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 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS 
 
 Liu Rn R I 
 
 MUTHDRawn 
 
 
 
 
 I. 
 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OP THE 
 
 PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND 
 ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
 
 Vol. V—No. 1 
 
 EXPLORATIONS 
 
 IN 
 
 THE DEPARTMENT OF PETEN 
 GUATEMALA 
 
 Tikal 
 
 REPORT OF EXPLORATIONS FOR THE MUSEUM 
 
 BY 
 
 TEOBERT MALER 
 
 CAMBRIDGE 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM 
 1911 
 
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 Copyright, 1911 , 
 
 Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and 
 Ethnology, Harvard University. 
 
 University Press : 
 
 John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U. S.A. 
 
 
 THE GCriY CENTER 
 LIBRARY 
 
_ 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 This report by Mr. Maler completes the series on the explorations which 
 he has carried on for several years under an agreement made with the 
 Peabody Museum. The report is printed without certain plans referred to by 
 Mr. Maler which have not been received from him. This omission is, how¬ 
 ever, supplied by the Museum Expedition of 1910 (see foot-notes on page 10, 
 et seq.). In order to use the plans when reading Mr. Maler’s report, the 
 two reports are issued under one cover. To further facilitate reference, a 
 table has been prepared (see page vii of No. 2), giving the names used by 
 Mr. Maler and the corresponding terms used in the report of 1910. A 
 number of measurements were left blank in Mr. Maler’s manuscript, and 
 these have been supplied by the Expedition of 1910, all such being given 
 in italic figures. 
 
 Mr. Maler’s reports were written in German, and it is therefore especially 
 unfortunate that he has not returned the proofs of this and also of the two 
 preceding reports published in Volume IV, Number 3 of these Memoirs. 
 However, the translations were carefully made by two German scholars. — 
 Editor. 
 
 \ % A- 
 

 
EXPLORATIONS 
 
 IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PETEN, GUATEMALA. 
 
 XXIV. 
 
 TIKAL. 
 
 “Place where spirit voices are heard.” 
 
 End of May and beginning of June, 1895. Beginning of August to middle 
 of November, 1904. 
 
 The word cal (pronounced with the usual £-sound) signifies in the Maya 
 tongue, the throat, the oesophagus. When the word becomes kal, kalil (pro¬ 
 nounced with strongly emphasized £-sound) it means voices, calls, cries. 
 
 The Mayas believe that at midnight (especially during the great festi¬ 
 vals), their ancestors return to earth and, adorned as in the days of their 
 glory, wander about in the forsaken temples and palaces, where their spirit- 
 voices are heard in the air. Therefore all important ruins in this land are 
 regarded as enchanted, encantadas, and timid people do not like to sleep 
 alone in their desolate chambers. 
 
 The Indians of San Jos6 and San Andres distinctly and clearly say Ti- 
 kal, and not Ti-cal, therefore I have decided on the form Tikal. 
 
 When I undertook the first expedition to Tikal in the middle of 1895, 
 it was not with the expectation of working up this enormous city of ruins 
 during a first visit, for such an undertaking could not be accomplished with¬ 
 out considerable preparation; I only intended to reconnoitre the ground as 
 thoroughly as possible, to make drawings and plans of the most important 
 subjects, and to take photographs which did not require too much prelimi¬ 
 nary work. 
 
 May 21, 1895. I left the island city of Itza and crossed the great 
 lake in a northerly direction in a swaying cayuco. I landed at the little 
 Maya village of San Jos5, where I presented to the alcalde, Jose Maria 
 Chata, the order received from the prefect, Isaias Armas, according to 
 which the alcalde was to render me all possible assistance in my difficult 
 undertaking, at the customary rates of payment, and to appoint the 
 requisite number of men to accompany me. 
 
 After the business had been discussed in all its details, the alcalde ap¬ 
 pointed five men to carry my very light baggage and the most indispensable 
 provisions, and to make themselves generally useful at the ruins. 
 
4 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 While the men were making their preparations for the journey, I was 
 able to utilize my enforced leisure by visiting the neighboring ruined city of 
 Motul. 
 
 On the 25th of May we embarked in a large cayuco obtained from the 
 alcalde and rowed to the village of El Remate at the eastern end of the 
 lake. As there was no wind our voyage was quickly and safely made along 
 the beautiful wooded north shore for the most part. Owing to the calm 
 weather we were able to avoid entering the great bays formed by the prom¬ 
 ontories, and could cross from cape to cape, thus saving much time and 
 labor. In a storm it is absolutely necessary to hug the shore. 
 
 Every now and then at the approach of our dugout, great flocks of 
 cormorants, called malaches, rose up. We saw no ducks, but occasionally, 
 high in air, a flight of beautiful pelicans, alcatraz. These ugly malaches, 
 or cuervos de agua, live on fish which they catch by diving and remaining 
 several minutes under water. They have a very bad reputation, for it is 
 said that they merely peck out the eyes of fish which are too large for 
 them to eat. The fish thus rendered helpless soon die miserably. Several 
 times during our passage we did, in fact, see dead fish floating on the water 
 with their eyes pecked out, in seeming corroboration of the statements made 
 by the Indians. 
 
 The repulsive malaches perpetrate on the water the very same iniquity 
 which the smallest owl of Yucatan perpetrates on land. This little bird by 
 way of a tidbit picks out the eyes of the beautiful ocellated turkeys ( Melea- 
 gris ocellata ) while they are innocently roosting at night on the branches of 
 lofty trees. Indians, who accompanied me on my wanderings in the wilder¬ 
 nesses of Yucatan, assured me that when out hunting they have occasionally 
 found cuts straying helplessly about in the forest with their eyes pecked out, 
 and dying of starvation. 
 
 On this expedition I already noticed that the waters of Lake Pelen- 
 Itza were in process of rising, for at flat portions of the north shore I fre¬ 
 quently observed dead trees standing far out in the water. 
 
 Quite late at night we arrived at the cabins of El Remate, at that time 
 inhabited by half-breed negroes, and here we spent the night. The distance 
 between San Jose and El Remate is estimated at fully ten leagues. 
 
 From the cabins of El Remate the path runs N. N. E. through the 
 wilderness to Tikal, which is distant about thirteen leagues (55 km.). Long 
 stretches of the path were so overgrown by vegetation that my men had 
 constantly to use their machetes to make progress possible. 
 
 At the end of the first day’s march, after having crossed a mountain 
 by a difficult pass, we arrived at the Ixtinta aguada, where we spent 
 the night. We estimated the distance travelled that day at about four 
 leagues. At noon of the second day, having covered but two leagues, we 
 came to another aguada called Ixpita, where we rested for about an hour. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 5 
 
 This aguada is about half-way between El Remate and Tikal; it is sur¬ 
 rounded by small heaps of debris and I also found a chuUun or rain-well 
 near by. However we continued on our way turning off far to the right, 
 along the tops of a range of hills, at the end of which we spent the night, 
 this time managing to get along with the water we had brought in the 
 calabazos 1 filled at the Ixpita aguada. 
 
 Descending the range of hills we came to small heaps of ruins, and 
 further on to much larger ones. Late in the afternoon of May 28, 1895, 
 after a three days’ march, we came out at Tikal, near the great Palace of the 
 Grooved Walls, in the vicinity of which the Indians pitched their camp. 
 Remaining with the baggage myself, I at once sent the men to the aguada 
 with every available vessel, in order to lose no time in settling the question 
 of water supply. 
 
 As we were already approaching the end of the dry season, the surface of 
 the aguada proved to be quite dry, but a hole (un pozo) already dug by 
 former travellers, was speedily deepened, until by good fortune the men 
 struck water, which was still contained in the black soil ; otherwise, parched 
 with thirst we would have been obliged to retrace our steps the next day to 
 the Ixpita aguada. On the following day I began the inspection of the 
 ruins, intending to have the trees and shrubs cut away from those structures 
 which I wished to photograph, when a great and unexpected difficulty arose. 
 The men from San Jose whom I had brought with me were capable and will¬ 
 ing enough on the water as oarsmen, and on land as carriers of burdens, but 
 they were entirely unwilling to fell trees, and' especially to excavate buried 
 sculptures. A certain vicious fellow named Pedro Ek proved especially 
 mutinous. He apparently had a bad influence upon the other men, whom he 
 incited to refuse to work in order to hasten their return to San Jose. 
 
 Not in the least inclined to have my work interfered with and my time 
 wasted by this rapscallion, I withdrew from their camp and had my baggage, 
 my provisions and a supply of water carried to the Two-storied Palace 
 which stands opposite Great Temple V toward the north. The central north 
 chamber of the first story with its niches and great stone benches affords the 
 traveller many conveniences. 
 
 By changing my quarters to this palace, from which the principal square 
 with its various structures was easily accessible, I saved a great amount of 
 time, while the dissatisfied Indians remained in their camp on the other side 
 of the more remotely situated Palace of the Grooved Walls. Even though 
 they joined me late during the forenoons to help a little or to do nothing at 
 all, and left me early in the afternoon under the pretext of preparing a meal, 
 I still found time between while for a great deal of work on plans and 
 drawings. 
 
 1 The fruit is calabaza, while the vessel made from it is called calabazo. 
 
6 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 Therefore, during the eight days of my stay at Tikal, from May 25 to 
 June 5, 1895, I drew the ground-plans of the five chief temples, also that of 
 my Two-storied Palace and the Palace of Five Stories. I made careful trac¬ 
 ings of all the most important of the best preserved incised drawings found 
 on the smoothly stuccoed walls of the chambers in the different structures, 
 for I had fortunately brought an ample supply of tracing paper with me 
 (Figs. 1-10). 
 
 Photographs were taken of a few of the best preserved edifices. The 
 sculptured stones were not photographed at this time, since the preparation 
 would have taken too much time. 
 
 Taking it all in all, a fair share of work was thus accomplished, and my 
 collection of incised mural drawings is altogether unequalled. To tell the 
 truth, I somewhat overworked and felt a good deal exhausted each night. 
 
 Sometimes in my lonely chamber during the night I found myself so 
 surrounded by roaring panthers with whom other creatures, perhaps more 
 harmless, mingled their cries, that I was forced to maintain a great fire at 
 the entrance of my chamber, even occasionally to barricade it with timber. 
 Of course I always slept with a carefully loaded rifle by my side, but other¬ 
 wise in perfect tranquillity of mind. When I am sleeping in solitude in a 
 ruin or under a tree in the primeval forest, or in a little cave, I am not at all 
 disturbed by the serenades tendered me at the midnight hour by the Felis 
 onca , the Felis pardalis, the Felis concolor, or any of their kin. It always 
 seems to me to be part of the situation, so I listen with cheerful attention. 
 The darkness of the night makes no difference in my feelings, because I am 
 convinced that the same amount of good and evil always exists whether our 
 planet bears us in sunlight or shadow. 
 
 As a rule, however, the half-breeds of the country, who are so fond of 
 playing the valiante by day, become completely and miserably demoralized 
 with the approach of night. Nothing would induce these heroes to sleep 
 alone in the forest or in a ruin. The genuine, full-blooded Indian, however, 
 preserves his composure by night as well as by day, but even he never likes 
 to be alone. 
 
 Another three days’ march took us back to El Remate (June 8). It had 
 rained a good deal during our journey, an unmistakable sign that the rainy 
 season had set in. 
 
 On our arrival at El Re mate I felt very much exhausted, nevertheless 
 I immediately took a bath in the lake, though I trembled with cold in that 
 stormy weather. Afterwards I made a light meal of the food I was able to 
 buy in some of the cabins. 
 
 The Indians, impatient to reach their village, were quite willing to row 
 homeward during the night instead of sleeping, especially as the storm had 
 abated. Silently and majestically the full moon rose, but later remained 
 mostly obscured by leaden clouds, while we rowed toward the splendid 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 7 
 
 evening star. The night was pleasant, cool and calm. The Indians, secretly 
 desiring to receive their pay in spite of all that had happened, began to be 
 more friendly as we approached their village. 
 
 Early on Sunday morning (June 9) we landed safely in front of the 
 Casa Real of San Jose, where the men were paid off and dismissed. 
 
 The rate of wages, by the way, was 50 centavos per day in 1895, while 
 on my return in 1904 it had risen to 75 centavos. I observed that in 
 the Department of Peten, as everywhere else, money sinks in value as the 
 price of commodities and wages rise. 
 
 Feeling somewhat rested I took leave of the alcalde, J. M. Chata, and 
 of Don Pedro Berges, in order to cross the lake to Itza-Flores before the 
 south wind, so frequently dangerous here, should begin to blow. 
 
 June 10, 1904. Coming from Tenosique by way of Paso Real and 
 Sacluk I left my baggage temporarily at Playa de San Benito. After find¬ 
 ing a suitable little house in the island city on the opposite side of the lake, 
 I proceeded to move my things thither and began preparations for a second 
 expedition to Tikal, this time under the auspices of the Peabody Museum of 
 Harvard University. 
 
 Archaeologists had expressed the wish that the great city of Tikal, 
 hitherto scarcely known, should be as thoroughly explored as Piedras 
 Negras and Yaxchilan. Of course, I was left at liberty to turn my atten¬ 
 tion incidentally to any other ruins, which 1 indeed did, but the main object 
 of the expedition, the watchword as it were, was to be Tikal. 
 
 All the details of the business were thoroughly discussed with the gefe 
 politico of Peten-Itza-Flores, Licenciado Clodovego Berges, who then sum¬ 
 moned the alcaldes of San Andres and San Josd to appear in person at the 
 capital of the district. Here each alcalde received instructions to appoint 
 four capable men from his village, and in case these men wished to return 
 home at the end of a fortnight, to send me four other men in their stead 
 with a fresh supply of provisions. The wages agreed upon for these men 
 were 75 centavos per day, and they were instructed to take with them only 
 sufficient provisions ( bastimento ) for the journey as they would have daily 
 rations of food served them at Tikal. The supply of game would of course 
 be incidental, and dependent upon circumstances. 
 
 At 1 peso a day I hired of Don Sostenes Morales for the whole time of 
 the expedition, a cayuco large enough to hold all the men and their provi¬ 
 sions. This cayuco was to remain at El Remate for the use of the return¬ 
 ing or newly arriving men. 
 
 Thus every contingency was provided for, and we were never to be cut 
 off from communication with the villages by water, which was of the great¬ 
 est importance for the success of the undertaking. The Indians were made 
 contented and easy in their minds, knowing that the cayuco was always at 
 their service at El Remate whenever they wished to return home. 
 
EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 A modest compensation was privately tendered the alcaldes of the vil¬ 
 lages, for they had been put to much trouble in appointing the right men and 
 having totopostli (thin, crisply toasted tortillas) made for us, procuring 
 maize, and other provisions and attending to much other business. 
 
 On July 31 I embarked in the great cayuco with the three men I had 
 brought from Tenosique and the most indispensable baggage. We rowed 
 across the lake to San Andres where the alcalde, Don L£zaro Cano, re¬ 
 ceived me as in duty bound. The men of San Andres who were to go 
 with us gradually made their appearance, and after the provisions which 
 had been prepared were delivered, we went on to San Jose to take in the 
 men appointed from that place. 
 
 At San Jose the schoolmaster, Don Romulo Aldana, who was also the 
 alcalde’s secretary, was particularly obliging and helpful to us. 
 
 All being in readiness we departed the following day for El Remate. 
 This time, however, owing to stormy weather and a high sea we could not 
 venture to cut across the bays from cape to cape, but carefully worked our 
 way along the north shore. We reached El Remate on the second day, 
 where we spent the night in an empty chiclero hut, in order to be in good 
 trim for our march to Tikal next day. 
 
 As the men carried heavy burdens our progress was slow, and on the 
 farther side of the Ixpita aguada the path was so densely overgrown that 
 the carga had mostly to be deposited on the ground, while the Indians has¬ 
 tened forward to clear the way with their machetes. 
 
 After a laborious advance of fully six days, we at last came out at 
 Tikal, and, as on the previous occasion, at the palace of the vertically 
 grooved walls (August 8). 
 
 Here, without further loss of time, the Indians erected two champas, or 
 shelter-huts: one for the men of San Andres, and the other for those of San 
 Jos6. As for myself I spent the first night in a small, partially demolished 
 chamber in the east corner of the palace. 
 
 As we were in the rainy season we had no anxiety regarding our sup¬ 
 ply of water at the aguada, which was only 1 km. distant from the camp. 
 
 Subsequently I moved with my Tenosiqueros to the two-storied palace 
 (opposite Great Temple V) where I again occupied my former apartment, 
 assigning two other rooms to the mozos. After cutting down the trees in 
 the north courtyard of the palace, light and air entered the chambers and 
 imparted to the whole an air of cheerfulness. The cast-iron corn-mill we had 
 brought along was attached to one of the felled trees, so that the soaked 
 maize ( kum) could be ground daily and the men need never be without fresh 
 corn-bread ( tortillas) nor corn-mush ( potsol ), which arrangement was much 
 appreciated by the Indians, but nothing improved the evil disposition of the 
 Tenosique rascals. 
 
 Since the men from San Andres and San Jose could not be induced to 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 9 
 
 remain more than a few days, the clearing away of vegetation before the 
 five great temple-pyramids was attacked without delay. Owing to the 
 advanced state of demolition of the other buildings, I could only photograph 
 an interior here and there, or the remains of a facade, all of which required 
 but little preliminary work. But it did require a great deal of work only 
 approximately to free from obstructions the five exceedingly high, great tem¬ 
 ples, with their pyramidal substructures, and crowns of tower-like edifices. 
 
 While the first detachment, cuadrilla , of workmen, was returning to 
 their villages and I was expecting the second, I began with my Tenosiqueros 
 to prepare the stelae on the principal square for being photographed. Of 
 the stelae above ground, only one (No. 10) was still in an upright position 
 in 1904, while the others, which were still standing when I visited Tikal 
 in 1895 (Nos. 8, 9, 13), had been thrown down by meddlesome chicleros 
 who expected to find treasures hidden beneath. I sent a report of this van¬ 
 dalism to the government officials of Peten, emphasizing the fact that the 
 chicleros had concessions for gathering chicle but not for overturning sculp¬ 
 tured stones, or for the perpetration of other mischief. 
 
 The second cuadrilla having arrived laden with provisions, the prepara¬ 
 tion of the five great temples was completed, but not without overcoming 
 very serious difficulties (Plates 1—6). Most of the men were afraid to climb 
 to the flat roofs (azoteas) of the temples to remove the shrubs, which grew 
 upon them and concealed the roof-combs rising several feet back from their 
 edge, making it quite impossible to take an artistic photograph. Ladders 
 were therefore constructed of long pieces of light guarumo wood in order 
 to reach the roof platforms. Finally one of the Tenosiqueros declared him¬ 
 self willing, for extra pay, to ascend the firmly anchored ladders, and to cut 
 away, as far as possible, the unsightly wisps of vegetation. It was not a 
 hard piece of work, but, I must admit that it was very dangerous and could 
 only be done by a person not subject to dizziness. 
 
 In the excavation of stelae buried at an unusual depth, like Nos. 1, 2, 4, 
 and 12, the Indians proved themselves full of clever expedients, and, gener¬ 
 ally speaking, it may be said that each man of them was worth five Tenosi¬ 
 queros. It was only owing to the fact that the Indians are unwilling to 
 engage themselves for any length of time that I was forced to bring the 
 vagabonds with me from Tenosique. 
 
 All the important preparatory work having been accomplished, the 
 second cuadrilla of Indians was dismissed. 
 
 Owing to the really astonishing abundance of game in the forests sur¬ 
 rounding the ruined city, we were never without a supply of the best imagi¬ 
 nable kinds of meat for our meals, and the Indians returning home were 
 able to carry back to their families as trophies from the enchanted city of 
 Tikal, birds and portions of wild swine, partially cooked and slightly smoked 
 over a smouldering fire. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 2 
 
10 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 We shot chiefly the crested Tcambul (Crax rubra ) of which species the male 
 is black as a raven with a white breast, while the female, which equals the male 
 in size, is of a splendid red-brown ; the gorgeous cuts {Meleagris ocellata ) and the 
 delicious black coxolitli {Penelope). In the neighborhood of the aguada the 
 men occasionally shot a citam {kitam, i. e., c = k ) or collared peccary {Dgco- 
 teles torquatus) and by way of variety a juicy roast of monkey was not de¬ 
 spised (sometimes Stentor nicjer and sometimes a species of Ateles), the men 
 caring more for quantity than quality of the roast. 
 
 In photographing the sculptured stones I waited in the case of each one 
 for the most favorable light. A strictly front view was taken of each of the five 
 great temples, and also, for the better comprehension of them, a diagonal view. 
 In addition to the two photographs of ruined faQades taken in 1895,1 took four 
 more on this occasion. I al^o took four very successful interior views with long 
 exposure, assisted by magnesium light, as the daylight was insufficient. 
 
 Careful ground-plans were drawn of the most important palaces of 
 which measurements had not been taken in 1895. It was absolutely impos¬ 
 sible to draw regular ground-plans of all the structures not wholly de¬ 
 molished. But I drew a plan of the city on a large scale and as complete as 
 possible, on which the character of each building was exactly reproduced 
 (only the first story of those of several stories) and its position with refer¬ 
 ence to the points of the compass approximate^ indicated. While making 
 the plan we came upon portions of the city which must have remained en¬ 
 tirely unknown to previous visitors. Indeed nothing could escape our notice 
 during this work, for every corner, every elevation, and every depression was 
 thoroughly searched and the structural remains noted. We found many 
 stelae and circular altars, most of them quite plain, and entered them upon 
 the plan together with the structures to which they belonged. Thus this 
 careful search led to the discovery of Stela 17, which alas! is badly damaged, 
 in a spot where no one would have surmised its existence. On the last days 
 of our stay, when we were determining the position of the lesser temples 
 between the two-storied palace of the stepped vaulting and Great Temple IV, 
 we discovered the magnificent Stela 16. This led to the excavation of the 
 largest circular altar of Tikal, which the priests had buried under a metre of 
 earth when they abandoned the city. It is a mythological treasure which 
 will afford Americanists particular satisfaction. 
 
 All the following descriptions will be based upon the very comprehen¬ 
 sive plan of the whole city. It is unavoidably imperfect in many respects 
 but I can recommend it as extremely useful for the better comprehension of 
 the relative positions of the various structures and stelae. 1 
 
 1 This plan has not been received from Mr. Maler. We are therefore fortunate in having a plan 
 of the city, made by Dr. A. M. Tozzer and Mr. R. E. Merwin in 1910 during the Peabody Museum 
 expedition of that year, and issued with the report of that expedition in No. 2 of this volume (PI. 
 29). This plan can be referred to by the reader of Mr. Maler’s report. For this reason and to per¬ 
 mit the comparative reading of the two reports, they are issued under one cover. — Editor. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 11 
 
 As this Maya metropolis covered a square area of more than one Mexican 
 league, that is, from four to five kilometres from south to north and from 
 east to west, the difficult question arises where to begin to describe it, and 
 where to finish. 
 
 In describing Yaxhfi and Naranjo the question was easily answered, but 
 Tikal presents a very different problem. If, for instance, the description 
 were to begin with the principal square, great difficulties would arise in 
 whatever direction we advanced. It will perhaps be best to begin with the 
 Palace of the Grooved Walls and taking in what can be seen to the right 
 and left of it, advance from that point to the principal square. 
 
 Beginning at the Palace of the Grooved Walls, i. e., at the southeast, 
 and advancing toward the principal square. 
 
 The Palace of the Facades with Vertical Grooves 1 (Plan, Fig. 1). 
 
 A rectangular court is enclosed on all four sides by structures which we 
 will call East, West, North and South Structures. 
 
 The East Structure. The entire length of the eastern fagade of this 
 enormous structure is 58 m., 87 cm.; of this length 875 cm. at each end 
 belongs to the 208 cm. projection. This structure has five chambers in a 
 row on the east side of its main body, each with its own entrance. The two 
 chambers (a front chamber with one in the rear) in the projecting portion at 
 the end of the south structure may be considered as belonging to the latter, 
 since the entrance is on the south side. The two transversely placed little 
 chambers in the north projection are entered from the fifth lateral chamber. 
 Fronting on the court, on the west side, this east structure has five more 
 chambers in a row, the middle one having an apartment in the rear. Two 
 of these chambers contain constructions like large benches. The ceiling 
 vaults are strictly wedge-shaped, truncated at the apex. A sixth chamber 
 also in this row may be considered as belonging to the north structure, since 
 it is entered from the corner chamber of that structure leading into the 
 court. A passage 80 cm. wide runs from the north through the thickness of 
 the masonry between the sixth chamber and the little transverse chamber 
 mentioned above, and, turning with a curve, leads into the court. 
 
 The vertical grooves of the east side result from the shape of the base 
 of the east fagade, but those on the west side arise from the grouping of large 
 symbolical figures of stone and stucco. The friezes of the two fagades fell 
 off long ago. 
 
 Doubtless the east structure once had a receding second story, which 
 was supported by the massive partition wall of the first story. 
 
 1 A reference list showing the names of the structures as used by Mr. Maler in this report and 
 the corresponding numbers or names used on the map accompanying the report of the Expedition of 
 1910 is given in No. 2, p. vii. — Editor. 
 
12 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 The North Structure. This edifice had a row of chambers, three of 
 which are still intact, opening on the court, on the south. From the middle 
 one of these three chambers a broad passageway, spanned above by fifteen 
 tsapotl logs, leads into a north chamber now wholly demolished. Of the row 
 of chambers on the north side only a few indications still remain. 
 
 Fig. 1. — Tikal: Plan and Sections of Palace of the Facades with Vertical Grooves. I Head 
 in frieze. II. Cross Section of inner room (A). III. Cross Section of northeastern passage, bbb. High 
 mounds of debris formed by fallen edifice of two stories. 
 
 The vertical grooves on the north side (toward the northeast corner) 
 are formed by groupings of large symbolical figures, which are very interest¬ 
 ing to behold, but which are too much impaired to be successfully photo¬ 
 graphed. 
 
 To the north structure belonged a receding superstructure now wholly 
 ruined, with entrances on the north, while the side toward the court had 
 only small, narrow windows — mere air holes. 
 
 The South Structure. This structure consisted of a double row of cham¬ 
 bers, most of which are now demolished. Probably there were six chambers 
 in each row, but it should be noted that the arrangement of the two cham¬ 
 bers in the southeast corner differs from that of the others, as is shown on 
 the ground-plan (Fig. 1). 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 13 
 
 In the angle of the court formed by the joining of the north side of the 
 south structure with the west side of the east structure, a bit of frieze still 
 remains, displaying a fantastically elaborated head. The lower cornice of 
 this frieze is placed 57 cm. lower than the cornice of the frieze on the west 
 side of the east structure. In fact, it must be borne in mind that the 
 horizontal lines of all four structures do not correspond, some portions being 
 placed a little higher, and others somewhat lower. The south structure 
 apparently had no second story. 
 
 The West Structure. A stupendous mass of debris is all that remains of 
 what must have been a structure of imposing dimensions, which unquestion¬ 
 ably had a second story. Only on the east side, opening on the court, a 
 single chamber of the first story is partially preserved. Nothing is known 
 of the purpose of this vast palace which must have contained more than 
 fifty chambers in the four wings. 
 
 Examining the territory to the east and southeast of the Palace of the 
 Grooved Walls, we saw heaps of ruins here and there, doubtless of suburban 
 buildings. The densest collection of stone buildings, however, is toward the 
 west and northwest, in the direction of the principal square. 
 
 The Palace of the Rear Chambers and Great Stone Benches (Plan, Fig. 2). 
 
 Passing along the south side of the south structure of the Palace of the 
 Grooved Walls, an enormous mound, formed by the ruins of a two-storied 
 edifice, is soon reached. The south side of the structure faces a ravine and 
 the north side looks out upon an extensive plaza. Only the south part of 
 the first story is sufficiently preserved to permit of drawing a ground-plan. 
 The northern longitudinal half is entirely in ruins and the second story, 
 which was supported by it, has entirely fallen down. 
 
 The south faqade, which faces exactly south by the magnetic needle, 
 has three chambers in a row, each with an entrance on the south. The 
 middle chamber is 851 cm. long and 218 cm. broad. The height from the 
 floor to the truncation of the wedge-shaped vaulting, which is a little out of 
 plumb, is 443 cm. 
 
 This middle chamber opens into a chamber in the rear, having a broad 
 stone bench placed lengthwise, and narrow openings on either side leading 
 into small lateral chambers with floors on a higher level. These rear 
 chambers all have truncated, arched vaultings with gracefully curved 
 lines. The front chambers, on the right and on the left of the middle 
 chamber, both open into rear apartments, each with a large stone bench, 
 and each with a door on the side leading into small lateral rooms with 
 raised floors. 
 
 The east and the west side of the south half of this palace have each a 
 transversely placed chamber with two small chambers in the rear. One 
 
14 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 of these rear chambers in each group is connected with the adjoining chamber 
 on the south side, as shown on the plan. 
 
 The length of this palace measured on the south side is exactly 41 m. 
 The friezes of the fagade were, alas! long ago destroyed by the network of 
 roots formed by a too luxuriant vegetation. 
 
 The northern longitudinal half of the first story of this palace is a mass 
 of debris from which the remains of a wall or the angle of a chamber pro¬ 
 trudes here and there. The architectural arrangement of this north half, 
 with certain deviations, was doubtless the same as that of the south half. 
 
 Fro. 2. —Tikal: Plan and Section of the Palace with Rear Chambers and Great Stone Benches. 
 
 The second story, resting on the north half of the first, must plainly 
 have had entrances to the front chambers on the south, since the azoteas or 
 flat roofs of the vaulted ceilings of the south half of the first story form a 
 spacious platform in front of those chambers. It must be assumed that a 
 wooden stairway led up on one side to the platform, since no vestiges of 
 a stone flight of stairs were discovered. 
 
 The number of chambers of the first story of this palace may have been 
 2X16 = 32. Supposing the number of rooms in the second story to have 
 been only ten, that would bring the total number of chambers in the palace 
 to 42 before its demolition. This edifice might possibly be regarded as an 
 assembly house of the community ( calpulli ) constructed on a very grand scale. 
 
 Let me say, by the way, for the benefit of future travellers, that if they 
 do not wish to take up their quarters in the spacious chambers with stone 
 benches in the east structure (west side) of the Palace of the Grooved Walls, 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 15 
 
 they can make themselves very comfortable in the south apartments of the 
 palace just described. The most valuable baggage can be conveniently placed 
 on the benches while at the same time a resting-place can be found on them 
 for one’s self, and any one of the little side rooms can easily be converted, 
 by means of a curtain at the narrow entrance, into a dark chamber for photo¬ 
 graphic purposes. Besides, the distance to the aguada from this palace (as 
 also from the Palace of the Grooved Walls) is not unreasonably great, and the 
 labor of carrying water could thus be minimized. 
 
 Ascending in a northwesterly direction from the plarnda on which 
 stands the Palace of the Rear Chambers and Benches, the explorer comes to a 
 stretch of causeway leading to terraces on a higher plane, crowned by a con¬ 
 fused mass of edifices varying in size, which it was very difficult to incorpo¬ 
 rate with clearness in my general plan of the city. The rooms of all these 
 edifices—as far as they are not demolished — display excellent arched ceil¬ 
 ings of stone and frequently the entrances are spanned at the top with hard 
 round timbers of c-hictsapotl, or by heavy beams of the same species of wood. 
 
 The Palace of Five Stories (Plan 1 ). The most stupendous edifice of the 
 whole group is the Palace of Five Stories, which may be regarded as the 
 sacerdotal palace belonging to Great Temple V opposite, toward which its 
 south facjade is turned, the temple itself facing north. A deep ravine lies 
 between the two groups of buildings. 
 
 Not counting a first lower terrace, which serves the chambers of the 
 first story as an esplanade, let me say once for all, that the first two stories 
 are set against the hill rising in their rear, and only the last three stories 
 rise free on all sides. 
 
 A retaining wall rising from the bottom of the ravine supports a terrace 
 which, in front of the middle portion of the first story, forms a platform 
 with a projection of about 8 m., diminishing in width on the right and on 
 he left, where there are ascents to the next story. 
 
 First Story. That portion, which in relation to the whole structure may 
 be regarded as the central part of the first story, had a gallery, now wholly 
 ruined, with an inside length of 20 m. 65 cm., and a width of 140 cm., with 
 three entrances on the south front. There are two inner chambers leading 
 from this gallery, one 1180 cm. in length with two entrances, and the other 
 535 cm. long with but one entrance. Tsapotl beams, more or less decayed, still 
 span the entrances to the inner chambers, but are without ornamentation. 
 
 There were apparently no chambers adjoining the right side (the west) 
 of the central portion, but on the left (the east) the row of chambers was 
 doubtless continued with slightly different arrangement, and they are now in 
 a complete state of demolition. 
 
 1 This plan has not been received from Mr. Maler. See plan, Figs. 22, 23, in Report of 1910 
 Expedition in No. 2. — Editor. 
 
16 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 Second Story. Receding the whole width of the row of chambers in the 
 first story, rises the second story; that is, the faQade wall of the second 
 story rests upon the partition wall of the double row of chambers in the 
 first story, so that the azeota of the vaulted ceiling of the front chambers of 
 the first story forms an esplanade for the second story. 
 
 The central part (in relation to the entire structure) of this story also 
 has a gallery in front 20 m. 50 cm. long by about 140 cm. broad with three 
 entrances facing south leading into three inner chambers. This central por¬ 
 tion has one or two adjoining apartments of the usual size on the right (the 
 west), now so entirely destroyed that their dimensions can no longer be defi¬ 
 nitely determined. On the left (the east) there was an adjoining double row 
 of chambers now partially ruined. It therefore remains doubtful whether 
 the front chambers corresponding to them did not likewise form long gal¬ 
 leries. It can safely be asserted that the rear chambers corresponding with 
 these in front differed in arrangement from those described above, which can 
 be clearly proved by examining the rear chamber with the transversely 
 placed little bench and two entrances. 
 
