In the excavations, as well as on the surface of the mounds at
Awatobi, were found many imitations of marine shells made of clay,
often painted red and ranging from the size of half a dollar to that
of the thumb nail (plate CLXXIII, _j-m_). On the convex surface of
these objects parallel lines are etched, and they are pierced at the
valves for suspension. I have never found them suspended from the neck
of a skeleton, although their general appearance indicates that they
were used as ornaments. Similarly made clay images of birds (plate
CLXXIII, _g_, _h_, _i_) with extended wings were also found, and of
these there are several different forms in the collection. A small
perforated knob at the breast served for attachment. In the absence of
any better explanation of these objects, I have regarded them as
gorgets, or pendants, for personal decoration.
In the Awatobi collections there are several small disks made
apparently of pipe clay, which also were probably used as ornaments.
These are very smooth and wonderfully regular in shape--in one case
with a perforation near the rim. Turquois and shell beads were found
in considerable numbers in the excavations at Awatobi, but, as they
are similar to those from Sikyatki, I have reserved a discussion of
them for following pages. A few fragments of shell armlets and
wristlets were also exhumed. These were made generally of the Pacific
coast _Pectunculus_, so common in the ruins of the Little
Colorado.[92]