Tour the Castle's Top Floor After its First Fifty Years

This collection is one of the most extensive and valuable in the museum. There are about thirty oval stone rings, the use of which is entirely a matter of conjecture. They are cut out of solid masses of trap or basaltic rock, with sculptured ornamentation, and carefully smoothed or polished. In shape and dimension they closely resemble horse-collars. A few are circular and a kindred article from Guatemala has the form of the letter U. which was received with a statement from the bishop of that place that it was formerly used for strangling victims in human sacrifices. In the Latimer collection are also over one hundred stone celts, chisels, and cutting tools made of the harder kinds of stone. Several are made of jade or nephrite, a mineral held in very high esteem by all the people of Mexico, Central America, and the Antilles. All of these are beautifully shaped and polished. There also fifty specimens of rubbing, grinding, and crashing implements for grains, seeds, etc. The whole collection was bequeathed by Mr. Geo. Latimer, the collector, to the Institution, although he had been offered $15,000 for it in Europe.

Return to start of the Top Floor of the Castle's Main Hall in 1886