OLIN tOlTITrKB AT ?AlTTAIiEOIT,CrIIATra/IALA 1465 V97 1885 Charles y.. J. 5" Vreeland Bransfo and rd MARSHALL H. SAVILLE CC Huntington Free Librar- Native American Collection CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY r^- -^'^- - C^-^-^^ CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 089 4 7 ^13 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924089417913 619 ANTIQUITIES PANTALEON, GUATEMALA. LIEUT. OHAELES E. VEBELAND, U. S. N., J. P. BEANSPOED, PASSED ASSISTATSTT SUEGBOlf, U. S. If. FEOM THE SMITHSONIAN EEPORT FOR 1884. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. J885. PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. ANTIQUITIES AT PANTALEON, GUATEMALA. By Lieut. Charles E. Veeeland, U. S. N., and J. F. Bransfokd, Passed Aasistant Surgeon, U. S. K. Some 28 miles from the Pacific, ou the railroad from San Jos6 to the city of Guatemala, the town of Escuiutla is situated in a piedmont belt of extremely fertile land. In the same belt, about 30 miles from Bs- cuintla in a northwesterly direction, is the magnificent estate of Panta- leon, within one league of Santa Lucia. This neighborhood was brought to the attention of archaeologists a few years ago by the discovery of the very interesting antiquities at Santa Lucia which were studied and drawn by Dr. Habel, who wrote a paper for publication by the Smithsonian Institution. Several of the finest of these specimens were removed to Berlin, where an account of them was published by Professor Bastian. The result of the interest thus awakened was the further discovery of great numbers of relics of the old inhabitants in that vicinity. In 1882 Dr. Bransford visited this locality in the interest of the Smith- sonian Institution, and saw some most interesting figures at Pantaleon, a slight account of which he furnished for the Smithsonian Eeport of 1882. 4-t the request of Professor Baird, the United States steamer Hart- ford stop{>ed at San Jos6, July 31, 1884, and we were allowed to visit Pantaleon for the purpose of photographing the antiquities. The super- intendent of the estate; Don Miguel Garcia Salas, informed us that the objects had never been photographed, but drawings had been made and photographs taken from them at Guatemala. The objects were all of black basalt or hard lava. Kos. II, III, IV, and V, the small heads in Fig. 1, were mounted on a low wall around the fountain in the court-yard. Just to the rear and center of these 39 40 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. ( r % K . .' ■ » , : i ii a '#>• /I «! X '• ■ I I I i: I ■ t rv * ^ ^' •.'%''*->^' 1^ ^*7 -^■■'' rio. 1.— Group of Bculpturos at Pantaloon, Guatemala. ANTIQUITIES AT PANTALEON, GUATEMALA. 41 JFiG. 2.— Soulptare from San Juan, neai Pantaleon, Guatemala. €2 PAPERS EELATIsa TO ANTHEOPOLOGT. «A»^ \"> *;^ , » il < «1 4' ■*' Fig. 3.-Qaart6r view of Kg. 2, Saa Juan, near Pautaleou, ANTIQUITIES AT PANTALEON, GUATEMALA, 4S { it } '-• i; ) - 4 . *'. 4 f L ■ WIEJ^ -fc HAI ?' V.'s.' Fig. 4.— Side view of Fig. 2, San Juan, near Pantaleon. 44 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHEOPOLOGY. ■was the grand figure, No. I (Fig. 2), on a pedestal, while No. VI was fixed in the wall of the court, behind No. I. Originally there projected frofi the lower back part of each head a sort of tenon, which was proba- bly inserted into a wall supporting the figure. Th s projection is par- tially shown in Figs. 7 and 9. Far the finest of these objects in size and workmanship was No. I, shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. This was found in a low mound on a hill in the hacienda San Jnan, about 7 miles northwest of Pantaleon. Senor Salas informed us that a sculpture similar in size and design, but not in such good condition, was left at the mound. The figure was in high i-elief, fronting a tablet 50 inches high, 43 wide, and 9 in thickness. A crest rose 17 inches from the upper edge of the tablet, making the total ieight of the object C7 inches. It was in a state of excellent preserva- tion, the only serious defect being the loss of the greater portion of the nose. The quiet strength and simplicity of the face is something new in the art of the ancient Americans. It was well formed, the lines simple and clear cut, and without a shadow of the conventional. Maj- esty was so plainly stamped on the countenance that it was known by the Indians as El Eey — The King. The brow, the eyes, and the nose, as far as could be judged, were in good shape and proportion. The mouth was hard and the chin firm and full of character. On the head was a turban with a banded edge, coming well down on the brow. On the front of the turban an elaborate arrangement of plumes was secured by a double band, knotted in front. Lying on its left side, supported by the band, was a mask of a human face nearly half the size of that of El Eey. This mask, the ear-rings, and the gor- get suspended by the necklace were probably chalchihuitls, as we may well imagine that a man of his consequence would naturally choose the favorite green stone wherewith to adorn his person. As a background for the mask was apparently a broad leaf— ^it was too broad to have been a feather— supported in turn by two others of similar design. These may have been beaten gold, worked into the form of broad leaves or plumes. Behind these and mounting well alpove, on each side, were long plumes. If the last were furnished by that royal bird the quetzal, our cazique siirely rejoiced in a head dress which in gorgeous brilliancy left nothing to be desired. From the lower. edge of the turban, behind the ears, depended braided folds, as of cloth, which mingled with the banded ornamentation on the chest. From the lobe of each ear was suspended a medallion-shaped object, and a larger gorget was supported by the necklace. Around the neck and upper cLest other circular ornaments were apparently fast- ened to the dress. The tablet had ornamented bands and lines near the sides, but there -was no appearance of hieroglyphs. From the upper margin arose a sort of crest, which curved over to the front aiid ended in a tasseled arrangement pendent above the head. The appearance of the tablet ANTIQUITIES AT PANTALEON, GUATEMALA. 