 Third Story. Receding about 10 m. from the fa 9 ade wall of the second 
 story rises the fa 9 ade of the third story, the central part having a gallery in 
 front 18 m. 97 cm. long, and 197 cm. broad. There were also three entrances 
 on the now wholly ruined south side (front) leading to this gallery. From 
 the middle of its rear wall, 145 cm. in thickness, a passageway 178 cm. wide, 
 spanned by five beautifully decorated beams of tsapotl wood, leads to a central 
 rear chamber 782 cm. long by 152 cm. broad. At each end of the rear wall 
 of the gallery a narrow opening leads into a small rear chamber, one chamber 
 being 241 cm. long and the other 260 cm. The transverse partition walls of 
 these lateral chambers, which divide them from the central rear chamber, 
 have a thickness of 182 cm., and each has a narrow low opening into the 
 central chamber. As the wide entrance to the central chamber is filled up 
 with debris and the floors of the three rear chambers are covered more than 
 half a metre deep with earth, it is necessary to crawl through the low 
 entrance on one’s stomach in order to reach the middle rear chamber and the 
 beautiful tsapotl beams of its main entrance. The archaeological enthusiasm 
 of former explorers of Tikal not having been sufficiently great to induce them 
 to crawl on their stomachs into these rear chambers darkened by masses of 
 debris, these richly carved tsapotl beams have hitherto escaped their notice, 
 but not the notice of mischievous, greedy treasure seekers, who recently tore 
 out and carried away the finest of the ornamental beams. 
 
 It is very difficult to understand how so much soil could get into those 
 rear chambers, a circumstance which has been observed in several other 
 palaces of Tikal. It is quite comprehensible that the wind, bats and other 
 little creatures can convey a certain quantity of dust and rubbish into these 
 palaces, which would, in the course of centuries, amount to about 10 or 20 cm. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 17 
 
 at most. But a regular body of soil half a metre high spread out perfectly 
 even remains an unsolved riddle, where broken down vaultings, debris, etc., 
 do not come into question. 
 
 In order to make a thorough examination of these ornamental beams, I 
 had some of the rubbish cleared out of the main entrance in 1904, thus 
 admitting more light and permitting us to slip in and out with greater ease. 
 There were formerly exactly five of these lintel beams richly carved on the 
 underside. Two of them, of course the best preserved ones, have been carried 
 away and only three of them, riddled by commehen larvae and half decayed, 
 are still in place. But even from these, pieces of the carving have been cut 
 away here and there; in fact, their state of demolition was such that it was 
 useless to think of photographing them. 
 
 The carving in relief seems to represent a woman of rank presenting the 
 high priest with the sacrificial gift of a well-fattened turkey. The scene 
 here represented illustrates the custom of making sacrificial gifts to the 
 revered or feared (?) priest in the shape of ducks, turkeys, fish, fruits of every 
 kind, bags of maize or cocoa, perhaps even gold ornaments, variegated feathers 
 and precious stones. It can easily be imagined that representations like these 
 caused the mouths of the Spanish priests to water! They consequently 
 regarded it as a most urgent problem how to act so that this inexhaustible 
 stream of all the good things the heart desires should henceforth no longer 
 flow for the benefit of the despised priests, devoted to the devilish cult of 
 false gods, but for the benefit of themselves, the worthy heralds of the only 
 true and all redeeming faith — a problem whose successful solution has long 
 since passed into history. 
 
 According to the chicleros, who certainly ought to know, the beautiful 
 tsapotl beams were removed by Calistro Barrio, a Spanish business man 
 heavily in debt, assisted by the chiclero Emiliano Vasquez and a master 
 shoemaker (sic /) of Flores, whose name I have forgotten. But to the shoe¬ 
 maker fell the task of cutting away with a hatchet the beams at the back of 
 the carving, in order thus to reduce their great weight, and make possible 
 their transportation to Belice. Into what hands the two beams finally fell, 
 nobody knows. At any rate it is to be regretted that this wood-carving, so 
 very interesting in its unimpaired state, should have fallen a prey to the 
 ignorance of a bankrupt tradesman, a usually drunken chiclero, and a 
 shoemaker ! 
 
 The third story of the palace (which to be consistent we must call its 
 central part) has an elongation on the right (or west) in the shape of an 
 apparently entirely solid structure, which projects three metres on the south 
 side, and extends very nearly to the east side of the neighboring palace where 
 I lived. The rear of this west wing faces the north court and has no projec¬ 
 tion, but is a continuation exactly in line with the north side of the third 
 story. At the joining of this rear wall with the east wall of the structure 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM Y. — 3 
 
18 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 forming the west boundary of the court, there remains an interesting frag, 
 ment of the frieze, which I photographed with great difficulty, for that 
 architectural relic has grown quite black in the course of time (Plate 7, 
 Fig. 1). 
 
 The fragment of frieze displays a fantastic head surrounded by scrolls, 
 and designed in such a way that a small human face appears below the nose 
 which forms a tall pyramidal head-dress for the lesser face. 
 
 Where the latter addition joins the western end of the central part of 
 the third story, it naturally covers up the frieze which formerly was entirely 
 open, and therefore the symbolic design is very well preserved. After 
 removing some stones of the already half ruined masonry of the added wing, 
 
 I made a drawing of the head and added it to the ground-plan. 
 
 From the court I took a very good photograph of the north side of the 
 central structure, which distinctly shows how the rear walls of the third, 
 fourth and fifth stories have been superimposed one upon the other (Plate 8, 
 Fig. 1). A perfectly plain course of projecting masonry can be distinguished, 
 upon which rests the plain rear wall of the third story. The north frieze has 
 an equally plain cornice above and below, and the smooth surface of the frieze 
 itself is interrupted five times at regular intervals by the symbolic design 
 described above. 
 
 To the east end wall of the middle part of the third story there had 
 also been added a massive wing, which measured only about 196 cm. in 
 length, and probably covered up the frieze design on that side. Above the 
 three entrances of the south facade the frieze was very probably more 
 elaborate, but since that faQade has fallen down nothing can be known 
 concerning it. 
 
 On the photograph the plain rear wall of the fourth story can be distin¬ 
 guished, with its equally plain frieze, slightly projecting and slightly sloping. 
 
 Of the ruined fifth story the lower portion of the rear wall can be 
 distinguished, having a shallow niche in the middle spanned by a brace¬ 
 shaped arch ,— A —>. 
 
 An additional structure on a considerably lower level is joined to the 
 east side of the massive wing of the middle part of the third story. It 
 recedes on the north side and consists of two transversely placed chambers, 
 one in front with an east entrance, and another in the rear. These two 
 transversely placed chambers have gracefully vaulted ceilings and are 
 stuccoed with exceeding smoothness and neatness. Coalescent with these, 
 and receding to a distance corresponding to their length, this time on a 
 somewhat higher level, is the extreme east wing, consisting of two front 
 chambers. Each had a doorway on the north side, and each a chamber 
 in the rear. These coalescent wings forming right angles with the main 
 structure, face a small, slightly sunken north court, which is also enclosed 
 on the other two sides by what were once pleasing little structures. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 19 
 
 At the risk of exhausting the reader’s patience, I must mention one 
 more architectural complication. Over the two attractive transverse 
 chambers described above — but retreating on their north side — are built 
 two small longitudinal chambers. They are a front chamber entered from 
 the north, with another chamber in the rear. (Of course, an apparently con¬ 
 fused architectural description like this can only be comprehended by consult¬ 
 ing the plan where everything is clearly shown.) 
 
 Fourth Story. Quite unattached on the east and west, the fourth story 
 rises over the central part of the third story, receding only a very little on 
 the south side. It consists of a gallery in front (now demolished) with three 
 entrances on the south, and a second gallery very well preserved and with 
 three doorways from the front gallery. In front of the forward gallery 
 there is room only for a narrow esplanade, and it must be taken for granted 
 that a wooden flight of stairs once led up to it from the broad platform 
 below, which spreads out in front of the central part of the third story. 
 
 According to my measurements the inside length of the forward gallery 
 amounts to 15 m. 32 cm., but it is only 110 cm. wide. The height from the 
 floor to the truncation of the vaulted ceiling is 380 cm. 
 
 Following the general rule, the floor of the rear gallery is raised 46 cm. 
 It is 14| m. long, 163 cm. broad and 378 cm. high. A large bench, or stone 
 bed, is near the east end of the gallery, and another with a wide step before 
 it at the west end. Placing my photographic apparatus on this latter bench 
 I succeeded with long exposure in taking a very fine interior view of the 
 rear gallery looking from west to east (Plate 10, Fig. 2). The picture 
 plainly shows the agreeable form of the truncated wedge-shaped vaulting, 
 and the round tsapotl beams inserted at regular intervals, with a simple 
 ornamental device in the middle. The strong tsapotl beams spanning the 
 entrances are also well preserved. 
 
 On the smoothly stuccoed walls there were numerous incised drawings, 
 dating from ancient times. This gallery, however, is frequently inhabited 
 by tramps who have the bad habit of scratching off with their hatchets the 
 damp, sticky moss which forms on the walls during the rainy season and 
 adheres to any one coming in contact with it. Thus the incised drawings 
 have been so badly injured that they cannot be copied. This sticky, 
 blackish-green moss, by the way, turns a dull, pale green in the dry season, 
 and becomes dry and crumbly, when it can be easily brushed off, during 
 which process very extraordinary incised drawings come to light. 
 
 Fifth Story. The fifth story is half ruined but still gives evidence of 
 having once consisted of a single long gallery with the usual three entrances 
 on the south side, in front of which the terrace roof of the fourth story 
 front gallery forms a convenient esplanade. It may be assumed that the 
 length of this topmost gallery, whose side walls retreat about one metre at 
 each end, is about two metres less than the corresponding gallery below. 
 

 
 20 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 Here again we must assume that a wooden stairway, running obliquely 
 across the facade of the fourth story, led from the narrow esplanade of the 
 latter story to the esplanade of the highest story; or else that in front a 
 wooden stairway ran from the spacious platform of the third story up to the 
 esplanade of the fifth. 
 
 Allowing about 5* m. in height for each story on the south side of the 
 central part, the total height of the five stories would amount to 27i m. 
 measured from the lowest far projecting terrace to the topmost edge of the 
 frieze of the fifth story. 
 
 The number of chambers in all the five stories, counting only those in 
 the central part, amounts exactly to 3 -f- 4 4 —2 —(— 1 = 14 in all. 
 
 It is far more difficult to make an estimate of the number of chambers 
 in the wings added on the right and on the left of the first, second and third 
 stories. The extension added on the left of the first story may have con¬ 
 tained eight chambers. The left wing of the second story may likewise have 
 contained eight (or only six, if, instead of four smaller chambers in front, 
 there were two fairly large galleries). The right wing of the second story 
 had perhaps only one or two chambers. As to the third story it remained 
 doubtful whether the massive right wing at the south side contained a 
 chamber at all. On the other hand it can clearly be proved that the left 
 wing, which is on a different level, contained 2 + 4 + 2 chambers, two of 
 which are upper rooms, and their entrances do not face the south, but some 
 of them the north and some the east. This calculation would result in a 
 total of about 24 chambers for all the added wings. 
 
 The five storied Sacerdotal Palace with its populous architectural sur¬ 
 roundings, which should no doubt be regarded as the Acropolis of Tikal, in 
 all probability afforded a magnificent spectacle from the terraces forming the 
 approach to Great Temple V on the other side of the great ravine, or from 
 the platform formed by the truncation of the temple-pyramid. 
 
 The north court belonging to the Palace of Five Stories is also enclosed 
 on its north and east sides by structures of no inconsiderable size, as can be 
 seen b}' consulting the general plan of the city. A passageway, in the 
 northwest corner of the court, leads into the north court spreading out be¬ 
 fore the north fagade of the neighboring palace, which likewise faces Great 
 Temple V. 
 
 The Palace of Two Stories opposite Great Temple V, where I lived in 
 1895 and 1904 (Plan, Fig. 3). 
 
 Seen from the north court this structure rises upon a massive founda¬ 
 tion about three metres in height with a wide central stairway. Toward the 
 south the edifice is supported by high retaining walls built into the hill and 
 reaching down into the south ravine. 
 
 The receding central part of the first story had three chambers with 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 21 
 
 doorways on the north. The south side also had three compartments with 
 entrances on the south not corresponding in arrangement with the chambers 
 on the north side, but, as can be seen on the ground-plan, displaying certain 
 deviations. I would call especial attention to a transversely placed cham- 
 
 
 Qfio 
 
 Fia. 3. — Txkal: Plans and Section op Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. D . Habitation 
 of T. Maler, 1895 and 1904. 
 
 her adjoining the central apartment on the east, with a south entrance and 
 a stone bench at the north end where there is also a small opening for ven¬ 
 tilation. This double row of apartments in the central structure is finished 
 off at either end by a transversely placed chamber each with an entrance on 
 the east or west, as the case requires, and each connected with the adjoining 
 longitudinal chamber on the south side by a narrow doorway. 
 
22 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 The entire length of the first story, measured from outside wall to out¬ 
 side wall of the transverse end chambers, is exactly 33 m. 60 cm. 
 
 The central north chamber has niches at each of its narrow ends and a 
 large bench-like construction occupies almost the entire space. Since this 
 great stone bed was extremely convenient both as a couch and as a table 
 for my most important belongings, I occupied this chamber in 1895 and 
 1904. Upon this extensive stone bench during the nights of 1904 — the 
 necessary supply of water having been brought from the distant aguada — I 
 developed my negatives taken on celluloid films and they all came out most 
 satisfactorily. In this country it is never well to let much time intervene 
 between taking a negative and developing it, otherwise the risk of losing 
 one’s work is very great. 
 
 The photograph of this chamber taken in 1904 shows it from west to 
 east, from the observer’s point of view (Plate 10, Fig. 1). The picture 
 plainly shows the great stone bench on which I worked and slept, the 
 niches in the narrow end, the steep sides of the wedge-shaped, and, as 
 usual, truncated vaulting with the horizontally inserted cross-beams, and 
 also the entrance spanned by eight tsapotl beams. 
 
 The photograph of the exterior taken in 1895 (Plate 9, Fig. 1) shows 
 the entrance to the central chamber, and in the frieze a fantastic head with 
 proboscis, flanked on either side by scrolls and surmounted by ornamental 
 work now become indistinct. This view also shows the rear wall of the 
 upper story. The three Indians, who were not particularly obliging at that 
 time, but whom I have long since forgiven, enliven the foreground. The 
 friezes over the other two entrances on the north side also have convention¬ 
 alized heads. Above the doorways on the south side were composite de¬ 
 signs of figures in stucco (not gigantic heads) now badly mutilated. The 
 retaining wall on the south side affords but a narrow esplanade in front of 
 the entrances to the south chamber, which could only have been used by 
 people with very steady heads. It is, however, probable that formerly the 
 esplanade was rendered safer by a wooden railing. 
 
 The walls of the north chambers are smoothly covered with the finest 
 white stucco and display a number of extremely interesting incised drawings 
 of which I had already made tracings in 1895. 
 
 The second story rises above the north chambers and the two end 
 apartments, leaving the north side and the sides of the two narrow ends 
 quite without an esplanade. On the other hand, the flat roof of the south 
 chambers furnishes a broad esplanade for the receding chambers on the 
 south side of the second story. 
 
 The second story has a row of three chambers, each with an entrance 
 on the south. The chambers at the end of each row have a little doorway 
 leading into the transversely placed chamber. It must be taken for granted 
 that a wooden flight of steps on the outside led up to the transverse cham- 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 23 
 
 bers, or to the south esplanade, since there is no vestige of a stone stairway 
 remaining. 
 
 If the most obstructive of the intervening trees were removed, the ter¬ 
 race of the south side of the second story would offer an excellent position 
 for photographing Great Temple V, which faces the north. The light, how¬ 
 ever, is favorable only from May to August, when the sunlight falls from 
 the northeast in the morning. 
 
 The first story of this palace has nine rooms (not counting a little inner 
 recess) and the second story has five, a total of fourteen chambers. 
 
 As can be seen by consulting the plan of the city, the north court of 
 this palace is enclosed on the other three sides by interesting smaller struc¬ 
 tures. The east side, as has already been said, is closely adjoined by that 
 wing (now in ruins) of the Sacerdotal Palace, which has a grotesque head at 
 the right angle formed by its coalescence with the third story. Leaving a 
 passageway open in what might be called the extension of the wing just 
 mentioned, there is a little structure with a central chamber (entered from 
 the east) and two small end chambers. The northern end chamber is grace¬ 
 fully vaulted, having a north entrance and a bench against the partition 
 wall which divides it from the central chamber. From this little chamber 
 there is a splendid view of Great Temple I and its huge pyramid. It is 
 seen strictly in profile, while the principal square of Tikal lies far below. 
 
 Parallel with this three-chambered structure lies another building also 
 with three chambers, but these are of equal length and are placed one behind 
 the other. The front apartment has three entrances on the east side, and 
 from it three doors lead into the central chamber and three more into the 
 third, while on the south side a narrow doorway opens into both the second 
 and third. 
 
 Also parallel with the three-chambered structure, but to the rear of it, 
 runs the east side of the nine-chambered structure, which had a tenth room 
 added later, now wholly destroyed. 
 
 The arrangement of the nine chambers in this shape f“| can be dis¬ 
 tinctly seen on the general plan. These apartments with their well defined 
 vaultings are still, for the most part, in a fair state of preservation. At 
 the narrow end of one of the east chambers (where I have put an N on the 
 plan) there is an interesting double niche spanned by a brace-shaped arch 
 ,—^^ . From the rear (north) platform of this structure, that is, from the 
 edge of the eminence on which it stands, the best diagonal view of Great 
 Temple I can be gained, if men enough can be secured to cut down the 
 intervening trees. 
 
 The southwest corner of the court is bounded by a small temple with a 
 little pyramidal substructure. It is placed somewhat diagonally, so that the 
 stairway and fa 9 ade face northeast. This temple has only two small apart¬ 
 ments now in ruins, one in front with an entrance in the facade, and an ad- 
 
24 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 joining one in the rear. The outer walls of the temple display vertical 
 stripes. 
 
 Between this temple and the tenth room now in ruins, which was added 
 to the nine-chambered structure, a long descent leads to a court bordered on 
 the east by the two buildings last mentioned, while on the south (on the 
 edge of the south ravine) lie the remains of a ruined edifice. A long heap 
 of ruins bounds the north side of the square, and was formerly a single row 
 of chambers with entrances on the south side now fallen, while the rear wall, 
 facing the principal square, is still standing. The west side of the large 
 court is closed in by a quadrangular edifice in the southwest corner, and the 
 wing of a structure built with a rectangular turn, its ruined chambers hav¬ 
 ing naturally faced the court (the east) while those of the other wing faced 
 the principal square (the north). The rear wall of this latter wing facing 
 the ravine is perfectly preserved. Also much of the retaining wall at this 
 angle of the ravine is still in fair condition. 
 
 Before we enter the principal square and proceed with the description of 
 its imposing architectural boundaries, it would seem to be the wiser course 
 to retrace our steps to the Palace of the Grooved Walls, and then, after a 
 brief digression to the northward, to turn about and advance from the east 
 to the rear slope of the pyramid of Great Temple I. 
 
 Not far from the north side of the northern portion of the Great Palace 
 of the Grooved Walls several small ruins lie scattered about. But first keep¬ 
 ing as well as may be to the north, down below on the planada , we come to 
 a square, horizontal rock, rising about one metre above the ground and con¬ 
 stituting a landmark which indicates the right way to the aguada, lying 
 further off to the north. 
 
 In these lowlying stretches of level ground ( planadas ) in the direction 
 of the aguada, there are still numerous lemon and sour orange trees to be 
 met with, the only trace left of that baleful band of Yucatecs, who, flying from 
 the wrath of the Mayas, settled here during the second half of the nineteenth 
 century to the great detriment of Tikal. The thirsty traveller, intent on 
 preparing a refreshing draught, can always obtain a supply of oranges and 
 lemons by sending here for them. These two varieties of trees, by the way, 
 are almost the only ones that successfully resist for any length of time the 
 tremendous encroachment of tropical vegetation on abandoned human settle¬ 
 ments, while all other plants cultivated by man are soon overpowered and 
 effaced. 
 
 Before leaving the subject of the aguada, important though it be, I must 
 not omit to give the comforting assurance that even though it is apparently 
 dry during the last months of the dry season (February to May), the travel¬ 
 ler must not allow himself to be disconcerted by the lamentations of the 
 ever discontented, ever homesick native servants, “ no hay agtia! no hay 
 agua! ”, because an excavation, two or three metres in depth in the 
 
TIKAL. 25 
 
 black earth of the aguada, will invariably strike a supply of cool, fresh 
 water. 
 
 Turning toward the west from the flat rock, important only as a land¬ 
 mark, the explorer comes to a gently ascending, broad street sloping on 
 either side down to the planadas. Near the eastern end of this street lie two 
 small ruined temples side by side. After these come the east (rear side) of 
 a tall edifice of three stories, and diagonally opposite this structure, to the 
 right, lies a large rectangular terrace. 
 
 The Three-Storied Structure with Three Chambers in the Top Story. 
 Though this edifice is built on a plan differing materially from the typical 
 temple construction of Tikal, I nevertheless believe that the three chambers 
 in a row in the top story were dedicated to the worship of deities. The 
 facade of this remarkable structure faces the west. From the level ground in 
 front of it a broad stairway of stone leads up to the first platform. Half 
 way up the stairway is interrupted by a little projecting chamber, still well 
 preserved, with an inside length of 215 cm., its width being only 90 cm., and 
 its height, from the floor to the truncation of the little wedge-shaped vault¬ 
 ing, 240 cm. A niche, 50 cm. wide and 127 cm. high, is built into the rear 
 wall (the longitudinal wall of the interior). It is quite probable that this 
 niche once held an idol, and that the little chamber once formed what might 
 be called an outer temple. 
 
 The second story on the terrace above on the same level as the flat roof 
 of the outer temple is utterly demolished. All I could do was to make an 
 approximate estimate of the mass of debris, and to assume on general archi- 
 tectual principles that it represented a double row of chambers, three in front 
 and three in the rear. I know there are many objections to a restored plan, 
 but the reader must admit that a tiny cabinet far below, and three large 
 apartments up above are quite contrary to reason, and that there must have 
 been something between. This something, according to my calculations, 
 was a double row of chambers, which brings this plan of the whole construc¬ 
 tion within the bounds of reason. 
 
 It is probable that small flights of stairs, on both sides of the second story, 
 led from the lower terrace to the one above, and thus to the entrances of the 
 three chambers; on the other hand, stairways may have been run high up 
 on both sides of the structure, from the level ground below to the upper 
 platform. 
 
 The fagade of the three chambers exactly faced the magnetic west, but is 
 now in ruins. The middle chamber is 460 cm. long, and those to the right and 
 left are each 410 cm. long. They are about 185 cm. broad. Their height 
 from the floor to the truncation of the steep wedge-shaped vaulting is about 
 4 m. The outside length of the third story measured longitudinally is 
 1 Plan not received. See No. 2, Figs. 20, 21, for plan and cross section. — Editor. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. —4 
 
26 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 17 m. 30 cm. From the esplanade in front of the three chambers, Great 
 Temple V can be seen rising high above the tree tops to the southwest. 
 
 It would have been useless to have attempted to photograph the front of 
 this badly ruined structure, so I took a picture only of the well preserved 
 rear (Plate 7, Fig. 2). Besides the tall substructure, the picture shows the 
 plain surface of the wall and the plain frieze belonging to what I assume to be 
 the second story, and also the rear wall of the third story with two perpendicu¬ 
 lar lines of division indicating the partition walls of the three chambers. 
 
 The Great Terrace to the East of Great Temple I. Opposite the three¬ 
 storied structure toward the north (that is, to the right in the direction in 
 which we are going) there rises an enormous rectangular terrace, the purpose 
 of which is not clear, since its extensive surface shows no trace of stone struc¬ 
 tures. It was, no doubt, a natural plateau, levelled off and made rectangular. 
 Below, near the west slope of the terrace, lie low mounds of debris, the ruins 
 of a structure which bounded an oblong court with an opening on the west. 
 These mounds are the remains of rows of single chambers opening on the 
 court. Opposite lie the ruins of a two-storied building forming a long rec¬ 
 tangle. Opposite the latter, and quite near, is another structure likewise 
 two-storied and of similar proportions. 
 
 From this point to the eastern base of the pyramid of Great Temple I 
 and the fallen east fagade of the long adjacent structure to the north of it, 
 stretches an open plaza without buildings of any kind. While the northern 
 slopes of the upper town previously described rise on the left of it, on the 
 right, along the edge of the ravine, lie the ruins of three structures: a long, 
 low mound of debris followed by another very much larger one, and thirdly 
 a ruin crowning a massive substructure, which seems to have had a stairway 
 on the south side. 
 
 Descending the slope behind these two structures and examining the 
 large lower terrace I found, contrary to all expectations, a single sculptured 
 stela, which I called No. 17. The figure in bold relief on its north side was 
 very much impaired ; as were also the glyphs on its narrow sides; but the re¬ 
 verse of the stela, which I photographed (Plate 27) still displayed handsome, 
 well preserved glyphs. From the Great Terrace, upon which I found Stela 
 17, there is a still further descent down to the planada at the bottom of the 
 ravine, which I regard as the continuation of the great northern ravine 
 of Tikal. 
 
 The Principal Square of Tikal with its Architectural Boundaries on the 
 East , West and North. The architectural boundary of the principal square 
 on the south formed by the upper city — or Great Acropolis — has already 
 been discussed. We will now describe Great Temples I and II and the 
 group of north temples which occupy the entire north side of the square. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 27 
 
 Great Temple I (Plate 2). The pyramid of this huge structure closes 
 the square on the east; its fagade faces the west. According to the general 
 rule of Maya pyramid-construction, the pyramid of Great Temple I (like 
 those of all the others) has a projecting base about 2S metres high. Upon 
 this rises the pyramid proper in nine graduated steps, eight of which are 
 divided into several horizontal sections, while the topmost is plain on the 
 sides, and all are, as it were, recessed at the corners, which can be seen on the 
 plan. 1 The corners of the base are never recessed. The length of the 
 pyramid measured on the west side at the first steps (not at the base) is about 
 39 m., and the breadth of the west stairway is exactly 8 m. 75 cm. The 
 steps, divided four times, as may be seen on the plan, have a height of about 
 3m. each, making the total height of the pyramid, from the base to the plat¬ 
 form of the truncation about 27 metres, or, including the base, 29| in., meas¬ 
 ured from the cement pavement of the square. 
 
 The coping on the upper edge of the pyramid steps has entirely fallen off, 
 but, where the steps join the masonry sides of the staircase it can plainly 
 be seen that there have been courses of coping stones. 
 
 Below on the square, close to the stairway, formerly stood two large, thick 
 stelae, each with a circular altar before it. Both are now fallen to the 
 ground, and a careful examination showed them to be without sculpture 
 of any kind. 
 
 Above, on the platform of the pyramid, rises the temple proper on a base 
 about 2 m. in height in front, with two rising gradations in the rear. A 
 small flight of steps leads to the doorway of the temple as usual. The length 
 of the temple measured in front at the west fasade (not at the base) is exactly 
 11 m. 83 cm., the doorway being 271 cm. in width. Following the architec¬ 
 tural middle line, the temple is exactly 759 cm. wide from the fajade to the 
 plain rear wall. 
 
 The doorway, 276 cm. in height, is spanned by two very broad but quite 
 plain tsapotl beams, and leads into the first compartment of the temple. 
 This compartment is 659 cm. long and only 74 cm. broad. Its height meas¬ 
 ured from the floor to the narrow truncation of the very steep, wedge-shaped 
 vaulting is 531 cm. From the doorway to the temple there is a splendid front 
 view of Great Temple II lying opposite, with III lying a little to the left, and 
 the more distant IV, a little to the right, rising in the background above the 
 sea of forest trees (Plate 1). 
 
 From this elevation the panoramic view was photographed in 1895, and 
 also in 1904 with gratifying success on each occasion. 
 
 From the platform of the third temple of the front row of the group of 
 temples on the north side of the principal square, a diagonal view of Great 
 Temple I was also successfully taken showing it from the northwest (Plate 2). 
 
 There are large, white hands surrounded by red spatterings, and a few 
 
 1 Plan not received. See No. 2, Figs. 29, 30, for plan and cross section. — Editob, 
 
28 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 red hands painted above the entrance to the second temple chamber on the 
 surface of the vaulting, and also below the spring of the arch. There can be 
 no doubt as to a difference in the meaning of the red hands and the white, 
 though we do not know what it is. After inspecting the red and the white 
 hands, 1 examined those smooth walls very closely for incised drawings and 
 discovered the roughly, but deeply incised figure of a dancing devil! It was 
 evidently incised by the hand of an ancient priest after this grand old Maya 
 city was abandoned by its inhabitants, and the contemplation of it aroused a 
 feeling of bitterness and melancholy in the breast of the beholder, and served 
 as a reminder of the transitoriness of all earthly splendor. This devil, show¬ 
 ing his teeth in a mocking grin and dancing in the abandoned halls of the 
 proud temples and palaces of Tikal, only proves once more how true it is 
 that whenever human endeavor after fearful struggles has attained to a cer¬ 
 tain high degree of civilization, it is destined to decline and fall according to 
 an inflexible cosmic law. Thus it was with Babylon and Nineveh, Memphis 
 and Thebes, Carthage and Palmyra, “the devil is dancing everywhere” - 
 and so will it ever be ! 
 
 Ascending by a step 33 cm. in height and passing through a doorway 
 243 cm. wide, the second temple chamber is reached. This doorway is or 
 was spanned by four strong tsapotl beams richly carved on the under side. 
 Two of these beams were tom out by unauthorized individuals and carried 
 away, while two are still in place. The principal personage of the some¬ 
 what impaired wooden bas-relief has a fantastic head attached to his back. 
 The length of this chamber is 476 cm., and its width is 75 cm. 
 
 Ascending 20 cm. higher, a doorway 188 cm. wide leads into the third 
 temple chamber. This entrance was formerly spanned by five tsapotl beams 
 richly carved on the under side. They have all been torn out by mischiev¬ 
 ous persons and four have been carried away. I found only one of them 
 lying on the ground in 1895. The figure carved upon it shows a handsome 
 profile. The length of this apartment is 528 cm., its width 71 cm. The 
 longitudinal wall still has faint traces of drawings in red. 
 
 The exterior of the pyramid and that of the temple with its roof-comb 
 are adequately represented on the two photographic views. The step- 
 pyramid shows the recessed corners. It should be borne in mind that the 
 topmost step, the ninth, has not the horizontal divisions of the rest, hut has 
 plain sides. The photographs also show the plain base of the temple with 
 its smooth walls. The frieze displays great ornamentations over the door¬ 
 way on the west side and also at each comer, of which the central figure 
 seems to be a large grotesque face. The west side of the receding roof- 
 comb is likewise very richly decorated. In order to expose it to view in 
 some measure, a ladder had to be fastened to the outside of the temple, so 
 that one of the men could climb upon the roof-terrace to clear away the 
 ugly shrubs which concealed the carving. The roof-comb probably rose up 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 29 
 
 in three sections, the top one of which is now mostly demolished. The man, 
 who climbed upon the azotea , said he had found a very tiny chamber in the 
 middle of the first section of the roof-comb at its base (a kind of niche), 
 which however contained nothing of interest. 
 
 The total height of this interesting structure is computed as follows: 
 
 From the cement pavement of the square (inclusive of the projecting 
 base) to the truncation of the pyramid, 29| metres. 
 
 From the platform formed by the truncation (including the base 2 
 metres high in front) to the upper edge of the frieze. 
 
 From the azotea formed by the roof of the vaulted front chamber to the 
 highest point of the roof-comb (adding about 3 m. for the portion fallen 
 off) T7.7 1 m., giving a total of 47-2 m. from the level ground of the square 
 to the highest point of the roof-comb (restored). 
 
 Great Temple II (Plate 3 and Plan, Figs. 4 and 5). The west end 
 of the square is occupied by Great Temple II, the fagade of which almost 
 exactly faces the east of the magnetic needle. 
 
 A projecting step about 1\ m. high also serves here as the base of the 
 pyramid. The three large and steep steps rising up from it are each about 
 6| m. high, having certain horizontal divisions and the usual recessed cor¬ 
 ners. It is probable (but not absolutely necessary) that the large, slightly 
 sloped sides of the steps had a projecting cornice, which has disappeared. 
 
 The base of this pyramid is, I believe, an equilateral square, each side 
 measuring 34 m. at the first step. The platform on top is 211 in- square. 
 A stairway about 9 m. wide, before which we found a circular altar but no 
 stela, leads up from the plaza to the platform upon which stands a substruc¬ 
 ture 2 m. in height (in front), upon which rises the temple proper. As usual a 
 small front stairway leads up over the middle of the substructure to the en¬ 
 trance of the first temple chamber. The front length of the temple (measured 
 not at the slightly projecting base but from wall to wall) amounts to exactly 
 13 m. 95 cm. Breadth, measured from the central line of the structure, is 
 10 m. 51 cm. 
 
 The doorway is 225 cm. wide and 265 cm. high and was formerly span¬ 
 ned by five strong tsapotl beams, which, alas ! have been wantonly torn out, 
 causing a great mass of masonry to fall down, together with the frieze and 
 vaulting resting upon it. Whether the tsapotl beams were carved on the 
 under side and what has become of them, nobody can tell. 
 
 The first temple chamber is 485 cm. long and 115 cm. wide. 
 
 A low step 215 cm. wide leads through a doorway into the second temple 
 chamber. This entrance was spanned by five beams of tsapotl with very 
 
 1 Measurements given iu italic figures from here on were omitted by Mr. Maler and are supplied 
 by the Museum Expedition of 1910. —Editor. 
 
30 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 fine carving on the under side. All these beams were torn out by plunderers 
 of this temple and three were carried away. 
 
 In 1895 I found one of these richly decorated beams which had been left 
 behind in the temple. In 1904, searching among the fallen masonry, I found 
 a second beam half burned, and evidently purposely hidden away. While 
 
 Fia. 4. — Tikal: Section op Temple II. I. Five cro&sbeams of zapotl wood have been taken from 
 their places. II. Five crossbeams of zapotl wood with figures in low relief, one is entire, one half-beam still 
 in temple and three are missing. III. Six crossbeams of zapotl wood. 
 
 charring the two ends, the beam was probably half burned up and therefore 
 the pillagers hid the remains under the debris in order to conceal all traces 
 of their depredations. I had both the beams carried out and placed side by 
 side upon the platform, where I photographed them when the light was 
 favorable. The carving, which represents a sumptuously dressed priest, 
 came out so exceedingly well in the photograph, that I can save myself the 
 trouble of describing the excellent details of the work (Plate 18, Fig. 2). 
 I will only say that the half-burnt fragment of the second beam, which I 
 placed beside the first, very evidently does not belong to it, but probably 
 formed the front of a carving of a similarly attired priest. 
 
 The second temple chamber is 495 cm. long by 100 cm. broad. 
 
