APPENDIX 12: Typology and Description of Shell Charlie Chaplin Figurines

Appendix 12 is an incomplete draft of the typology and description of shell Charlie Chaplin figurines. These are anthropomorphic, small, usually of exteriorly worked Spondylus shell, with incising, notching, grooving and drilling the technical repertory. However, many are plain, that is, the human form is silhouetted. A total of 538 shell figurines exist in the Tikal collection. With very few exceptions (notably Burial 10) these occur in cached offerings. Shell figurines are an outstanding component of the “Early Classic” of Tikal. None have ever been found in intact context of earlier or later date here.

Many bibliographic entries do not appear in the References section of this Report. Moholoy-Nagy has added the texts in brackets. Coe’s lengthy, handwritten tables of shell figurine attributes are not included in Appendix 12. They are, however, preserved in the Tikal Project archives at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia. The computer print-outs mentioned by Coe are assumed to be in his possession.]