45 and crest suggested tlio back of a chair of state. On the rear surface a fresh cut nearly 3 feet square showed where the teuoii had been re- moved. The head No. II, Pij 5, was Ihat of an old person, whose venerable appearance was heightened by the deep lines on brow and cheek. Nearly the whole of the ear was taken ui) by the cylindrical ornaments. The bead-dress ended below in a fluted baud, above which, in front, was the body of a bird. The tail and most of the body of the bird had been broken away, but the outstretched wings remained to give evidence of the nature of the cap. '>^'-f'!>^fiS\ Fig. 5. — Sculpture from Pautaleon, Guatemala. The extreme height of No. II was 21 inches. No. Ill, Figs. 6 and 7, ■was another head of an old person, but instead of the calmness of the preceding face there was depicted the inexpressible sadness of age with blindness. Both eyes were represented as hanging from the sock- ets, the balls resting on the cheeks. The chiu and lower lip protruded, the upper lip fallen in as from loss of teeth. To the long ears were appended large, pear-shaped ornaments. The head-dress w^s arranged in braided folds, turban like, with a little Tarn O'Shanter cap on top. 46 PAPEKS RELATING TO AKTHKOPOLOGY. This specimen was 18J inches high. -'U , '•* T '^ >f<\^ , 5" ** % Fig. 6.— Sculpture rioiu Pantaleoii, Guatemala. i-i'm'. 7. —Side viuw of i''ig. li, i'autiiluv>u. ANTIQUITIES OP PANTALEON, GUATEMALA. 47 • I- It) I § ^' '■ ■"Wi- i - It ' s <-'. nfi- 48 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. Fig. 10.— Sculpture from Guatemala, quarter view of Fig. 8. Figs. 8, 9, and 10, full, three-quarter, and sjde views of the head No. IV, show what was probably the most strongly characteristic face of the lot. The prominent brow and cheek-bones, aquiline nose, and well-formed chin were here given their full effect, as in this one figure the nose was complete. The right eye was hanging from its orbit ; around the mouth and eyes were few but deep wrinkles ; and between the eyes the skin was drawn into two heavy perpendicular folds, giving an expression of agonizing pain. The few simple lines by which this effect was produced showed in the artist real strength, far removed from the elaborate but fantastic style of conventional Copan. The long ears were probably exaggerated in size by the heavy orna- ments iu the lower lobes. The head-dress was arranged in folds, and secured by a band, marked with longitudinal and transverse lines, which passed behind the ears and under the chin, well back against the throat. On the upper left side was an elaborate bow, on which was a circular ornament with graven outlines of eyes, nose, and mouth. On top and a little to the left side of the head a small cap was jauntily placed. The cap was one feature in the tout ensemble which gave this more the look of a woman's head. The height was 23 inches. ANTIQUITIES AT PANTALEON, GUATEMALA. 49 The Object of the sculptor in portraying these eyes as hanging from their sockets is rather puzzling, it has been suggested that tearing out the eyes was a mode of punishment among the ancients. But it re- quired long time and much labor to carve one of these heads in hard stone, with the tools at their command, and it does not seem likely that such honor would have been shown to criminals. Don Manuel Herrera thought that the fact that eye complaints were prevalent in that sec- tion should be considered in the study of this subject. It seems as likely as not that these were representations of individuals whose mis- fortune was depicted in the sculptures, the artist adopting this mode of indicating blindness. ^, \* - ¥ Fig. 11. — Sonlptore from Pantaleon, Guatemala. In 'No. V, Fig. 11, we again had the head of an old man. T^here were wrinkles on the venerable face around the mouth and eyes and particularly strong on the brow. The supraorbital region and cheek-bones were prominent, the mouth firm, and the large nose was aquiline in form. The tip of the nose was broken. In front and on top of the turban-like arrangement on the head a broad sash or band was tied in a double bow-knot, the ends widening and falling behind and to the lower edge of the ear on each side. The 50 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. little cap on the vertex was pretty veil demolished. The beard-like ar- rangement on the chin may have been intended to represent a chin-strap as it passed up behind the ear-rings, and was apparently continuous with the head-dress. This is one of the most striking of the faces, and in a general collec- tion would suggest the patriarch of Western Asia. Its height was 21 inches. A. ■*•* X ^^te4*i«4*i'^*T3' «*. Fig. 12.— Sculpture from Pantaleon, Guatemala. Fixed into the wall of the court, behind El Eey, was ITo.VI, shown in Fig. 12. It was- the roughest of the specimens, and without peculiar features. The ear-rings were large, and on the cap a broken surface showed where was probably a knot, as on ISTo. IV. Lying in the court-yard was a rough representation of the head of a' wUd-cat, and a skull nomewhat similar to those in Habel's drawings from Santa Lucia and others at Copan. These figures in simplicity and strength diiJer .from all specimens of ancient American sculpture we have seen pictured or described. They stand as far apart from the grim statues of Nicaragua as from the fan- tastic and hieroglyph-covered monoliths of Copan, and surely deserve the careful consideration of American arcLteologists.