 Another low step brings one to the third temple chamber through a door- 
 
32 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 very interesting incised drawings. They were copied in 1895 and are shxrwn 
 in Figures 8-11, 16. 
 
 In order to give a better idea of this structure, two photographs were 
 taken. One, taken from the doorway of Great Temple I, gives a full front 
 view (Plate 1). The other, taken later from the platform of the second 
 temple of the north group of temples, gives a diagonal view of the temple as 
 seen from the northeast (Plate 3). 
 
 The frieze on the east fagade doubtless had three great decorative carv¬ 
 ings, one in the middle over the doorway, and one at each corner which, as 
 usual, turn the corner to include on the other side the wall of the narrow 
 ends of the structure. 
 
 Receding to the width of the terrace-roof of the front apartment of the 
 temple, rises the enormous roof-comb, probably in three sections, of which 
 the top one has fallen down. The roof-comb shows on its east side the most 
 elaborate carving of figures it is possible to imagine. It is probable that 
 below all this was a conventionalized gigantic face constructed of stones and 
 stucco. If this supposition is correct then the circular design with its pen¬ 
 dants, on either side of what was once the giant face, can be regarded as its 
 ear-ornaments. 
 
 On all five great temples the division of the roof-comb into three sec¬ 
 tions can be more readily distinguished at the sides and back, than on the 
 richly decorated front. 
 
 This temple construction is 21 m. high from the cement pavement of the 
 square (including the base) to the platform of the truncation. From here to 
 the highest point of the (restored) roof-comb (assuming it to have been m 
 three sections) the measurement is 22b m. giving a total height of approxi¬ 
 mately 431 m. 
 
 Closely adjacent to the south side of Great Temple II, rises the not in¬ 
 considerable pyramid of a neighboring temple. This pyramid has a stairway 
 on its north side, for the facade of its temple faces north, that is, it faces the 
 right wing of Great Temple II. Like almost all the great temples of Tikal 
 the temple proper occupying the platform had the typical division into three 
 apartments. Unfortunately it is now an almost total ruin. From the plat¬ 
 form of this pyramid an excellent, strictly profile view of Great Temple II 
 can be had, which I recommend to a future visitor. 
 
 A few steps to the west of the temple just mentioned, rises another pyia- 
 mid of considerable size and of similar construction, with a stairway on the 
 north side of the substructure, and the threefold division of the inner space 
 of the temple proper. 
 
 The rear sides of both temples overlook the south ravine already 
 mentioned several times. 
 
 Along the north edge of the principal square (near the foot of the ter¬ 
 race constructed on that side) there is a row of 13 stelae varying in size 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 33 
 
 Seven are sculptured: —Nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Placed somewhat in 
 advance of this row is another of five large, thick stelae quite without carv¬ 
 ing. Each of these stelae (excepting the little inscription-stela, No. 14, 
 which is broken off) has a circular altar in front of it. The total number of 
 stelae in the square is twenty, including the two in front of the stairway of 
 Great Temple I. The number of circular altars is the same, if, as it seems, 
 there is no stela belonging to the altar in front of the stairway of Great 
 Temple II. 
 
 While describing the architectural centre of Tikal, I am reminded of an 
 event which transpired during the second half of the nineteenth century to 
 the detriment of this metropolis, lying hidden in the depths of the primeval 
 forest, and hitherto untouched by the destructive hand of man. 
 
 Plying from the horrible conditions prevailing in the south of the penin¬ 
 sula of Yucatan, two groups of fugitives had sought protection in the terri¬ 
 tory of Peten, one settling near the Laguna de Santa Cruz (probably near 
 the present Chuntukil), the other near the Aguada of Tikal. 
 
 It would doubtless have been in the interest of the rapidly decreasing 
 population of Peten, if its government had welcomed all immigrants willing 
 to work, with open arms, and assigned them land for agricultural purposes. 
 It was however an unpardonable mistake on the part of the authorities of 
 Peten to permit this group of fugitives to settle close by the ruins of Tikal, 
 for owing to the well known ruthless character of those rude and ignorant 
 people, it could only result in the destruction of the magnificent monuments 
 of ancient days. There was a superfluity of land upon which they might 
 have settled without doing the least harm. In order to gain ground for 
 their milpas, the settlers near the aguada lost no time in cutting down the 
 forest right across the principal square, gradually pressing forward as far as 
 Great Temple III and then setting fire to the felled trees after they were 
 sufficiently seasoned. This huge bonfire naturally had a disastrous effect 
 upon the sculptured stones in the square and on the terrace constructed on 
 its north side, horribly calcining and cracking them. As if enough mischief 
 had not been accomplished, the faces of the sculptured figures were defaced 
 by hacking, because among the Spanish Yucatecs the superstition prevails 
 that the spirits standing in relation to these figures, angered by human in¬ 
 terference, could do the milpas no harm after their faces were mutilated. 
 Encouraged from time to time by treasure seekers from Peten-Itza, this band 
 of settlers raged for years quite undisturbed among the treasures of the 
 grand old ruined city. But in course of time the great distance from other 
 settlements grew irksome to the colony and the settlers gradually dispersed 
 in different directions. The Peteneros, however, ascribe the breaking up of 
 the colony to a plague of bats. Great bloodthirsty bats began to swarm at 
 night about the huts in the forest sucking the blood of chickens, pigs, and 
 other lesser domestic animals, gradually killing them off. Even children 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 5 
 
34 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 were in danger of being similarly attacked at night. It was therefore not 
 the government of Peten stepping in to prevent the depredations carried on 
 by the settlers, but it was the bats, which saved Tikal. Since I discovered 
 long ago, that in ruins inhabited by bats there are none of those dangerous 
 wasps which so furiously attack the traveller, I have felt a sympathetic 
 regard for those mysterious little nocturnal mammals ; but after hearing that 
 the bats had driven away the destructive band of Yucatec depredators from 
 Tikal, I have looked up to them with the highest esteem. 
 
 I must add the regrettable fact, that while the authorities of Peten-Itza 
 in no way interfered with the destructive course of the Yucatec settlers in 
 Tikal, the harmless people, who settled in Santa Cruz without injuring any 
 one, were grievously harassed and finally quite driven away by the brutali¬ 
 ties of Colonel Sala. 
 
 Along the whole north side of the principal square lies an extensive 
 levelled off elevation, rising only about 3 m. above the level of the ground, 
 which serves as an esplanade for the group of north temples. Upon this 
 terrace, receding considerably from its edge, stand four temples differing in 
 size, the third of which (counting from the west) corresponds with the archi¬ 
 tectural centre of the whole group. All four have a pyramidal substructure 
 and their fa 5 ades face south, that is, they look on the square. All have the 
 typical three-chambered arrangement within and the peculiar recessing on 
 the outside at the narrow ends between the first and third chambers. The 
 facades of all four temples have fallen down. From the floor of the second 
 (counting from west to east) I took a diagonal view in 1895, which plainly 
 shows the strongly outlined architectural divisions of this temple and makes 
 further description unnecessary (Plate 9, Fig. 2). It should be borne in 
 mind that the picture shows the base, the main wall and frieze of the temple, 
 but not the pyramid partly set against the hill which serves as a substructure 
 and more of which is visible in a front view. 
 
 The east side of the terrace is bordered by two little temples standing on 
 a common platform, with fagades turned to the west. Each temple has 
 two little compartments; one in front and a very narrow one behind. Close 
 to this temple, on the north, on a small platform with a little stairway on 
 the west, is another little temple with three diminutive chambers, the front 
 one being slightly longer than the other two. 
 
 Close behind these three transversely placed little structures, but below 
 the terrace, is a long similarly placed edifice whose now demolished fagade 
 was turned toward the east. Whether this structure had a double or single 
 row of apartments cannot now be determined, although the rear wall still 
 stands intact. 
 
 Upon this lower, common terrace, I found in all fourteen stelae, each 
 with its own circular altar. The arrangement of these stelae is shown on the 
 general plan of the city, and seems to point to the fact that a certain relation 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 35 
 
 exists between them and the temples. Of these fourteen stelae, five — Nos. 
 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 — have bas-reliefs. Of the circular altars, four — I, II, III, IV 
 — have bas-reliefs. 
 
 Ascending the slope of the hill to reach the side of the temple-pyramid 
 forming the centre of the group, we come, half way up, to a narrow rear 
 court. The north side of this court is occupied by a building enthroned 
 upon a small substructure having a chamber of considerable size in front and 
 three little apartments in the rear. The facade with its three doorways, now 
 demolished, faced the south, and on this side also was the stairway supported 
 by the substructure. Close to the foot of the stairs, in the narrow court, I 
 found a stela in 1895, which I called No. 1. It was almost wholly buried 
 under the great mass of debris which had fallen from above. The top was 
 gone, probably struck off by a falling tree. When we excavated this stela 
 in 1904 we did so within a wide circle described around it, in order to enable 
 me to photograph it on all sides; in doing so we came upon, not the missing 
 top, but the upper half of a similar stela, which I regarded as a predecessor 
 of the first one, and therefore called it No. 2. There was no circular altar 
 in front of Stela 1. 
 
 Ascending three or four metres to the right or the left of this structure, 
 the upper terrace is reached; that is, the truncation of the hill, which had 
 been squared and levelled. In the architectural centre of the whole con¬ 
 struction rises the chief temple of the north group, which may with truth be 
 regarded as the lesser acropolis, situated on the north side of the square. This 
 temple also crowns a pyramidal substructure of considerable height with a 
 stairway on the south side. As a matter of course, this temple, now half 
 demolished, faces the south and shows the usual triple division of space within, 
 the front chamber being somewhat larger than the rear chamber, and the 
 middle one slightly contracted. From this platform the ancient priests, no 
 doubt, enjoyed a magnificent view of the great square and its architectural 
 surroundings. At the back of this pyramid the hill slopes far down to the 
 great north ravine of Tikal. 
 
 Transversely placed on the right and on the left of this temple, upon 
 the usual substructure, stand two similar three-chambered buildings, the 
 fa$ade of one facing east and the other west. In both cases the front apart¬ 
 ment is somewhat longer than the two chambers in the rear, which are of 
 equal length. These spacious apartments, partially well-preserved, have very 
 fine vaultings and the exterior, at least on the sides and the back, shows 
 interesting architectural divisions into sections. The two buildings were 
 probably not temples but stood in some relation to the temple standing 
 between them. 
 
 On the north, close beside each of these transversely placed buildings, 
 stands a small two-chambered structure with front and rear chamber. These 
 latter structures face the north and closely border on the edge of the declivity. 
 
36 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 Tlie Palace of Two Galleries. A raised pathway, forming a right angle 
 on the west side of the lower terrace, leads to a palace with two fine long 
 galleries, one now in ruins in front, once, probably, with five doorways, and 
 another in the rear, still preserved, with only two doorways leading from 
 the front gallery. The fagade exactly faced the magnetic south. The rear 
 and side walls are still intact but their friezes have fallen down. The exte¬ 
 rior length of the structure it about 30 m., and accordingly the inside length 
 of the gallery is about 27 m. The width of the second gallery is exactly 
 167 m. The sharply outlined and carefully constructed vaulting is strictly 
 triangular, truncated as usual and of agreeable proportions. 
 
 A wide terrace spreads out on the south side of the palace. Upon this 
 terrace I found six stelae with their circular altars, partly broken up and 
 calcined and all in great 'confusion. Only one of them, which I numbered 
 15, showed any traces of carving, and even this was broken into so many 
 fragments that it baffled comprehension. All the others were quite plain. 
 The milpa fires, set by those miserable Yucatecs, no doubt also raged on this 
 terrace, otherwise the stelae could not have been so badly injured. The only 
 stela with carving was evidently intentionally broken in pieces, owing to 
 the superstitious belief mentioned above. 
 
 Near this terrace I found two half filled up chultuns (rain wells) which 
 may yield some trifling objects to a future explorer. 
 
 Great Temple III 1 Proceeding in a westerly direction from Great Temple 
 II, Temple III is reached with its fagade facing the east. The pyramid, 
 which serves this temple as a substructure, rises from a projecting base in 
 nine steps, which show the peculiar recessing at the corners. It may be 
 taken for granted that the first eight steps had the same horizontal divisions 
 as those of the pyramid of Great Temple I, while the ninth had only plain, 
 steeply sloping sides, if it is true that the architects of Tikal invariably fol¬ 
 lowed this rule in the construction of great pyramids. Since the facing of 
 the steps had all fallen off owing to the destructive effect of vegetation^ 
 I could no longer determine their exact form at any point. The stairway 
 on the east side leading to the top platform is about 13 m. at the base and 
 grows narrow toward the top. The length of the pyramid measured on the 
 east at the first step is about If9 m. 
 
 The temple on the platform made by the truncation, stands on a base 
 about two metres high in front and a little higher at the back. As usual 
 a little flight of stairs leads up over the base to the doorway of the front 
 apartment of the temple. The length of the temple, measured in front on 
 the fagade wall (not at the base), is 1639 cm. The breadth of the structure, 
 measured from the fagade wall to the rear wall at the architectural centre 
 line, is 890 cm. The doorway is 395 cm. wide and 333 cm. high, and leads 
 
 1 Plan not received. See No. 2, Figs. 41, 42, for plan and cross section. — Editor. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 37 
 
 into the first apartment of the temple. It was once spanned by sis broad 
 and thick tsapotl beams, which have been pulled out and carried away by 
 depredators, and this makes it impossible now to say whether they were 
 carved on the underside or not. 
 
 Great Temple III has but two chambers. The first apartment is 671 
 cm. long by 161 cm. broad and 653 cm. high. A single step brings one to 
 the second apartment through a doorway 213 cm. wide by 318 cm. high. 
 The length of this chamber is 344 cm. by only 72 cm. wide and 618 cm. 
 high. The doorway is (or was) spanned by ten tsapotl beams very richly 
 carved in bas-relief on the underside. When I first visited Tikal in 1895, 
 the first of these beams had already been removed — the prey, no doubt, of 
 some robber. Very probably this beam had a double row of hieroglyphs like 
 the tenth, which has 2 x 19 = 38 glyphs. Unfortunately they are badly 
 eaten by commelien. Otherwise this lintel carving was still in fair condition 
 in 1895, and on my return in 1904 I intended to photograph it at night with 
 the aid of magnesium light. I was therefore greatly disappointed to find, 
 that in the meantime, vandals had hacked off great pieces with their ma¬ 
 chetes, so seriously mutilating the whole that I was obliged to forego any 
 attempt at photographing, which would have been difficult enough under the 
 best of circumstances. I can therefore only give the reader the description 
 I made of this carving in 1895, when it was in a very much better condition. 
 The first and tenth beams being counted out, the carving occupied the re¬ 
 maining eight and showed three personages nearly life size, most elaborately 
 attired, their faces drawn strictly from the side, displaying the familiar pleas¬ 
 ing Maya profile. The personage of high rank in the middle holds out 
 a staff of ceremony and has a fantastic head attached to his back. Opposite 
 the central figure stands another personage of high rank stretching out in his 
 right hand a staff of ceremony toward the former. Behind the central fig 
 ure is a third in a stooping attitude raising the right hand and holding 
 a ceremonial staff in the left. Between the two latter figures is a small 
 altar (?) with rounded corners ornamented with crosses and disks, while 
 above the stooping figure there is room for the half length picture of another 
 personage with an agreeable profile. The drawing of these sacerdotal forms 
 and their elaborate accessories is excellent and spirited. Indeed, the entire 
 carving is executed with superior skill which makes its destruction all the 
 more to be regretted. As can be seen on the diagonal view of this temple 
 (Plate 4) the frieze of the east facjade also has three decorative designs, — 
 one in the middle, which fell off when the lintel beams were torn out, and 
 one at each corner which turns so as to include the wall on the narrow side. 
 An imposing roof-comb rises from the flat roof of the temple in three sections, 
 with a backward pitch in front. The whole east side of the roof-comb is 
 most richly decorated with figure ornamentation which turns at the rounded 
 corners to include the adjoining narrow sides of the structure. 
 
38 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 The height of the pyramid is 32| metres from the natural level of the 
 ground (inclusive of the base) up to the platform of the truncation. The 
 height of the temple was computed at 21.7 m. from the platform (including 
 the massive base) to the highest point of the roof-comb (adding about three 
 metres for the part fallen down). Hence the total height of Great Temple 
 III is 5Jf.2 m. 
 
 The distance between Great Temples III and IV is considerably greater 
 than between II and III. The intervening space is filled out architecturally 
 by a line of three palaces of great length. The central one of these, now 
 wholly in mins, could have had but one story, while the other two plainly 
 had two stories. To the west of the line of these three structures there are 
 two small temple-pyramids, not placed side by side but one behind the other, 
 and then comes the lofty terrace upon which is piled up the stupendous 
 pyramid of Great Temple IV. 
 
 The Palace of Two Stories with 14 —)— 7 Chambers, in the Rear of Great 
 Temple III (Plan, Fig. 6). The first story of this palace, with its fagade 
 fronting east, rises on a massive substructure having a broad stairway on 
 the east. The central portion of this palace has five large chambers in front, 
 each with an entrance on the east, and opening into five other chambers, 
 on a somewhat higher level, in the rear. The apartments in front are 175 
 cm. wide and have admirably carried out stepped vaultings; those in the 
 rear have merely plain wedge-shaped vaultings. The fagade being broken 
 down, it was quite impossible to take a photograph of any of the front apart¬ 
 ments, but I photographed one of the rear chambers, that at the south end 
 of the row, with the aid of a magnesium light, since the wide but low 
 window and the two little doors admitted insufficient light from the outside 
 (Plate 11, Fig. 1). The photograph was taken looking from north to south, 
 and shows the character of the wedge-shaped vaulting with the round tsapotl 
 beams transversely inserted still in place. 
 
 In the rear chamber next to the one photographed, the floor is almost 
 wholly occupied by a high bench, at the end of which two steps lead down to 
 a little doorway opening into the central chamber of the back row. This 
 middle apartment is 830 cm. long and has no window, for it receives suffi¬ 
 cient light through the doorway of the front room. These rear chambers 
 are all about 146 cm. in width. The fourth one of this row has a great 
 stone bench with little masonry walls at each end by way of arms. This 
 bench runs along the second longitudinal wall near the window. There is 
 nothing more to be said about the fifth chamber than that it also has a win¬ 
 dow and a little doorway connecting it with the front apartment, and another 
 leading into the transversely placed rear chamber of the north side; for, 
 adjoining the central part of the first story on the south and north, there 
 are two transversely placed chambers, one in front with another behind it. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 39 
 
 Each front chamber has an entrance on the north or on the south according 
 to position, and a broad platform before it formed by the massive substruc¬ 
 ture. The whole length of the first story from the south wall to the north 
 wall is 52 m. 
 
 As there is no vestige remaining of a stone stairway, it is probable that 
 a flight of wooden steps led to the second story, which is set back sufficiently 
 
 Qftp cfo 
 
 Fig. 6. — Tlkal: Plans and Sections. Palace of Two Stories and 21 Chambers in Rear of Temple III. 
 
 far on the east to allow the flat roof of the front apartments of the first 
 story to form a broad esplanade in front of the row of five rooms, each 
 with a doorway fronting east. 
 
 At each end of this row of five rooms there is another chamber trans¬ 
 versely placed, each with an entrance on the north or south, according to 
 position, and each with a little platform before it formed by the flat roof of 
 the front apartment below. The second story is nearly all in ruins but the 
 division into seven chambers can still be traced. 
 
 There is little to be said of the ornamentation of the friezes of the 
 broken down fagade, excepting that the frieze on the west side of the first 
 story is still well preserved. This has a slight inward pitch and a plain surface 
 with fantastically conventionalized faces ( mascarones ) carved upon it at inter- 
 
40 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 vals, and also at the corners. They are too indistinct to be photographed, 
 but I would recommend visitors to Tikal not to omit looking at them. 
 
 The spacious court on the east of the palace is bounded on the north 
 and on the south by a low barricade of debris, being the ruins of rows of 
 single apartments. The court is open toward the east. 
 
 This important structure, containing in all 21 chambers, was no doubt 
 the sacerdotal palace belonging to Great Temple III. 
 
 After this palace comes a long, low mass of debris lying in a northerly 
 direction, which must have been a structure containing a double row of 
 apartments. Then follows, still to the north, the huge ruins of a two- 
 storied structure, which may be regarded as standing in some relation to 
 Great Temple IV, since it faces the latter. 
 
 The Sacerdotal Palace Belonging to Great Temple TV. A stupendous 
 mass of debris rises on a rectangular platform, which is formed by a massive 
 substructure and is reached by a stairway on the west. The debris repre¬ 
 sents a structure of two stories now so completely ruined that a restoration 
 of the original plan is quite out of the question. Only the massive rear wall 
 of the first story still stands and shows that the entirely unbroken east side 
 (the rear) of the edifice had no entrances and that the whole structure 
 fronted west. A little further to the north or northeast of this palace there 
 are said to be the ruins of a small temple (un pegueho cugo), which I was 
 unable to inspect. One of the men said he had seen it, and that there were 
 two or three plain stelae on the little plaza in front. 
 
 Upon the square between the row of palaces just now described and the 
 great terrace on which stands Great Temple IV, there are two little temples 
 standing close together one behind the other, each with its fagade and the 
 stairway of its pyramidal substructure fronting west. Both temples are in 
 ruins, but it is sufficiently clear that they had the typical triple division of 
 chambers. 
 
 On the plaza in front of the west side (as we are now proceeding) of 
 the first temple, five large thick stelae are set up in a row, each with its 
 circular altar. A little in advance of this row upon the line of the architec¬ 
 tural centre, is a somewhat smaller sixth stela, also with a circular altar before 
 it. The six stelae are all plain. Somewhat in advance of this temple is placed 
 the other similar structure, but without stelae or circular altars on the plaza 
 before it. A little to the north, fronting the north side of this second temple 
 and very near it, is a masonry quadrangle once, no doubt, containing small 
 chambers and having an entrance on the south. In the middle of this quad¬ 
 rangle stands Stela 16 in all its glory, still unharmed, and in front of it, 
 deeply buried in the earth, we found Circular Altar V, which was destined 
 to become so widely renowned. The priests, no doubt, covered this splendid 
 specimen of Maya art with earth, when the city was abandoned, to preserve 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 41 
 
 it from destruction. But we must assume that even in Maya times this 
 circular altar was protected from the rains by some kind of a roof, for the 
 sculpture on its upper surface looked like new. 
 
 Great Temple IV 1 (Plate 5). This temple stands on an eminence eight 
 metres in height and probably natural, though artificially levelled off on the 
 top. On its eastern slope is a broad stairway, the steps of which have long 
 since fallen down in confusion. Standing back about fifteen metres from 
 the eastern edge of the levelled-off surface rises the stupendous pyramid 
 which serves the temple as a substructure. The base of the pyramid is 
 almost entirely covered up by debris, and its steps are in such a ruinous state 
 on all four sides, that their former division into horizontal sections is no 
 longer apparent. The number of steps was doubtless nine and their division 
 into horizontal sections probably like that of the steps of Great Temple I. 
 It should also be assumed here that, while the first eight steps showed the 
 horizontal divisions, the ninth step had only smooth, steeply sloping sides. 
 The familiar recessing of the corners must unquestionably also have been 
 applied to the steps of this pyramid. A stairway, which together with its 
 side walls had a considerable projection at the base, leads up on the east side 
 of the pyramid to the platform of the truncation. This stairway like those 
 of Great Temples III and V is broader at the base than at the top. A large 
 plain stela with a circular altar before it stands directly in front of the stair¬ 
 way, and is at present in the grasp of a mighty kopd tree (Ficus Indica). 
 The breadth at the bottom of the stairway is 18 m., at the top 16m. The 
 whole length of the pyramid measured at the first step of the east side (not 
 at the base) is 58.7 m. The breadth, much less, is 53 m. The platform on 
 top measures 32 m. in length, by lJj. m. in breadth. 
 
 The temple proper has a smooth, slightly projecting base about 2 m. 
 high in front, and a little more at the back. As a matter of course, a little 
 stairway leads up in front over the base from the platform to the first apart¬ 
 ment of the temple. The wall of the fagade measured from corner to corner, 
 not at the base, is exactly 30 m. 30 cm. in length, which is very long for one 
 of these elevated temples. The breadth of the structure, measured at the 
 architectural centre, is 1213 cm. A doorway 310 cm. wide by 317 cm. 
 high leads into the first temple chamber. This doorway is spanned above 
 by six broad tsapotl beams, plain on the under side. 
 
 The first chamber is 650 cm. long, 124 cm. wide and 678 cm. high. 
 
 A step 40 cm. high leads to a doorway 212 cm. wide and 319 cm. high, 
 opening into the second temple chamber. This entrance was once spanned 
 by six broad tsapotl beams, which undoubtedly were carved on the under 
 side. They have all been torn out and carried away, no one knows by whom 
 or whither. Judging by the size of the sockets in the masonry on each side 
 Plan not received. See No. 2 , Figs. 44, 45, for plan and cross section. — Editor. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM Y. — 6 
 
42 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 of the doorway the beams must have been very broad, and have had the fin¬ 
 est carving in the whole temple. The second temple chamber is 464 cm. 
 long, only 74 cm. wide and 690 cm. high. 
 
 Another step 40 cm. high brings the explorer through the third doorway 
 into the third temple chamber. This doorway is 194 cm. wide and 329 cm. 
 high, and is broken through a partition wall 237 cm. thick. It was formerly 
 spanned by eight (possibly only seven) tsapotl beams, which were torn out 
 and carried away for their carving. The length of the third temple chamber 
 is 438 cm., the width is only 70 cm. and the height 685 cm. 
 
 It is not unlikely that the tsapotl beams which spanned the third en¬ 
 trance in Great Temple IV are those which Dr. Gustave Bernoulli, who vis¬ 
 ited Tikal in 1877, sent to Europe and which his heirs have presented to the 
 museum at Basle. 
 
 At the end of June, 1877,1 undertook an expedition to Palenque, start¬ 
 ing from San Cristobal de Las Casas, which is situated high on the table-lands 
 of the state of Chiapas of which it is the capital. The present rulers have 
 added a quite superfluous s to the end of Chiapa. 
 
 Dr. Gustave Bernoulli, accompanied by a young German, Herr Cario, 
 coming from Retaluleu (Guatemala) by way of Comitlan and Ocotsinco, ar¬ 
 rived July 16, 1877, at Palenque — that is, at the modern village of that 
 name — intending to visit the neighboring ruins. During this journey, Dr. 
 Bernoulli, aided by Herr Cario, collected many specimens for an interesting 
 herbarium, but found much difficulty in drying the plants between layers of 
 paper, owing to the great humidity of the atmosphere at that season. We 
 interchanged a good deal of information concerning this country and became 
 very good friends. On July 26, Dr. Bernoulli and Herr Cario left Palenque 
 to continue their journey to Peten-Itza (Flores) and thence to the capital, 
 Guatemala. Dr. Bernoulli was at that time already suffering greatly from 
 weak lungs. He was amply supplied with funds, but I feared he would not 
 be equal to the difficulties of the journey, though there was comfort in the 
 knowledge that he had a strong young companion with him. 
 
 After safely accomplishing the journey, Dr. Bernoulli wrote me a letter 
 from Retaluleu under date of October 22, 1877, which I received at San 
 Cristobal, whither I had returned. He wrote that he had succeeded in visit¬ 
 ing Tikal in the neighborhood of which, near the aguada, a few Indian fami¬ 
 lies were still living. Some of the great structures still contained woodwork. 
 The “wooden ceiling” (what I would call the under side of the lintel beams) 
 of one of the temples was still intact and was adorned with fine carvings in 
 bas-relief. He had obtained permission from the government of Guatemala to 
 take out this “ wooden ceiling ” and send it to Europe, and he had sent money 
 to the alcaldes of San Andres and San Jose to cover the expenses of removing 
 the beams and transporting them. 
 
 In order to decide the question whether the beams in the Basle Museum 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 43 
 
 are really the lintel beams of the third doorway of Great Temple IV of Tikal, 
 their number and size should be compared with the measurements which I 
 shall give here. After deducting about 50 cm. at each end for the plain 
 parts let into the wall, which were burnt or cut away, the visible, disengaged 
 part of the beams would be 194 cm. in length, equalling the width of the 
 doorway. It should be noted that the backs of the beams have also been 
 cut away. The total breadth of the carving (comprising seven or eight 
 beams) ought to correspond to the thickness of the wall, which is 237 cm. 
 From this about 8 cm. should be deducted at each edge of the wall making 
 the actual breadth of the carving 221 cm. (inasmuch as these ancient builders 
 never pushed forward the lintel beams flush with the stuccoed surface of the 
 wall, but always withdrew them from 5 to 10 cm. from the edge). 
 
 If the carving consisted of eight beams, the average breadth of each one 
 would be about 271 cm. If the carving consisted of seven beams then each 
 beam would average 311 cm., deducting 1 cm. at the joining in each case. 
 
 Should the measurements of the third doorway not coincide at all with 
 the Bernoulli beams, it would not seem superfluous to take measurements 
 also of the six beams of the second doorway. In this latter case the dis¬ 
 engaged portion of the beams is 212 cm. in length. The thickness of the 
 partition wall between the first and second chambers is 231 cm. Deducting 
 2x8 cm. (for the reasons given above) would leave 215 cm. for the breadth 
 of the carving, giving an average breadth of 36 cm. to each of the six beams. 
 
 The Indians, by the way, when they pulled out the carved beams from 
 the temples of Tikal, at the instance of the art connoisseurs, adopted 
 the reprehensible method of burning off both ends, in order to save their 
 machetes. As this process is a rather slow one, they frequently leave the 
 beam burning while they go to their meals or drink their potsol, and are 
 quite undisturbed if a pair of sacerdotal feet, the plume of a helmet, or some 
 interesting hieroglyphs are consumed during their absence. (The half- 
 charred beam which I pulled out from under a heap of debris in Great 
 Temple II is an incontrovertible proof of my assertion.) These people do 
 not know the use of saws, and it is very difficult to cut the exceedingly hard 
 tsapotl wood with a machete. But since these beams with the ends burned 
 off and the backs cut away are still very heavy to carry, and also because 
 the Indians frequently see very little of the large sums expended for such 
 work, they generally end by leaving one or two beams in the temple or 
 throwing them away on the road, as the Indians themselves have very com- 
 plaisantly told me! After all that has been said here it would seem advisa¬ 
 ble to examine the Bernoulli beams in the Museum of Basle and find out 
 whether any of the important parts have been burnt away at the ends, 
 whether the carving is intact as to breadth, that is, whether any of the 
 beams are missing. If everything is as it should be, it must be admitted 
 that Dr. Bernoulli was extraordinarily fortunate in his undertaking. 
 
44 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 It is well known that Dr. Bernoulli never saw Europe again, but died 
 on his homeward journey in San Francisco, California, in 1878. 
 
 It must always be difficult for a European naturalist to determine an 
 exotic tree merely by a specimen of its wood. It is absolutely necessary 
 that he should examine the leaves, blossoms and fruit. I will therefore state 
 once more that all the beams and most of the logs used in the structures of 
 Tikal came from the Chictsapotl tree ( Achras Zapota Linnaeus), which occurs 
 so frequently in Central American forests. It is the tree which through a 
 V-shaped incision yields the familiar chewing gum, called el chicle. The 
 Aztec name for this gum is tsictli, pi. tsictin. It was probably also pro¬ 
 nounced tsictli, tsictin, whence the Spanish chictli, chictin is derived, and from 
 the latter no doubt the form chicle. 
 
 The older writers call the tree chictzapotl and xicontzapotl, pronounced 
 tsictsapotl and sicontsapotl. Xicotl, xicome (sicotl, sicom6) is the name of a 
 large species of bee, whose product is called xico-cuitlatl, i. e., secretion of 
 bees, wax. Thus xicon-tsapotl was formed from the plural xicom, with a 
 change from m to n, and a reference not exactly to bees or wasps but to the 
 sticky, gummy substance which is yielded by the tree in question. It is 
 pure white when fresh, and is contained in a small quantity in the brown 
 peel of the delicious, round fruit, so great a favorite with men and monkeys* 
 Also that little mammal of social proclivities, the Nasua socialis, called pit- 
 sotl by the Aztecs, and, strange to say, chic (tslc) by the Mayas, noisily 
 squealing, searches eagerly for the juicy fruit, for which reason the natives 
 very generally imagine the name chicozapote to mean zapote del chic (or Masua 
 socialis). 
 
 After cutting away the trees as far as the southeast corner of the lofty 
 terrace upon which rises the pyramid of Great Temple IV, I was able to take 
 a diagonal view of the temple, with a somewhat forced perspective, it is 
 true, for the farther we descended the slope of the terrace elevation, the less 
 favorable became the point of view (Plate 5). 
 
 The smooth walls of the temple rise from a simple base. The frieze has 
 a slight inward pitch and shows five large ornaments on the east side, one 
 over the doorway and one at each corner (turning, as usual, so as to include 
 the adjoining end wall) and one in each space between the middle and the 
 corner. The fundamental idea of each ornament is a fantastic head. Reced¬ 
 ing some distance from the edge of the roof-terrace the lofty roof-comb rises 
 in three sections, the highest one having already fallen down in ruins. The 
 east wall of the roof-comb has figures and scroll-work on an enormous scale. 
 It is possible that the central part of the structure below was covered by a 
 gigantic face. 
 
 The measurements of Great Temple IV as to height were estimated as 
 follows : — Height of pyramid from the lower terrace to the platform of the 
 truncation (including the base 2| m. high), 45 metres. From the platform 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 45 
 
 to the highest (restored) pinnacle of the roof-comb (including the base 2 me¬ 
 tres high in front), is %Jf.7 metres. Making the total height from the lower 
 terrace to the (restored) pinnacle of the roof-comb 69.7 m. 
 
 From the lofty platform of the pyramid of Great Temple IV there is a 
 magnificent view toward the east across the boundless sea of forest trees. 
 High above it rise Great Temples III and II, presenting a rear view, while 
 Great Temple I is seen from in front. But however far the eye may travel 
 in the direction of Belice, nowhere is a watercourse or the surface of a lake 
 to be seen. What hidden treasures may not the forests east of Tikal reveal 
 to us ? Meanwhile the veil of mystery, which enveloped Naranjo, has been 
 successfully lifted. 
 
 I examined the region to the west, the south and the north of Great 
 Temple IV, but found no more ruins. 
 
