Close to Corozal, in the northern district of British Honduras, the sea in its gradual encroachment along the coast had partially washed away a small mound. On the beach, by the side of the mound, were found a few fragments of human long bones, a small triangular arrowhead or javelin head of black flint, a number of potsherds of coarse, thick, reddish pottery, and two small obsidian knives. These had evidently been washed out of the mound by the sea. The remaining part of the mound was dug down. It was found to be 18 feet in diameter, less than 4 feet high at its highest point, and built throughout of water-worn stones, sand, and earth. Near the center and on the ground level were found human vertebræ and parts of a skull, probably belonging with the leg bones found on the beach. Close to these were found a small three-legged earthenware bead vase, containing two pottery and one small polished greenstone bead, together with one eccentrically shaped flint object. This is probably meant to represent a "quash," or picote, with bushy tail coiled over his back. It is rather neatly chipped from dark-yellow flint. It measures nearly 3 inches from the curve of the tail to the tip of the forepaw.
Fig. 45.—Obsidian objects found in a mound near Benque Viejo.
Mound No. 14
The next mound in which an eccentrically shaped flint was discovered is a very large one situated far away from any settlement, at the headwaters of the Rio Hondo, in northern British Honduras. The stone implements found in it lay near the summit, about a couple of feet beneath the surface. They were discovered accidentally by an Indian (from whom they were purchased) while digging out a halib, or gibnut, from its hole, and consisted of: (a) A spindle-shaped stone brazo 12 inches long by 93/4 inches in circumference, finely polished from grinding corn on a metate. (b) A chipped flint brazo, 71/2 inches long by 101/2 inches in circumference, polished on one side only. Flint brazos are exceedingly rare, as the rough surface necessary for corn grinding must have been difficult to produce on so refractory a material. (c) Eight stone ax heads, varying from 31/2 to 81/2 inches in length. (d) A dark greenstone ax head, 91/2 inches in length, with two shallow notches, one on each side of a shoulder situated 3 inches from the base, probably intended to afford greater facility in hafting the implement. (e) Two well-chipped flint spearheads, one 101/4, the other 71/2, inches in length. (f) An oblong block of flint 61/2 inches in length and 61/2 inches in circumference. This had probably been used as a hammerstone, since it exhibits well-defined percussion marks at each extremity. (g) A rather roughly chipped stellate disk of flint, 10 inches in diameter, with 13 sharp-pointed triangular rays or spines, each about 2 inches in length, at equal intervals around its periphery. Near the center of this object is a natural hole 33/4 inches in diameter.
Fig. 46.—Flint object from Seven Hills.
The upper part of this mound consisted of earth and blocks of limestone; the lower part was not excavated. The implements were found lying close together in a cache, loose in the soil. Numerous rough potsherds were found, but there was no trace of human interment discovered.