyes were formed by quite circular cavities, the mouth
was widely open, and the chin very

square,
flat
short.
The
ears were covered by thick,

long, the shoulders
pieces,
as in the image
B.
The neck was
were much
raised, large
and powerful; the arms were bent, pressed close to narrow when seen from the
front,
the sides of the body, very
broad and
flat
when seen
the muscles
trace
side-ways.
The
chest and stomach were pretty roughly worked;
however were sharply marked.
The
feet
legs were short, without any
of muscles or even of knees.

off.
The
were completely wanting, the
legs being abruptly cut
The second
figure, the
monkey, rested
its
lower
with
jaw upon the head of the principal

its
figure, clasping the hind part of
it
long fingers.
The head was
large, with
prominent muzzle and jaws, low,

nostrils.
curved forehead, and broad nose, with round long and broad, rounded backwards.
sharp teeth.
at
The hanging
ears were
The mouth was
open, showing strong,
The
fore-legs or arms were very long, the fore-arm was bent
a right angle to the upper arm, the shoulder-blades were very broad and
powerful.
the animal
bent,
The back was

itself,
strongly curved inwards, the
tail
long, longer than
hanging straight down.
The
hind legs were short, strongly

off
drawn up towards the abdomen, and abruptly cut

the
principal figure.
above the
feet,
as
in
The
length of the statue from the top of the
animal's head to the upper edge of the pedestal
was 175 cm.

31
The breadth
of the
human
figure across
the shoulders
was
cm.;
the breadth of the
monkey
across the shoulders was 21 cm.
G
It
Not figured.
was of the same kind as C,
i.
e.
representing a
seated.
It
human
figure,
on
whose shoulders and head an animal was
was much damaged,
24
and
almost
impossible
to
delineate.
The
anterior portion of the animal's
head was crushed, as were also the legs and arms of the human image, whose
face
seemed designed
to represent a skull with a long neck.

2
1
The
face of
the principal figure
was
cm. long.
tail
The
length of the animal from the crown
of the head to the root of the
was 50 cm.
The
G.
legs and claws of this
animal were larger than those of the
monkey
in
G
Male
to
torso,
2
was
lying near
Not figured.
impossible to complete.
2.
It
It
G, and seemed
have belonged to the mound
measured 57 cm. from the shoulder
to the thighs.
The breadth
H
PI.
11.
Male, sitting image.

of which, as far as
previously has
statue from
I
This
is
the
first
representative of a kind of idols,
know, not more than a single one from Central America

*
been figured.
SQUIER has
in
also given an illustration of a

is
Pensacola (Las
Isletas),
which a head of an animal
placed
upon the head of a human

only as a helmet;
this
figure, but there the animal's
head evidently serves
seems also to be the case with the above-mentioned

1.
image
1,
from the western side of the stone-mound

I
With regard
to the
is
present image, on the contrary,
believe that the head of the animal
the
more important
figure, representing
viz.
a deity, the
human
I
figure being nothing

this
but the bearer of the god,
a kind of caryatid.
formed
opinion on
account of the very strongly marked supporting postures exhibited by the three
human
figures, bearing
heads of animals, which follow next
in
my
description.
Of
the image
only the upper portion remained; this showed, that the

sitting,
human
figure
had been
or halfsitting, but not
in
what manner the arms had
been used as supports.
The head
of the animal was a splendid head of a
jaguar, very finely elaborated, and pretty well preserved.
The mouth was some-
what open, showing

*
distinctly
64,
elaborated
lips,
blunt molars and sharp, large
Squier,
1.
c,
p.
and the
plate facing the
same page.
25
cuspids.
The muzzle was somewhat
longer than necessary, the nostrils oval,

cavities,
somewhat widened; the eyes formed oval

were rather
small, with the margins, as
it
powerfully cut; the ears
were, indented.
Two
volutes and a
powerful intumescence at the sides were possibly designed to mark the strong
muscles of the head.
The human
figure
was
carefully elaborated.
The
face
was
cut
well preserved, with the exception of the

off
mouth and the
chin, that
were
with a chisel, or
some other keen
instrument.
The forehead was

roll
rather low and separated from the head of the jaguar, by a
or
fillet.
The nose was

full,
large, almost straight; the
eyes were rather small, the cheeks

ears
the
cheek-bones
shape.
not
prominent.
The
were unusually
the
small,
of
natural
The neck was The
particularly
vigorous,
muscles
full,
of the
breast well developed.

cut, the
shoulders and upper arms were

sides.
and well
arms not quite detached from the

it
The back
of the statue not

in
being elaborated seems to indicate that
has been placed against or

is
wall.
That
finely
it
has not served the purpose of supporting a roof,

side
proved by the
hewn upper
of the jaguar's head with

its
its
erect ears.
The head
of the jaguar was 63 cm. long;
height from the top to the lower hinder
corner was 42 cm.

face of the
The
figure
height of the ear was 10 cm.
The
length of the
human
was 24 cm.
I
PI. 12.
Male, kneeling figure, supporting the head of a great vulture or Rey
de Zopilotes*.
It
belonged to the same category as H, but has probably

front.
stood isolated, as the back was as neatly cut as the

the
vulture
The head
supporting
of
it,
was
colossal in proportion to the
human
figure
and very carefully sculptured.

formed a semi-circular
The beak was very
true to nature, the eye
cavity, the anterior corner of the
eye was well indicated.

on the back
Backwards projected a massive round process, a

of the head.
sort of crest
On
the top of the head
was a tenon-shaped
projection, which,
it
however, could hardly have served the purpose of a tenon, as

thin in
It
was unusually
1
.
comparison with the tenons found on the statues around the mound
possibly have been designed to represent the
it
may
comb
far
of the beak of
the vulture, though in such a case
was placed too
backwards.
The
7
26
anterior part of the
head and the cheeks were carved with softness and
ele-
gance.
to
its
Behind the head of the human figure the head of the vulture was united
support by a snailshaped spiral (volute) with wide aperture. Although the
kneeling male figure was not perhaps so well worked as the image
H,
yet
it
was well balanced, and of an easy posture.