 The Northern Part of the City, Beyond the Long Line of the North Ravine. 
 Scanning the northern horizon from the platform of Great Temple I, a high 
 wooded knoll can be discerned opposite its north side and lying beyond the 
 north ravine. In 1895 I entertained the idea that a group of ruins must be 
 hidden there, and on my return to this place in 1904 I determined to ex¬ 
 plore thoroughly the whole strip of country lying to the north. I, therefore, 
 climbed down into the ravine back of the northern group of temples — “ the 
 less northern acropolis” — and came up again by the opposite slopes. We 
 found only unimportant mounds of debris on the way, and finally came to 
 an eminence levelled off at the top to form an oblong rectangle. Upon this 
 natural, but regularly graded and shaped platform, two ruined temples of 
 the type peculiar to Tikal, stand opposite each other. Each has the usual 
 pyramidal substructure. The temple on the east end of the terrace turns its 
 fagade to the west and has a flight of stairs on the west side of its pyramid. 
 The temple on the west end of the terrace faces east and the stairway is on 
 the east side of the pyramid. 
 
 In front of the east temple, that is on its west side, three large thick 
 stelae stand in a row, each with its circular altar before it. The middle one 
 has a fourth stela placed in front of it with a circular altar in the usual posi¬ 
 tion. All these stelae are without sculpture and are very much cracked and 
 entwined by the roots of gigantic kopo trees. The west temple has no stela 
 in front of its east side. Adjoining the north side of the substructure of this 
 temple is a large, low, limestone rock, which the ancient builders were evi¬ 
 dently unable to quarry wholly away. On the north side of the terrace is a 
 little rectangular court enclosed by low masses of debris and having an en¬ 
 trance on the east. These masses of debris are doubtless the remains of a 
 series of small chambers opening on the court. In the centre of the little 
 court stands a large, thick stela, 21 metres of which show above the ground, 
 while at least one metre is doubtless sunk deep in the soil. The stela is 
 
46 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 105 cm. broad by 55 cm. thick. Close before it is a large circular altar 
 164 cm. in diameter. Altar and stela are plain on both sides. A young 
 kopo tree holds the stela in its grasp. The south face of the stela turns 
 exactly to the south of the magnetic needle; in other words, the south face 
 of the stela is placed exactly at right angles with a line drawn from the 
 magnetic north to the magnetic south. 
 
 In several instances we observed in Tikal that fagades faced exactly in 
 accordance with the magnetic needle, while in other instances there was a 
 deviation of 5° to 10° in different directions. The southern edge of the ter¬ 
 race is occupied by a long mound of debris, doubtless the remains of a struc¬ 
 ture containing a double row of chambers. 
 
 In the rear of the solitary stela with the large circular altar, the north 
 side of the terrace has a very long downward slope. The territory to the 
 north of it was diligently searched but to no avail, as the ruins plainly end 
 at this point, while in a westerly and easterly direction we found architec¬ 
 tural remains of imposing dimensions. 
 
 Proceeding first in a westerly direction we come to an oblong mass of 
 ruins. This was once a two-storied edifice with a certain projecting addition 
 on the east side; not far from this structure, still keeping to the west, rises 
 a ruined two-storied edifice of considerable size still giving evidence of the 
 original plan of construction. Upon a massive substructure rises the first 
 story with, presumably, three chambers in front each with a corresponding 
 chamber in the rear ; otherwise we must assume that the back part of the 
 structure was a solid mass of masonry. The second story was centrally 
 placed with reference to the whole structure, receding some distance from 
 the edge of the roof terrace, and seems to have consisted of but one large 
 apartment, which is still partially preserved, and the walls and vaulted ceil¬ 
 ing of which show stuccoing of exceedingly neat and smooth workmanship. 
 The fagade of this structure faces the east. At the back it is supported by 
 strong, almost perpendicular retaining walls and faces a deep ravine which 
 runs transversely and is doubtless a branch of the great north ravine. The 
 plaza in front of the east side of the edifice is bounded north and south by 
 a long mound of ruins. 
 
 Leaving the terrace of the temples and turning east, our way leads 
 past some unimportant ruins to a group of four sepulchral pyramids. That 
 is, the pyramids rise in steps and have stairways on all four sides leading to 
 the platform on top, which has no stone temple of any kind. 
 
 The first pyramid (approaching from the west) has no stela or circular 
 altar belonging to it, but has instead a little court to the north which seems 
 to be in some way connected with it. This court is surrounded by a rec¬ 
 tangular wall with an entrance on the south and is the third of its kind found 
 in Tikal. The perfectly plain walls of this court are built of smooth, hewn 
 blocks of stone, and are for the most part well preserved. On the outside 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 47 
 
 this wall is about 8 m. broad and 13| m. long, and in the middle of the court 
 formed by it stands a large circular altar, which is ornamented with bas- 
 reliefs on the upper surface, and on the cylindrical surface of the sides. 
 The designs on the top are very much impaired by the rains, as can be 
 imagined, while those on the cylindrical sides are better preserved being 
 half covered up with earth. I designated this solitary circular altar No. VI. 
 No vestige of a stela was found near this altar. 
 
 To the east of the second pyramid and near it, but on a somewhat 
 higher plane, is the third pyramid, which has no stela on any side. The 
 fourth pyramid rises a little further to the east, but on the left hand side, 
 as we are moving. Eight stelae, each with its circular altar, stand side by 
 side in a row before the west side of this pyramid. On the line of the 
 architectural centre, a little in advance of the others, stands a ninth stela, 
 also with its circular altar. All these nine stelae and their altars are 
 perfectly plain. 
 
 Proceeding in a southerly direction from Sepulchral Pyramid 4, we 
 found the area, on which the pyramids stand, bounded by a long mass of 
 debris with no remnants of masonry walls projecting from it. 
 
 Behind this ruined structure a slope leads down to a ravine, doubtless a 
 branch of the great north ravine. Crossing the ravine, and climbing the 
 opposite slope, the explorer comes to the rear of the Great Palace of Twenty 
 Chambers, which forms the northern boundary of a square enclosed on all 
 four sides by large structures. 
 
 The Palace of Twenty Chambers (Plan, Fig. 7). This palace is 66 m. 
 m length and rises on a massive substructure on the side fronting the square, 
 while at the back, toward the ravine, it is supported by high retaining walls- 
 The middle part consists of double rows of chambers, that is, a row of five 
 front chambers each with a corresponding chamber in the rear. But it 
 should be noted that the central front chamber and the one in its rear each 
 has a small lateral chamber opening into it on the right and on the left. 
 Each of these has a very small window (air-hole) in the outside wall as well 
 as in the longitudinal partition wall. 
 
 These chambers are each 720 cm. in length excepting the small lateral 
 rooms which are only 340 cm. long. Each chamber is 227 cm. wide. The 
 height of the front apartments from the floor to the truncation of the wedge- 
 shaped vaulting is 445 cm. The middle part of the palace finishes at each 
 end in a transversely placed chamber with two small rear chambers. At 
 each end of the south faQade the projecting transverse chamber forms an 
 angle into which a little vestibule is built, with a small doorway leading 
 into the adjoining rear chamber. 
 
 The fagade is almost entirely in ruins and exactly faces the south of the 
 magnetic needle. As it so often happens in Tikal that the buildings face 
 
48 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 exactly in accordance with the magnetic needle (of our own epoch), it is 
 difficult to determine whether this circumstance is owing to accident or 
 design. The frieze on the projection of the left wing (on the observer’s 
 right) has a solitary remnant of ornamentation; it is a grotesquely conven¬ 
 tionalized face surrounded by scroll-work. 
 
 Opposite the Palace of Twenty Chambers, toward the south, is another 
 palace of equal length, but of greater breadth and height, which once con¬ 
 sisted of two stories. This palace had fapades and chambers on the north 
 looking on the great court as well as on the south facing a ravine. Unfor- 
 
 .... at, oS.. 
 
 0 [ _to_ 1 0 m. 
 
 Fig. 7. — Tikal: Plan and Section of Palace with Twenty Chambers. 
 
 tunately this palace is in such a state of demolition that I found it impos¬ 
 sible to draw a reliable plan of it. It seemed to me that this south palace 
 (with reference to the court) had chambers on the north side of the first 
 story, but I could not determine whether in a single or double row. Of the 
 chambers on the south side (facing the ravine) several are still preserved. 
 They are probably rear chambers, while the front ones are totally in ruins. 
 On the wall in one of the former I found a rude incised drawing unmistak¬ 
 ably of Indian origin, but done long after the evacuation of the city. The 
 second story, which recedes from the edge of the terrace roof, both on the 
 north and south sides, plainly had a double row of apartments. The court 
 is bounded on the east by the ruins of a structure consisting, I think, of five 
 chambers in a row. Its fagade faces the west. 
 
 The west side of the court is closed in by a now ruined structure of 
 presumably five chambers raised above the common level by its high and 
 massive foundation. The fagade undoubtedly faced east. 
 
 Neither stela nor altar was found in the spacious court, although a 
 thorough search was made. 
 
 To find this group of structures it is necessary to descend the north 
 slope of the Great Terrace without buildings to the east of Great Temple I. 
 By proceeding, northward from that point the group is reached. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 49 
 
 Let us now take as our point of departure Great Temple V and the 
 lesser Acropolis on the west, and keep a westerly direction on the farther 
 side of the south ravine. 
 
 The best way to reach Great Temple V is to enter the south ravine at 
 its mouth near the south wing of the Great Palace of the Grooved Walls, and 
 leaving the lofty palaces of the upper city on the right, to proceed to the 
 architectural centre line of the Great Temple. Arrived at that point, turn 
 to the left, ascend three terraces (a large one, a small one and finally another 
 large one), and the great stairway is reached on the north side of the 
 pyramid on which Great Temple V stands. 
 
 Great Temple V 1 (Plate 6). The fagade of this stupendous structure 
 almost exactly faces the magnetic north. The base of its pyramid is 
 also a step running around the four sides. The offsets of the pyramid — 
 probably nine in number — are so completely broken down, that their 
 shape can no longer be determined, not even after examining all four sides. 
 I assume that the steps of this pyramid showed the peculiar recessing at 
 the corners, and that the top step had smooth sides, while the eight lower 
 ones showed the same horizontal divisions as those of Great Temples I, III 
 and IV. The stairway, measured at the bottom, is 20 m. in breadth, but 
 somewhat narrower at the top. The walls on either side of the stairs are 
 well preserved and project considerably at the base. Nevertheless the stair¬ 
 way is so steep that it is advisable to have a rope fastened to a tree trunk 
 above to use as an aid in climbing. The length of the pyramid measured at 
 the first step on the north side (not at the base) isAJm. The breadth, no 
 doubt, is considerably less. 
 
 Above, on the platform, the temple proper rises on a plain, slightly 
 projecting substructure 1^ m. high in front, and 70 cm. higher at the back. 
 In the centre of the north side there are, as usual, a few steps leading up 
 over the substructure to the doorway of the first and only temple chamber, 
 which is very small. 
 
 The whole fagade measured from corner to corner is 22 m. 68 cm. 
 Breadth, measured on the line of the architectural centre, is 790 cm. The 
 doorway is 218 cm. wide and 228 cm. high and is spanned by nine round 
 tsapotl beams. The temple chamber is 4 m. in length, only 82 cm. in 
 breadth and 480 cm. in height. 
 
 Some treasure seeker, by the way, has made an ugly break in the 
 enormously thick masonry of the longitudinal rear wall of the temple 
 chamber. The opening reaches to a considerable height and the debris fills 
 up and disfigures the entire apartment. Breaks of this kind in the struc¬ 
 tures of Tikal are ascribed to “ Colonel Mendez ” who has left the reputation 
 
 1 Plan not received. See No. 2, Figs. 33, 34, for plan and cross section. — Editor. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 7 
 
50 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 behind him of a ruthless treasure seeker. It seems that this “ Colonel ” 
 instead of keeping in order the fugitives settled near the aguada, shame¬ 
 fully employed them to perform these acts of desecration, and doubtless 
 brought more men with him from San Jose and San Andres for the same 
 purpose. 
 
 The diagonal view of the entire construction, which is here presented to 
 the reader (Plate 6), was taken from an elevation to the west of it. The 
 picture shows the considerable projection of the stairway and the almost 
 complete demolition of the nine offsets. The frieze of the temple is high and 
 has a slight inward pitch, and shows faint traces of five large fantastic 
 ornamentations, the central motif of each being a gigantic face. 
 
 Above the roof-terrace rises the stupendous tower-like roof-comb with 
 backward slope still plainly showing three of its original sections. There 
 are reasons for thinking that a fourth or even a fifth section with window 
 perforations, now broken down, surmounted the whole. The fagade (the 
 north side) of the entire roof-comb displays the most elaborate ornamenta¬ 
 tion imaginable. 
 
 The view of the upper city opposite, enjoyed by the ancient priests 
 from the platform of this temple of the palaces, must have been one of 
 great architectural splendor. 
 
 The height of the pyramid from the levelling off (considered as the 
 third terrace from the bottom of the ravine) to the platform of the trunca¬ 
 tion (including the 2 m. of the base) was estimated at 35| m. From the 
 platform (inclusive of the substructure of the temple) to the present top of 
 the roof-comb the height was calculated at 21.8 m. The total height, then, 
 of the structure from the levelling off (the third terrace) to the highest 
 point of the roof-comb would amount to 57.3 m. To which can be men¬ 
 tally added 8 -f- 4 -J- 8 m. for the three lowest terraces on the north 
 side. 
 
 As it may interest some readers to compare the height of the five Great 
 Temples, I give them as follows: — 
 
 Great Temple I. FaQade facing west. Height of pyramid, 29^ m. 
 Height of temple, 17.7 m. Total, Jf7.2 m. 
 
 Great Temple II. FaQade facing east. Height of pyramid, 21 m. 
 Height of temple, 22\ m. Total, 43| m. 
 
 Great Temple III. Fagade facing east. Height of pyramid, 32| m. 
 Height of temple, 21.7 m. Total, 5Jf.^ m- 
 
 Great Temple IV. Fagade facing east. Height of pyramid, 45 m. 
 Height of temple, 2If.7 m. Total, 69.7 m. 
 
 Great Temple V. Fagade facing north. Height of pyramid, 35| m. 
 Height of temple, 21.8 m. Total, 57.3 m. 
 
 Quite near the foot of the east side of Great Temple V stands a pretty 
 little palace on a massive substructure with a stairway on the east. The 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 51 
 
 palace proper has but two chambers, with graceful stepped vaultings. The 
 now broken down fagade faced the east. 
 
 The frieze, still preserved at the back of the edifice, has a slight inward 
 pitch and is quite plain. But it seems probable that over the two doorways 
 on the east and at the two corners on the same side, the frieze had some 
 kind of ornamentation. 
 
 The Lesser A7'oeoplis 1 West of Great Temple V. To the west opposite 
 Great Temple V rises a hill, the top of which has been levelled off, thus 
 forming a square terrace. There are buildings on all four sides, while in the 
 middle (in the court) a small three-chambered temple surmounts a pyramidal 
 substructure. The eastern slope of the hill facing the west side of Great 
 Temple V still shows terraces with remains of small structures. Climbing 
 up this slope brings one to the eastern edge of the upper terrace where, be¬ 
 sides a small edifice with only one chamber, stands a larger one with a double 
 row of chambers, three in front, with three behind, and one placed trans¬ 
 versely at the southern end. 
 
 The southern end of this seven-chambered structure adjoins the south 
 structure which borders the south side of the court. 
 
 This south structure has ten chambers, two transversely placed at the 
 juncture of the two buildings, and four running longitudinally with entrances 
 on the north and, corresponding with these, four in the rear with entrances 
 on the south. 
 
 The west side of the court is occupied by the west structure standing on 
 a higher level and adjoining the ten-chambered structure. This west build¬ 
 ing probably had a double row of transversely placed chambers at each end 
 and a fourfold row of three each running the length of the middle part, with 
 entrances on the east, and on the west. There was, in addition, a small 
 chamber in the southwest corner of the court upon which the doorway 
 opened. Accordingly this structure must have had 28 chambers. It is not 
 unlikely that some kind of a superstructure was supported by the very thick 
 partition walls (the third and fourth counting from the court). 
 
 The north side of the court is closed in by the north structure, which 
 has a double row of longitudinal chambers of different size with doorways 
 on the south and north, two transverse chambers at the west end and an¬ 
 other inserted between the longitudinal apartments near the east end. The 
 little pyramid in the court has a stairway on its east side leading up to the 
 platform. The temple upon it is partially in ruins, but still shows that it 
 had the typical threefold division. (My description of this lesser or third 
 Acropolis can be comprehended clearly only by consulting the plan of the 
 city.) 
 
 Descending by the western slope of this little citadel, a lower terrace is 
 reached, facing west, which, with a certain elongation, forms the entire east 
 
52 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 side of an oblong square closed in on all sides by small palaces and tem¬ 
 ples. We will begin the description of these buildings with the row on 
 the east, where we came out on climbing down the western slope of the 
 hill. 
 
 At the north end of the terrace is a small heap of debris. Then follows 
 a row of seven temples, differing in size but all of the same fundamental type, 
 as can be seen on the plan of the city. The fagades of all face west. All 
 have a stairway running up over the projecting substructure leading from 
 the level of the square to the projecting platform. The platforms of the 
 first five temples are all merged at the back in the terrace, while the plat¬ 
 forms of the sixth and seventh are independent. Before the stairway of 
 the central temple, which will be specially described, stands a large, thick, 
 but perfectly plain stela with its circular altar. 
 
 The Central Temple of the Row of Seven} This fourth temple is the 
 largest of the seven. The front chamber is the longest and, in fact, the only 
 one, for, instead of the second chamber contracted at both ends, and the 
 third one with the ends again extended, a solid mass of masonry was con¬ 
 structed to support the very massive roof-comb. The fagade of the temple 
 (of the front chamber) is unfortunately all broken down, which is much to 
 be regretted, since its frieze must have been tastefully ornamented. I there¬ 
 fore took a view of the rear only (east side) of the structure, which also 
 shows a little of the southern end of the back section (what otherwise would 
 be the third chamber). (Plate 8, Fig. 2.) The photograph shows how, even 
 in the construction of the lesser temples, the rule was followed of letting a 
 central portion of the rear wall project a little way; in this case 25 cm. 
 The measurements of this rear wall were, in length, 277 -|- 625 -j- 277 = 
 1179 cm. The length of the west fagade is about 14 m., since, as already 
 stated, the first chamber is always a little longer than the third. A shallow 
 niche can be seen in the projecting central part, and each end of the back 
 section has a similar niche. The frieze between the upper and lower cornice 
 shows interesting ornamentation — in the centre of the middle piece a large 
 grotesquely conventionalized face-mask (un mascaron ) with large circular 
 ornaments on either side, which may be regarded as the ear-ornaments of the 
 face between. The inverted hook sign is deeply incised on the plane of the 
 circles. The frieze on the retreating portions of the rear wall shows con¬ 
 ventionalized cross-bones in the shape of two intersecting Vs. The frieze on 
 the end wall visible on the photograph also has a grotesquely conventional¬ 
 ized mask. 
 
 The picture distinctly shows that the rear and side walls of the roof- 
 comb were plain. The undoubtedly very rich figure-carving on the west 
 side is now completely destroyed. It is possible that the roof-comb of these 
 lesser temples consisted of a single ponderous body; on the other hand, the 
 1 Plan not received. See No. 2, Fig. 37 .—Editor. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 53 
 
 solid mass of masonry in place of the second and third chambers seems to 
 point to a roof-comb in two or three sections diminishing in size toward the 
 top. 
 
 The south side of the Square of the Seven Temples is occupied by three 
 palaces whose fagades and doorways faced north (the square) and south (a 
 planada on a lower level). 
 
 I was able to make ground-plans of the first and the middle palace, but 
 the third is wholly destroyed. The second palace is the longest. All the 
 palaces have massive substructures forming terraces on all sides, and nat¬ 
 urally a deeper descent on the south side than on the north. 
 
 The First of the Three Palaces on the South Side of the Square of the Seven 
 Temples On the north side toward the square this structure has a single 
 gallery 17 m. 54 cm. in length. Three doorways on the north lead into this 
 gallery, but the north fagade is unfortunately all broken down. In the mid¬ 
 dle of the partition wall a doorway, spanned by twelve round tsapotl beams, 
 leads to the middle one of the three chambers on the south which have each 
 a doorway on the south side. 
 
 On the south, east and west sides it is clear that the frieze, which had a 
 slight inward pitch, was quite plain. The exterior length of the structure 
 was 20 m. 34 cm. The exterior breadth, 7 m. 63 cm. 
 
 The Middle Palace on the South Side of the Square of the Seven Temples? 
 This beautiful palace, constructed with extraordinary exactness and clearness 
 of outline, consisted originally of a single gallery 27 m. 83 cm. in length, by 
 205 cm. in breadth, which was later subdivided into three chambers. The 
 height of the gallery (or of the chambers resulting from it) is 465 cm. from 
 the floor to the truncation of the vaulting. At its west end (or in the cham¬ 
 ber at that end) there is a double bench, or pair of steps 58 and 65 cm. in 
 height. Three doorways on the north side, and three on the south side lead 
 to the gallery, all being spanned by tsapotl beams. These round beams were 
 always cut from the heart of the tree (del corazon del drbol) and are hard as 
 iron and almost indestructible. The gallery has a beautiful three-stepped, 
 vaulted ceiling which may well have been the finest in Tikal. 
 
 Unfortunately this long, splendid gallery was at some later date divided 
 into apartments, and for that purpose two partition walls 182 cm. thick were 
 inserted, each with a doorway, and the two ends of the gallery were rein¬ 
 force by walls 178 cm. in thickness. These insertions, it must be admitted, 
 were executed with great care. For at the top they were not made to inter¬ 
 sect vertically the original stepped vaulting, but the outline of each angle 
 formed by the steps was conscientiously followed. 
 
 Wherever a treasure seeker, sniffing about for booty in such a ruin, dis- 
 
 1 Plan not received. See No. 2, Fig. 38. — Editor. 
 
 2 Plan not received. See No. 2, Fig. 39. — Editor. 
 
54 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 covers a thick mass of masonry, a feeling of curiosity and greed is at once 
 aroused within him, for people of his ilk have not the remotest idea of an 
 architectural necessity. In this spirit some ruthless treasure seeker made 
 disfiguring breaches in the thick mass of later inserted masonry. Could it 
 have been the same individual who disfigured Great Temple V ? 
 
 Setting up my photographic apparatus at the east end of the gallery, I 
 succeeded in taking a very good view, which even shows the partitioning off 
 into three apartments (Plate 11, Fig. 2). The character of the step-shaped 
 vaulting can be recognized on the picture, also the round tsapotl beams, and 
 also, alas! the disfigurement caused by barbaric intruders. 
 
 The exterior length of the structure is 30 m. 77 cm. Breadth, 499 cm. 
 The frieze had a slight inward pitch and over every doorway and at each 
 corner a large grotesque face with lateral scroll-work. These interesting 
 frieze decorations are no longer in a condition to be successfully photographed, 
 but are still a sight worth the traveller’s trouble. 
 
 Of the third palace 1 can only say that its proportions were similar to 
 those of the first palace, but its divisions into chambers can no longer be 
 determined. 
 
 The north side of the square is occupied by two small heaps of debris 
 and a terrace construction of considerable size, being a rather broad rec¬ 
 tangular terrace with no buildings upon it. On the observer’s right 
 (toward the east) it has an extension of diminished breadth, on the east 
 end of which stood a small temple with stairway and facade facing the 
 square on the south. This ruined little temple still shows traces of the 
 typical three-fold division. At the west end of the broader part of the 
 terrace a sustaining wall, reinforced by buttresses, is still in fairly good 
 condition. 
 
 The west side of the Square of the Seven Temples is occupied by a row 
 of three temples and a terrace-construction. The edifices of this row, which 
 are somewhat larger than those of the row of seven, turned their facades and 
 stairways toward the west, toward a square on a somewhat lower level, 
 which we will call the Square of the Five Temples, hence their backs were 
 turned to the Square of the Seven Temples. All their faqades are broken 
 down. 
 
 We will begin the description of this row of structures with the first 
 temple on the right (on the north) which is larger than the second, which in 
 its turn is larger then the third. Each of the three temples stands upon a 
 substructure, which forms a platform and has a stairway on the west side. 
 All the temples show the typical threefold division, but in the third a solid 
 mass of masonry takes the place of the third chamber. The first temple is 
 the most spacious and most carefully carried out as to details. A narrow 
 terrace separates the first temple from the second, which the third closely 
 adjoins. Adjoining the third temple is an oblong terrace, one half of which 
 
TIIvAL. 
 
 55 
 
 seems quite devoid of architectural remains while the other half has a pile of 
 ruins which is highest in the middle. 
 
 The piece of terrace without buildings is adjoined at right angles by 
 another terrace-construction having a projection at its northern end and no 
 traces of buildings on top. A little further to the west, but standing within 
 the square, is a fourth temple with the usual substructure and with fagade 
 and stairway facing west, and having the typical threefold division of the 
 inside space. On the ground to the west of it are four piles of stones in a 
 row (probably ruins of very small monuments), the two smallest in the 
 middle and larger ones at either end. Near the most northerly of these piles 
 begins a long drawn out mass of ruins shaped thus -| , probably the remains 
 of a totally destroyed row of apartments, embracing, as it were, on the south 
 and west the largest sepulchral pyramid of Tikal, having stairways on all 
 four sides and apparently no temple on the truncated platform. 
 
 The pyramid is about 20 m. in height. I could not determine the 
 number of its offsets since their outline had become indistinct. 
 
 The space surrounding the sepulchral pyramid is closed in on the north 
 by a fifth temple, with fagade and stairway facing south (facing the pyra¬ 
 mid). This temple has, as usual, the triple division; the third chamber, 
 however, being replaced by a solid mass of masonry, as in the case of the 
 third temple. 
 
 Adjoining the northeast corner of this temple is a small ruined structure 
 having a ground plan shaped thus r, of which only a piece of the solid west 
 wall remains. 
 
 To the south and west of the Square of the Five Temples and the great 
 Sepulchral Pyramid there are no more ruins but only level country with 
 quarries here and there. 
 
 Proceeding a few steps in a northerly direction from the r -shaped 
 ruins with the piece of west wall, and then crossing through a shallow 
 ravine, the explorer comes out at the narrow, southern end of the Great 
 Palace with the beautiful stepped vaultings in the east chamber of the first 
 story. 
 
 This brings to a close what may be considered a very complete archi¬ 
 tectural description of Tikal, which will offer no difficulties if the general 
 plan of the city and the detailed plans are carefully consulted. It is neces¬ 
 sary to imagine that in ancient times the monumental sections of the city 
 were surrounded by thousands of houses and huts built of perishable material, 
 and covered with roofs of palm leaves. Furthermore, that for the support 
 of a population numbering, no doubt, hundreds of thousands, the surrounding 
 forests had given way to fruitful maize plantations, for only the cultivation 
 of maize on a very large scale could have nourished so great a population. 
 No doubt there were also reservoirs of water established here and there, 
 which are not now to be seen. 
 
56 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 The Incised Drawings in the Temples and Palaces of Tikal (Figs. 8 to 17). 
 The walls of the chambers in the principal structures of Tikal were generally 
 covered with the finest white stucco ; upon this the occupants skilled in 
 writing and drawing made incised drawings, presumably with a pointed flint 
 or obsidian knife such as was commonly carried at that period. 
 
 In the course of years a new coating of stucco was given to walls which 
 had become soiled or injured, and whatever incisions they held were natu¬ 
 rally covered. Therefore all the incised drawings copied by me must be re¬ 
 garded as having been made upon the very last coating of stucco. 
 
 These later coatings of stucco are, to be sure, no thicker than from 1 to 
 2 m., while the basis, that is, the coating of plaster on the walls and vault¬ 
 ings, is from 1 to 2 or more cm. in thickness. The stucco is so little inclined 
 to scale off that it is impossible to get at any drawings on the under layer. 
 
 The process of tracing these incisions, which are for the most part very 
 indistinct, is greatly aided by rubbing the surface of the incised walls with 
 
58 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 dry, fine, black earth (or anything else available). This brings out the 
 drawings very clearly. Sometimes it is necessary to run over the lines with 
 a soft pencil. Rubbing in moist black color is generally unfavorable to good 
 results. The best time to search for incisions is during the dry season, for 
 the moist sticky moss, which covers many walls, is then quite dry and 
 crumbly and easily brushed off. 
 
 Fig. 11. — Tikal: 1-5, incised drawings on walls of Temple II. 6-8, from walls of Palace of Two Stories 
 opposite Temple V. All separate. 
 
 Since the incised drawings in the ten figures are perfectly clear and 
 distinct, a description of them seems superfluous, and I shall confine myself 
 merely to a few remarks. 
 
 Apparently the greatest variety and license regarding personal adorn¬ 
 ment prevailed in Tikal, every one carrying out his individual taste in such 
 matters. Representations of women are scarcely ever met with on these 
 smooth walls, because, no doubt, priests and scribes were chiefly the inmates 
 of these monumental structures in which they pursued their calling. All 
 mirthful or amorous allusions were precluded among men leading lives of 
 serious meditation. Among these specimens of drawing, however, made dur¬ 
 ing the leisure hours of the occupants of these edifices, there is much which 
 cannot I think be found carved in stone but which might be compared with 
 Maya or even with Aztec picture-writing. For example, the three drawings 
 from the palace in which I lived (Figs. 11-17), representing priests(or deities?) 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 59 
 
 Fig. 12. — Ttkal: Incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. No. 4 
 is from walls of Palace in rear of Temple III. 
 
 Fig. 13. — Tikal: Incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. All separate. 
 
60 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 are strangely suggestive of similar figures in the Maya Codex of Dresden 
 pp. 25-28. The personages are standing erect, and are holding the ceremo¬ 
 nial staff in the outstretched hand. Two have animal heads. 
 
 Involuntarily the question presents itself: where did the Dresden Codex 
 originate ? Might it not have come, if not actually from Tikal, still from 
 some Maya city in the present Department of Peten, and have been sent as 
 
 Fig. 14. — Tikal: Incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. All separate. 
 
 a sample of Maya picture-writing to Europe ? At any rate, it did not origi¬ 
 nate in any of the large cities in the northern part of the peninsula of Yuca¬ 
 tan, like Uxmal, Mayapan, Kabahaucan, etc., and most certainly not in 
 Chichen Itza. 
 
 The picture of an execution from Great Temple II of Tikal (Fig. 10, 
 Nos. 5-7) also has a counterpart in the representation of a similar scene in 
 the Codex Nuttall, p. 84. An executioner with savage mien, with the aid of 
 a spear-thrower, is sending to the realms of death a criminal tied by his out¬ 
 spread arms to a stake. His wife is turning aside in horror and hastening 
 
TIKAL. 61 
 
 away! It is, of course, not improbable that the “ criminal ” was not a crimi¬ 
 nal at all, and that human justice in those distant times and countries was 
 quite as often at fault as it is with us. At any rate, the rudely sketched 
 female figure seems to suggest an underlying sense of disapproval. 
 
 The Stelae and Circular Altars of Tikal. For the sake of greater clear¬ 
 ness I will describe the sculptured stelae as an uninterrupted series. A repe- 
 
 Fig. 15. — Tikal: Incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. All separate. 
 
 tition of some of the remarks previously made in the general course of the 
 description of the ruined city will, of course, be unavoidable. 
 
 In its wealth of stelae and circular altars Tikal is unequalled among all 
 the known ruined cities. More than one hundred stelae can be found there 
 and nearly every one with its own circular altar. But of these numerous 
 stelae most of which were still in an upright position only a relatively small 
 number had bas-reliefs on one, two, three, or on all four sides. My careful 
 search resulted in finding only seventeen stelae with bas-reliefs, of which 
 only three, owing to complete demolition, could be photographed. Of cir- 
 
 
 j 
 
62 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 cular altars only six showed bas-reliefs, and of these only one could be 
 photographed, but that one is a choice specimen of Maya art. 
 
 It may be assumed as a matter of course that all these stelae, now plain, 
 were at one time covered with a smooth coating of stucco upon which all 
 kinds of figures and picture-writing had been executed in outline, or that. 
 
 Fiq. 16. — Tikal: 1-4, incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. 5-9, on 
 walls of Temple II. 
 
 at any rate, they had been covered with fiery red paint. The altars were 
 also no doubt painted red. 
 
 The limestone used for the stelae and altars of Tikal is of a light yellow 
 color and of a hard, fine grain. It can be broken into pieces and calcined, 
 but unlike certain stelae of Yaxhfi, for example, it is not turned into a heap 
 of rubble by the action of the elements or by the impact of falling trees. 
 
 Stela 1 (Plate 12, North side; Plate 13, Figs. 1, 2, 3, West, South, and 
 East sides). I consider this stela as having replaced No. 2, which was doubt- 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 63 
 
 less broken in pieces during some public calamity and then set aside. Owing 
 to their present imperfect condition and notwithstanding many deviations, the 
 two stelae must be considered together in this description, since they supple¬ 
 ment each other. 
 
 In 1895 I had already discovered this magnificent stela, then almost com¬ 
 pletely buried, and I sought in vain for the top, which had been struck off 
 
 Fig. 17.— Tikal • 1, incised drawings on wait of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V. 2, 3, on walls 
 of Middle Palace formerly of one apartment. 
 
 by a falling tree and carried off, who knows by whom or whither. As the 
 men I had with me at the time were so very unwilling to aid me, I had to 
 give up all thought of excavating this stela. But the expedition being better 
 organized on my return in 1904, I at once began the work of uncovering it. 
 To enable me to photograph the stela on all four sides, it was necessary to 
 clear away the debris for a space of 4 metres in all directions. Thus the 
 missing fragment, if extant and hidden by debris, would necessarily have 
 come to light together with the circular altar belonging to its south side. 
 
64 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 Instead, we came upon the upper half of a second stela lying deeply buried 
 under debris, not far from the eastern narrow side-face of the first one. 
 Consequently Stela 2 must have been broken up by the inhabitants of Tikal 
 themselves and not by modern iconoclasts, nor by a falling tree, in which 
 case the lower half would have been found near by. 
 
 Stela 1, as well as the fragment of Stela 2 preserved as a memento, 
 stood before the stairway, close to the south side of the base, 4 m. high, of 
 the structure, which contained a front chamber with three small ones behind 
 it; that is, they stood upon the narrow space between that structure and the 
 back of the pyramid of the third temple of the group on the north side of 
 the principal square. The falling of the south fagade of the structure 
 just mentioned, covered the stelae with debris and thus preserved them from 
 destruction. 
 
