Once the race had begun, the chariots could move in front of each other in an attempt to cause their opponents to crash into the "spinae" (singular "spina"). On the top of the "spinae" stood small tables or frames supported on pillars, and also small pieces of marble in the shape of eggs or dolphins. The "spina" eventually became very elaborate, with statues and obelisks and other forms of art, but the addition of these multiple adornments had one unfortunate result: they obstructed the view of spectators on lower seats. At either end of the spina was a "meta", or turning point, consisting of large gilded columns. Spectacular crashes in which the chariot was destroyed and the charioteer and horses incapacitated were called "naufragia," a Latin word that also means "shipwreck".