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