 The seclusion of the spot, on which these two stelae stood, makes it appear 
 improbable that human sacrifice was ever performed before them, because 
 the bloody ceremony would then have remained invisible to the public. 
 That was also, no doubt, the reason why there was no circular altar placed 
 before them. Nevertheless, these two magnificent stelae must have been of 
 great importance to a select initiated few, and not to the populace, for they 
 are unique specimens of their kind and may be regarded as the finest in Tikal. 
 The present height of the stone from the very bottom to the highest point 
 of the fracture is 175 cm. to which one metre at least should be mentally 
 added for the missing portion. Breadth at the top, 64 cm. Thickness, 
 44 cm. 
 
 South Side together with the East and West Sides. Since there would not 
 have been room on the comparatively narrow south side of the stela for the 
 elaboration of the ceremonial bar and the other accessories, they were carried 
 over upon the narrow side-faces by which means a total breadth (at the top) 
 of 152 cm. was gained for the bas-relief as a whole. For the better com¬ 
 prehension of this combination, the three sides are shown upon one plate. 
 
 The symbolic glyph-base of the figure on the south side was almost 
 wholly let into the cement pavement; therefore it must have been invisible 
 even in ancient times, for it made its appearance only after we had cut away 
 the hard, thick layers of cement. To the right of the observer a conven¬ 
 tionalized head can be seen, of which the very deeply carved eye, the ear- 
 disk with a little hole and the large upturned nose can be plainly distinguished. 
 To the back of this head is joined a large conventionalized eye, and to this 
 a square with rounded corners from behind which appear serpent-heads 
 diagonally placed, all of which may be regarded as the ear-ornaments of the 
 conventionalized composite head. The ancients were fond of these symbolical 
 compositions, which are incomprehensible to us. 
 
 Standing upon the great glyph-base a personage of high rank is rep¬ 
 resented from the right side, the left foot a little advanced, the face turned 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 65 
 
 to the left, while the chest with the arras holding the ceremonial bar is 
 represented in front view. 
 
 It is probable that the main figure of the relief represents a priest of 
 high rank, not an actual deity, while the other numerous representations of 
 figures might be regarded as deities and mythological personages pertaining 
 to the Maya heaven. 
 
 The very elaborate buskins show the soles, the little straps drawn 
 between the toes, and attached to the front of each a head in profile placed 
 upside down (seen by inverting the picture). From the top of the leggings 
 proceeds an ornament curving outward, ornamented with feathers and ending 
 in a small double head which may be regarded as either right side up or 
 upside down. 
 
 The almost concealed loin-cloth composed of scales and bead-work is 
 held at the waist by a magnificent girdle ornamented with St. Andrew’s 
 crosses. The fantastically conventionalized tiger-head resting on a roll with 
 three pendants is doubtless meant to mark the centre of the girdle. The 
 small half recumbent figure on the right hip also rests on a roll with triple 
 pendants. The corresponding ornament on the left hip is of course invisible. 
 
 A long chain hangs down from the neck and curves to the right below 
 the girdle. Within the curve is an expressive profile mask resting upon a 
 serpent, and from this combination depends the ornamental flap with a 
 heavy tassel. On the left side apparently below the belt is a large bowknot 
 with a long pendant hanging obliquely, into which is carved a profile face 
 with a ball below. To the ball is joined a head in profile with a roll and 
 pendants under the chin. The whole may be regarded as the finishing 
 ornament at the back of the belt. 
 
 The body above the hips is probably nude. The necklace, if there is 
 one, and any other possible ornaments are concealed by the ceremonial bar 
 held in a horizontal position. The handsomely elaborated cuffs at both 
 wrists differ in form from those usually seen. 
 
 The face is in profile and has a crescent-shaped ear-ornament (of flint), 
 from which proceeds elaborate ornamentation including a pendant of disks, 
 which serves as the common ear-ornament of two half masks turned in 
 opposite directions in such a manner that one serves as a support for the 
 chin and the other for the back of the head. 
 
 The fracture runs obliquely across the forehead, and since the piece 
 broken off has mysteriously disappeared, the fairly well preserved helmet on 
 Stela 2 must furnish us with an approximate idea of the head-dress on No. 1. 
 Presumably the helmet consisted of a great deity-mask with proboscis and 
 certain elaborations at the back, surmounted by a symbolic composition. A 
 plume of feathers hung down behind, the ends of which can still be seen in 
 the upper left hand corner. 
 
 A mantle of feathers forms the background of the whole relief. It rises 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM Y. — 9 
 
66 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 in flat arches from both shoulders of the Ahaucan and then turns the cor¬ 
 ner to cover the adjoining narrow side-faces, diminishing in width as it falls 
 to spread out again near the ground in C-shaped curves. It is most richly 
 ornamented with mythological figures and scroll-work and edged with a row 
 ef beads and feathers. 
 
 The ceremonial bar displays great conventionalized open jaws at either 
 end. In the jaw on the observers left (turning the west corner) crouches 
 the singular little figure of a god with the familiar proboscis and plainly 
 showing the perforated ear-disk. The forehead is twisted into a mask 
 looking backward. In his outstretched left hand the god holds a disk with 
 four points (two of them invisible). 
 
 A serpent, rising in coils, rests on the lower mandible of the open jaw on 
 this side and between its little jaws holds a head with a chin support and a 
 pendant which again seems to develop into two grotesque faces. 
 
 At the bottom of the left side facing the C-shaped curve described 
 above, is an open jaw holding a face in profile with closed eyes. Upon its 
 visible left cheek is a small crescent and an S-shaped object is applied 
 to the corner of the mouth. A round bead is attached to the nose or to the 
 upper lip, and two wavy bands, which I cannot account for, issue from the 
 mouth. 
 
 Behind the scroll-work proceeding from the open jaws rises a cylindri¬ 
 cal shaft common to both the south and the west sides of the stela, and 
 together with it on the west an ornamental post. An apelike manikin clasps 
 the shaft with arms and legs, and turns his face toward another manikin 
 developed from the scroll-work, with a second face in profile set above his 
 own. 
 
 A central division is formed by a sacrificial knife projecting horizontally 
 from the ornamental post, the point ending in a bent plus sign (swastica) 
 to which is joined a convolution of scrolls enclosing a grotesque half-mask. 
 
 Coiling above the ornamental post, above the apelike manikin, a serpent 
 can be seen with clearly defined heart-shaped tail and peculiarly formed head. 
 While above the swastica another manikin develops from scrolls, who, with 
 a second profile head set above his own, stares at the serpent. 
 
 The fringe of beard on the lower mandible of the open jaw forming this 
 end of the ceremonial bar can be seen just above the serpent’s head. 
 
 Turning now to the elaborated jaw of the ceremonial bar extending 
 over the east side-face we see a manikin crouching in its curves and turning 
 his osumatli-ia.ee backward. His uplifted right hand holds a kind of devil- 
 mask with a curved object set with points attached to the chin. 
 
 Here too a coiling serpent rests on the end of the lower, bearded mandi¬ 
 ble and holds a half obliterated round face with a gracefully curved pendant 
 in its open mouth. 
 
 The C-shaped end of the feather mantle, on this side of the stela as on 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 67 
 
 the other, contains an open jaw elaboration holding a profile face with closed 
 eye, the whole design facing the curved hem of the mantle. Behind this 
 composition rises a cylindrical shaft with its parallel ornamental post mark¬ 
 ing the transition of the south face to the east side-face. 
 
 At its lower end the cylindrical shaft is clasped with arms and legs by 
 a manikin with a fierce monkey face, apparently engaged in a lively conver¬ 
 sation with the double-headed manikin opposite developed from the scrolls. 
 
 Here too there is a sacrificial knife above the double heads, projecting 
 horizontally from the post and having a swastica at its point, to which is 
 joined scroll-work encircling a half-mask. 
 
 Over the head of the fierce monkey-faced man a serpent twines about 
 the cylindrical shaft, and at the upper end of the ornamental post, close 
 under the beard-fringe of the open jaw at this point, can be seen a monkey- 
 mask resting upon the ornamentation of the post (round beads with feather 
 pendants), while opposite with questioning gaze is the head of a scroll-evolved 
 manikin with the usual topping of a second profile head. 
 
 There were no vestiges of color found on this bas-relief, which had been 
 executed by a master hand and shows only the natural jlight color of the 
 very superior quality of stone. All the mythological accessories of the relief 
 are puzzling figures. 
 
 North Side. Two vertical rows of glyphs are cut into the smooth sur¬ 
 face of this side. The seven lowest glyphs of each row are well preserved. 
 How many there were above the line of fracture it is difficult to conjecture. 
 
 Stela 2 (Plate 14, combination of West, South and East sides). The 
 greatest length of the piece found was 120 cm.; breadth, 65 cm.; thickness 
 38 cm. 
 
 South side, together with east and west sides. 
 
 I will preface this description by remarking that the general arrange¬ 
 ment of the relief on Stela 2 is similar to that on No. 1, but that many devi¬ 
 ations appear in the details. Also the position given to the high priest on 
 Stela 1, though similar to that on No. 2, differs in direction ; in other words, 
 while the face of the principal figure on No. 1 turns to the east, that of No. 
 
 2 turns to the west. 
 
 Keeping this change of direction in mind we may assume that the per¬ 
 sonage of high rank on Stela 2 — presumably also standing on a great glyph 
 — was represented from the left side from the feet to the girdle, the right 
 foot being a little advanced, while the chest together with the arms bearing 
 the ceremonial bar are presented from in front, but the face is turned to the 
 right. Above the line of fracture the girdle can be seen ornamented with a 
 St. Andrew’s cross and knobs with a central depression. 
 
 The fine profile head on the observer’s left should probably be regarded 
 as the central ornament of the girdle, while the head on the observer’s right 
 
68 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN .GUATEMALA. 
 
 might be the ornament of the left hip, the one on the right not being visible. 
 The head on the observer's left shows plainly the S-shaped tooth, or object 
 externally applied to the corner of the mouth, the nose-bead and perforated 
 ear-disk. This head is overtopped by another with an elongated saw-toothed 
 upper lip under a long projecting nose with round bead ornament inserted in 
 the angle formed by nose and lip. 
 
 The head on the right shows what may be called a covered eye. A 
 small S-scroll can be distinguished at the corner of the mouth, also the ear- 
 disk with perforation. Both heads rest upon a similarly ornamented bar 
 with large pendants. 
 
 The figure in this relief also has a chain falling far down over the cere¬ 
 monial bar and presumably curving to the left. A grotesque face under the 
 only visible St. Andrew’s cross of the girdle might be regarded as the orna¬ 
 ment from which the flap depends. The cuffs at the wrist are very elaborate 
 and the closed hands have the same position as on Stela 1. 
 
 Above the ceremonial bar, over the right hand of the priest, can be seen 
 a head in profile, probably meant for the central medallion head of the neck 
 or breast ornament. This head is overtopped by a half head with a probos¬ 
 cis, which supports the chin of the priest, his face being in profile. An ani¬ 
 mal’s head looking in the opposite direction is in its turn overtopped by a 
 half-mask with the proboscis curved downward. The chain seems to fall 
 from the first of these heads. I might add that a strangely conventionalized 
 profile head seems to rest on either shoulder. 
 
 The large ear-disk of the principal personage has the same horseshoe 
 shape as that on Stela 1. A small crescent « is applied to the cheek and from 
 the corner of the mouth a S-scroll curves downward and seems to continue at 
 the top obliquely across the nose, which however does not preclude the appli¬ 
 cation of a nose-bead. The head is surmounted by the familiar deity-mask, 
 this time with the proboscis turning upward. Scroll-work is attached to 
 the front of this fantastic head, and a confused elaboration of scrolls develops 
 at the back and above its head-dress of symbolic horizontal and vertical lines; 
 the helmet rises in a lofty construction. On the front of the head-dress is a 
 curve ) within which is a head in profile. A plume of feathers falls from 
 the scroll-work at the back. 
 
 From each shoulder of the priest the feather mantle rises in the form of 
 a flattened arch and turning to cover the east and west sides of the stela, 
 forms a background for. the mythological accessories. Before describing 
 what is held by the open jaws of the ceremonial bar, I would call attention 
 to the unmistakable sign for 9 (a bar with four dots), placed beside the large 
 glyph over the conventionalized face on the right shoulder within the curve 
 of the mantle. It seems to have a counterpart in the sign for 7 (a bar with 
 two dots), placed before it over the head on the left shoulder. 
 
 Within the open jaws of the ceremonial bar, which turns to the west 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 69 
 
 side-face of the stela, a deity is seen sitting in Turkish fashion upon a stone 
 bench. The left arm with a cuff at the wrist is perfectly distinct, also 
 a half-mask with downward curved proboscis close under the chin, and 
 another turning in the opposite direction under the ear-ornament, which has 
 the same horseshoe shape as that of the principal figure. The eye appears 
 to be closed. 
 
 The head-dress shows first a grotesque face with a proboscis curved 
 downward, backed by another smaller one looking in the opposite direction. 
 Surmounting the first face is a .second with a smaller one behind looking the 
 same way. Above these a third face is placed, surmounted by a fourth 
 surrounded by scrolls and extending beyond the border of the feather mantle. 
 
 Within the jaws on the east side crouches an exceedingly fierce looking god 
 holding an uncertain object obliquely across his breast with his raised right 
 hand, and having a head-dress of such confused design that it defies descrip¬ 
 tion. Before the sinister eye of the god, there seems to be a raised nose- 
 ornament and below the eye and the ornament there is a double curve which 
 obscures the mouth. The ear-ornament is not round but composed of 
 points. 
 
 Among the scroll-work of the head-dress belonging to this fear-inspiring 
 face, an ear-disk with perforation can be distinguished attached to a grotesque 
 mask. An oval design surmounted by scrolls rises obliquely beyond the 
 edge of the feather mantle forming a finish for the whole. 
 
 Below the bearded lower mandible of the open jaws on both the east 
 and west sides are four groups of chronological heads looking upward. 
 These groups are separated vertically by a bone and horizontally by a row 
 of round beads with feather fringe. On the west side only one of the heads 
 is preserved, but on the east side four of these glyphic heads can be plainly 
 distinguished (by turning the picture either way). There were no remnants 
 of color found on this beautifully executed bas-relief. 
 
 The North Side. This side shows two vertical rows of large glyphs, but 
 so badly worn away that they could not be photographed. 
 
 Along the north side of the principal square extends the first terrace on 
 the south side of the group of temples situated there. The terrace rises 
 barely three metres above the level ground of the square. 
 
 Of the four temples with south fagades constituting the front row of the 
 group, the one at the west end of the terrace (on the observer’s left) had no 
 stela before it, but the second has four stelae at the southern foot of its 
 pyramid. Of these stelae two are plain and two (Nos. 3 and 4) have relief 
 carving. There is a circular altar in front of each of the four stelae, but 
 only the one belonging to No. 4 has relief-work. 
 
 Stela 3 (Plate 15, combination of West, South and East). Height of 
 stone from base line of figure to the very top is 153 cm., to which should 
 

 TO EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 be added about 45 cm. for the part sunk into the cement pavement. Breadth, 
 58 cm. Thickness, 39 cm. 
 
 South Side. The personage on this side, presumably a priest, is repre¬ 
 sented from the left side and standing with the right foot a little in advance. 
 The feet are protected by plain, but high buskins. The loin-cloth is held 
 about the waist by a broad girdle, with a large profile head attached to the 
 front, resting on a roll with pendants. In order not to conceal the out¬ 
 stretched right hand and wrist, the artist set the head somewhat farther down 
 than it ought to be. 
 
 A double string of beads hangs about the neck and breast. The profile 
 face of the priest is badly hacked, which can be laid up against the Yucatec 
 milpero gang, who, making a milpa of the principal square of Tikal, hacked 
 away the faces of all the carved figures, so that their angered spirits should 
 do the fields no harm. A shocking custom quite common among the modern 
 half-breeds of Yucatan! To the lower part of the head-dress, now become 
 indistinct, a small bunch of feathers is attached in front. A design re¬ 
 sembling an arm forms the top, and a bunch of feathers falls downward at 
 the back. 
 
 A large head is attached to the back of the priest. Though the face in 
 profile is badly hacked, the ear-ornament with accessories can still be dis¬ 
 tinguished, also the two faces placed one over the other surmounting the 
 priest’s head, also a half-mask supported by a roll with pendants under the 
 chin. The whole composition rests on a framework reaching low down and 
 ending in a half-mask with a little scrolled pendant. 
 
 While the left arm hangs down at the side, the outstretched right hand 
 holds a triply composite staff of ceremony, which rests below on a large pro¬ 
 file head glyph, placed close to the right foot. The three parts of the staff 
 are held together in the middle by a solid ornament and the top is finished 
 off by another. 
 
 The Narrow Side-faces on the East and West. The eastern side-face has two 
 vertical rows of nine glyphs each, and the western two rows of only eight 
 glyphs each, making 34 glyphs in all. The glyphs are all very well pre¬ 
 served and with a favorable light (not always to be had) they came out 
 finely on the photograph. These glyphs are not as desperately composite 
 as certain others and therefore will probably be more easily deciphered. 
 
 The north side is plain. 
 
 Stela 4 (Plate 16). This stone was so nearly covered up by debris 
 which had rolled down from the temple-pyramid behind it, that the only 
 visible portion was a plain, pointed top with the beginnings of glyphic scroll¬ 
 work. Though the stone appeared to be without value, I nevertheless con¬ 
 cluded to excavate all around it down to the cement pavement of the terrace. 
 It gradually became apparent that we had before us a stela, let upside down 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 71 
 
 into the cement pavement so deep that we had to break the layer of mortar 
 which partially concealed the tiger-head on the south side and the initial 
 glyph on the north. It is the only time in my archaeological experience that 
 I have met with a similar case. Is it possible that this sculptured image had 
 also lost credit with the faithful of Tikal, and instead of being broken in 
 pieces was set up head downward? It is difficult indeed to surmise the 
 reason for this singular act. At any rate, the face having been buried 
 under debris, escaped being hacked by the milpero gang! 
 
 The height of the stone from the plain point which ought to be at the 
 bottom, to the edge of the rounded top is 161 cm. Breadth in the middle, 
 86 cm. Thickness, 37 cm. 
 
 South Side (Plate 16, Fig. 2). The height of the relief from its low¬ 
 est base line (if it were correctly placed) to the top edge of the rounding off 
 is 123 cm. Holding the photograph in the proper position, we distinguish 
 at the bottom large glyph compositions with the sign for 13 (two bars and 
 three dots) placed on the observer’s right. It should be noted that the sculp¬ 
 tor added two more faintly indicated vertical lines on the edge which curves 
 round to the adjoining narrow side-face of the stela. If those two lines have 
 a numerical value, we should read 23. Above the glyphic base appears the 
 glyphic half-length image of a personage represented in front view. The 
 upper edge of a collar apparently made of feathers can still be distinguished. 
 The smooth round face has a large ear-disk on either side. The tiger-head 
 forming the head-dress is surmounted by scroll-work from which a plume of 
 feathers falls downward on the left (from the observer). 
 
 There still remain faint indications of the left arm with the closed hand 
 lying upon the breast. The arm holds what looks like a short quiver with 
 feathers projecting at the top, and near the bottom it has three long points 
 falling over the lower arm and the wristlet which is ornamented with disks. 
 
 It is difficult to determine by what the right arm is concealed. Gener- 
 ally speaking, the relief on the south side turns with rounded edges over 
 upon the narrow side-faces. Can the personage here represented be a sac¬ 
 rificial priest, since such priests actually wore the tiger helmet ? Or is it a 
 female deity ? Who can tell ? 
 
 North Side (Plate 16, Fig. 1). The carving of glyphs on this side is 
 adapted to the considerable unevenness of the stone. The photograph held 
 m the right position and compared with my sketch,' will give a correct 
 idea of the glyphs. At the top is the large initial glyph, below it are two 
 glyphs, and then (counting the horizontal rows) four sets of three glyphs: — 
 Thus l-)-2-|-3-f-3-|-3-f-3 = 15 glyphs. 
 
 Before this shattered stela stood a circular altar (No. I in my enumera¬ 
 tion) 118 centimetres in diameter and of considerable thickness (or height). 
 This stone was not deeply buried and it seemed to me to have on its upper 
 1 This drawing of the glyphs is not reproduced. — Editor. 
 
72 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 surface remnants of sculpture very much worn away. Badly weathered 
 glyphs on the cylindrical side were more plainly recognizable. 
 
 In excavating the stela and also for the purpose of setting up my pho¬ 
 tographic apparatus, I was forced to set the altar up on one side when, to 
 my surprise, the under side disclosed a relief of strong projection, but un¬ 
 fortunately badly disintegrated by the moisture of the earth. It seemed to 
 represent a figure seated in European fashion, holding out a large head with 
 both hands. 
 
 Keeping in view the architectural centre of the whole group, the third 
 temple may be regarded as having the most advanced position. On the 
 south side of the pyramidal substructure of this third temple, there is set up 
 a row of five stelae, and a sixth placed centrally before them with a consid¬ 
 erable distance between. 
 
 Of all these stelae only the first on the right (No. 5 in the general enu¬ 
 meration) has relief-work and a sacrificial altar belonging to it (No. II), 
 while the last stela to the left is plain and likewise has a circular altar (No. 
 Ill) before it with bas-relief. 
 
 Stela S (Plate 17, combination of West, South and East sides). 
 This stela is still in an upright position. The height from the base-line of 
 the figure to the top of the stone is 212 cm., to which should be added about 
 75 cm. for the plain portion, most of which is let into the ground, giving a 
 total of about 287 cm. Breadth near the top, 112 cm. Thickness, 40 cm. 
 
 Southern Broad Face (Plate 17, Fig. 2). The sumptuously adorned per¬ 
 sonage, presumably a priest of high rank, on this stela, is represented strictly 
 from the left side, the right foot not advanced, merely a faint outline of the 
 right leg being discernible behind the left, as was customary in sculpture of 
 that period. The high buskin of the visible left leg is richly ornamented. 
 Over a loin-cloth of thin material coming down in an oblique line below the 
 knee, the priest wears breeches of tiger-skin with tail hanging down behind, 
 and an ornamental flap with a goggle-eyed mask hanging down in fiont. 
 The very elaborate girdle might be regarded as a third loin covering. It dis. 
 plays St. Andrew’s crosses above, between horizontal groups of lines, and on 
 the lower edge a double fringe of feathers and snail shells. In front, the 
 girdle has a large profile head with a criss-cross bar and pendants under the 
 chin and a surrounding drapery of flat bands. The breast-cape consists of a 
 wide bead collar with a deep feather fringe on the edge and a mask with a 
 triple pendant attached in front. 
 
 The profile countenance of the priest is completely demolished, but it 
 undoubtedly had an ornamental support below the chin, of which a little half¬ 
 mask still remains resting upon the left shoulder, and also a small tiger tail 
 falling over the bead collar and curving toward the front. A scrolled nose- 
 ornament can also be distinguished. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 73 
 
 The rest of the relief is all scaled off up to the top. Hence the head¬ 
 dress has vanished, only the ends of the feather plumes still remain at the 
 back. 
 
 The left arm hangs straight down and distinctly shows the richly orna¬ 
 mented wristlet. The hand holds the elaborate pouch, which ends in imi¬ 
 tation of a rattlesnake’s tail. (The pendant hanging parallel with the 
 pouch, I regard as the ornamental flap.) 
 
 In his outstretched right hand the priest holds a little idol (now almost 
 demolished) by one of its legs, which, as usual, ends in a serpent writhing 
 forward, and now nearly scaled off. Below the little idol there is a vertical 
 row of three well preserved glyphs, and above it there was once a double 
 row, now wholly scaled off. 
 
 The priest has the large head of a deity attached to his back, probably 
 fastened to his girdle. Below the chin is a bar with three visible pendants, 
 and the forehead is surmounted by the familiar half-mask with proboscis. 
 To the back of the double ear-ornaments is attached an oblong panel with 
 graceful outlines, from behind which issue long, beautifully curving feathers. 
 The lower end of the panel finishes in a large rectangular scroll. There 
 are presumably two of these ornaments (the other being invisible) with a 
 face between. 
 
 The captive destined to be sacrificed lies flat on his face close behind 
 the priest. The head, trunk and arms are all gone, but the legs and feet 
 together with the rope tied around the knees are well preserved. The 
 legs are bent at the knee and the feet held up in the air, as there was not 
 sufficient room to represent the captive stretched at full length. This relief 
 has considerable projection; the depressions still show vestiges of a coating 
 of fine stucco painted red. No other colors remain. 
 
 East and West Narrow Side-faces (Plate 17, Figs. 1, 3). Each side- 
 face has two vertical rows of twelve glyphs each, making a total of 
 48 glyphs. They are all, excepting the three at the top on the west 
 side, admirably preserved and distinctly show their very composite nature, 
 doubtless furnishing material for prolonged study and comparison. 
 
 North Side. This side is plain. 
 
 Before the south side of the stela lay a Circular Altar 125 cm. in 
 diameter and about 20 cm. in thickness, No. II in my enumeration. This 
 altar had relief-carving on the upper surface, now quite destroyed, and 
 handsome symbolic designs on the front (south) portion of the cylindrical 
 surface, which is well preserved near the lower edge, but scaled off below 
 the upper edge. 
 
 In 1895, while inspecting Stela 5, I found a large heap of coals and 
 ashes on the ground before it, the circular altar having been flung to one 
 side. I thought it very strange that roaming hunters should have chosen 
 
 MEM. PEABODT MUSEUM V.— 10 
 
74 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 this particular spot for their camp fire. Afterward, in the fine second 
 gallery in the fourth story of the Palace of Five Stories, I found an 
 abandoned paper mould of the relief on the south side of Stela 5. After 
 carefully looking it over, I was forced to admit that it was very well done ; 
 and had probably been left because it could not be rolled up, owing to the 
 strong projection of the relief, and there was no other way of transporting 
 it. Finding more such suspicious traces of fire in front of stelae afterward 
 in Seibal, I conferred with my men concerning them and learned that 
 Senor Federico Artes with his mould-maker, Gorgonio Lopez, had previously 
 visited Tikal in order to take paper moulds of the best reliefs. Of course, 
 I am not prepared to say that the scaling off of Stela 5 and its Circular 
 Altar (II) was in consequence of moulding fires, though I must confess I did 
 not think that either of the stones had gained by the process. It seemed a 
 great pity, however, to leave that excellent mould behind. 
 
 Circular Altar III, with Relief-work. The stela standing on the left 
 wing of this group is quite plain, as before stated, but its Circular Altar III 
 has relief-work on its face, and on its cylindrical sides. 
 
 The face of the stone shows a manikin in a posture expresssing anima¬ 
 tion, but very much worn away, while the surrounding scroll-work is much 
 better preserved. 
 
 The cylindrical sides, divided into oblong spaces, display a tasteful 
 symbolic design, consisting chiefly of two oval figures crossed by a band 
 and separated from each other by a criss-cross design. The small oblong 
 space on the front (the south) contains an agreeably conventionalized head. 
 The diameter of this circular altar is 1 m., its thickness (height) 48 cm. 
 
 The fourth temple coming next in order on the left wing of the series 
 (the one on the east) has three stelae belonging to it; a plain one before 
 the south front (on the observer’s left) to which belongs Circular Altar IV 
 with relief, another No. 6 (on the observer’s right) with relief but broken 
 in pieces, and a third (in advance of the others on the central line of the 
 temple to which it belongs) No. 7 in my enumeration, with relief and 
 likewise broken in pieces. 
 
 Circular Altar IV, with relief. This altar is in front of and close to 
 the plain stela, which still maintains an upright position. The diameter 
 of the altar is 124 cm. The low relief on the face is fairly well preserved 
 near the edge of the circle. The relief seems to represent a figure seated 
 on a scroll and surrounded by scroll-work. As for the half-buried cylin¬ 
 drical surface, this seems to have been decorated with symbolical designs 
 and may have been better preserved than the top. 
 
 Stela 6. This once beautiful stela had relief-work on the south side 
 and glyphs on the narrow side-faces, but it is now so completely broken 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 75 
 
 up, that it was impossible to do anything with it.. One can only faintly 
 recognize that the south side is occupied by a sumptuously clad personage 
 with a helmet and plume of feathers, and that the carving of the glyphs 
 on the side-faces was clear and good. 
 
 Stela 7 (Plate 18, Fig. 1, South side). This stela, which as I have said, 
 stood in advance of the others, was also broken in pieces, but I was able to 
 join two of the largest fragments. The breadth of the stone is 57 cm. 
 
 The relief may represent an old sorcerer or Ilmen from the left side. 
 The left leg, no doubt, was slightly advanced. Instead of a regular girdle 
 this personage probably wore only a sash. A double string of beads depends 
 from the neck to which seems attached the obliquely placed head of a small 
 mammal whose right paw is stretched out to grasp the elaborated staff of 
 ceremony. Long pointed feathers fall down over the breast and upper arm. 
 The Hmen wears on his breast a head seen in profile with a pendent fringe 
 of feathers below. The ear-disk can still be distinguished as well as an 
 ornament near the nose. A large head, also in profile, was attached to the 
 back of this personage; it is now wholly demolished, though its pendants 
 still remain, as also the two straps running over the left upper arm, by means 
 of which the head was held in place. 
 
 The face is that of an old man with a circle around the eye. The ear- 
 ornament has the familiar horseshoe form, finishing with an extension 
 covering the cheek and two pendants. 
 
 The head-dress consists of a combination of broad horizontal bands, the 
 lowest one finishing at the back in a fantastic half human face, below which 
 an outstretched paw appears to be grasping some object. A vertical band, 
 running over the head from ear to ear, seems to hold the head-dress to¬ 
 gether, while a large conventionalized eye is attached in front. 
 
 The left arm hangs down at the side of the body, and has a large flat 
 wristlet. The hand holds the familiar pouch. 
 
 The outstretched right hand holds a composite staff of ceremony with 
 an ornament on top. The staff resembles that on Stela 3, only it is not 
 quite so long, or else it is only half portrayed. 
 
 In spite of the badly demolished condition of the stone, the photograph 
 turned out quite satisfactorily. The face, at any rate, of the aged sorcerer 
 is not hacked away, since the stone, broken and lying on the ground, did not 
 attract the attention of the iconoclastic milpero-gang. 
 
 The narrow side-faces of this small and rather thick stela were badly 
 damaged, but each still showed traces of a single vertical row of glyphs. 
 
 The north side or back of the stela is plain. 
 
 Along the northern edge of the principal square, near the slope (former 
 stairway ?) which leads up to the first terrace described above, there is a 
 row of thirteen stelae, seven of which have relief-work (Nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 
 
76 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 13, 14). All these stelae, with the exception of No. 14, have circular altars 
 placed before them on the south. 
 
 A little way in front of this row is another of five plain stelae, each 
 with a circular altar before it on its south side. In front of the west stair¬ 
 way of Great Temple I stood two large plain stelae (now fallen down) each 
 with a circular altar on the west side, and in front of the east stairway of 
 Great Temple II stands a single plain stela with its circular altar on the 
 east, as a matter of course. 
 
 Of the seven sculptured stelae on the north edge of the square, there is 
 now (1904) only one, No. 10, standing in an upright position. The three 
 stelae, Nos. 8, 9, 13, which I found still standing when I visited Tikal in 
 1895, had in the meantime been thrown down by chicleros, who are the 
 perpetrators of so much mischief in the ruins, because, in their stupidity and 
 covetousness, they hoped to find hidden treasure underneath. A certain 
 Emiliano Vasquez of Flores seems to be the chief instigator of this kind of 
 depredation. As it was an extremely difficult matter to set up the fallen 
 stelae for the purpose of photographing them, I sent a protest to the govern¬ 
 ment of the Department of Peten regarding this wanton mischief, at the 
 same time calling attention to the fact, that the chicleros were given con¬ 
 cessions for gathering gum but not for despoiling the ruins. 
 
 Stela 8 (Plate 19, West, South and East sides). The entire height 
 or length of this stone is 193 cm., 150 cm. of which belong to the figure on 
 the south side, measured from its base line to the very top. Greatest width, 
 52 cm.; thickness, 43 cm. 
 
 South Side (Plate 19, Fig. 2). Before this stela was thrown down by 
 the chicleros. it was let into the pavement up to the ankles of the exalted 
 personage represented on the south side. The photograph plainly shows the 
 top layer of cement still clinging to the ankles. 
 
 This personage of high rank is represented from the left side with the 
 right foot placed a little in advance of the other. The sandal on the left 
 foot is still very distinct. The sole can be seen held in place by little straps 
 drawn between the toes, also a heel protector, the strap around the ankle 
 and above it on the outer side of the leg, the familiar half-mask with 
 proboscis. Above the eye of this mask, instead of a forehead, a large oval 
 is applied with the sign for two (8) before it forming a kind of glyph. Of 
 course the corresponding ornament on the outer side of the right leg cannot 
 be seen. As the relief is almost quite demolished above the thigh, the loin¬ 
 cloth, girdle, etc. cannot be discussed. 
 
 Depending from the neck, however, two bands can still be distinguished, 
 to the lower end of which a mask was no doubt attached. Presumably the 
 face, now wholly hacked away, was supported by an ornament which 
 concealed the neck. There are no vestiges of the head-dress remaining. 
 
■■uiSaHaH 
 
 _ - 
 
 TIKAL. 77 
 
 The left arm probably hung down at the side, while the right hand held 
 the triple ceremonial staff, still plainly to be seen. The staff had an orna¬ 
 ment below, in the middle and on top very much like the staff on Stela 3. 
 Traces still remain of a large head, with pendants and ornaments surmount¬ 
 ing the forehead, attached to the back of this personage of high sacerdotal 
 rank. 
 
 Western Side-face (Plate 19, Fig. 1). This side has a vertical row of 
 eight large, well preserved glyphs arranged in groups of two thus, 2 + 2 
 
 ~t - 2 —|— 2. 
 
 Eastern Side-face (Plate 19, Fig. 3): This side has a 1 vertical row of 
 fifteen glyphs. Beginning at the top and going downward they are arranged 
 in groups of 3 —)— 4 -(— 4 —f- 4. They are fairly well preserved, with the ex¬ 
 ception of two in the middle of the stone, where there is a large oblong hole, 
 and one other below, on the observer’s left, where there is a smaller hole. 
 These holes were originally filled up with little stones and stucco, and upon 
 this filling the missing parts of the glyphs were modelled. The filling is 
 now all gone. 
 
 The north side is plain. 
 