nose
slightly
The forehead was

lip
straight, the
curved, the
thin,
mouth
closed,
the lower
thin,
prominent;
the
cheeks were rather

backwards.
the ears disproportionately large, and placed too far

long, the
The neck was

little
Adam's apple was
indicated on the throat.
The
chest was rather
developed, the shoulders and upper arms vigorous,
the hands pressed against the sides of the legs.
The male organ was
placed
high up on the abdomen.
The
legs below the knees were of equal thickness
throughout, without any trace of muscles, smoothly rounded backwards, without

feet.
The
*
pedestal being broken, the statue was thrown
down
in the
1,
middle
of the
plaza , the open place or square between the
mounds
2,
and
4.
The
the the
length
of the
vulture's
head from the anterior edge of the beak
to
posterior edge of the process at the back of the head
was ioo
cm.,
height of the head from the top to the inferior edge of the lower jaw
37 cm.
The whole
length of the statue from the upper edge of the tenon-
shaped projection to the upper edge of the pedestal was 154 cm. The upper
part of the pedestal formed a square plinth, on which the
kneeling.
human
figure
was
K
PI. 13.
Male, sitting figure, with

its
its its
head strongly bent forward, supporting on head the large head of an animal, which was
This head
shoulders and the back of
possibly meant to represent the head of a tortoise or a lizard.
was rather
little
elaborated, evenly rounded above, having in front a round,
beak-shaped mouth.
of the
circular cavity before
and over the posterior corner
mouth represented
the eye.
At
the back this head carried two high,
rectangular,
double plates, which
may
possibly be regarded as representing

tortoise, or
the beginning of the back
armour of the
figure
perhaps the scales of
a lizard or a serpent.
figure
The human
was very
well elaborated; next to the
it
was
certainly,
from an
artistic
point of view, the
most
carefully
27
finished
one of
if
all
the statues at Punta del Sapote.
The head was bent
strongly
forwards, as
straight, the
depressed by the gigantic load; the forehead was high, the nose
eyes were well cut out, the cheeks rounded, the ears small.
forth,
The
neck was stretched
very thick and muscular.
The
shoulders were not
so powerful as should have been expected from the thickness of the neck, but they were neatly molded.
The
trunk and the back were very nobly and ele-
gantly sculptured, and formed the best portion of the statue.
The upper arms

little
were rigorous and well proportioned, the lower arms perhaps a
too short.
The hands were
closed, resting
on the knees.
The
legs were thick, and not
so well worked as the upper portion of the statue, the feet clumsy, without
distinct
toes.
feet.
The
figure
was seated on a high
socle, with a
low foot-stool
under
its
As was demonstrated by
the unusually careful workmanship

certainly stood isolated.
expended on the back portions, the statue has quite
The
height of the statue from the summit of the head of the animal to the
upper edge
of the
pedestal was
137 cm.
The
length of the face of the
human
its
figure
was 20 cm.
The
length of the head of the animal was 82 cm.,

in
greatest height 36 cm.
This statue was pretty deeply imbedded

in
the
earth,
and was found nearly

2,
the middle of the open place between the
stone-mounds
3,
and
4.
K
Male, standing figure.
with
Not figured.
This statue did not belong to the same category
in
H,
and K, but had probably served as support
the wall of a building,
because the turban-shaped head-dress was surmounted by a tenon, and the back
was not elaborated.

and from the
It
had suffered so much from the violence of human hands,

be distinguished.
effects of the climate, that its outlines could hardly

it
From
the upper edge of the tenon to the thighs

It
measured 123 cm.
The
6.
length of the face was 24 cm.
was found immediately north of the mound
L
PI. 14.
Male,
sitting
figure,
with
its
head bent forward, supporting the gigantic

side being only plane-cut,
it
head
of a
crocodile.
The back
has probably
28
stood against a wall; but as

ported the roof.
without the
In posture
it
wanted a tenon,
it
did not
seem
but
it
to
have sup-
it
much resembled
K.
It
K
is
and
M,
was worked
elegance that distinguished
highly probable that the

it
head of the animal represented that of a crocodile, although

in
was executed,
head
a rough manner, the style being altogether peculiar to

outlines not at
all
this statue; the
was square-cut and the

or
rounded.
crocodile
The
characteristic
knob
protuberance
on the
snout
of
the
was boldly molded, but
The eyes were marked by The ears were the sharp-pointed.

square.
triangular cavities, the teeth pyramidal,
only
portions
of
the
head
exhibiting
curved outlines;
their
form was almost human.

far coarser
The human
figure,
as has
been said before, was of

face
workmanship than the statue K.
The
half-
was
well preserved,
the forehead high, the nose small, the
mouth
opened, the ears large and hanging, resembling those of a dog.
The neck
was very long and thick. The muscles of the breast were vigorous. The arms were fleshy and vigorous, straight, stretched down, leaning with the
palms against the upper surface of the block, on which the figure was seated.
The
the
thick fingers
feet,
little
were extended straight down.
The
legs were rather thick;
which were short and clumsy, with slightly indicated toes, rested
foot-stool.
on a
The
figure,
sitting with the
hands pressed against the
stone block, exhibited a posture quite able to support a very heavy weight.
The block
statue
it
that served as a seat,

it
had the form of a truncated pyramid. The
was overthrown;
1.
was
lying pretty close to the
mound
2,
between
and mound
The
height of the statue from the highest point of the
head of the crocodile
to the
upper edge of the pedestal was 147 cm.

figure
The
length of the face of the
human
its
was 19 cm.
The
length of the head
of the crocodile was 91 cm.,
height 47 cm.
M
PI. 15.
Female,
sitting with
straight arms, the
hands pressed against the stone
seat in a posture just able to sustain the pressure of a heavy load.
The head
was wanting, but the well marked posture, as compared with that of the just described figure, seems to justify the conclusion that this figure has also
2
its
supported upon
head the large head of some animal.
The
entire figure
was
heavy and clumsy, but the circumstance of the muscles of the body being
ted both in front and behind,
insulated, like
indica-
makes
it
not improbable that
this statue
has stood
K.
The arms were
quite detached from the body,

legs.
and uncom-
monly
thick
and heavy, as were also the
The hands were

right
heavily pressed
against the block, on which the figure

the
left
was seated, the
hand with the palm,
one with the knuckles.

it
The most remarkable

was seated;
this
feature of this statue
was
perhaps the bench on which
was cut out from the block so

all
as to be quite free and detached.
The
statue, like
above described ones,

height of the statue
was sculptured from a
single block,
a monolith.
The
from the shoulders to the upper edge of the pedestal was 107 cm.
It
The breadth
mound
4.
was found pretty
close to the
M
Male,
standing
figure,
its
Not figured.
head adorned by a high conical head-dress.
Very
the
like the figure

It
F.
Its
face
was hidden by a mask, with round holes
for
eyes.
had a long, hanging beard or breast-armour.

