Archaeology Magazine - July 1973 - 76

Where more than one type of surfaceis
available, generally only one type was
used.They concludefromthis that "some
cultural significance"was the determining factor, and postulate three reasons
for creating the petroglyphs: "(1) Recordingof trips and communicationconcerning other events, on trails and at
boundaries; (2) A concern for insuring
long life and personal well-being; and
(3) The commemorationof events and
legends." Three subject categories are
listed: the descriptive,the symbolicand
the cryptic.
The petroglyphsare discussedin relation to their connectionwith various
aspectsof Hawaiianculture, stressingthe
"unity of cultural patterns in Hawaiian
life." This approach relates them to
means of transportation,the family and
the supernatural. Anthropomorphicfigures are by far the most numerouskind
of petroglyph.Dogs, birds, turtles and
chickensare the most commonanimals
represented.Some design motifs consist
of simpleelements: dots, bars and circles
in variouscombinations.Hawaiianpetroglyphs are generally found in groups,
rather than as singleisolatedunits.
An aestheticjudgment of the chronology of somemotifs places the lineal figures as the earliest, followedin time by
circles, with a general deterioration in
workmanshipthrough time. On Hawaii
are found elementsof new and old type
Polynesianpetroglyphs,somehaving disappearedfromother parts of Polynesiain
earlier times.This wouldseemto suggest
a common origin for the widespread
similar motifs, with regional variations
developingthrough time.
Cox and Stasack suggestone type of
petroglyphas being uniquelyHawaiian.
This is the muscledfigure.They interpret
this innovationas a movetowardnaturalism in art form.
The authors exhibit their artistic expertise in their interpretiveeffort of the
Hawaiian petroglyphs,relating this artistic intuition to line, shape, color, texture, pattern and organizationof the elements. They summarize this study by
HIGHLIGHTS

noting "that the Hawaiian petroglyph
style has a surprisinglywide range of
variation, with each type offeringa different quality of expression.Some are
rugged and coarse, some refined and
graceful, some rigidly static, others active. Gesture and articulation are often
charming or humorous."The Hawaiian
artists were definitely imbued with a
senseof a creative process.
The report is well illustrated with excellentphotographsand line drawings.A
seriesof well drawn maps showsthe locationsof the sites.Both the professional
archaeologistand interestedlaymanwill
find this report useful and easy to read.
The authors have gone beyondthe usual
descriptionand analysisof the sites and
motifs, and have interpreted the petroglyphsin the contextof being an integral
part of the ancient Hawaiianculture.
Richard Shutler, Jr.
Universityof Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
New England Glass and
Glassmaking
by Kenneth M. Wilson, viii,401 pages,
379 photographs, 21 drawings,bibliography. Thomas Y. Crowell, New York
1972 (An Old SturbridgeVillageBook)
$15.00
This highlyspecialized,yet more broadly
usefulvolume,by the AssistantDirector
and Curator of the Corning Museumof
Glass,representsmuch researchand careful study of authenticated objects. He
tracesthe manyglassproductsand establishes their probable dates of manufacture.
Keeping in mind that the principal
requirementsof New England,as well as
farther south, especiallyduring the first
century of its existence,were containers
(mainly bottles) and window glass,
Wilson follows two chapters entitled
(1) Importations and (2) The Seventeenth and EighteenthCenturyAttempts
at EstablishingGlassworksin the Region
with a detailed surveyof the nineteenth
centurywindow-glassfactoriesin Massachusetts,New Hampshireand Vermont.

OF THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF

ARCHAEOLOGY
A PRECOLUMBIANSMELTER FROM NORTHERN PERU
by Christopher B. Donnan
ETRUSCANWOMEN: A Question of Interpretation
by Larissa Bonfante Warren
236

He traces their beginningsand, so frequently, their sad endings. What little
is knownof their products (usuallycontainers) is also recorded.
Individualchaptersfollowon the nineteenth century bottle-glassproducersin
Connecticut,New Hampshireand Massachusetts.The few productswhichhave
been traced to the descendantsof workers
and ownersaffordthe basesfor comparison with other objectsfor whichno such
backgroundexists.Here, and in the final
chapter,the author has beenmeticulously
careful in claiming attributions. He
avoidsoverlypositiveor dogmaticdeclarations when unwarranted. Fortunately,
many historical and other flasks have
distinguishingmold marks.The finaland
longest chapter treats of the flint glass
industryin the area, largelyin the nineteenth but also in the twentiethcentury.
In viewof competitionfrom Englishand
Anglo-Irishsources,the major influence
on style was from these regions,and in
the first half of the nineteenth century
the production was not only of bottle
and window-glassbut also lighting devices and a great variety of tablewares.
The problem of distinguishingbetween
importsand domesticproductshas been
dealt with cautiouslybut clearlyby the
author, relying in large part on an extremely thorough review of available
NewEnglandnewspapersand the limited
professionally-executedarchaeological
studies of glassworkssites. In the latter
field advantage has necessarily been
taken of discoveriesmade at sitesfarther
south and west that have had somebearing upon the originsand conductof the
New England factories.
The volumeconcludeswith a ChronologicalList of New EnglandGlasshouses
and Productsservingas a summaryand
a SelectiveBibliography.Prior to these
are the Notes which would have been
better titled References and expanded
to includesomeof the text materialas is
the morecustomarypractice.That which
is not customaryis to have a widemargin
on every page and to use it for small
figures thus placed close to their text
notations.A few minor errors exist,very
easilyrecognizedby a reasonablycareful
reader, but these detract not at all from
the merit of the volume.It recommends
itself to every collectorin the field and
to museumsand libraries coveringany
phase of the subject. To archaeologists
its value can be limited only becauseof
the small number of sitesthat have been
professionallyexcavated,pointingthereby to the great need for additional"digs."
Jerome Strauss
State College, Pennsylvania
Archaeology Magazine - July 1973

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - July 1973