 In spite of the badly mutilated condition of the south relief of this stela, 
 it will still be of importance to Americanists who are attempting the deci¬ 
 pherment of hieroglyphs. This stela, unfortunately, is among those thrown 
 down by chicleros. 
 
 Stela 9 (Plate 20, combination of West, South, and East sides). 
 This stela is another of those thrown down by the rapacious chicleros, who, 
 as may be supposed, found nothing underneath. Whole height or length of 
 stone, 211 cm. Breadth, 65 cm. Thickness, 37 cm. 
 
 South Side (Plate 20, Fig. 2). The relief measures 141 cm. from the 
 base-line of the figure to the oval border (under an overhanging edge of 
 considerable projection). 
 
 Of all the stelae standing in the open and not protected by debris, the 
 relief on this one is best preserved. This is owing to the fact that in addi¬ 
 tion to the excellent, hard quality of the limestone, the south side was pro¬ 
 tected by its overhanging top from the direct violence of the rainfall. 
 
 The personage, probably of royal rank, represented from the right side 
 stands with the left foot slightly advanced. The sandal on the right foot is 
 particularly distinct. The little straps which pass between the toes to hold 
 the sole in place can be plainly distinguished, also the smooth leather heel 
 protector and the double strap around the ankle. 
 
 The loin-cloth, probably bordered with feathers, seems to be held around 
 the waist by a plain sash. Below it in front appears the broad ornamental 
 flap with the edges turned over at the sides, the centre being covered up by 
 a head in profile suspended forehead down from the plain girdle. Below the 
 
78 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 forehead the head has attached to it a roll with three pendants. (By turn¬ 
 ing the photograph upside down this ornament becomes intelligible.) 
 
 The breast and upper arms are concealed by a breast-cape of feather- 
 work. The necklace is fourfold and has a medallion head, seen only in pro¬ 
 file, attached in front, which is finished below by a radiating fringe of 
 feathers. Two straps come down from the neck under the necklace and 
 form a pretty plaited design on the front of the plain girdle, allowing the 
 ends, which appear and hang down at either side, to frame the head on the 
 ornamental flap. 
 
 The ear-disk shows four flattened knobs, and from a perforation in the 
 middle issues a little tassel hanging obliquely. The badly disfigured profile face 
 appears to better advantage on the photograph, owing to the deep shadow. 
 
 The back part of the head is supported by the upturned claws and head 
 of an eagle, the latter crowned by what resembles three radiating fleur-de-lis. 
 Over the forehead an alligator’s head with open jaws stretches forward, and 
 above this appears the “copilli” of the Aztec and Toltec kings, with an 
 ornament on the front. The “ copilli ” is surmounted by a head in profile 
 (the right ear-disk can be plainly distinguished) and from the top of the 
 head proceeds the plume of feathers falling down behind. 
 
 Below the eagle’s claws, which support the head, the feather mantle 
 falls from the shoulders, displaying at intervals three eagle-heads (which 
 perhaps can be more readily distinguished if the photograph is held upside 
 down). From each eagle-head proceeds a double scroll, which lies along the 
 edge of the stela. The tail of the serpent at the bottom of the mantle may 
 be regarded as the end of the sash knotted behind. 
 
 The outstretched right hand, with two bands around the wrist, holds 
 the staff of ceremony which is surmounted by the ketsal (bird). The left hand 
 also rests against the staff. 
 
 Can this splendidly arrayed personage with the eagle mantle, the copilli 
 crown and ketsal be one of the kings of Tikal? Was his name Ay (Alligator)? 
 
 The East and West Narrow Side-faces (Plate 20, Figs. 1, 2) each have a 
 vertical row of seven large, fairly well preserved glyphs, which will doubtless 
 be of value for purposes of comparison. 
 
 The north side is plain. 
 
 Stela 10 (Plate 21, West, South and East sides). 
 
 After the mischief perpetrated by the gum-gatherers mentioned above, 
 this is the only sculptured stela left standing in an upright position on the 
 principal square. 
 
 Measured on the south side the height from the base-line of the figure to 
 the rounded top is 206 cm. to which should be added at least 75 cm. for the 
 portion let into the pavement. Greatest breadth, 95 cm. Thickness, 42 cm. 
 
 South Side (Plate 21, Fig. 2). The work on this stela is in high relief 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 79 
 
 and perhaps for that very reason it is badly worn away by the action of the 
 elements, in addition to which the face of the captive, as well as that of 
 the principal personage, has been hacked away. 
 
 The personage of high rank is represented in front view, with feet apart 
 and the face turned to the right. The footgear is worn away past recogni¬ 
 tion. The loin-cloth of feathers with a border of shells is held up by a close 
 fitting girdle, which gives the figure the effect of a small waist and broad 
 hips. Below the girdle appears a broad ornamental flap with a head at¬ 
 tached at the top, the large pendants of which can still plainly be seen. 
 The breast-cape is formed of scales and the necklace has a small head now 
 grown indistinct. Nothing is left of the face but the two feathers projecting 
 from the nose. The helmet still shows a face on the front, a small plume of 
 feathers standing upright on top of all and a large plume hanging down 
 behind. The right hand holds up an object which can no longer be deter¬ 
 mined. The left hand hangs down at the side. 
 
 Behind the personage of rank lies the captive with arras crossed over 
 his breast and feet in air. The fact that his head looks like that of an 
 animal is merely the accidental result of demolition. 
 
 Accessory carvings on the background can no longer be distinguished. 
 The photograph shows very dark shadows, which have their advantages as 
 well as their disadvantages. Even a different light would bring out very 
 little more. In spite of the advanced stage of demolition, traces of stucco 
 and red color still remain. 
 
 Eastern Side-face (Plate 21, Fig. 3). The glyphs on the two side-faces 
 are in a far more satisfactory state of preservation, being also carved in 
 quite high relief. This side has a vertical row of thirteen large glyphs, be¬ 
 ginning at the top with the familiar initial glyph. 
 
 Western Side-face (Plate 21, Fig. 1). This side has a vertical row of 
 thirteen double glyphs, that is, the glyphs seem to be closely combined two 
 by two. The topmost glyph is entirely destroyed owing to the curve of the 
 stela at that point, and also to the scaling off of the stone at the back. 
 Only the lower half of the next glyph still remains. 
 
 North Side. This side shows the remains of four vertical rows of glyphs. 
 All the upper glyphs have scaled off or washed off. I cleared away the 
 concealing earth and debris from the lowest glyphs to see whether it would 
 be worth while to photograph the entire north side. However, it proved to 
 be full of large holes which had once been filled with stucco, now all gone, 
 thus leaving incomplete the otherwise well preserved glyphs. I therefore 
 omitted to photograph the north side. It was even difficult to ascertain the 
 number of glyphs. I think each row contained about twelve. 
 
 Stela 11 (Plate 22, South side). This stela stood quite near Stela 10, 
 a little to the east, and its history is as follows. Some vandals, unknown 
 
80 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 to me, had taken advantage of the fact that the stone admitted of cleavage 
 near its southern face, and had split off the entire portion holding the relief. 
 This slab I found in 1895 with the relief side exposed to the rains, lying in 
 an inclined position near the main body of the stela, which was still in an 
 upright position. It is difficult to see what could have been the object of 
 such an act. Could it have been for the purpose of making a mould ? In 
 1904, therefore, I found myself under the necessity of placing the slab with 
 the relief on one of its sides. My Tenosiqueros were quite clever at this 
 kind of work. With the aid of the steel winch I had brought with me, this 
 feat was accomplished, — a very difficult one, for the comparatively thin 
 slab, which was rounded at the edges, had to be supported behind and 
 before to hold it in position. 
 
 The height of the stela from the base line of the figure to the curved 
 top is 233 cm., to which should be added about 75 cm. for the part let into 
 the ground. Breadth, 126 cm. Thickness, adding the split-off piece to the 
 whole, fully 60 cm. 
 
 The two side-faces and the north side are plain. 
 
 South Side (Plate 22). In spite of advanced disintegration the photo¬ 
 graph taken after long exposure shows a most sumptuously arrayed person¬ 
 age of high rank represented in front view with the face turned to the right 
 and the feet far apart. 
 
 The familiar tuft on the instep adorns the foot-gear. The loin-cloth, 
 evidently running to a point in front, is held to the waist by a girdle 
 adorned with St. Andrew’s crosses and probably with three concealed medal¬ 
 lion heads with pendants. The broad ornamental flap hangs down in front 
 with angular scrolls on either side of the bottom and a bunch of three long 
 curved feathers depending from the middle. 
 
 The breast-cape is made of beads and has attached to it a mask with a 
 fringe of radiating feathers. Above the weather-worn face rises the head¬ 
 dress, a confused and indistinct mass of masks and scrolls. On top of all, a 
 serpent rears its head thrust toward the front, and a large plume of feathers 
 falls behind. 
 
 The outstretched right hand holds a small object, possibly the heart of a 
 sacrificed victim. The left arm holds obliquely the staff of ceremony, which 
 is made of trellis-work held together at five different points. 
 
 The sculptor presented to view the large head of a deity, usually worn 
 behind, by allowing it to appear on the left side. It is a grotesque face 
 with goggle eyes and an elaborate setting. The usual pendants can be 
 distinguished and also the elaborately carved support with scrolls supposed 
 to be turned to the right and to the left. From the top of the dorsal head 
 there seems to rise (above the staff of ceremony) some kind of head-dress 
 with a bunch of feathers. 
 
 On the ground behind this exalted personage, a captive lies on his face 
 

 
 _ 
 
 _ 
 
 am 
 
 TIKAL. 81 
 
 in a position similar to those of Stelae 5 and 10. Though the head is badly 
 worn away it still shows traces of some kind of head-dress, indicating a 
 captive of high rank. 
 
 There are two incised miniature glyphs on the smooth background near 
 the head. Of these I made a tracing, since I could not expect the camera 
 to bring them out. 1 
 
 Above the head of the captive rise four graduated rows of small glyphs, 
 which have become indistinct. Above the right hand of the principal figure 
 are two more vertical rows of glyphs also much worn away, surmounted by 
 a fantastic figure facing the elaboration of the helmet. 
 
 Beginning at the base-line of the figure, the rounded edge of the relief 
 is ornamented with vertical and transverse lines, and, forming a round arch 
 at the top, frames in the whole relief. 
 
 In front of Stela 11, on the general level of the cement pavement, 
 stands a circular altar 170 cm. in diameter. It is sharply and smoothly 
 dressed and is the largest in Tikal, which proves that its stela must have 
 been of a certain importance in sacrificial ceremonies. Several of my 
 archaeological friends had expressed the wish to have the question settled 
 beyond a doubt as to whether persons of rank had been buried in the ground 
 in front of the stelae, or perhaps directly under the circular stones. In that 
 case small objects of daily use would have been buried with them or, in case 
 of cremation, stone receptacles containing the ashes and ornaments of fire¬ 
 proof stone and metal would have come to light. After clearing away the 
 centuries old accumulation of forest mould, we broke up the cement pave¬ 
 ment close to this circular altar and set about making a regular excavation. 
 We dug away the earth under the altar which remained undisturbed and 
 served as a roof. At a depth of about f m. we struck the original natural 
 scihcab earth, which forms the subsoil of the greater part of the peninsula of 
 Yucatan, and extends as far as Tikal. Sac-cab means “ white earth.” In 
 this case sac changes to scih, actually to sakh, sax. The phonetic spelling of 
 Maya words, by the way, as introduced by the Franciscans, is in some cases 
 inadequate. This saAcab is white, hard, calcareous sand and plays a very 
 important part through all Yucatan as a top layer in road building, and as 
 an ingredient of mortar for all kinds of building. In Tikal itself, unless good 
 hard limestone was required for facing, the easily worked sdAcab stone of 
 this region was almost exclusively used for building material. The excava¬ 
 tion was continued quite without result to the depth of a metre in the layer 
 of saAcab, and extended almost to the size of the circular altar, which formed 
 a solid covering to the resulting cavity. We even continued to dig as far 
 as and beneath the next circular altar, but all in vain! The saAcab layer, 
 although it would have made a tidy white grave, had never been touched by 
 human hand! 
 
 1 This drawing not received. — Editor. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 11 
 
82 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 From an archaeological point of view the result of our rather extensive 
 excavation was entirely negative, but in a geological sense it was not with¬ 
 out interest. It is probable that persons of rank were only in rare instances 
 buried in the heart of these temple-pyramids, but most likely as a-general 
 thing near their offsets or lower terraces, and mortuary stelae with their 
 circular altars were set up at certain distances from the graves in honor of 
 the dead and also of favorite deities. 
 
 Stela n (Plates 23, 24). 
 
 Starting at Stela 11, and walking in an easterly direction past five plain 
 stelae and their circular altars, we came to an almost wholly buried stela. 
 Only the top with the much worn away bunch of feathers of the relief ap¬ 
 peared above ground, and gave evidence of the whole being much broken up 
 and generally unpromising. Nevertheless, I decided to excavate it, in order 
 to clear up all doubts. The result of the rather difficult piece of work was a 
 stela not very high but comparatively broad and quite thick, with carving in 
 half (not low) relief on the south side, and interesting glyphs in low relief on 
 the other three sides. The entire height or length of the stone is 150 cm. 
 plus the broken off lower portion measuring about | m. Breadth (if re¬ 
 stored), 91 cm. Thickness, 50 cm. 
 
 South Side (Plate 24, Fig. 1). The carving in half relief is badly 
 weather-worn, the stone shows small imperfections and has also scaled off 
 on the eastern side-face (on the observer’s right), probably the result of 
 milpa fires. 
 
 A personage of rank, in front view and turning his face to the left, is 
 represented as far as the knees only. The waist is tightly girded in. The 
 broad hip-covering consists of tiers of feathers and has an animal’s head close 
 to the girdle, probably that of a lion (coh) with feather pendants. The 
 breast-cape, which also covers the shoulders, consists of rows of short 
 feathers. From the necklace depends a peculiar mask with short pendants. 
 Two long pendants hang down probably from the shoulders and border the 
 lion head on either side. The half destroyed face shows a crescent-shaped 
 ear-ornament on one side and the usual two feathers projecting from the 
 nose. The head-dress, destroyed in front, still shows a large plume of 
 feathers on top, and another falling down at the back. The right arm is 
 scaled off below and the left wholly demolished. 
 
 Western Side-face (Plate 23, Fig. 1). This side has. a vertical row 
 of six large, finely executed glyphs in a fair state of preservation, which I 
 photographed in a most favorable light. 
 
 Eastern Side-face (Plate 24, Fig. 2). Of this side, which was wholly 
 split off, I was able to photograph a fragment with four glyphs, two being 
 lost. 
 
 North Side (Plate 23, Fig. 2). This side formerly had three vertical 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 83 
 
 rows of glyphs, of six each. The stone is cleft lengthwise through the middle 
 row. The fragments, as I have placed them, show fourteen of the original 
 eighteen glyphs with more or less distinctness. 
 
 In spite of the ruinous condition of this stone, which is owing far more 
 to fire than to the action of the elements, there are still a number of inter¬ 
 esting fragments remaining. Indeed, some of the glyphs are of an excellence 
 of workmanship very rarely found. It is my endeavor to photograph frag¬ 
 ments of this kind, inevitably doomed to destruction, before they are entirely 
 demolished. Let me remark, by the way, that the preparations for photo¬ 
 graphing such broken and buried fragments generally consume an entire 
 week. 
 
 Stela 13 (Plate 25). 
 
 This stela, which was still in an upright position in 1895, is now also 
 among those thrown down by the gum-gatherers. Accordingly I found the 
 stone lying on the ground in 1904 and was forced to put it in position to be 
 photographed. The total height (or length) of the stone is 190 cm. Height 
 of the figure on the south side from its base-line to the very top, 150 cm. 
 Breadth, 58 cm. Thickness, 37 cm. 
 
 South Side (Plate 25, Fig. 2). The personage carved on this side is 
 represented from the right side with the left foot a little advanced. The 
 sandal with toe straps, the heel protector, the fastening at the ankle, and 
 also the ornament on the outside of the leg, are fairly well preserved on the 
 right leg. This figure, which is presumably that of a priest, is clad in a 
 kind of tunic, with lateral slits through which the arms are passed. A 
 necklace with a weathered medallion head can be distinguished attached in 
 front. From the shoulders depends a string of large beads, twisted in the 
 middle and ending in a criss-cross design below, very much like that above 
 the pendants of the Tecutli with the eagle mantle on Stela 9. 
 
 The round ear-ornament of the right ear, with a band proceeding 
 obliquely from the central perforation is still preserved, while the face has 
 been hacked away by the Yucatec milpero-gang. The head-dress still shows 
 a half-mask in front but the bands and scrolls above it have become 
 indistinct. 
 
 In his outstretched left hand the priest holds a staff of ceremony or a 
 lance and in the down-hanging right hand (the wristlet being half-concealed) 
 he holds a plain pouch. To his back is attached the head of a deity seen in 
 profile, with the face hacked away, but the roll with large plain pendants 
 under the chin is still in fair condition. 
 
 East and West Side-faces (Plate 25, Figs. 1, 3). The west side-face 
 shows vertical rows of glyphs arranged in groups of 2-f-23 = 7. The 
 east side-face has 2 + 2 + 4 = 8 glyphs, some of which should no doubt be 
 regarded as double glyphs. These glyphs are in very low relief, but 
 
84 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 notwithstanding this fact, they are sufficiently well preserved to come 
 out well in the photograph. 
 
 The north side is plain. 
 
 Stela Uf. At the east end of this row of glyphs, perhaps a little in 
 front of the line and still fast in the ground, was found the bottom portion 
 of a glyph-stela with four vertical rows of glyphs on the south side. Not¬ 
 withstanding careful search the missing main portion could not be found. 
 Whether it is deeply buried under debris, or was wholly calcined during 
 a milpa fire, or whether it has been taken away, could not be told. 
 
 Stela 15. By proceeding on a causeway built along the west side of 
 the large (but low) terrace belonging to the group of temples on the north 
 side of the principal Square, the Palace of two galleries is reached. This 
 consists of a long, finely vaulted apartment in front with another chamber 
 in the rear. 
 
 The esplanade on the south side of this Palace is a broad terrace, upon 
 which half a dozen stelae with their circular altars are lying about, mostly 
 broken in pieces or badly cracked. It seems as if the milperos had extended 
 their milpa even over this terrace. 
 
 Only one of this confused mass of stelae showed traces of relief¬ 
 carving, but its fragments were scattered beyond the possibility of collection. 
 All I could do was to give this stela the number 15, in order that my 
 enumeration should be complete. 
 
 On the space between the great, two-storied Sacerdotal Palace, facing 
 west, now wholly ruined, and Great Temple IV facing east, that is before 
 reaching the great lower terrace of the latter temple, there are two small 
 temples, each with a pyramidal substructure and the fagade of each facing 
 Great Temple IV. These two little temples do not stand side by side but 
 one behind the other. Upon the west esplanade (approached from the east) 
 of the first of these temples, are five large, thick stelae, standing in a row 
 and a sixth somewhat smaller in front of the line. Each stela has a 
 circular altar, but all are without carving. Proceeding a few steps to the 
 north from the space between the two little temples, upon which stand the 
 six plain stelae, a small court is reached enclosed on all four sides by 
 the low ruins of a small structure with an entrance on the south. 
 
 In the centre of this court I found, still in an upright position, the stela 
 with a splendid relief, which is No. 16 in my enumeration. But no vestige 
 of a circular altar belonging to it could be found. In vain we cleared away 
 all the vegetation, but where the altar should have been rose a fan-palm over 
 a century old shading the stela with its beautiful crown of foliage. 
 
 During the very last days of my stay at Tikal, while inserting the smaller 
 structures in my general plan of the city, I discovered this Stela 16. Time 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 85 
 
 was pressing! I had already sent special messengers to San Jos^ for carriers. 
 Thinking over this last discovery in the stillness of the night, I concluded to 
 make an extensive excavation with my Tenesiqueros without a moment’s loss 
 of time, in order to solve the enigma which enshrouded this solitary 
 priest-king. 
 
 Consequently, on the following day, the beautiful fan-palm was felled, 
 which was no very easy task, since its fibrous wood is exceedingly hard 
 and tough. This done, all the roots and earth were cleared away in a circum¬ 
 ference of more than three metres. After digging down to the depth of one 
 metre our hard-wood crowbars struck a large stone. Now proceeding with 
 great care and brushing away the black earth with clipped bunches of palm 
 leaves, there lay before us the greatest discovery ever made in Tikal, the great 
 Sacrificial Stone (No. V in my enumeration) with the two principal Maya 
 deities carved on the upper face! 
 
 Stela 16 (Plate 26, South side). Let it be understood that the north 
 side and the side-faces are plain. 
 
 South Side. Height of the relief from the base-line of the priest-king to 
 the upper edge of the border is 241| cm., of which 16^ belong to the border. 
 A general estimate of the total height or length of the stone would include 
 about 80 cm. buried in the earth, amounting in all to 321 cm. Breadth of 
 stone, 128 cm.; but the breadth of the niche in which the figure stands (ex¬ 
 clusive of the border on the right and left) is only 95 cm., while the height of 
 the niche is 225 cm. Thickness of stone, 32 cm. 
 
 The priest-sovereign or Ahaucan is represented in front view with his 
 face turned to the right and his feet apart. 
 
 The buskins are overloaded with ornamentation showing among other 
 things a kin sign (X) on the heel protector, and at the ankle a conventional¬ 
 ized face with great goggle eyes (only one being visible) and a large proboscis. 
 But in the form of a puzzle, such as the ancient sculptors were fond of em¬ 
 ploying, there can be discovered the miniature half-mask of a similar face be¬ 
 side the great eye and above the nose. Above these faces rises an elaborate 
 mass of ornamentation. 
 
 Below the knee the garters can be seen, consisting of a double row of 
 beads with a medallion head in front in a frame of beads and having short 
 pendants below. 
 
 The loin-cloth edged with fringe and beads is probably of tiger-skin, but 
 instead of the spots of the panther (“ tiger ” as we say in this country) the 
 garment is covered with delicately incised crossbones. On the right and left 
 side the loin-cloth has a large oval with a double border, half of each oval 
 only being visible. 
 
 The girdle, the upper half of which is concealed, has a fine medallion 
 face in front. From under each ear-ornament depends a broad band giving 
 
86 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 an effect of elongation, and from a knotted band under the chin hangs a long 
 oval pendant. There are medallion heads with pendants at each hip also, the 
 heads, of course, seen only in profile. The spaces between the heads on the 
 girdle are filled in with circular designs. 
 
 Underneath the central mask is a band of three horizontal strips, from 
 which falls the wide ornamental flap with an ornament of angular scroll-work 
 in the centre, from the bottom of which depends a long tassel. This flap may 
 also be regarded as made of panther skin, with minute incised glyphs in place 
 of spots. 
 
 Possibly the priest wears an upper garment of thin material, but that 
 cannot be determined. The breast-cape of beads, however, with a fringed 
 edge can plainly be seen. This beaded breasfccape is for the most part con¬ 
 cealed by a wide breastplate with a narrow one below it. 
 
 The wide upper breastplate shows a medallion in the middle, surrounded 
 by two rows of bead sand having the central portion filled in by what appears 
 to be an incised glyph. 
 
 The medallion is flanked on either side by an oblong oval figure with a 
 raised border containing four beads. From each of these radiate three similar 
 figures, also set with beads, and each ray is tipped by a bead at its rounded end. 
 
 The lower narrow breastplate finishes at each end in three flat, radiating 
 strips. 
 
 A very long feather or rod is drawn horizontally through the nose, close 
 to which another short feather seems to curve upward. 
 
 The ear-ornament is oval with a knob in the centre and having two small 
 rings of beads on the lower edge as pendants, and a short band proceeding 
 obliquely from it on the side and extending across the cheek toward the chin. 
 
 The lower part of the towering helmet consists of the grotesquely con¬ 
 ventionalized face of some deity with goggle eyes and an aquiline nose (seen, 
 of course, in profile). Small knobs can be distinguished on the nose and on 
 the forehead and small indentations even on the eyeball. 
 
 On the part of the helmet crowning the forehead of the grotesque face 
 there is a large ring with a short band issuing obliquely from the centre, giv¬ 
 ing the impression that the ear-ornament had been removed to this position, 
 an artistic license permitted to Maya sculptors. This part surmounting the 
 forehead shows a small grotesque face in front, a repetition, no doubt, of the 
 large one below, and confronting it is a small ketsal. 
 
 Above the transposed ear-disk lies a double scroll upon which rests a now 
 mutilated face in an oval frame, from the top of which proceeds a great plume 
 of feathers curving forward and backward, while behind the oval and along 
 the whole back of the helmet, is a handsome crest of feathers with a border 
 of beads and short feathers. Beyond this crest projects the end of an orna¬ 
 mental bar, probably the continuation of the top of the helmet proper. From 
 the end of this bar proceeds another drooping bunch of feathers. 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 87 
 
 The high priest holds horizontally with both hands just above his girdle, 
 a tastefully composite staff of ceremony. In the middle of it, lying horizon¬ 
 tally, is the familiar grotesque face of a deity with goggle eyes and proboscis, 
 in this instance curving upward. By turning the picture so that the left edge 
 lies horizontally, it is possible to distinguish the grotesque face of a deity in 
 miniature directly adjacent to the great eye, another case of employing the 
 puzzle in sculpture. The staff of ceremony is composed of three strips orna¬ 
 mented with beads. The two outer strips together form a diamond on either 
 side of the horizontal head, and curve outward at either end with a large bead 
 in the curve. All three strips are tipped with beads at the end. From the 
 right wrist depends the familiar pouch with a Tlaloc face on the front. A 
 mantle of radiating feathers appears at the back of the high priest. 
 
 Upon the plain background to the right and left of the lower part of the 
 legs, and above the feather mantle on the right shoulder, are three bordered 
 panels containing each a vertical row of four glyphs, making twelve glyphs 
 in all. They are carefully executed in detail and fairly well preserved. 
 
 Considering the fact that this magnificent low relief has been standing 
 here forsaken for three and a half centuries, it is certainly very well preserved, 
 which is partly due, no doubt, to the protection vouchsafed it by the fan-palm 
 from direct contact with the heavy rains. 
 
 Let me say in addition, that the relief on Stela 16 has many points of 
 agreement with that on No. 11. Personages of the same rank are evidently 
 portrayed on both stelse. Even the circular altar of Stela 11, though plain, 
 has very nearly the same proportions as the very superior one belonging to 
 No. 16. 
 
 Circular Altar V belonging to Stela 16 (Plate 28). Upper surface. 
 
 This circular altar, which we found in the bowels of the earth after an 
 excavation which was attended with great difficulties, could not possibly be 
 photographed as it lay. The excavation therefore had to be widened all 
 around the stone, so that my Tenosiqueros could raise it on end with the steel 
 winch. When this difficult feat had been successfully accomplished the face 
 of the altar turned toward the east. It was carefully cleaned, and near noon 
 the sunlight fell advantageously upon it. I had waited for this moment to 
 take the negative. 
 
 The photographic apparatus was in position, everything was in readiness 
 and the stone given a final wetting, when a light drift of clouds obscured the 
 sun! Then the god of winds suddenly wafted the clouds away and the sun 
 burst forth. A critical glance at the stone convinced me that the right 
 moment had come, and the negative was taken. It was perfectly successful. 
 
 A few minutes earlier or later and a very different and quite useless 
 picture would have been the result, and if in spite of all precaution I had not 
 wet the relief, the negative would not have come out clear. Certain rules 
 
88 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 must perforce be followed when taking photographs of this nature, or the 
 result will inevitably be a failure. 
 
 The diameter of the stone is 168 cm. Diameter of the central circular 
 relief, 113 cm. Breadth of the encircling band of glyphs, 12 cm. Height (or 
 thickness) of the stone, 36 cm. The cylindrical surface is plain. 
 
 The lower portion of the central field of the stone should be regarded as 
 a section of a sacrificial altar (either round or square), and behind it stand the 
 two principal Maya deities, who can therefore be seen only from the knees 
 upward. 
 
 This section of an altar shows a horizontal row of four delicately carved, 
 chronological glyphs, preceded and followed by an incised cauac sign (16th 
 day of the Maya month). It is a sickle-shaped figure with drops beneath it, 
 the initial cauac having nine drops, and the end one only seven. (These drops, 
 by the way, are regarded by some Americanists as “ honey drops,” in which 
 case the word should be correctly pronounced cab-uac. Many of these old 
 names were not correctly reproduced by the Spanish phonetic spelling and 
 generally require some revision.) 
 
 The figure on the observer’s right is represented in front view, but the 
 face is turned to the right. The loin-cloth with a border is half concealed by 
 the flap which hangs down from under the girdle. The breast-cape with its 
 long fringe of strips seems to be made of prepared skin rather than of feathers. 
 From the neck hangs a simple breast-plate by two little straps. The wristlets 
 also seem to be of leather. The eye is partially framed by a scroll. The oval 
 ear-ornament has crenulated edges and a long band hanging down from the 
 centre. 
 
 Quite singular, with a purpose not clear to me, is an intricate knot at¬ 
 tached to the mouth and nose, with three long streamers, presumably of tiger- 
 skin, depending from it. 
 
 The large hat, tilted back a little (whether looked at from above or be¬ 
 low), should be regarded as of circular form, but represented in profile, it 
 naturally presents the appearance of a flat cone. The surface of the cone is 
 apparently divided into four spaces by four bands, each space being occupied 
 by crossbones. Of course only two spaces with crossbones are apparent, the 
 other two being invisible. 
 
 The top of this flat cone-shaped hat is wound about by bands forming a 
 cylinder out of which proceeds a bunch of leather strips, part of which bend 
 toward the front and others fall behind. The strips are probably of tiger-skin, 
 though some may call them feathers. However, little circles can be distin¬ 
 guished, delicately incised upon the strips. 
 
 In his right hand, placed against his breast, the god holds his staff, and 
 in his left hand, hanging down at his side, he holds the pointed sacrificial 
 knife of flint with strips of leather falling from the handle. 
 
 On the observer’s left stands the companion-god, also represented in front 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 89 
 
 view, but with his face turned to the left. His leather garment being similar 
 to the one just described needs no further discussion; the breast-plate hanging 
 rom his neck is also like that of the other god. The ear-ornament is the 
 same, but is tipped above by the shell (or tiger’s ear ?) which occurs so fre¬ 
 quently. From this proceeds the frame partially encircling the eye. 
 
 The same knot with long pendant streamers is repeated here in front of 
 the face of this personage. His globular head-dress differs entirely from that 
 of his companion. Round beads are set on the globular surface, and from the 
 turbanlike top there also issues a long bunch of strips. This globular helmet 
 also has a puzzle-face attached to the front or top (?), with a drooping bunch 
 of fine strips and another erect one of broad strips. 
 
 This second god holds his staff obliquely with the right hand-, and the 
 sacrificial knife is in the outstretched left hand. 
 
 Upon the horizontal surface of the altar, i. e., between the two deities or 
 sacrificial priests (?), upon a little structure of bones or pieces of wood is placed 
 a human skull, una calavera, which is represented in profile and is quite correct 
 from an anthropological point of view. 
 
 On the space between the two head-dresses two carefully detailed glyphs 
 are applied to the background, one above the other. 
 
 A band of 31 glyphs 12 cm. wide (or, including the inner and outer 
 border, 271 cm.) runs around the edge of the face of the altar. Most of these 
 very carefully detailed glyphs seem to be of chronological value (?). As there 
 is no mark of separation, it is difficult to know with which one to begin in 
 deciphering them, whether to go round from right to left or vice versa. 
 
 The total number of glyphs on this stone, exclusive of the two incised 
 eauCic signs, is thirty-seven. They are carefully executed in detail and well 
 preserved. It will be less difficult than deciphering the glyphs to decide what 
 deities are represented by these two figures brought to the light of day after 
 reposing m the bosom of the earth for three and a half centuries. 
 
 I am inclined to think that the god or demigod on the right, with the 
 at cone-shaped hat upon his head, is the genuine Toltec-Aztec Ketsalkoatl, 
 also worshipped by the Maya peoples. At the same time I am forced to admit 
 that even m ancient times fundamentally divergent personalities were mis¬ 
 takenly called Ketsalkoatl or were merged under that name. 
 
 If the original Ketsalkoatl was a Toltec king, lawgiver and founder of a 
 religion, it is not possible that at the same time he could be the elephant-nosed 
 god of the winds (Ehecatl). This seems true, especially since the discovery 
 m Piedras Negras of those reliefs representing gods or demigods, generally 
 seated Turkish fashion m a niche, wearing a turban (like those on Stelm 1, 3, 
 
 t’ and recallln & tlle East Asi atie images of Tirtankara and Buddha. 
 
 It is difficult to understand how one and the same personality can be repre- 
 sented in such divergent forms. 
 
 At all events our supposed Ketsalkoatl of Tikal is an interesting fig- 
 
 MEM. PEABODY tyUSEUM V. — 12 O to 
 
90 
 
 EXPLORATIONS IN GUATEMALA. 
 
 ure, and invites comparison with other similar representations in Mexican 
 pictography. 
 
 Regarding the figure on the left with the globular helmet, it might be 
 meant for Tescatlipoca or even Totecutli. It must, at all events, be conceded 
 that this figure displays none of the characteristics of a Tlaloc nor of a 
 Mictlantecutli. 
 
 This circular stone — which will soon be as famous as the Calendar Stone 
 of Mexico — was undoubtedly of great importance to a select circle of the ini¬ 
 tiated. Its seclusion in a little court, with a single entrance on the south, and 
 its position in front of Stela 16 prove that a large number of spectators could 
 not possibly have witnessed the ceremonies performed near it, and is indicative 
 of its special sacredness. When even Tikal, remote from the path of conquest, 
 was finally drawn into the calamitous downfall of the whole country, owing 
 to the pestilential results of contact with Europeans, it can easily be under¬ 
 stood that the sacerdotal orders were especially afflicted by the thought of 
 abandoning the most sacred of their altars with the national deities of the 
 Mayas carved upon it, and that therefore they had it covered deeply with earth 
 to save it from desecration and destruction at the hands of conquering ma¬ 
 rauders. The layer of earth which had protected this carving, so fresh and 
 new in appearance, from rains and forest fires for three and a half centuries 
 could not possibly have been formed by winds, decaying vegetation and cosmic 
 dust (which undoubtedly plays a great part in the burying of ancient cities). 
 The discovery of this choice specimen of Maya art was the simplest thing in 
 the world, just as I have told it. But if one stops to consider that the metrop¬ 
 olis of Tikal covers a territory more than 4| km. square and is overgrown 
 with a tall tropical forest, it certainly seems like a miraculous piece of good 
 fortune to have found a stone 168 cm. in diameter lying hidden in the earth 
 under the roots of a giant palm-tree. 
 
