Page 3 - meredith1899

ABORIGINAL ART IN OBSIDIAN. 257

The serrations are a striking feature of all the pecimens shown, save
one which is not of obsidian.
These Indians did not attempt
serration, so far as I know,
except in obsidian. Artistic
arrows of jasper, agate and
fossil wood are found along
with these curious "curves "
but never serrated. In the
series of six arrows, the four
smaller are from near Sacra-
mento, the two larger from
near Stockton, The "spears"
are of a series of eight in the
writer's collection and were
found all together 20 miles
west of Stockton. The other
arrows are from an ancient
burial place within the 1 imits
of this city.
The curved artifects are
found at Stockton, and here
only.• Some of them have
not only the simple curve,
shown by the illustration, but
a compound or lateral curve.
No. 16, for instance, is bent
to the left till its point is far out
of line.
A more exact acquaintance with the
miscalled " Digger Indian ' ' will make
him a more interesting creature than
he has been. Instead of the mo t d -
based of Indian culture-types, he ma
yet appear not only the most harmless . M. DavisEn .
of American Indians, but among the Writer's collection ; tw -third natural ze.
most artistic and the most amenable to civilization .

. tockton al.

• r. M eredith's "curv " h v m de oon id rabl t rouble amon unread or untraveled collectors a
simple matter of fact, they are m r ly artl!e la mad of that ahap , be u e th t shap ia Lbe natural clen e of
th nodular ob ldlan ace ibl to tbo.e Indian . A1 th y couldn't d pend n i hr king trai;ht, lh y wo1k d
it u It did hr ak. l\nd m d their koh Lhu lckl ••hap~. A very uperL kno, , this shape !1 peculiarly
elf ti..-e for certai n k1nd1 of cuttillg ; but Lhe Indian adopt d It im pl) becau hi mat rial fore d him to.
Like most di 'I' ri , ii wu por ly ems,iric • to nation, tbe r~ o the lnd i n 1ernted o idlua and no
other tone I m r11l:r that ob1idian la th only Hon that can rr t d. practk lly. There i no doubt in ru:r
oiind of the autb otlc:ity of any of the peci D 11ho n lo th cu . " ·un · •· have Ill o n found lo Inyo
county, C&l.- ».