Thus, the positioning of the shells, bracelet, and stingray spine suggests a woman.
As already noted, stingray spines apparently continue to retain venom for some time after becoming detached from the animal.
Without such research, it will be impossible to do more than generalize about ritual behavior involving items such as stingray spines.
Numerous caches contain the remains of toxic animals, including stingrays, porcupine fish, cone shells, and potentially toxic corals and sponges.
Remains dating to the hiatus period also yield the highest frequency of caches and problematic deposits that contain stingray spines.
A cluster of stingray spines and bone "awls" is located adjacent to the left tibia.
Beyond the possible use of stingray spines as bloodletters, however, little attention has been given to the role of these objects in ritual.
Stingray venom is most toxic in a live stingray, and when removed from the animal, it begins to lose its virulence.