 Stela 11 (Plate 27). Back of Great Temple I, i. e., to the east of it, rises 
 an eminence crowned by the ruins of a small structure, which must have 
 been accessible on the south and on the north. At the foot of the northern 
 slope of this eminence we found a mutilated stela, not very high and of a 
 thickness almost equalling its breadth. The relief on the north side was 
 almost worn away by the action of the elements, each of the other three sides 
 had once had four vertical rows of nine glyphs each, making a total of 108 
 glyphs. The fragment found by us was 132 cm. in height or length, to which 
 should be added at least 60 cm. more for the piece broken off at the bottom, 
 which was let into the ground. Breadth, 65 cm. Thickness (inclusive of 
 convexity), 60 cm. 
 
 This stela has certain points in common with Stela 12. We were unable 
 to find a circular altar belonging to it. 
 
 North Side. The relief on this side is very badly disintegrated in spite 
 
TIKAL. 
 
 91 
 
 of its strong projection. It represents a personage of rank as far as the kneeSj 
 wearing a helmet profusely adorned with feathers. 
 
 South Side (Plate 27). This side was in a fair state of preservation ex¬ 
 cepting a few scalings off on the edge at the observer’s left, and was therefore 
 photographed. It displays four vertical rows of glyphs of nine each, — 36 
 glyphs in all, — of which only the lowest on the left has been demolished. 
 
 West Side. This side once had the same arrangement of 4 x 9 glyphs, but 
 they are now all practically destroyed. 
 
 Hast Side. The same arrangement of 4 X 9 glyphs is apparent here. 
 All the glyphs, excepting about ten, have been worn away by the rains. I 
 made a little sketch of the ten remaining glyphs, which mostly occur on the 
 top edge where it slants toward the south side. The drawing plainly shows 
 the familiar initial glyph at the top, on the left. 1 
 
 Circular Altar VI with low relief. 
 
 Near the group of four mortuary pyramids in the northeast part of the 
 town, taking direction from Great Temple I, I found a rectangular enclosure 
 with an entrance on the south, and a circular altar in the centre of the little 
 court thus formed — an arrangement very like the one with Stela 16 and 
 Altar V. 
 
 The outside measure of this enclosure is about 13 m. in length and 8 m. 
 in breadth. The wall is built of smooth, hewn stone and displays no 
 ornamentation. 
 
 A badly worn relief occupies the face of the circular altar; another, 
 somewhat better preserved, is on the cylindrical surfaces, which are mostly 
 covered with earth. 
 
 No trace of a stela was to be found near this solitary stone altar. 
 
 About the middle of November, 1904, 1 felt the time had come when I 
 could regard my difficult and laborious exploration of the great city of Tikal 
 as ended. The carriers from San .Jose had arrived. The hour had struck for 
 parting, never to return! Leaving all superfluous baggage behind, we bade 
 farewell forever to our dwelling in the splendid palace. 
 
 Since the road to El Eemate offered nothing new, we, this time, followed 
 Indian trails running east-southeast from the aguada in the direction of Lake 
 Yaxha. 
 
 1 Drawing not received. — Editor. 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OP THE 
 
 PEABODY MUSEUM OP AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND 
 ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
 
 Vol. V—No. 2 
 
 A PRELIMINARY STUDY 
 
 OP THE 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF TIKAL 
 GUATEMALA 
 
 A REPORT OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM EXPEDITION 
 1909-1910 
 
 BY 
 
 ALFRED M. TOZZER 
 
 CAMBRIDGE 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM 
 
 1911 
 
Copyright, 1911, 
 
 Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and 
 Ethnology, Harvard University. 
 
 University Press : 
 
 John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U. S. A. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 List of plates. v 
 
 List of illustrations in text. v 
 
 Reference list of names in Numbers 1 and 2 of this volume.vi 
 
 General considerations.. 
 
 Tikal the centre of an archseological province.93 
 
 Situation. 94 
 
 History of the site. 94 
 
 Size.. 
 
 Assemblage. 95 
 
 Construction.. 
 
 Substructures.. 
 
 Stairways. 97 
 
 Superstructures. 97 
 
 Types of buildings. 97 
 
 Doorways. 98 
 
 Wall openings. 99 
 
 Benches. 99 
 
 Vaults. 99 
 
 Wall depressions . ..100 
 
 Roof-combs.100 
 
 Stelae and altars. 101 
 
 Position. 101 
 
 Decoration and types.103 
 
 Dates of inscriptions.104 
 
 Decoration of buildings.104 
 
 Faqades.104 
 
 Incised designs on walls.105 
 
 Orientation. 105 
 
 Detailed description.107 
 
 Southeastern Section.108 
 
 Central Acropolis.109 
 
 Eastern Section. 116 
 
 Great Plaza and Temples I and II.118 
 
 Northern Acropolis.120 
 
 Southern Acropolis and Temple V. .122 
 
 Southwestern Section... 124 
 
 Northwestern Section and Temples III and IV.126 
 
 Northern City.129 
 
 Relative age of Tikal. 131 
 
 Bibliography. 134 
 
LIST OF PLATES 
 
 Plate 29. General Map of Tikal. 
 
 Plate 30. Cross-section of Tikal. 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT 
 
 Page 
 
 Fig. 18. Structure 2, plan.108 
 
 “ 19. Structure 3, plan.109 
 
 “ 20. Structure 27, plan. 110 
 
 “ 21. Structure 27, cross-section.Ill 
 
 “ 22. Structure 10, plan of first and third stories.112 
 
 “ 23. Structure 10, plan of second and fourth stories.112 
 
 “ 24. Structure 10, cross-section. 113 
 
 “ 25. Structure 12, plan. 114 
 
 “ 26. Structure 13, plan. 114 
 
 “ 27. Structure 17, plan. 115 
 
 “ 28. Structure 18, plan. 116 
 
 “ 29. Temple I, plan. 117 
 
 “ 30. Temple I, cross-section.118 
 
 “ 31. Present position of the stelae and altars on the Great Plaza.119 
 
 “ 32. Structure 42, plan.121 
 
 “ 33. Temple V, plan. 121 
 
 “ 34. Temple V, cross-section.122 
 
 “ 35. Structure 51, plan.123 
 
 “ 36. Structures 44 and 47, plan.123 
 
 “ 37. Structure 55, plan.124 
 
 “ 38. Structure 59, plan.125 
 
 “ 39. Structure 60, plan.125 
 
 “ 40. Structure 60, cross-section.126 
 
 “ 41. Temple III, plan .127 
 
 “ 42. Temple III, cross-section.128 
 
 “ 43. Court 72 with Stela 16 and Altar V, plan.128 
 
 “ 44. Temple IV, plan.129 
 
 “ 45. Temple IV, cross-section.130 
 
 “ 46. Structure 89, plan.131 
 
 “ 47. Structure 74, plan.132 
 

 
 
 REFERENCE LIST 
 
 Showing the names of the various structures as used in No. 1 of this volume, 
 AND THE NUMBERS OR NAMES CORRESPONDING TO THEM AS USED IN No. 2. 
 
 NO. 1 No. 2 
 
 ^ ame Fig. No. or Name Fig. 
 
 Palace of the Facades with Vertical Grooves . . 1.l 
 
 Palace of the Rear Chambers and Great Stone 
 
 Benches.2.4 
 
 Palace of Five Stories...22-24 
 
 Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V ...3 .14 
 
 Three-Storied Structure with Three Rooms in 
 
 the Top Story. 27. 20-21 
 
 Great Terrace to the East of Great Temple I.Eastern Section 
 
 Principal Square. Great Plaza 
 
 Great Temple I.I.29-30 
 
 Great Temple II.4 ? 5 .... II 
 
 Lesser Acropolis.Northern Acropolis 
 
 Palace of Two Galleries. 42... . 
 
 Great Temple III. m... 
 
 Palace of Two Stories and Twenty-one Cham¬ 
 bers, in the rear of Great Temple III ... 6.69 
 
 Sacerdotal Palace belonging to Great Temple IV.73 
 
 Great Temple IV.IV ... . 
 
 Northern Part of the City.North City 
 
 Palace of Twenty Chambers.7.77 
 
 Great Temple V.V. . . . 
 
 Lesser Acropolis west of Great Temple V.Southern Acropolis 
 
 Central Temple of the Row of Seven Temples.55 ... 
 
 First of Three Palaces on the Southern Side of 
 
 the Square of Seven Temples.59 .... 38 
 
 Middle Palace on the Southern Side of the 
 
 Square of Seven Temples. 60 .... 39-40 
 
 32 
 
 41-42 
 
 44-45 
 
 33-34 
 
 37 
 
 
 
A PRELIMINARY STUDY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF TIKAL GUATEMALA 
 
 RUINS OP TIKAL. 
 
 The area occupied by the remains of the Maya civilization may be 
 roughly divided into various provinces distinguished from each other by chro¬ 
 nology, assemblage, construction, the manner and method of decoration, and 
 other considerations. 
 
 Tikal, the centre of an Archaeological Province. Tikal is in the centre of 
 an area including the whole northeastern part of the Department of Peten, 
 Guatemala, 1 north of the Usumacinta River and its tributaries and the Lake 
 of Peten. This region also includes the remains in the southeastern part of 
 Yucatan, 2 together with those on the northern and western frontiers of Brit¬ 
 ish Honduras. Tikal is the first city of importance in this area. To the 
 east are Nakum, first made known to the scientific world by Count Maurice de 
 Pdrigny in 1908, and Naranjo, explored by Teobert Maler for the Peabody 
 Museum. 3 Both are sites of importance, the first by reason of its many 
 pyramid temples and complicated arrangement of courts, and the second 
 because of the many sculptured stelae. In addition to these ancient sites, the 
 Peabody Museum Expedition of 1909-1910 reports the new sites to the north 
 of Naranjo and Nakum of La Honradez, Porvenir, Azucar, Seibal, 4 and Hol- 
 mul 6 in Guatemala, and those of Tsotskitam in British Honduras. 
 
 These several ancient cities are all characterized by the presence of one 
 large court or plaza, around which in most cases the greater number of the 
 stelae and altars are placed. The plan in each instance shows a system of 
 oriented courts all connected with one another and with few detached build¬ 
 ings. The country occupied by these ruins is for the most part a plain, 
 
 1 It is with much pleasure that I acknowledge here the many kind attentions paid the expedi¬ 
 tion by Sefior Don Clodoveo Berges, the Jefe Politico of Peten, and Senor Don Manuel Otero of La 
 Liber tad. 
 
 2 Perigny, 1908. 8 Maler, 1908. 
 
 4 This site should perhaps be called Seibal 2d, as Maler (Peabody Museum Memoirs, Vol. IV. 
 No. 1) notes a Seibal on the upper Usumacinta or River de la Pasion. 
 
 6 Maler (1908) has upon his map (p. 56) the names of Nakcum, Holmul, and Azucar. He did not 
 visit any of these sites, however, and he noted their location from the reports of chicleros. Nakum 
 (his Nakcum) is placed too far north, and Azucar is incorrectly located in British Honduras. He 
 himself questioned the position of the latter. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 25 
 
94 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 so that there is no great topographical difficulty in an arrangement of build¬ 
 ings around a system of connected courts. This well-knit-together plan, 
 showing in every case careful orientation, is in marked contrast to the more 
 or less haphazard arrangement of buildings in the ruins on the Usumacinta 
 River to the south and in those of Yucatan to the north. 
 
 The type of high pyramid temple with a massive roof-comb is seldom 
 found outside this area. Palenque and many other sites have roof-combs, 
 but they are usually more in the nature of perforated walls which serve as sup¬ 
 ports for decoration in stucco or stone. The sculptured stone lintels of the 
 region to the south disappear at Tikal. Carved wooden lintels seem, in some 
 cases, to take their place. The stela with carving on one or more sides and 
 the accompanying altar still persist in the area under consideration. 
 
 It is however in assemblage and in the orientation of the various build¬ 
 ings that the ruins of the Tikal territory stand out most prominently from 
 those in the regions to the north and south. 
 
 Situation. The ruins of Tikal are in latitude 17° 11' 25", of longitude 
 89° 48' 30". The land is in general a plain. There are two shallow ravines 
 running east and west. The main part of the ruins lies between these two 
 depressions and consists of two artificially terraced hills, one on the southern 
 edge of the northern ravine and the other on the northern rim of the southern 
 depression. Between the two is a level tract occupied by the main plaza of 
 the city. (See map and cross-section, Plates 29 and 30.) 
 
 History of the Site. Owing to the fact of the comparative isolation of 
 Tikal, it has not had so large a number of visitors as many of the other sites 
 in Central America. According to Bancroft (1882, p. 135) Governor Am- 
 brosio Tut and Colonel Modesto Mendez visited Tikal in 1848. It had pre¬ 
 viously been reported however by natives. Mendez was a commissioner of 
 the Guatemalan government. His report was never published, but the man¬ 
 uscript fell into the hands of Hesse, the Prussian envoy to the Central 
 American governments. Carl Ritters (1853) published a German translation 
 of this with plates, under the title “ Ueber neue Entdeckungen und Beo- 
 bachtungen in Guatemala und Yucatan.” This translation without plates and 
 with some slight omissions was also published by Sivers (1861). The same 
 report was the source of the various descriptions of Tikal published in several 
 other works (Muller, 1867, Buschmann, 1853, and Wappaus, 1863). Mendez 
 revisited the site in 1852, but he does not seem to have left any account of 
 this later visit. 
 
 Dr. Gustave Bernoulli was the next explorer to reach Tikal. This was in 
 1877, when he removed several beams of the carved lintels from Temple IV. 
 Bernoulli died on his way back to Europe, but the remains of the lintels are 
 now carefully preserved under glass in the Museum at Basel. The Peabody 
 Museum has casts of the lintels. 
 
 In 1881 and 1882 Mr. Alfred Maudslay visited the ruins, going in from 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 95 
 
 Coban, Flores, and Remate. The results of his investigations are published 
 in a contribution to the Royal Geographical Society (1883) as well as in his 
 monumental work on the ruins of Central America (1889-1902). Ckarnay 
 (1887) draws on Maudslay for his description of Tikal. 
 
 In 1895 and again in 1904, Mr. Teobert Maler explored the ruins. He 
 reached them from the west, the Usumacinta River and Flores, and north 
 from Remate. He spent more time at the ruins than any of the other ex¬ 
 plorers, and his work with the admirable photographs is published in the first 
 number of this volume. 
 
 The Peabody Museum expedition of 1910 arrived at the ruins from the 
 east, Belize, British Honduras, and then by boat to El Cayo, at the head of 
 navigation of the Belize River, by land from El Cayo to Benque Viejo and 
 the Lake of Yaxha, then northwest, passing several chicle camps to the 
 ruins. This route seems by all means to be the easiest and quickest way of 
 reaching Tikal and is recommended to all future explorers. 
 
 Size. So far as now known, Tikal is the largest of any site in the Maya 
 area. 1 The area occupied by the ruins is roughly one square mile. Tikal has 
 not yielded to the present time so much sculpture as several of the other 
 Maya cities, but exhaustive excavation will undoubtedly add greatly to our 
 knowledge of the stone carving of the site. 
 
 Assemblage. The unit in the grouping of the buildings seems to be the 
 quadrilateral court around each side of which there are one or more buildings. 
 Isolated structures having no relation to a court are comparatively rare. 
 These courts vary greatly in size, from the main plaza between Temple I and 
 Temple II, over three hundred feet from east to west, to small enclosures 
 surrounded by low mounds. 
 
 Sapper (1895_) seems to be mistaken in his statement that the buildings 
 were designed with the point of view of defence. The open corners of most 
 of the courts would seem to be a decisive proof that there was no idea of 
 defence intended. 
 
 There are three great acropoleis, great natural hills levelled off and ter¬ 
 raced, — the northern between the north ravine and the main plaza, the cen¬ 
 tral between the main plaza and the south ravine, and the southern to the 
 south of the southern ravine (see Plate 30). If stelae and temples are the 
 criteria of importance, the acropoleis are not, as might be expected, the main 
 features of the city. The plaza between the north and middle heights seems 
 to have been the centre of the city. The middle acropolis, the largest of the 
 three, was clearly not important as a place of religious worship, since the 
 buildings upon it are almost exclusively for residence, probably however for 
 the use of the clergy. At Nakum and again at La Honradez the plaza around 
 
 1 Palenque on investigation may cover more ground, but as yet we know very little in regard to 
 the environs of this city. 
 
96 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 which are grouped the stelae, rather than the higher portions of the cities, 
 seems to be the important feature of the city. 
 
 ■ Construction. The buildings of Tikal are in a better state of preserva¬ 
 tion than those of any other Maya site with the exception of the buildings in 
 northern Yucatan, which are admittedly of later date. The pyramid temples 
 of Palenque are in a more advanced state of ruin than the corresponding 
 temples of Tikal. One reason for this is the very thick walls with a single 
 opening at Tikal, as compared with comparatively thin walls with several 
 openings at Palenque. There are many structures of the residential type at 
 Tikal which are in excellent preservation as regards their lower story. The 
 presence of a second tier of rooms, which in almost every case has fallen, has 
 tended to preserve and protect the lower part of the building. It is therefore 
 possible to find a large number of structures the lower stories of which are 
 seemingly as firm and solid as the day they were built. The presence of 
 well-preserved buildings should not however be taken necessarily as a cri¬ 
 terion of age. Naranjo has hardly a building intact, and yet the numerous 
 sculptures are very well preserved and show as clear an outline as many at 
 Tikal. 
 
 The construction at Tikal is more solid, the room space being smaller in 
 proportion to wall space than in any other Maya city. The binding between 
 the interior mass of rubble, which may really be called in most cases concrete, 
 and the stone facing is usually firm and, as a consequence, we find compara¬ 
 tively few buildings from which the veneer-like covering of worked stone 
 has been stripped off. Where the walls remain standing the stone veneer is 
 usually intact. At Nakum the opposite is the case, the concrete mass of the 
 wall itself is in most instances intact, while the worked facing of stone has 
 fallen off. 
 
 The exterior and interior walls and the floors at Tikal are usually cov¬ 
 ered by a fine layer of plaster. The corners of the buildings and the sides of 
 the doorways are in most cases rounded. 
 
 Substructures. The three great acropoleis ought to be considered in 
 a way as substructures. There are practically no buildings at Tikal which 
 are not built upon some form of artificial mound. In the case of the temples 
 this takes the form of a truncated pyramid which is usually higher and has a 
 steeper slope than similar structures in any of the other Maya centres. The 
 sides of the pyramid are made in great steps or terraces faced with stone and 
 often inset at the corners and panelled at the sides. In some cases the back 
 of the temple is directly flush with the edge of the platform on the top and 
 the foundation mound is almost vertical at the back rather than sloping. The 
 Nakum temples however are more frequently built in this way than those at 
 Tikal. 
 
 The residential type of building is usually erected on a low foundation 
 mound often not more than three or four feet high. 
 

 RUINS OF TIKAL. 97 
 
 Stairways. The exterior stone stairways are numerous. All the pyra¬ 
 mid temples had wide steps leading from the court on which they face to the 
 top of the mound, and again from the top of the mound, there was a short 
 flight of steps to the floor of the temple raised slightly from the level of 
 the summit of the pyramid. These steps are built at a greater angle than 
 the sides of the pyramid and come out some distance beyond the line of the 
 mound. They are often wider at the bottom than at the top. In very few 
 cases are the steps still intact, but the supporting side wall formed by the 
 projection is often still in a good state of preservation. In most cases it is 
 practically impossible to trace the short stairways which must have been 
 used to reach the top of the low mounds of the residential type of buildings. 
 
 There are, as far as can be made out at the present time, no interior 
 stairways. The use of wooden steps must have been very common, as there 
 are very few traces of the means necessary to ascend to the second story of 
 the various buildings which clearly have more than one story. 
 
 The so-called “sacrificial pyramids” show in most cases remains of 
 stairways on all four sides, in this respect resembling some of the Yucatan 
 temples. 
 
 Superstructures. The same two types of structures are seen here in 
 Tikal as noted in the other Maya centres, — the temple with its rooms suited 
 solely for religious worship, and the residential type of building. The five 
 great pyramid temples which have long been recognized as the most prom¬ 
 inent architectural feature of Tikal are by no means the only examples of 
 this class of structure. There are many smaller temples similar in plan 
 to the large ones, each with the typical indentation in the outer wall at 
 each side of the building together with the slight projection of the central 
 part of the back wall. In no other site in the Maya area is there such uni¬ 
 formity in the plans of the temples. The rooms usually number three, one 
 behind the other, and the floor of the two back ones is raised slightly above 
 the level of that of the room in front. The greatest number of these temples 
 at one place is on the west, north, and east sides of the Great Plaza. In ad¬ 
 dition to the two great temples at the ends, there are four buildings of the 
 same class along the northern side, three small ones at the northeast corner 
 and behind, the acropolis with four more. There is a row of seven typical 
 temples to the west of the Southern Acropolis. It is difficult to determine the 
 use of so many similar structures in the same row unless each belonged to 
 the cult of a certain deity. There is only one case, so far as we know at 
 the present time, where the pyramid temple has more than one room in the 
 same line. This is Structure 27 (Fig. 20), which will be described later 
 
 (p. 110). 
 
 The temples usually show a far greater thickness of wall than buildings 
 of the residential type. This may be explained perhaps by the fact that the 
 superstructure built in many cases on the roof of the temples and commonly 
 
98 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 called a “ roof-comb ” is far heavier than a second story sometimes found in 
 buildings of the other type, and a thick wall is needed for support. 
 
 The second variety of building, the residential type, shows a much 
 greater diversity of plan. There are no two which are exactly similar, as in 
 the case of the temples. They consist usually of a large number of rooms 
 and were probably the homes of the priests. There is often a close connection 
 between a building for residence and one for worship. The indented side 
 wall and the projecting back wall are almost never found in buildings of this 
 class. The usual plan is that where two rows of rooms run longitudinally the 
 length of the building with one or two transverse rooms at either end. These 
 buildings may be found forming a court by themselves or forming one or more 
 sides of a court the other sides of which are occupied by temples. 
 
 Buildings of this type are sometimes found consisting of two stories, 
 the wall of the upper one receding on one side at least so as to furnish a 
 means of access to the various rooms. As has been previously noted, wooden 
 stairways probably led up to the second series of rooms. In one case (Struc¬ 
 ture 10) there is a building of three stories with a terrace in front of them, 
 and this in turn is faced by two more stories opening upon another terrace 
 (Fig. 24). 
 
 There is a third variety of structure which might almost be considered a 
 sub-type of the first class, as it seems to have been used exclusively for relig¬ 
 ious purposes, the type called by Maler “ the sacrificial pyramid.” It is 
 impossible to determine the use of these elevations. They are truncated 
 mounds with no trace of buildings on top, but usually with the remains of 
 stairways on each of the four sides. They are comparatively rare, four only 
 in the Northern City and one in the southwestern part of the main ruins. 
 
 In addition to the pyramidal mounds with no traces of buildings there 
 are several long and narrow elevations which show either very faint traces of 
 buildings or no remains at all. Some of these undoubtedly did have at one 
 time stone buildings of the second or residential type, whereas others cer¬ 
 tainly never had structures of stone erected upon them. We may assume 
 that in this case the buildings were of some perishable material, as these 
 mounds are situated in the same relative situation as those where buildings 
 still exist. 
 
 There is still a class of remains which should be mentioned. These are 
 in the nature of causeways connecting the southeastern section of the city 
 with that to the north and west. These will be described in the detailed 
 description of the site. 
 
 Doorways. Where excessive width is desired the wooden beam is em¬ 
 ployed over doorways. Several are placed side by side in order to cover the 
 opening between the very thick walls. The use of the elaborately carved 
 wooden lintel is very common here at Tikal. At no other city, with the pos¬ 
 sible exception of Chichen Itza, do we find it used to any great extent. The 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 99 
 
 survival of the wooden lintel here is in marked contrast to the almost total 
 absence of wooden remains at Palenque. The stone lintel is used where the 
 width of the doorway is not too great. We have not found as yet the carved 
 stone lintel as at Piedras Negras and at Yaxchilan. 
 
 There is always but a single entrance to the temple, whereas there may 
 be several exterior doorways to buildings of the domiciliary type. The wall 
 space between the doors however is always much wider than the doorways 
 themselves, thus not giving the effect of piers, as at Palenque. There is no 
 approach to a portico, as in the Yucatan buildings, and no round or square 
 columns used as supports. 
 
 Wall Openings. These are by no means uncommon in the Tikal 
 buildings. They are usually small round or square perforations through the 
 wall of the structure, probably for ventilation. In one or two cases there are 
 interesting examples of larger openings more in the nature of windows. 
 Here a lintel of wood is employed and the opening below is less than a foot 
 high, but as wide as the lintel will allow. In several of Maler’s plans it is 
 impossible to distinguish between this sort of an opening and that for a door. 
 This is especially true on the plan of Structure 69 (Maler’s “ Palace of Two 
 Stories and Twenty-one Chambers in Rear of Great Temple III ” No 1 
 Fig. 6). 
 
 Benches. The use of stone benches or those built of rubble with plas¬ 
 tered top and sides is very common. These are sometimes in the nature of 
 platforms and occupy a space touching the back wall in front of a doorway, 
 or they may take up the greater part of a room. In many cases these bench¬ 
 like constructions have arms at either side near the side wall of the room. 
 It is difficult to determine the use of these platforms. One excavated at the 
 ruins of Nakum had a basin-like depression with a beautiful stucco finish. 
 This was however found in a temple, whereas most of those at Tikal are 
 found in the second type of structures. 
 
 Vaults. The usual Maya vault is the only method employed to sustain 
 the roof of a building. This may be constructed of stone with edges bevelled 
 and smoothed to fit the unbroken slope of the vault or the stones may be 
 arranged in overstepping courses (Fig. 40). In either case the principle of 
 construction is the same. With very few exceptions the vault does not begin 
 directly flush with the top of the wall, but there is a slight spring outward 
 of two or three inches. Dr. Spinden has suggested that this serves to 
 show that a wooden form was employed over which the vault was con¬ 
 structed. The shoulder would then allow the form to be removed more 
 readily by giving it room to be slipped down. In many cases where a part 
 of the arch has fallen it is possible to note the position of the stones forming 
 the vault. Very often these do not rest squarely upon each other, but join 
 only at one edge. It is difficult to understand the construction of such a 
 vault, where the mass behind is solid concrete with the stones simply 
 
100 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 a facing, unless some form of temporary support was employed in the 
 construction. 
 
 There are many cases, perhaps in other centres more than in Tikal, 
 where the method of construction seems to find a parallel in the modern use 
 of concrete in building. 
 
 The employment of sapote poles stretching from one side of the vault to 
 the other is common. The remarkable preservation of wooden remains at 
 Tikal is seen in the large number of cross beams still in position. These 
 are frequently cut in a simple design in the centre. 
 
 Wall Depressions. The use of cupboard-like depressions in the walls, 
 especially in the ends of rooms, is common in the area occupied by the ruins 
 of Tikal. These niches are usually found in the buildings of the residential 
 type. A wooden beam often crosses the front of these depressions. At both 
 sides of the inner wall of the first doorway of Temple I there is a small hole, 
 running through the middle of which is a slender stick. This undoubtedly 
 served as a place to tie whatever covering hung over the outer doorway of 
 the temple. One of these was also found in a building excavated at Nakum. 
 
 A depression in the face of the outer walls of buildings is not uncommon. 
 They may have had some painted design at one time. The fine finish of the 
 plaster in this depression as contrasted with the remainder of the wall in the 
 Temple of the Three Towers at La Honradez supports this idea. 
 
 Roof-Combs. The comparatively small room space in proportion to wall 
 space has been frequently noted in connection with the five main pyramid 
 temples at Tikal. The very thick walls were needed in order to sustain the 
 enormous weight of the high superstructure. It has usually been considered 
 that the roof-combs of all the great temples were solid masonry composed of 
 diminishing sections one upon another. Maler (No. 1, p. 49) notes that “ a 
 hungry treasure-seeker, by the way, has made an ugly break in the enor¬ 
 mously thick masonry of the longitudinal rear wall of the temple chamber ” 
 (Temple V). Through this hole we were able to investigate the interior of 
 the superstructure of this temple. It was found that there are a series of 
 interior rooms. As far as could be made out, these had no purpose other than 
 to economize material and lessen the weight on the main structure below. 
 They had no openings of any kind for entrances, and the rooms had seemingly 
 been closed up at the time of the construction of the building. Temple V 
 has only a single ceremonial chamber as contrasted with the three in the 
 other four great temples (Figs. 33, 34). Above and behind this a gallery 
 was encountered, 18' 2" long, 2' 8" broad, and 3' 10" high, with slightly slop¬ 
 ing walls and a flat ceiling sustained by small parallel poles set into the wall. 
 These have disappeared, but the plaster above them is still intact and bears 
 the impressions of the cross-beams. It is not improbable that a second and 
 parallel gallery runs behind this. Two feet above the first a room much 
 wider and higher was entered, also through a break made in the solid 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 101 
 
 masonry. This runs out beyond one end of the gallery, but does not reach 
 on the other side to the central point of the gallery below. The walls of 
 this room are built on a steady slope from the floor to the ceiling, 19 feet 
 above. They were unfinished, although the floor had a smooth layer of 
 plaster. The top of the room was open to the sky above, seemingly due to 
 the falling in of some of the capstones of the vault. If we assume a second 
 gallery below to fill out the space we must also argue that there is on the 
 higher level a second and similar room to the east to occupy the remaining 
 portion of the superstructure. 
 
 Maler (No. 1, p. 29) notes that one of his men climbed up to the azotea 
 of Temple I and “ said he had found a very tiny chamber in the middle of the 
 first section of the roof-comb at its base (a kind of niche), which, however, 
 contained nothing of interest.” It would seem from this that the workman 
 encountered not a “ niche ” but a portion of an interior room similar to those 
 in Temple V. Structure 58, the southernmost of the seven temples in line 
 in the southwestern section, shows evidence of an interior chamber in the 
 mass of masonry forming the roof-comb. 
 
 It is interesting to note in this connection that interior rooms were 
 found in the tri-tower-like superstructure of one of the buildings at Nakum. 
 Here the comb is by no means as high or as massive as those of the Tikal 
 pyramids. It is divided into three vertical divisions or towers, the centre 
 one much larger than the other two. In the interior of each there is a room. 
 That in the southern tow r er measures 5' 5y£" X 3' 2" and 6' in height. 
 As in the chambers at Tikal there are no traces of doorways, but there are 
 small round openings at the level of the floor, seemingly to allow for drainage. 
 Entrances were obtained through the roof, which had partially fallen in. The 
 proportion of wall space to room space in the main structure below is almost 
 as great as that found in Tikal. One of these rooms was completely 
 excavated, but nothing of interest was found. 
 
 Maler (No. 1, p. 50) suggests in relation to Temple V that there may 
 have been a fourth and a fifth section to the roof-comb, with window-like 
 perforations added to the superstructure. Perforations are found at Nakum 
 in the building just mentioned. These run through the entire superstructure 
 and have no connection whatever with the interior rooms. These openings 
 seem to foreshadow the comb typical of the ruins on the Usumacinta River, 
 which is composed of a lattice-like structure in stone. The interior rooms 
 may be the prototype of the space between the two perforated and sloping 
 walls of the roof-comb at Palenque and that seen on the Usumacinta River. 
 
 Stelae and Altars. There seem to be at least three different situations 
 in which the stelae and altars are found. As in other cities the greater part 
 of the monuments occur in front of the temples in a line directly before the 
 stairway. These do not always occur symmetrically placed in reference to 
 the central point of the stairway. A single stela with its altar is usually to 
 
102 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 be found slightly in advance of this line. In addition to these stelae which 
 are closely correlated with a certain temple, other stelae and altars are found, 
 apparently quite independent and not in relation to any one temple. In this 
 class are the first and second rows of stelae and altars ranged along the 
 northern side of the great court. They are not, like the third line behind, 
 correlated with any building. They correspond in position to many of the 
 stelae at Copan and Quirigua, which are scattered over the courts without any 
 direct connection with the temples. The third class of stelae at Tikal is com¬ 
 posed of isolated stones. These are found not in a public place like the main 
 plaza, but sequestered behind small mounds in very small courts. There are 
 two examples of the isolated stelae in the Northern City, one (Structure 86) 
 with a stela and an altar, and the other (Structure 81) with the altar alone re¬ 
 maining. The best example is found in the northwestern section of the city 
 (Structure 72) where Stela 16 and Altar V occur enclosed within a small court 
 bounded by low mounds. This stela and altar, the latter discovered by Maler, 
 are the very best examples of their respective types found at Tikal. The 
 importance of these shows that public position is not a criterion of value. 
 Around this stela and altar, hidden away in their little court, undoubtedly 
 centred the worship where only the chosen few took part. 
 
 Only seventeen of the sixty-eight stelae noted up to the present time at 
 Tikal and six altars show signs of decoration. 1 This would seem to indicate 
 that there was some form of stucco decoration or, more possibly, at one time 
 a painted decoration once covering the plain stelae but now completely disap¬ 
 peared. In the arrangement of stelae as noted in the plan (Plate 29) the 
 sculptured stones occur in no definite order in connection with the unsculptured 
 ones. Moreover, the greater number of the stelae and altars are not in front 
 
 1 List of the Stelae at Tikal. 
 
 Eastern Section, below terrace.1, 
 
 Great Plaza, northern side.13 —f- 5, 
 
 “ “ before Temple I.2 
 
 “ “ “ Structure 29.1 
 
 “ “ “ “32.3, 
 
 “ “ “ “33.6, 
 
 “ “ “ “34.4, 
 
 Northern Acropolis, “ “ 36.2, 
 
 « “ “ “ 42.4, 
 
 Southwestern Section, “ “ 55.1 
 
 Northwestern “ “ Temple IV.1 
 
 “ “ “ Structure 70.6 
 
 (No. 17) 
 (Nos. 8-14) 
 
 (Nos. 6, 7) [Altar IV] 
 
 (No. 5) [Altars II and III] 
 (Nos. 3, 4) [Altar I] 
 
 (Nos. 1, 2) 
 
 (No. 15) 
 
 Northern City, 
 
 The numbers in braces refer to 
 altars are indicated in brackets. 
 