It
The arms were

and was found
stretched straight down.

in the
was broken
5.
in
four fragments,
periphery of the
mound
N
PI. 16.
Female,
sitting
figure,
with a child in
its
lap.
It
has probably stood
insulated, as the
back portions were pretty well elaborated, and, besides, the
pedestal was adorned with a free border, which

the statues remaining in the circumference of the
was not the case
in
any of
mound
1.
This statue was,
more-over, remarkable by
its
large head, not being turned straight forward,
but somewhat upwards and side-ways.

inferior
in
workmanship
to
was rudely executed, far most of those mentioned before. There was no
statue
The
attempt at imitating the muscles of the body; the arms and legs were thin
and
short,
not
detached
from
the
block.
It
was only
in
the molding of
s
30
the
face
that
some endeavours
to
follow nature
were to be detected; the

in-
eves were formed by deep, oval cavities; the nostrils and cheeks were
dicated; the
projecting.
mouth was
closed, with thick lips; the ears
were very large and
The
The
short, vigorous
neck was ornamented by a broad neck-lace,
formed of three round bands.

head-dress.
front of the
this
The head was covered by a turban-shaped

was somewhat higher than the
left.
right shoulder
On
the
body only the two semi-spherical breasts were elaborated; with
exception, the chest and

figure held before
it
abdomen were on
a line with the block
itself.
The
a child or a smaller figure with very large head, large,

In execution this statue
projecting ears, clumsy body, and short, thin legs.
strongly reminded of the figure superior with regard to the face.

its
r\
from Punta de
It
las Figuras,
though
3,
it
was
in
was found near the mound
but not
periphery.
The
height of the statue from the upper edge of the turban
to the
upper edge of the pedestal was 170 cm.
The
length of the face from
the lower edge of the turban
was 34 cm.
The breadth
was 60 cm.
The
length of the smaller figure was 51 cm.
O
PI. 17.
Female, standing figure.

but was
It
reminded somewhat of the preceding one,

It
much
better executed.
certainly
It
had a free position, as the back
and
shoulders
were well sculptured.
carried
on
its
head a very
large,
round, thick slab of stone,

turban,
larly
between which and the head there was a kind of

rolls.
made of two round

in that
The
face
was unusually broad, and

were placed obliquely.
particuIt
remarkable
respect that the eyes
was
the only statue in which such

the
was the
case.
The nose was
large, straight;
left
mouth broad,
closed; the ears very large, prominent, the
one longer
than
the right one.
The
shoulders and breast were pretty well elaborated.

in
The lower
portions were broken

its
many
pieces.
The diameter
of the slab
on the head was 72 cm.;
thickness 45 cm.
The
length of the face from
the lower edge of the turban
was 32 cm.,
its
breadth 31 cm.
The breadth

the
The
statue
was found
at the periphery of
mound
6.
31
P
PI. 18.
Male, sitting figure, with crossed legs, and the hands crossed
in its lap.
The
figure
was unusually
small,
and not very
artistically
executed.
The
head was large and very broad, adorned by a low turban with
jecting
side-wise.
flaps pro-
The
forehead
was low, the nose

the
large;
the eyes were

small; the ears
formed by unusually large,

were
large, but not so
circular cavities;
in the
mouth was
prominent as
image O.
The
chest and back
were equally elaborated, though the muscles were but
slightly
marked.
The
arms were long, and, unusually enough, cut out so as to be perfectly detached
from the
sides.
The
legs were very short and weak.
The
figure
was seated
immediately on the square pedestal, that was surrounded above by a pro-
minent border on
all
the sides.
its
The
front of the pedestal
was ornamented
forming
inter-
by an engraved
cross,
sides and
back by rhombic
figures,
It
woven
garlands.
This statue has certainly been insulated.
measured 92 cm.
from the upper edge of the turban to the upper edge of the pedestal.
length of the face from the lower edge of the turban was 25 cm.,
35 cm.
its
The
breadth
The breadth
Q
PI. 19.
Male, sitting figure.

the
The
broad, short face showed
it
to appertain to
same type as the
figures
N,
and P, which
It
it
resembled also with

hat, with
regard to the careless workmanship.
wore on
its
head a conical
a raised, circular ornament on each side; the hat widened below into a thick
brim, adorned
little
by an ornament
in relief,
formed
like
a chain.
The
face
was but
elaborated, the forehead low,
the nose long,
broad, and straight; the
eyes were middle-sized, circular cavities; the mouth was broad, open, almost
square.
The
ears were long, extending, with perforated lobes.
The neck
The
was
short.
The
chest and
abdomen showed some
signs of muscles.
shoulders were quite straight.

left
The arms were
narrow, without muscles; the
one hanging straight down, with the fingers extended; the right one bent
32
upward towards the shoulder, with the

It
fingers doubled, so as to form a hole.
has probably clasped a lance or
stick,
or something of that kind.
The
legs
were rather
large,
broken above the knees.
The back
of the statue was
only plane-cut.
The
length from the lower edge of the hat to the thighs was
103 cm.; that of the face from the same point 33 cm.; the breadth of the
face 32 cm.
The breadth
The
statue
was
found near the western margin of the
mound
4.
R
PI.
20.
High-relief,
representing a
female figure.
With regard
to
It
the type of
the
face,
it
came near
full
to the immediately preceding ones.

size,
was a
big-
headed figure of
sculptured
in
feeble high-relief on a large rectIt
angular slab of stone, about 25 cm. in thickness.

injured,
had been very badly

be anyhow discerned.
so that only the
left
half of the figure could
The
the
face
was almost
circular,
the eye a circular cavity, the nose wanting,
mouth
closed, the ear large, hanging, like the ear of a dog, the shoulder
rounded, the arm bent inwards across the body, the leg slightly bent.
figure has
The
been surrounded by a frame, nearly 20 cm. broad, and 4 cm. high.
The
length of the figure to the thighs
was 106 cm.
The
length of the face
38 cm.; the breadth of the face 37 cm.
With regard to the type of the face, the figures found in this locality may be divided into two distinctly different classes viz., the images A to M,
with
oval
faces,
and,
in
general,
of more
artistic
workmanship, and the
images N, O, P, Q, R, with broad, almost

executed.
circular faces,
and more rudely
The
latter
are
possibly
of
more
1.
ancient date than the former.
None
of the latter was found at the
mound
5^
II
STATUES
IN
PUNTA DE LAS FIGURAS.
||OUIER
JL
visited this locality in
December 1849;
it
is
little
plateau;
formed by an extension of the margin of the crater surrounding

the
Bahia de
Chiquero.
To
the
west
it
it
slopes pretty abruptly
towards the Bahia; to the north
shelves gradually towards the

is
low promontory, Punta de las Figuras, which

eastern point of the
islet
separated from the south-
of Ceiba,
Punta de Pantheon, by a sound, 50 m.

