Origins of the Tainan Culture, West Indies

3I 7
by an elevated eye-ringl) or be obliquely-placed elliptic eyes in relief.
2) As in Santo Domingo, the whole face is represented by
eyes alone.3) The head of an old man is presented in an artistic
and natural style, yet with flat eye-rings, while a snake-motive in
relief passes over the face through the nose.4). This head is entirely
unique in Tainan ceramics and must be due to Maya-Mexican
influences, as indeed his habitus reveals. Another clay-head has a
large, broad mouth with big teeth, showing the imitation of small
figures in shel1. 5) The only animal-figure that occurs is that of the
frog;6) in addition there is possibly a dog7) with nose somewhat
drawn in and furnished with8 ) grooves.
As in Santo Domingo the clay heads are often combined with
arms. 9 ) HARRINGTON, Fig. 78, Big Wall Site, San Lucas, Maisi,
has, separated and further down on the wall of the dish, a pair of
legs and buttocks. On the other hand, in no case are the arms
separated from the head, as can occur in Nisibon ceramics in
northeastern Santo Domingo.
FEWKES places the ceramic finds from Nipe Bay into a group
by themselves. The representation of the two faces and one head
on these flat lugs is simple. The head 10 ) with its primitive trait of
eyes consisting only of pointed pupils and its scored mouth with
somewhat elevated under-lip, nevertheless, reminds us of others
from the fully developed Tainan culture in Oriente. H) It is customary
in Ignerian ceramics to represent the face instead of using
1) Ibid., PI. LXVIII b, Fig. 82.
2) Ibid., PI. LXXX a, Fig. 66.
3) PI. r~xvlII a.
4) Ibid., Fig. I9 b, Baracoa district.
5) Ibid., Fig. 19 a, Baracoa district, compo Fig. 87, Laguna Limones site near
Maisi. On the other side, this shell-figure has adopted eyes of relief-ellipses and
protuberance on the forehead, from ceramics.
6) Ibid., Fig. 67, village-site at La Patana, Maisi.
') Ibid., Fig. 79, from Big Wall Site, San Lucas, Maisi.
8) An animal head, KRIEGER I, PI. 18, d, Santo Domingo has on the extreme
tip of the nose, three broad cuts, possibly expressing nostrils.
9) Ibid., Figs. 19 a, 30 and 31, which is similar.
10) Prehist. Cult. Cuba, Amer. Anthrop., n. S., Vol. 6, PI. XX b.
") HARRINGTON, Op. cit., Fig. 77, head turned outward from the vessel, Big
\Vall Site, San Lucas, Maisi; the pointed eyes of the inward-turned head, Fig.
34, are extended in length.