Abstract
I NOTICE that a correspondent writing from America expresses his scepticism as to the figural character of certain stone objects in Dr. Schliemann's collection at South Kensington. Judging from the analogy of similar objects found in America, he pronounces them to be “net-sinkers” and not idols. Whatever, however, may be the nature of the American objects, I think there can be but little doubt that Dr. Schliemann is right in considering the objects discovered by him at Hissarlik to be rude representations of a deity. At first sight they certainly have but little resemblance to anything of the sort, but a careful examination shows that several are marked with the rude delineation of a human face—or, as Dr. Schliemann believes, of an owl's face—as well as of a triple necklace, and sometimes also the characteristics of a woman. Occasionally the hair is represented on the back of the head by straight lines. The delineation is sometimes incised, sometimes painted, though the paint is mostly worn off. As the marked objects are of the same shape as the unmarked ones, we can have no hesitation in inferring that both were intended for the same purpose.
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SAYCE, A. Minerva Ornaments. Nature 22, 219 (1880). https://doi.org/10.1038/022219a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/022219a0
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