crater-lake
broad; to the east the plateau descends rapidly towards the lake of Nicaragua,
and to the south

It
is
it
falls
steeply towards the
little
Laguna
bl-
de Apoyo.
densely covered by gigantic trees, and between these

confusedly entangled.
under-brush and
lians,
Here
found
five large stone-
mounds, that may possibly be the remains of temples or other large buildings.
The
PI.
relative
situation
of these
mounds
is
approximately shown by the plan
41.
Besides these larger mounds, which were more or less oval, with
the longer diameter varying from 20 to

irregular ones,
40 meters, several
smaller,
in
and more
the plan. the
were met
with.
These, however, are not indicated

Chiquero, the
The mound
nearest to
was
that nearest to Bahia de

In
this
mound V
Laguna de Apoyo.
locality
no statues were found that

in their original
it
could with any degree of certainty be regarded as remaining

places,
nor were any lying or standing
in
such a position that
could be
decided,
whether
the
they
had been placed in (he peripheries of the mounds,

or
in
(he
ope7i
within
buildings,
spaces between the mounds.
In
this
respect the former locality was by far
more
interesting.
The
statues were
34
less
well
preserved, and had evidently been subjected to greater violence,

also
to
probably
attempts at removal.
case.
Indeed
we know through SQUIER,

been transported to Granada
that such has
been the
Some
statues had
before his
visit,
and SQUIER himself sent some to Washington.
ct
PI. 21
It
and 22.
1.
p.
54, fig. 2,
2.
has been before figured by SQUIER, and described pp. 53, 54, and
c, vol.
ii.,
in
58.
In Squier's
the plate facing list it has the

Pacific
no.
BANCROFT
has mentioned
it
in
The Native Races of the

with a
shores of North America*, vol.

p. 42, fig. 3.
It
iv.,
p. 41,
copy of Squier's
figure
was a male
figure, sitting
on the ground, with the knees drawn high
up, and the
head bent forwards.
On
the back of the head and the neck,
there rested a solid
mass of
stone, gradually passing into the outlines of the
neck and the back.

into
This mass tapered upwards, and seemed to have passed

tenon,
a pyramidical
which,
however, was broken
off.
The
face
was
broad, with rounded retiring forehead, the nose long and straight.
The eyes
were formed by
and prominent.
circular cavities; the
mouth was
half-open; the ears were large
By
the shape of the face, the figure recalled the image
from Punta del Sapote.

neck.
The neck was much

little
too thick to be a
human
The
well
chest
cut,
was only
left
elaborated, the shoulders

left
much
raised, the
arms
the
hand pressed against the
foot,
the right one

the arms;
drawn back somewhat more.
The
legs were well molded, like
the knees drawn up nearly to the chin.

destal
The back was
round-cut.
The
pe-
was
carefully
hewn, forming a square

Its
pillar of considerable height,
tapering downwards.
uppermost portion, on which the

capital,
figure
was seated,
engraved
formed a kind of round

angular wreath.
the upper margin
ornamented on the side by a
triple
The
height of the statue from the crown of the head to
of the pedestal was 80 cm.; the length of the face was
34 cm.,
its
breadth 25 cm.
The breadth

It
The
the
statue has probably stood insulated.
was
entire, lying
south-west of
;')
stone-mound
I,
nearest to the shore of the Bahia (except the figure

it.
and had probably been the object of endeavours to remove
35
J_
PI.
23.
c,
in the plate
fig.
2.
It
is
figured
65.
pp. 64 and
by Squier, Bancroft,
1.
facing
p. 65,
and described
1.
c, p. 40,
Male
figure,
sitting
on the ground.
,
With regard
to the posture
it
came
most near
Indeed
it
to the
image
if
but could not be said to possess a
human
aspect.
that
it
deserved,
tiger,
any, to be called a monster.

if
SQUIER thought
represented a
the
but
we compare
in
the head of the present statue with
head
of
the
jaguar
the
likely.
statue
H, from Punta del Sapote,
this
opinion does not
seem very
The
face exhibited a low, arched forehead,

nostrils.
small oval eyes, a broad,
flat,
long nose or muzzle with small, round
The upper lip was clearly to be distinguished, The chin was broad; the ears were oval, although it had been broken. The neck was very thick and powerful, the body colossal, placed far up.
The mouth was not
open.
with
large
abdomen.
The whole back
of the body was also elaborated.
The
the
shoulders were highly raised, the upper arm was long, broad and thick,
lower arm short, at a right angle to the upper arm, the paws resting
on the abdomen.
The
legs were very short, especially the small of the legs.

like
The
feet
were pretty
human
feet,
with distinct toes.

i2,
The upper
part
of the pedestal was enlarged in the shape of an with a garland, like that of the image .
ornamented
at the sides
The
height of the statue from the
highest point of the trunk to the upper edge of the pedestal was 150 cm.
The
height
of the face was 40 cm.,
its
breadth 30 cm.
III.
When
found,
it
stood upright, immediately north of the
mound
Y
PI.
24 and
25.
It
is
not mentioned by SQUIER.
Male, sitting figure.
The head was broken
off.
The
figure itself
was
much damaged; but

ments.
the pedestal was well preserved, and exhibited fine orna-
The
chest of the figure
was strongly arched, the upper arm short and

were long.
broad, the lower
arm and the
fingers
On
the sides of the cornice
36
of the pedestal, there was a symmetrical ornament of round coils; the sides
of the pedestal
itself
were decorated with an oval

field;
coil
twisted about quite
symmetrically, in an excavated rectangular
in front
there
was an angular
ornament.
The back
It
of the figure and of the pedestal
was not elaborated, but
rather rough.
in
may
thus be reasonably inferred that the statue has stood
or against a wall.
The
height of the statue from the upper edge of the
shoulders to the lower edge of the feet was 52 cm.
The
height of the pedestal

part,
from the upper edge to the beginning of the lower, uncut

intended to be imbedded
in
which was
the ground,
was 110 cm.
This statue was not
found on the plateau of Punta de las Figuras, but had been dragged off and
was now
lying, half in the water,
on the shore of Bahia de Chiquero.
_J_
PI.
25.
p.
treated pp. 54
It
Figured by Squier, I. c, on the plate facing and 58. BANCROFT, c, p. 40, fig. 1.
1.
58,
signed no.
4,
was no more a
statue, but only a pedestal.
The
little,
sitting figure
described and designed by
SQUIER was now
entirely crushed
all
and moldered.
found here.
It
The
pedestal was, however, the most elaborately finished of
was round, tapering gently downwards, adorned upwards with the same kind
of angular ornament, as that mentioned on the front of the preceding pedestal
;
almost at the middle of

bellished in the
its
length
it
was surrounded by a broad band, emon the ground, had quite

it
same
fashion.
The
pedestal, lying
the
form
of
a canon.
From
the upper edge to the lower broken end

at the
measured 215 cm.; the diameter

between the mounds
I
upper end was 66 cm.
It
was found
and
II.
PI.
26.
in
Figured by SQL'IER,
scribed p. 59.
1.
c,
the plate facing p. 58, signed no.
5,
de-
Male, half-sitting figure, representing a very

resting
fat
person with his hands

that the forehead
on
his hips.
The
face
was badly
injured, but
showed
37
and the nose were straighter than those figured by SQUIER.

long, hanging, like the ears of a dog.
The
ears were
abdomen
swollen.
in
Legs and
feet
The upper arm was very short; the were thick and clumsy. The back piece was
very large
proportion to the figure, only plane-cut, and seemed to indicate
that the statue had formed part of a wall or even served as a kind of coulisse
or side-wall
in
cella.
The lower
much
part of the back piece
was pierced with
a circular hole; another

perfectly unadorned.
larger hole perforates the pedestal, which
was
The
statue
It
measured 98 cm. from the crown of the head

lying near the preceding.
to the sole of the foot.
was found
J_
PI.
27 and 28.
Figured by SQUIER,
and
58.
Bancroft,
1.
1. c, on the plate facing p. 52, described p. 52 c, p. 42, fig. 3.
Male, standing figure, with the hands resting on the abdomen.

statue
in the
In this
also
the
back piece was very large, proportionately even larger than

it
preceding; on this account
may be
conjectured to have had a similar
use.
The
face
the eyes small,
was rather large and round, the forehead somewhat retiring, oval, the nose short, broad, and straight, the mouth closed,
the chin broad; the ears were hidden
it
with thick
lips,
by the projecting back
piece which embraced, as

well
cut.
were, and overlapped the face.
The
chest
was
The
arms, when viewed from the front, were very
thin,
pressed
close
side,
to
the sides of the
body and
to the
back piece; when seen from the
they are, on the contrary, broad and fleshy.

the fingers
The hands
rested on the
abdomen with
somewhat extended.
The
legs were rather clumsy.
The broad back

mented
in
piece projected above the head like a colossal mitre, orna-
front with bosses
and
scrolls,
and surrounded by a broad frame.
The
height of the entire statue from the top of the upper piece to the sole
its
of the figure's foot, was 210 cm.;

figure to the hinder figure from the
greatest breadth from the chest of the
margin of the back piece was 86 cm. The height of the
crown of the head to the sole of the foot was 140 cm. The
its
length of the face was 31 cm.,

It
breadth across the shoulders was 36 cm.
had been raised up
at a recent date,
and now stood south of the mound

10
I.
38
n
PI.
29.
Not mentioned by Squier.
Male
figure,
sitting
almost on the ground, bearing on the top of

It
its
head another head with a large neck.

relief.
is
by
half statue,
by
half high-
The body
of
the
principal
figure
was
cut
out
to
the shoulders;
then followed a portion of the stone that was quite rude on the sides and
the back.
On
the front of this stone the neck and head of the statue and
the long-necked head of a
man
or an animal that surmounts
it,
were
sculp-
tured in high-relief.
The upper head had a low
forehead, small, round, ex-
cavated eyes, long nose or muzzle of equal breadth, closed mouth, and long,
prominent, hanging ears.
upon the head of the
The neck was very long and was placed immediately The face of this figure presented a principal figure.
broad thick
low forehead, large, oval, excavated eyes, a short nose broadening downwards,
thick cheeks,
small closed mouth,
chin,
and prominent, but not
very long ears.
The neck was
short and vigorous.
The
chest exhibited no
sign of muscles, being only a round-cut part of the original stone-pillar, and
passing directly into the abdomen, and then into the front of the pedestal.
The arms and

the abdomen.
the figure
legs were carved in a kind of
relief.
The hands
rested on
The
pedestal was cylindrical;
its
uppermost portion, on which

rest of
it.
was
seated,
was somewhat smaller than the
The
height
of the statue from the top of the upper head to the upper edge of the pedestal
was
20 cm.
The
length of the upper face was 14 cm.

long, 22 cm. broad.
The
face of
the principal figure

at the southern
was 27 cm.
The
statue
all
was found
margin of the stone-mound V, nearest of
the figures to
Laguna de Apoyo.
__
PI.
30.
Not mentioned by Squier.
Fragment of a
In
high-relief or one-sided statue with only the
head cut
free.
comparison
with
the other high-reliefs found here,
its
size
was
colossal.
39
Contrary to
of seeing,
it
all
other Nicaraguan high-reliefs that

in
have had an opportunity
was wholly
profile.
The
slab from which
was very
in
thin
as compared to the size of the figure,

It
was sculptured no more than 30 cm.

it
thickness.
was broken
in
more than 20
in
pieces, only the
head and part
of the chest with the arm being

delineated.
such a state as allowed of their being
The head was
slightly curved,
carved on both sides, but having

left
an eye, formed of two concentric excavations, only on the
or upper side.
The head was
truncated before, without any trace of a muzzle or mouth, and

(?)
provided backwards with a very well sculptured buck's

the upper side.
horn, though only on
The
chest
was indicated only by a
slight curve.
The arm,
on the contrary, was pretty well molded, apd the fingers were proportional.
The lower
part of the chest
was
quite unhewn, as
It
was
also the hind portion
of the lower part of the head.

tenon, divided into three parts
carried
on the head a square crest or

lines.
by transversal
The
length of the head
was 53 cm.,
its
height from the upper edge of the tenon to the lower edge
of the horn was 64 cm.

of the
statue
The diameter
of the eye was 12 cm.
The
length
arm from
was
lying
the shoulder to the tip of the ringfinger
was 102 cm.
The
on the ground a
little
west of the mound V.
PI. 31.
Figured
and
62.
by SQUIER, Bancroft, c,
1.
1.
c, p. 61, signed No.

6.
9,
described pp. 6b, 61
p. 44, fig.
High-relief,
male
figure,
its
on a slab about 40 cm.

back,
if
in
thickness.
It
repre-
sented a figure lying on

if
it
the slab has been a covercle, or standing,
has been a part of a wall, with straight arms, detached from the sides
of the body.
figure
The
face
appeared to be covered by a mask (compare the

this
of
Punta del Sapote);
seemed
to
be denoted by the large
circular holes for the eyes,
and the broad, hanging breastplate or beard; the
ears were protected by two flaps extending from the helmet or head-ornament.
With the exception of

borated, with
the
stiff
mask before
the face, the figure was well ela-
some
hints of the muscles of the shoulders,
abdomen, and
legs.
Above
the slab there
was a
projection,
broadening upwards, which seemed
40
to
be a repetition of the helmet of the head.

five to six
The
outer edges of the slab
formed a border
in
cm. broad and 3 cm. high.

far
The
slab
was broken
two pieces, the lower portion was found lying

entire
to
from the upper one.
The
slab
measured 182 cm. from the upper edge of the upper proits
jection
the lower edge of the border below the feet;

figure
breadth across
the
body of the
was 74 cm.
The
length of the figure from the top
of the head to the lower edge of the feet

face
was 135 cm.
The
length of the
was 28
cm.,
its
breadth 27 cm.
The
length of the breast-plate from
the chin was 30 cm.
The breadth
across the shoulders 45 cm.

I;
The
statue
was found on the ground immediately north of the mound

was found west of the mound
III.
the lower piece
PI.
32.
Not mentioned by SQUIER.
Male
construct.
figure in relief.
Broken
in
several fragments and impossible to re-
Only the face could be delineated.

It
The
was
face
was
well preserved
and originally uncommonly well executed.
quite expressive; the fore-
head was broad, not low, covered with a round cap or low turban; the eyes were narrow,
elliptical,
boldly cut; the nose

thin,
was
straight,
lips;
broadening downthe cheeks were
wards; the mouth half-open, with

lean,
but well-formed
but carefully sculptured;
the chin
was broad and powerful.
The
ears
were large, very prominent.
The
length of the face from the lower edge of
the turban to the lower edge
of the chin was
35 cm.;
its
breadth 26 cm.
The
thickness of the slab of stone
was about 30 cm.
Most fragments of
this relief
were lying
at the western
margin of the mound V.
J_
PI.
32.
Not mentioned by SQUIER.

Relief
representing a male figure with the face of a
skull.
It
was of
was
much rougher workmanship than
the reliefs before described.
The
face
41
formed only by an evenly curved, broadly oval elevation, with two

cavities
circular
to
mark the
for
eyes, an irregularly triangular one for the nose, and a
linear
one
the
mouth.
The
chest
was evenly rounded, the arms only

breast,
indicated
by two round bands along the
ending abruptly with
five
narrow, round staves, placed at right angles to the arms, and designed to
represent the fingers.
The lower
part of the slab with the legs
was
lost.
Above
third
the head were two sugar-loaf-shaped elevations, and above these a
one
at
with
the
parallel
sides,
downwards rounded.
The
slab
had square
incisions
the
figure
same height with the neck and the hands. The length of from the crown of the head to the beginning of the hip was
length of the face was 32 cm.;
its
82 cm.
The
breadth 20 cm.
The breadth
was 24 cm.
Several fragments of broken statues were found on the plateau, but so

shattered,
disfigured,
and intermixed with one another, that

patience to reconstruct them.
in
it
would have
taken
much time and
Several of the statues,

inst.
mentioned by SQUIER as being

his
comparatively good condition, for

18
nos.
3,
6,
7,
8,
11,
12,
13,
and
were no more to be found
in
the
place.
Some
of these have possibly been destroyed by
human
violence or
by the
effects of the climate during the thirty years
between our
visits,
others
may have been

stone of
In
carried off to be deposited in
museums or
to form the hearth-
some
Indian rancho. the

statues
general,
of this
locality
chiefly
remind of the
last
de-
scribed group of statues at
Punta del Sapote.
Perhaps, from an
artistic
point of view, they must be considered as inferior even to these.

the statues at
None
of
Punta de
las
1
Figuras can be compared as a work of

at
art,
to the figures of the
mound
Punta del Sapote.

statues, found in Zapatera, the organs of
The
fact
that in
most of the
generation were represented, and often more conspicuous than natural, gives
corroboration
to
the
suggestion
of
SQUIER
that
phallic
worship or a
worship of the reciprocal principles existed
among
the Niquirans.
11
Ill
ROCK-CARVINGS
IX
THE ISLAND OF
CEIBA.
EIBA
fact
has
is
certainly
been densely populated
in
ancient
times.
This
testified
by the
In
rich quantities of relics discovered there
from
time
>
to
time.
Rivas Dr. FLINT showed me
objects of bronze,
thin
stone,
spirally
and earthen-ware as well as small ornaments of

twisted
glass-staves
a.
golden
plate,
o.,
that
were found
in
Ceiba.
I
And
although
my own
by
extremely
excavations did not turn out so productive as

the rich treasures
I
had been
however,
will
led to expect
had seen from the

to
island, they,
yielded
valuable
in
contributions
my
collection.
These
in
be
spoken of below,
and Ometepec.
connection with the results of

statues are
my
diggings
Zapatera
it
No
now
to
be found
in
the island, but
is
re-
ported 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

is
been comparatively
and
its
small-sized.
On
flat
the other
hand, the island

ridge,
level
rich in rock-carvings,
highest point, a
mountain
as floor, has,
from
this
is,
cause, received the

in
name
of
Cerro de
Pantheon.
This mountain ridge
my
opinion, the continuation of that
edge of a crater which surrounds Bahia de Chiquero. on

its
The
carvings found
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 that the
island has
sunk at a
late period,
and thus corroborate
my
hypothesis of the
43
earlier
connection between Ceiba and Zapatera.
This connection has been
dissolved
by the gradual sinking of the volcano.

portion of the island
is
is
The western
by bush,
is
plain, partly cultivated, partly

its
covered
the eastern
very rugged.
Cerro de Pantheon,
highest point,
is
about 60 meters above the surface of the lake.

in
This mountain ridge
80 to 100 meters
length by 10 to 15
in
breadth, and offers an extraordi-
narily well -fit place for rock-carvings.
And, indeed, the ancient inhabitants of

of this opportunity that the whole
the island have
made such an eager use

is
crown of the ridge
densely covered with sculptures.
This crown, as has

it is
been mentioned before, forms a perfectly

impossible that
level surface; indeed,
not quite
the part
human hands may have helped nature

chiefly
to level
it.
On
of the
mountain
occupied by the rock-carvings, the vegetation was

stiff
very scanty, consisting of low shrubs and
grass.
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,
all
detached
long
ago from the
side
of the mountain, and lying
the
way
down
found.
to
the southern shore at Punta de Pantheon, numerous carvings were

in
Such were also to be seen there
the solid rock as well on land

I
as on that part of the rock that stretches into the lake.

illustrations
can here give
only
of
the
lesser
generally even, boldly cut, 4
part
of
the
2
cm. broad,
carvings.
The wreaths were
cm. deep.
a
pi.
It
37.
represented the upper part of a
human
figure.
The
face
was broad,
with round eyes, broad nose, and square mouth.
The head was surmounted

Indians,
by four plumes, meant, according to the conception of my present a crown of feathers. On this account, the)- honoured
the
to re-
the figure with
name
of La Reyna.
The
the
left
chest was short and broad, the arms very
long,
the hands circular,
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.
44
I
PI.
It
37.
figure.
may possibly have been intended to represent a very primitive human 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 enlarge-
ment without arms, with a
straight furrow in its middle;

in
from
its
lower edge
there issued one long, straight leg, ending
a short foot, broadening outwards.

face
The
entire length of the figure
was 82 cm.; the breadth of the
was 16 cm.
PI.
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
little,
to the right, representing the eyes
and the mouth.
On
the head
was a
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.
d
PI.
37.
leg.
Human
the head
figure with
arms and one
The
face
was nearly
triangular
with rounded corners.
Three holes represented the eyes and the mouth.
On
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
e
PI.
37.
last
spirally
wound
line
running out into some irregular curves, the

of the spiral
part quite straight.
The diameter
was 20 cm.
45
/
PI.
38.
and narrow, with pointed nose
A
and
human
figure; the face in profile, high

chin.
thick,
round
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,
figure
its
eye marked by an oval cavity.
The neck
in
of the
human
was
repre-
sented by a rectangle; the body appeared

the back slightly concave.
profile,
the breast
was convex,
en face,
fingers,
The arms and

one
in
legs were represented
the
left
arm
in
two
parts, the right

six.
one; the
left
hand with two
the right one with
The
legs were short, curved; the feet indicated by
two
ovals.
Between the legs a second face was sculptured; the eyes were
cavities,
two small
the nose
in
was a long furrow broader downwards, the mouth
a furrow broader
the middle.
The
length of the figure from the top of
the head to the lower edge of the foot
was
6 1 cm.; the breadth across the
shoulders 55 cm.
y
PI.
38.
A
the
monkey
in
profile;
the head circular without any traces of eye or nose;
body convex
the
tail
before, straight behind; the
arm
raised, with three-fingered

spirally
hand,
projecting at a right angle,

feet,
its
end
wound; the leg
bent, with
two
and the sexual organ behind.
The
length from the top
of the head to the lower foot was 80 cm.
PI.
38. and more convex
monkey, very
similar to the preceding, with larger

indistinct fingers,
body; the arm with three
the legs very short.
The
length
was 63 cm.
12
46
PI.
38.
one another, the outermost carved
height of the innermost cross
third or uttermost
A
was
cross, or rather three crosses within
with coarser lines than the inner ones.

15 cm., of the second 22 cm.,
The
and of the
38 cm.
k
pi.
39.
line,
Two
crosses within each other, encircled by a curved
forming an
angle at every one of the corners of the outer cross.

cross were nearly six cm. broad.
cross
in
The
lines of the inner
At the upper and lower ends of

and a more or
the outer
was an
isolated rectangular elevation,
less square
one
each of the angles of the cross.
The
length of the inner cross was 16 cm.,
of the outer one, 28 cm.

figure
The
greatest diameter of the surrounding curved
was 48 cm.
All
the above described rock-carvings,
viz.
k,
were to be found on
at the centre
the level
summit of Cerro de Pantheon; k was situated almost

its
of the plateau,
stance
upper short arm pointing exactly northwards. This circumfortuitous;
may perhaps be
nevertheless
it
ought to be mentioned,
because the arms of

the compass.
i are also directed
towards the four principal points of
Pretty near a
was the beginning of a small round water-worn
rock-hollow, 30 cm. in diameter.
I
PI.
39.
spiral,
A
the
winding
line,
one end of which formed a not quite regular
and
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.
47
m
PI.
39.
A
spirally
double figure consisting of a labyrinth-shaped carving, united with a
wound
line,
the outer circumference of which was formed

spiral.
by almost
square tongues, and the inner part by an irregular

labyrinth-shaped figure
The
length of the
was 58
in
cm., the greatest diameter of the spiral figure
54 cm.
It
was sculptured
the solid rock near the preceding figure, at the
extremity of the promontory, and was
now
partly covered
by water.
11
PI.
39.
spiral figure of the
Almost
identical in
form with the

inner spiral
preceding carving,
in
but more regular.

greatest diameter,
The
if
had more turnings, four
number. The
It
the projections are included,
was 86 cm.
line
was
also
cut in the solid rock at the
promontory
itself,
near the
of water.
V
PI.
40.
It
A
some
queerly composed figure.
The
greatest length was 109 cm.

in
was found
little
way from
the shore at Punta de Pantheon, cut
the solid rock.
V
PI.
40.
Some
lour
coarsely carved faces;
only one had the nose marked, the other
exhibiting
cm.,
to
only eyes and mouth.
The
length of the largest face was
25
of the smallest 20 cm.
little
spherical excavation, a rock-hollow,
was
be seen between two of the

of
stone,
faces.
They were carved

little
in
a loose
block
about
two meters
in
diameter, lying a
.way up from
the shore.
Mt^
IV
CERAMIC OBJECTS
FROM
OMETEPEC, ZAPATERA and CEIBA.
1.
PI.
still
33.
Human
figure
of terra
cotta;
painted
with a blackish colour;
well preserved.
Height 72
sitting,
mm.
Cciba.
2.
PI.
33.
Human
figure,
with the arms against the hips; of terra

light yellow
cotta; painted with brown-red
and black colours on a

4.
ground.
Height 144 mm.

3.
PI.
Ometepec,
figure,
light
stat.
33.
in
Headless
resembling the preceding; terra cotta; painted
only
two colours,
yellow and brown-red. Height from the shoulders
90 mm.
4.
PI.
Zapatera, Punta del Sapote, from the

Spherical
mound
1.
33.
urn
with
raised
ornaments and perforated

light
lid;
very
finely
painted, brown-red with black and
yellow. Diameter 127 mm.;
height 83
5.
PI.
fine
mm.
Ometepec,
stat.
5.
33.
Open
cup or bowl of thick terra cotta, minutely painted with
ornaments; ground colour a light yellow, painted with red, red-brown
and black.
6.
PI.
Diameter 70 mm.; height 40 mm.

flat
Ometepec,
stat.
1.
33.
Open
Ceiba.
cup or bowl on a
foot,
with handles;
of thick, fine
and smooth earthen-ware, painted dark brown.
Diameter 75 mm., height
40 mm.
7.
PI.
33.
Spherical urn with ears;
of half-burnt clay.
Diameter 65 mm.

8.
PI.
mound
6.
33.
High cover
for a
little
spherical urn; painted brown; fine burnt
clay.
Diameter 48 mm.

It
mound
3.
9.
PI.
34.
High vase of
thick earthen-ware.
has been painted brown-red.

It
Elegantly adorned with small knobs of clay attached to the surface.
49
was broken
that
it
in
many
pieces, but
It is
most of the fragments were recovered, so

distinguished by
its
could be restored.
at the
graceful form.
Height
Thick3.
420 mm.; diameter
ness of the material 8

10.
PI.
10 mm. 10 mm.
base 150 mm.; upper diameter 300
mm.
Zapatera, Punta del Sapote, the
mound
34.
Fragment of a vase of the same form as the preceding. ThickZapatera, Punta del Sapote, the

11.
PI.
mound
3.
34.
Fragment of a vase, probably of the same form as
9.
Thick1.

12. PI.
13 mm.

of burnt clay.
It
mound
34.
Handle of a shallow bowl;

It
off.
represents the
nose of an animal of prey.
has been painted, but the colour has

Zapatera, Punta de las Figuras.
of fine
been almost completely worn

13.
PI.
34.
Head
of an animal, has served as handle for a cup;

Ceiba.
burnt clay; painted black.

14.
PI.
in
34.
Head
of an animal, handle of a larger bowl; terra cotta; painted
a light brown colour.
Zapatera, Punta del Sapote.

its
15.
PI.
34.
Head
of an animal, handle of an arched bowl with
upper edge
Zapatera,
turned outwards; fine terra cotta; painted with red and yellow.
Punta del Sapote.

16.
PI.
34.
Head
of an animal, ornament for a can; fine terra cotta; painted
with red and yellow bands.

17.
PI.
Ometepec,
stat.
4.
34.
Head
of an animal, handle of a plate; fine terra cotta; painted
black.
18.
PI.
35.
Lid of an oval cup, perforated;
fine
terra cotta; painted in a
red-brown colour.
19.
PI.
in

side of a larger
35.
relief,
Fragment of the
bowl or tinacca, with a figure
representing a monkey's arm; terra cotta; painted with a red-
brown
20.
PI.
colour.

bottle
35.
Small
with round bottom;
terra cotta;
painted yellow.
21.
PI.
35.
Head
of a bird, serving as foot of a large plate; terra cotta;
painted red.
mound
6.
22.
PI.
35.
Upper part of a
bottle or urn, forming the
head of an animal,
with open jaws.

in
The
bottle has
had two entrances. Terra cotta; painted
a yellowish grey colour.

3
50
23.
PI.
35.
Head
of an animal, handle of a large bowl; terra cotta; painted
red.
29.
PI.
36.
Fragment of an urn with upright edge and angular ornaments.
mound
5.
30.
PI.
36.
Head
of an animal, handle of a large plate; fine terra cotta;
painted deep brown.
Zapaiera, Punta del Sapote, the
mound
3.
31.
PI.
36.
Head
of a lizard, fragment of a toy; terra cotta; painted in a
light
yellow colour.
32.
PI.
36.
Head
of an animal, handle of a plate; terra cotta; painted, but
the colour has vanished.
33.
PI.
36.
Head
Ceiba.
of an animal, handle of a plate; fine terra cotta; painted
black.
34.
PI.
36.
Head of an
animal, fragment of a toy; terra cotta; painted
in
a light yellow colour. 35.

PI.
36.
Head
of an animal, handle or foot of a plate; terra cotta; painted
brown.
36.
PI.
36.
Handle of a larger cup, or
tinacca,
in
the form of a column
embraced by a hand.
pote, the
Red
clay; not painted.
Zapatera, Punta del Sa-
mound
6.
37.
PI.
36.
Small low cup with an ear; fine clay; painted dark brown.
Ceiba.
APPENDIX
Smaller objects of stone
24.
PI.
35.
Head of an
animal, well cut.
It
seems
to
have formed part
of the side of a stone vase or can.
25.
26.
PI. PI. PI.
35. 35. 35. 35.
File or rasp.
mound
stat.
3.
3.
3.
Molidor or pestle for pounding seed.

Chisel.
Chisel.
Omctepee,
27.
28.

Ceiba.
mound
PI.
CONTENTS.
Pag
Introduction
Statues in
Punta
del
Sapote
Figuras island of Ceiba
las
13
Statues in
Punta de
in
33
42
Rock-carvings
the
Ceramic objects from Ometepec, Zapatera and Ceiba

Appendix: Smaller objects of stone
48
50
Pl.1.
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Nicaraguan Antiquities

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SWEDISH SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY

SWEDISH SOCIETY OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY

STOCKHOLM, 188G KONGL. BOKTRVCKERIKT

THE ROYAL ANTIQUARY OF SWEDEN

THE PUBLICATION OF WHICH HAS BEEN POSSIBLE

for research to the student

American Archaeology, and so two years stay in Central America.

had there the good

times to meet with localities

remains from the prehistoric or rather pre-spanish period.

purpose here to describe briefly and to

statues, rock carvings, ceramic objects etc.,

Nicaragua and partly delineated or photographed

means of carrying home any of the collections contain a number of more

or photographs taken on the spot.

statues have never

them are mentioned and

work on Nicaragua. As however, on comparisons being made by me on the

do not quite agree with the

these previously figured statues, 6 in number.

this sketch is certainly

not the place for an account

permitted to give a brief

America or Nicaragua, yet I may be statement of those few and disconnected

possess with regard to the nations inhabiting Niperiod,

the antiquities here spoken of were

sources of our knowledge of these people

besides the above quoted

the old Spanish chroniclers, Oviedo,

Guarros, the memoirs of

Thomas Gage, and

the time of the Spanish invasion under the

1521 and 1522, the region

the republic of Nicaragua and the north-eastern

part of the republic of Costa Rica,

was inhabited by Indian nations

of four different stocks,

which very probably may be considered

as being of different origin

and having immigrated

into the country

widely separated periods.

climate and the adjacent mountainous country with

were the home of more or

a low stage of civilization.

certain indications in the account of the third

country on the eastern shore and the two

Xolotlan (Managua) and Cocibolca

caragua), the intermediate highland, which shelves gradually towards

Possibly they were of the same stock

related to, the large

language being similar to the corresponding

The Poas, Toacas, Lacandones,

possibly be their descendants.

living at a decidedly lower stage of civilization than their

the eastern part of Nicaragua, on account of

penetrable forests and

highly cultivated people, the western portion, on the

Squier, that the

are proved to be true Caribs, or to

are supposed to belong to the Carib stock.

differences are so great as to

marked out by nature