 72.1, (No. 16) [Altar V] 
 
 85 .4 
 
 86 .1 
 
 80 .4 
 
 78.9 
 
 81 .0 [Altar VI] 
 
 the sculptured stelae as enumerated by Maler. The sculptured 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 103 
 
 of the five largest temples but before the smaller temples on the north side 
 of the Great Plaza. A small and seemingly unimportant temple (Structure 
 80) in the suburb of Tikal, which we have called “ The Northern City,” has 
 nine stelae and altars before it. 
 
 As for the larger buildings of the temple class, Temple I has two stelae 
 and their altars before it, Temple II, a single altar, and Temple IV, a stela 
 and altar. Temples III and V have no monuments before their stairways. 
 
 It is suggested that possibly there existed at one time carved wooden 
 stelae. The unsymmetrical position of several of the stone stelae in rela¬ 
 tion to the centre of the stairway before which they occur may be an indica¬ 
 tion that the symmetry or “ balance ” of the general stelae formation was 
 maintained at one time by wooden monuments. The carved wooden lintels 
 frequently met with at 1 ikal show that wood-carving attained here a height 
 reached in few other places in the Maya area. It is not naturally to be sup¬ 
 posed, however, that the stelae and altars were all erected at one time, and 
 if they commemorated some historical or religious event, as seems probable, 
 their erection would have been spread over a large number of years. This is 
 perhaps a more natural explanation of the many gaps appearing in the line 
 of stelae and the fact that there are many temples before which there are no 
 monuments. 
 
 Decoration of Stelae. A study of the decoration of the stelae shows 
 a certain classification possible, according to the design. Stelae 1 and 2 were 
 found together, as already stated, in an isolated court. Maler (No. 1, p. 35) 
 suggests that Stela 2 was made to replace Stela 1. It is certain that they 
 are very similar both in design and in method of treatment. The figures, 
 however, face different ways. These stelae are quite distinct from any of the 
 other monuments. The design covers not only the front, but runs over on 
 the two sides as if they were in the same plane. This is seen in several of 
 the Quirigua stelae (Maudslay, 1889-1902, Vol. II, Plates 33, 35). The face 
 is in profile, the body in front view, and the feet of Stelae 1 at least in side 
 view. The hands meet in front of the body, and support the same sort of 
 ornament on the breast as that seen on many of the stelae at Copan and 
 elsewhere. 
 
 Stelae 5, 11, and 16 are the best executed ones in Tikal. They suggest 
 in their treatment some of the stelae and lintels from Piedras Negras and 
 Yaxchilan. The bound captives seen at the bottom on stelae 5 and 11 show 
 further similarity with the designs in the Piedras Negras monuments and also 
 on those from Naranjo. The design on the front is a unit, a single figure 
 with head in profile and with elaborate head-dress surrounded by small 
 groups of hieroglyphs. 
 
 Stelae 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 17 form a more or less distinct class 
 by themselves. The designs on the front are far less elaborate than those of 
 the preceding stelae. There is none of the careful work as shown in Stelae 
 
104 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 5, 11, and 16. The hieroglyphs especially show much carelessness in their 
 drawing. They are often not exactly square, and may show a far more primi¬ 
 tive type than those before mentioned. Stela 5 seems to have the date 4 Ahau 
 8 Yaxkin®, end of Tun 13. This would make it 9, 15, 13, 0, 0. This is 
 260 years later than the 9, 2, 13, 0, 0, 4 Ahau 13 Kayab(§) of Stela 3, over 
 240 years after the 9, 3, 6 or 11, 2, 0 of Stela 10 and over 180 years later 
 than the 9, 6, 3, 9, 15, 10 Men 18 Chen® of Stela 17. These three latter 
 all show the primitive type of sculpture. 
 
 Dates upon the Stelae and Altars. 1 We have already mentioned a 
 possible chronological relationship between the design on certain of the stelae 
 and the corresponding dates. This is a subject in which Dr. H. J. Spinden 
 was the pioneer in his work on the stelae of Copan. 2 
 
 The only two clear dates on the inscriptions now available from Tikal 
 are those on Stela 3, 9.2.13.0.0, 4 Ahau 13 Kayab® and Stela 17, 9.6.3.9.15, 
 10 Men (18 Chen ®). Another early date appears to be that on the lower 
 part of Stela 10. This is 9.3.6 (or 11) 2.0, which would give us 5 Ahau 
 8 Pax® if 6 is the number of the Tun, and 11 Ahau 3 Muan® if 11 is the 
 number in the third place. 
 
 A much later date is probably to be seen on Stela 5 (east). There the 
 day and month are 4 Ahau 8 Yaxkin, and the end of Tun 13 is shown. This, 
 if the reading is correct, would give us 9.15.13.0.0. The western side of 
 Stela 5 is not so satisfactory. The day and month seem to be 12 Ahau 
 8 Xul.® If the Uinal and Kin numbers are zero, this would make it 
 9.1.5.0.0. This is unlikely, as the date of the eastern side would then be 
 280 years later than that on the western side. 
 
 Stela 16 shows the day 8 Ahau. The month looks like 13 Muan. Mr. 
 Bowditch suggests that the glyph in A 4 may be read as the ending of Uinal 
 14 instead of the usual Tun ending. In this case 9.2.4.14.0 would give us 
 8 Ahau 13 Muan. If, on the other hand, the number 14 refers to the Tun 
 ending, we would have 9.11.14.0.0., 8 Ahau 18 Mol. But the month number 
 is clearly 13 and not 18. The date 9.2.4.14.0 would make Stela 16 among 
 the earliest at Tikal, whereas the sculpture and the drawing of the glyphs 
 seem to show that it belongs to the later period with Stela 5 and 11. 
 
 Altar V shows an interesting series of calculations. The day and month 
 near the top, 1 Muluc 2 Muan ®, seems to be the starting point. To this 
 11.11.18 are added, giving 13 Manik 0 Xul ®. 8.9.19 are next added, result¬ 
 ing in 11 Cimi 19 Mac®. Three unexpressed days then intervene between 
 this and 1 Muluc 2 Kankin ®, the final day and month sign. 
 
 Decoration of Buildings. The fagade, as in all other Maya cities, is usually 
 divided into horizontal zones, separated from one another by medial mould- 
 
 1 I am indebted to Mr. Charles P. Bowditch for valuable suggestions in regard to the decipher¬ 
 ment of the dates of the Tikal inscriptions. 
 
 2 This work, presented in his Doctor’s thesis on June 29, 1909, will shortly be published by the 
 Peabody Museum. 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 105 
 
 ings or by a single projecting string course. The lower zone in almost every 
 case is plain, being finished by a smooth layer of plaster. When the upper 
 division is also plain the moulding is usually widened and elaborated by some 
 design either in stone or stucco (Structure 10, Maler, No. 1, Plate S, Pig. 1). 
 The upper zone is often made to slope inward, suggesting the typical pyramid 
 temple at Palenque, and on this remains of designs are sometimes found. 
 
 The walls of the five great pyramid temples are perfectly plain as far 
 up as the lintel of the doorway. Above this an elaborate frieze at one time 
 ran around the building. The main decoration, however, was expended upon 
 the roof-comb, where remains of masks and other designs of heroic size can 
 still be made out. 
 
 In a few cases the fagade is broken into small vertical sections by lines 
 running up and down. The plan of Structure 1 (No. 1, Fig. 1) shows this. 
 As before noted, this is quite opposite to the usually horizontally placed design 
 on Maya buildings. 
 
 The mask is the usual element of design. It is found over doorways 
 and is built up in great part of stucco. The masks on the roof-combs have 
 just been noted, but the remains are in such a state of ruin that it is im¬ 
 possible to reconstruct the original design. 
 
 The artistic feeling found vent in the sculptured stone stelae and altars 
 and in the carved wooden lintels. These all show a high development both 
 in composition and in technique. 
 
 Incised Design. The figures scratched on the interior walls at Tikal 
 are more varied and show much more skill than those usually found in a 
 similar position in other Maya cities. Some of the drawings of the terraced 
 pyramids (No. 1, Figs. 9 and 13) with their stairways and the high-roofed build¬ 
 ings on their summits, were found inside Temple II, which is itself a similar 
 structure. They seem to suggest that the prototype of the roof-comb was 
 the high roof of thatch. Another class of wall scratchings is that of a person 
 with human or animal head standing on a low platform (No. 1, Figs. 14-16). 
 He has a human or bird head hanging from his back. The serpent design 
 comes from the top of his head, and in front on a seat or altar is a diminu¬ 
 tive human figure, or what may be a blazing ball of incense. 
 
 Orientation of the Five Great Temples. It has often been noted that the 
 temples of Tikal seem to be more correctly orientated than the structures of 
 any other of the Maya sites. Unfortunately it was possible to take the posi¬ 
 tion of the five great temples only, but there is reason to suppose that the 
 other structures would show similar results. Mr. Merwin carried on the 
 work of determining the orientation, and the following are the results of his 
 survey: 
 
 The orientation of these temples was obtained by finding in each struc¬ 
 ture the bearings of the outer front wall and of the back wall of the inner¬ 
 most chamber, these bearings being referred to the true meridian. A high 
 
106 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 grade transit was used and all linear measurements were made with a steel 
 tape. Stations were located on the top of the five pyramids a short distance in 
 front of the doors of the temples. As these structures were high above the 
 forest, it was possible to see clearly from one station to another. At first a 
 permanent base line was laid out, to which the azimuths of all the lines 
 between the different stations were subsequently referred. When the true 
 meridian was found the deviation of this base line from true north was 
 noted. At Station V 1 the true meridian was found by observations on 
 Polaris at its western elongation, and subsequently at Station I the meridian 
 was obtained by observing Polaris at its lower culmination. These two 
 methods of finding the true meridian furnished a check on the work. A 
 variation of 0° 8' 0" was noted. 
 
 The method of finding the orientation of the front wall of one of the 
 temples was to centre the transit over a stake at the station located a short 
 distance (usually about a foot) in front of the line of the outer wall of the 
 building near the doorway. The zero of the limb of the’ transit was then 
 placed on the meridian of the base line, either by a back sight on another 
 station or by direct reference to the original base line. Two points were 
 located on the wall, one at each corner of the building, and their azimuths 
 were read. Then, having found the angles, the distance of the stake from 
 the line of the wall and the distance of the two points from the stake, it was 
 but a simple trigonometric problem to obtain the azimuth of the wall. 
 
 It will be noted that the azimuth of the wall was found by two distinct 
 yet similar operations. Because of the short distances, irregularities of the 
 masonry of the walls, etc., a difference in the two results was to be expected, 
 but this difference was very slight. The same general method was used in 
 finding the orientation of the back walls of the back rooms. 
 
 The following table gives the results obtained; referred to the true 
 meridian: 
 
 Temple. 
 
 Outer Front Wall. 
 
 Back Wall 
 of Back Chamber. 
 
 Variation. 
 
 I . 
 
 N. 9° 3' 30" E. 
 
 N. 8° 57' 45" E. 
 
 0° 5' 45" 
 
 II. 
 
 N. 9° 51' 30" E. 
 
 N. 9° 7' 0" E. 
 
 0° 44' 30" 
 
 Ill. 
 
 N. 18° 16' 30" E. 
 
 N. 16° 39' 0" E. 
 
 1° 37' 30" 
 
 IV. 
 
 N. 7° 1' 30" E. 
 
 N. 9° 18' 45" E. 
 
 1° 17' 15" 
 
 V. 
 
 N. 79" 13' 2" W. 
 
 (in ruin ) 
 
 
 Average magnetic variation taken at 10 o’clock a. m. East 5° 27' 40". 
 
 1 The temple and the station near it have corresponding numbers. Work was begun at Sta¬ 
 tion V and carried forward to the other stations in the following order II, I, III, IV. 
 
EUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 107 
 
 It will be noted that as regards the deviation from true north the front 
 wall of four of the five temples (I, II, IV, and V : ) shows great uniformity. 
 The variation of these four temples is from 7° 1' 30" (Temple IV) to 10° 46' 
 58" (Temple V), making a difference of only 3°, 45', 28" in the four temples 
 themselves. Temple III, for some reason that cannot be explained, shows a 
 much larger variation from the true north, 18° 16' 30." 
 
 In an examination of the amount of variation between the front walls 
 of the temples and the back wall of the innermost rooms it will be noted that 
 in Temples I, II, and III the back wall is more nearly oriented than is the corre¬ 
 sponding front wall. The variation is very slight in Temples I and II. We 
 might reasonably expect that greater care should be expended in orienting 
 the inner room, especially if it was used as a shrine. In the case of Temple 
 IV the front wall is 1° 17' 15" nearer the true north than the back wall. 
 
 From so small a series it is impossible to draw any conclusions. It is to 
 be hoped that an accurate orientation of many more of the Maya buildings 
 will soon be available for future study of this important point. 
 
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 In a description of the main structures at Tikal it is not necessary to 
 enter into details which would be but a repetition of much that occurs in the 
 first number of this volume. The endeavor is to add certain points which 
 have come out in our own investigations. It is worthy of emphasis, however, 
 that as many of the buildings are in such a state of ruin two opinions may 
 well be entertained in regard to the original plan and the arrangement of the 
 various structures. 
 
 For ease in description we will divide the site into several sections which 
 are topographically more or less distinct: 
 
 1. The Southeastern and low-lying part of the city. 
 
 2. The Central Acropolis, bounded on the north by the Great Plaza and 
 on the south by the southern ravine. 
 
 3. The Eastern Section, to the east of the Great Plaza and north of the 
 inclined way. 
 
 4. The Great Plaza, with Temples I and II. 
 
 5. The Northern Acropolis, bounded on the north by the northern ravine 
 and on the south by the Great Plaza. 
 
 6. The Southern Acropolis and Temple V, bounded on the north by the 
 southern ravine and on the south by a second ravine. 
 
 7. The Southwestern Section, bounded on the north by the shallow 
 ravine between Structures 68 and 69 and on the east by the western edge 
 of the southern ravine. 
 
 1 Temple V faces the north, and therefore the reading should be subtracted from 90° eivine 
 10° 46' 58." 
 
108 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 8. Northwestern Section, including Temples III and IV. 
 
 9. The Northern City, separated entirely from the main part by the 
 northern ravine. 
 
 1. Southeastern Section. Building 1 (Maler’s “ Palace of the Fa$ades 
 with Vertical Grooves,” No. 1, Fig. 1) with its quadrangle is the only 
 structure which is well preserved in this section of the city. The eastern and 
 northern facades are divided into vertical panels by deep grooves. It is very 
 
 unusual to find lines running up and down a building. A second feature 
 worthy of note is the fact that the structures on the four sides of the court are 
 connected at the corners. The main building faces on the east a court, with 
 a terrace on the north and enclosed by mounds on the east and south. 
 
 Directly to the west of the quadrangle of Structure 1 is a second court, 
 the western building of the first forming the eastern side of the second. The 
 buildings to the north and south of this second court are entirely destroyed, 
 but the plan of that on the west (Structure 2) can be determined by the 
 remains of several of the rooms (Fig. 18).' It is three rooms in width, with 
 two transverse rooms at either end. To the north and south of this court 
 there are still other quadrangles formed by the remains of mounds. 
 
 The western structure (3) of the southern of these courts differs from the 
 usual Tikal building. The unevenness of the mound enables one to form 
 some idea of the former plan (Fig. 19). A single row of rooms seems 
 to have been built around a very narrow open space in the centre. The 
 two corner rooms on the north come out beyond the transverse rooms on 
 that end. 
 
 Directly to the west is Structure 4 (Maler’s “ Palace of the Rear Cham¬ 
 bers and Great Stone Benches,” No. 1, Fig. 2). From the amount of the 
 debris to the north of this building it seems hardly likely that there was a 
 
 l An attempt has been made in drawing the planB of the various buildings to indicate in Bolid 
 black only the walls which were actually seen in position. Where the walls are covered with debris or 
 have disappeared, the probable position is indicated by dotted lines. Further investigation will 
 undoubtedly show that changes are necessary in the assumed portion of the plans. 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 109 
 
 northern half which has disappeared, as noted by Maler. The mound indi¬ 
 cated on Maler’s plan to the west of the main structure may be identified 
 with the remains of a four-room edifice running east and west which joins 
 the main structure on the northwest corner. Again, from a study of the 
 fallen walls and from measurements, the end rooms of the building on Maler’s 
 plan seem questionable. 
 
 Still continuing to the west, one approaches several mounds, including 
 an unimportant court open at the corners and formed by low mounds with 
 no buildings remaining. 
 
 jtf: |Vv: & 
 
 O 16 ff. 
 
 >&#- 
 
 - 3 * AJ 
 
 Fig. 19. — Tikal: Plan of earthwork, called Structure 3. 
 
 2. Central Acropolis. From the low-lying Southeastern Section of the 
 city it is possible to approach the main and central part of the ruins in two 
 places. The first is by an inclined way running southeast and northwest 
 and bordered on both sides by low earthworks. It is the only example in 
 the entire group where the construction is not more or less correctly oriented. 
 The southern of the two prolonged constructions ends at the pyramid of 
 Structure 27, while the northern one starts at a large platform mound and 
 runs to a great pyramidal mound on which there are no traces of buildings. 
 
 The second means of approach to the main and higher portions of the 
 city to the northwest is across the deep ravine running east and west between 
 the Central Acropolis and the southern part of the city. This is made pos¬ 
 sible by a raised way directly north of the unimportant court to the west of 
 Structure 4. This artificial roadway may have been in the nature of a dam 
 thrown across the ravine, thus making the depression a reservoir for collect¬ 
 ing rain-water. No opening could be found in it, and the high ground to the 
 north, south, and west would have served as an important watershed to 
 supply the reservoir. Small portions of a cement-like covering were dis¬ 
 covered along the floor and sides of the ravine which points still further 
 to the theory of a dammed ravine. The aguada , where water is now ob¬ 
 tained, is some distance from the ruins, and in the dry season is a most 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 27 
 
110 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 uncertain source of supply. It alone could not have furnished enough water 
 for the use of the inhabitants of the city. 
 
 From the northern end of the raised road the ascent is made by a series 
 of terraces to the Central Acropolis of the city. On one of the first levels 
 there are several unimportant mounds, together with Structure 27, Figs. 20, 
 21 (Maler’s “ Three-storied Palace with Three Chambers in the Top Story,” 
 
 Fig. 20. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 27. 
 
 No. 1, p. 25), into the base of which one of the mounds of the inclined way 
 runs. The high mound of Structure 27 with its building may be mistaken 
 at first for one of the main pyramid temples. The three rooms of the main 
 building are in line rather than one behind the other. It suggests the plan 
 of the temple found at Palenque, with a middle shrine and two lateral cham¬ 
 bers. The unique feature of the structure is the construction containing a 
 small chamber projecting from the middle of the stairway about halfway up 
 the mound. The plan is doubtful in regard to the story between this minute 
 cell-like room and the main temple above. The middle story probably con¬ 
 sisted of six rooms. A suggestion as to the possible arrangement is shown 
 in Figs. 20 and 21. Fig. 20 gives the three rooms of the upper story and 
 the three rooms of the outer tier of the second or middle story. It may be 
 that these three rooms were connected. The three interior rooms of the second 
 story are assumed to be similar to the single row of rooms in the top story. 
 
 From this structure westward there stretches an almost unbroken line 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 Ill 
 
 of mounds of various heights, marking the northern edge of the great Central 
 Acropolis. 
 
 The end walls of Structures 5 and 6 to the southwest of 27 are well 
 preserved and mark the opening into a court surrounded by long mounds. 
 The northern side opens upon a still higher but smaller plaza, the west side 
 of which is formed by Structures 24, 25, and 26. The first contains three 
 parallel rooms with portions of the north and south walls still standing. 
 
 Fio. 21 — Tikal: Cross-section of Structure 27. 
 
 The rooms in Structures 25 and 26 give a good idea of the construction of 
 the long mounds which bordered the various courts. Undoubtedly these 
 mounds, many of which now show no trace of buildings, each contained a 
 single or double row of rooms. The larger court to the south is bounded 
 on the west by Structure 8. The remains of a transverse room and the ends 
 of two of the longitudinal rooms are still to be made out. 
 
 To the west of this lies the court formed by Structures 10, 12, and 13. 
 The most important buildings are on the south, Structure 10, Kgs. 22-24 
 (Maler’s “Palace of the Five Stories,” No. 1, p. 15). Fig. 24, the cross- 
 section, shows the relationship of the various parts of this building. The 
 main structure is a unit containing three stories and fully described by Maler. 
 It is a detached building, and interesting on account of its good preservation. 
 It faces a terrace on the south, and there is no entrance to the building from 
 
112 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 the square on the south side of which it stands. Maler’s Plate 8, Fig. 1, 
 shows the unbroken north wall decorated with an elaborate moulding of 
 
 Fio. 22.— Tikal: Plan of Structure 10, first and third stories. 
 
 stucco. The elongation of this building on the west was clearly later in 
 point of time, as it formerly concealed a mask on the western end of the 
 building. This structure contains what corresponds to the third, fourth, and 
 fifth stories of the whole edifice, Fig. 22 showing the third and Fig. 23 the 
 fourth story. 
 
 Fig. 23. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 10, second and fourth stories. 
 
 A change of plan is seen on the eastern end of the main structure (Fig. 
 22). A projection, probably of solid masonry, was added, evidently when the 
 two upper stories were built. To the east of this addition there is joined a 
 building of two stories, not shown on the cross-section. The lower range 
 (Fig. 22) contains two rooms running north and south, one opening into the 
 other and both about on the level of the small court to the east. Above, but 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 113 
 
 receding slightly, is a story also containing two rooms (Fig. 23) but running 
 east and west. In height this second story comes about halfway between 
 the stories of the main structure which we have called the third and fourth. 
 
 The terrace in front of the latter is faced with two tiers of rooms which 
 in turn open upon a lower terrace. To the south the land then falls away 
 rapidly to the deep southern ravine. These two stories are to be considered 
 
 as the first and second stories of the whole structure, Fig. 22 showing the 
 first and Fig. 23 the second of these tiers of rooms. The lower or first story 
 has two ranges of rooms, those to the east being entirely in ruins. The ma¬ 
 sonry at the southeastern corner shows the end of the building. The second 
 story (Fig. 23) seems to be shorter on the east, but rooms may be made out 
 on the west. The plans of the eastern and western ends should be considered 
 as merely tentative. 
 
 Returning to the court, to the north of Structure 10 we find interesting 
 buildings on the eastern and northern sides. That on the east (Structure 12, 
 Fig. 25) has two parallel galleries with two doorways between. The front 
 room has a partition, which seems clearly to be later than the original build¬ 
 ing. Structure 13 (Fig. 26), on the north of the court, shows several well- 
 preserved rooms. The corner between 12 and 13 was filled in at a later date, 
 probably with solid masonry. The court is bounded on the west by a mound 
 containing no traces of rooms, but leaving a passage in the northwest corner 
 to the court to the west. 
 
114 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 This quadrangle to the west is to be especially noted, as around it are 
 grouped several well-preserved buildings. On its southern side is Structure 
 
 Fig. 25. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 12. 
 
 14 (Maler’s “ Palace of Two Stories Opposite Great Temple V,” No. 1, Fig. 
 3). It is not necessary to enter into a description of this building, as it is 
 well explained by Maler. It is to be noted, however, that there is no evidence of 
 the connection between this edifice and Temple V. The deep southern ravine 
 
 runs between the two, and intercourse would not have been easy. More¬ 
 over, this structure faces the court to the north and not the Temple to the 
 south, although there are rooms on the southern side. Structure 14 and the 
 court on which it stands are shown in the cross-section of the city (Plate 30). 
 
 The northern side of the court is bounded by three buildings (Structures 
 15,17, and 18) the ends of which rather than the sides face the court. Maler 
 (No. 1, p. 23) seems to have mistaken the first of these three buildings 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 115 
 
 (reckoning from the east) for the structure which is in the same line as the 
 mound forming the western side of the court of Structure 10. Structure 15 
 is to the west of this line and is the one which has a room in the north¬ 
 ern end from which an excellent view may be obtained of Temple I. The 
 second structure (17, Fig. 27) has three chambers of equal length, and the 
 third building (Structure 18, Fig. 28) is built around three sides of a small 
 
 -5 ^-> AJ 
 
 ° 6 ft 
 
 Fig. 27. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 17. 
 
 court. The arrangement of rooms may clearly be seen from the plan. The 
 later addition on the southwest corner is so badly destroyed that no attempt 
 was made to make a plan of it. These three buildings are on the northern 
 edge of the great Central Acropolis. There is probably a fifth structure (16), 
 not mentioned by Maler, directly north of these but on a lower level, a sort 
 of terrace jutting out from the almost perpendicular wall of the height. Re¬ 
 mains of two rooms at two different levels may be made out. It must be added 
 that, so great is the stage of ruin in this special place, it is difficult to at- 
 tempt a detailed restoration of the original plan. 
 
 The western side of the court we have been describing is bounded by 
 Structure 19. This faces the east and not the northeast, as noted by Maler 
 (No. 1, p. 23). 
 
 The remains forming the Central Acropolis still continue to the west. 
 From the court just described there opens another at a lower level but 
 bounded by mounds on the north, west, and south, and on the east by Struc- 
 
116 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 ture 18 and its addition. This quadrangle has an opening near the north¬ 
 west corner leading down to the main plaza below. The northern mound 
 (Structure 21) is prolonged to the west until it is within a few feet of Struc- 
 
 - <5 •—- 
 
 Fig. 28. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 18. 
 
 ture 22. The southern wall of this mound facing the southern ravine is still 
 well preserved. The rooms, as Maler states, must have faced the Great Plaza 
 to the north. 
 
 Structure 22, just west of the western projection described above, is of 
 the temple type. It is almost exactly south of Temple II. Maler (No. 1, 
 p. 32) mentions a second temple to the west. This could not be found. 
 
 3. Eastern Section. It seems best in the description to return eastward 
 and start again at the northern end of the inclined way. The north border- 
 
EDINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 117 
 
 ing mound, as has been stated, ends at a large platform mound which shows 
 no trace of buildings. There is a sharp declivity to the north and east of 
 this, marking the side of the northern ravine. To the west of this terrace 
 
 Fig. 29.— Tikal: Plan of Temple I. 
 
 mound there is a large level stretch running as far as the platform on which 
 Temple I stands. In the east it has a rectangular system of earthworks 
 enclosing four other low elevations, which seem to be platforms probably for 
 wooden buildings, as there is little stone debris. The western opening men¬ 
 tioned by Maler (No. 1, p. 26) was not made out. Directly to the west 
 there are the remains of two buildings. They are not equal in size, the 
 eastern one being much smaller than that to the west. 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 28 
 
118 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 The northern edge of the terrace is lined by three long mounds. These 
 increase in height from east to west. The one to the west shows remains of 
 a temple structure. It is below the line of these mounds on the side of the 
 northern ravine that Maler found Stela 17. 
 
 The western side of the level terrace just described is bounded by a 
 second and higher terrace, the level of the main plaza of the city, and on the 
 eastern edge stands Temple I and Structure 28. 
 
 4. Great Plaza. This great court is clearly the most important part of 
 the whole city. It is bounded on the north by the Northern Acropolis and a 
 triple row of stelae and altars, on the east by Temple I and Structures 29 
 and 30, on the south by the western part of the Central Acropolis, and on the 
 west by Temple II. 
 
 The five great pyramid temples, as has been stated, are the most impor¬ 
 tant architectural features of Tikal, and we have two of them facing this 
 plaza. They have been fully and accurately described by Maler. It is well, 
 however, to show the detailed plans, as the various temples differ in minor 
 details. Temple I is shown in plan and cross-section in Figs. 29 and 30. 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 119 
 
 The greater part of the facing of the pyramid has disappeared, and the lines 
 are therefore dotted, except those of the temple where the walls are still well 
 preserved. 
 
 Two plain stelae and their altars occur in front of this temple. 
 
 To the south of Temple I are two parallel mounds, seemingly the re¬ 
 mains of buildings. To the north of the same temple there is a row of three 
 small temples (Structures 29—31), the two southern ones having two rooms 
 
 Fig. 31. — Tikal: Present position of the stelae and altars in the great Plaza. 
 
 and the northern one three rooms each. They fill in the northeast corner of 
 the Great Plaza. These little temples are in plan very similar to the great 
 pyramid structures, — a niche in each side wall and a projecting middle portion 
 in the wall at the back. The southern of these three has a single stela 
 erected in front of the short flight of steps. To the east of the three there 
 is a long structure (28) containing a single row of rooms. This faces the 
 edge of the terrace to the west. Part of the back wall is still well preserved 
 The northern side of the Great Plaza has a most important series of 
 stelae and altars together with a row of four temples (Structures 32-35) 
 forming the southern face of the Northern Acropolis. The stelae and altars 
 were originally arranged in three lines, the first two on the general level of 
 the court, the third raised on a low terrace. The first row was com¬ 
 posed of five large undecorated stelae each with a round altar. The second 
 row consists of thirteen stelae smaller than those in the preceding line. 
 Seven of these are sculptured (Nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). Maler states 
 (No. 1, p. 34) that all excepting No. 14 have before them plain circular 
 altars. These we were unable to find in every case. Fig. 31 shows the 
 
120 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 present position of the monoliths. The alignment is not as straight as it 
 evidently was originally. Four of the smaller stelae are now out of place. 
 Several small stones, evidently pieces of broken stelae, were noted between 
 Stelae 8 and 10, and 10 and 12. 
 
 The third row of stelae and altars on a low terrace above the general 
 level of the plaza may be correlated with the temples in front of which they 
 are placed, and they will be considered in connection with these buildings. 
 
 These four temples (Structures 32-35) are built each on its own pyramid, 
 and they form the facing of the hill which has been called the Northern 
 Acropolis. These pyramids rise high above the level of the floor of the plaza 
 to the south, whereas their northern side slopes down to the level of the 
 Acropolis behind. These four buildings have the typical plan of the Tikal 
 temples. That to the east (Structure 32) has before its stairway three 
 stelae and originally three altars, one stela standing a little in advance of 
 the others. Two of the monoliths (Nos. 6 and 7) and the only altar noted 
 (IV) are sculptured (see Fig. 31). The second temple (Structure 33), the 
 largest of the four, has six stelae and altars, again one standing a little ahead 
 of the other five. One of these (No. 5) and two of the altars (II and III) are 
 decorated. The third building (Structure 34) has four stelae and originally 
 four altars. Two of these (Nos. 3 and 4) and one of the altars (I) are sculp¬ 
 tured. The fourth temple (Structure 35) has no stelae or altars. 
 
 On the western side of the Plaza, as before stated, stands Temple II, 
 fully described by Maler (No. 1, Figs. 4, 5). Before it an altar was noted 
 with no accompanying stela. 
 
 5. Northern Acropolis (Maler’s “Lesser Acropolis”). The Northern 
 Acropolis, as the case with the other two, was at one time a natural hill which 
 has been levelled off and terraced. The top is reached by an ascent between 
 Structures 33 and 34. It is on this Acropolis that we find an excellent ex¬ 
 ample of a symmetrical arrangement of buildings. The Central Acropolis 
 seems to have been primarily for residence, whereas here the greater part 
 of the buildings are of the temple type. Directly behind Structure 33 is a 
 small sunken court on which Structure 36 faces. This temple is interesting 
 mainly from the fact of the two stelae (Nos. 1 and 2) found before it. 
 
 At either side of this building, on the general level of the top of the 
 height, are two low mounds evidently at one time buildings. Behind the 
 temple of the two stelae there is a court on which face three temples (Struc¬ 
 tures 37-39) of the typical Tikal form. The largest one, on the north, has an 
 exceptionally wide stairway projecting some distance into the court. There is 
 also a building (Structures 41 and 42) to the north of each of the two side 
 temples of this group. These face the northern ravine and seem to show 
 features of the domiciliary type. There remains to be mentioned a mound 
 on the eastern edge of the height. This faces the east, and has a stairway 
 leading down to the terrace on which Structures 28-31 stand. Plate 30, 
 

 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 121 
 
 the cross-section of the city, shows the most important buildings on this 
 Acropolis. 
 
 o_ »<>#• 
 
 -Fig. 32. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 42. 
 
 To the west and north of the Acropolis on a lower level there is an inter¬ 
 esting edifice with two galleries, Structure 42, Fig. 32 (Maler’s “ Palace of 
 the Two Galleries ”). Near the southwestern corner of this building there 
 are the remains of four stelae and three altars. One of the stelae (No. 15) 
 shows traces of having been sculptured. 
 
 Fig. 33. — Tikal: Plan of Temple V showing the rooms in the roof-comb. 
 
122 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 This completes the description of the central portion of the site. Temples 
 III and IV, with the surrounding buildings and the large western section of 
 the city, will be taken up in connection with the remains in the south. 
 
 'L, 
 
 Fig 34. — Tikal: Cross-section of Temple V showing the rooms in the roof-comb. 
 
 6. Southern Acropolis and Temple V. It seems best to return in our de¬ 
 scription to the raised way connecting the southern and northern sides of the 
 southern ravine. By continuing west on the southern side Temple V (Figs. 
 33, 34) is reached. This is perhaps the most interesting of the five great 
 Tikal temples. The interior rooms in the roof-comb of this structure have 
 already been described in the general consideration of the construction of the 
 Tikal temples (p. 100). 
 
 To the east of the great mound on which Temple V stands there is a 
 small building (Structure 43) of the residential type. 
 
124 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 Just to the west of Temple V rise the terraces of an artificially levelled 
 hill which we have called the Southern Acropolis (Maler’s “ Lesser Acropolis 
 West of Great Temple V”). It is smaller in extent than the other two and 
 contains buildings of both types. In the centre is a temple (Structure 48) 
 facing east, and closely surrounding it on the four sides are Structures 44, 47, 
 
 L. 
 
 r 
 
 T 
 
 T 
 
 I 
 
 L 
 
 J 
 
 J. 
 
 6ff 
 
 o 
 
 
 M <- 
 
 Fig. 37.— Tikal: Plan of Structure 55. 
 
 49, 51. That to the west (Structure 51, Fig. 35) is the most important and 
 stands on a foundation platform of its own. The buildings to the east and 
 south are joined at the corners (Structures 44 and 47, Fig. 36). It is diffi¬ 
 cult to determine with exactness the plan of the rooms in this corner. The 
 plan given here differs from Maler’s description. There are three more or 
 less detached buildings (Structures 45, 46, and 50) on the eastern side of the 
 height. Nos. 45 and 50 are on a terrace slightly lower than the general 
 level. 
 
 7. Southwestern Section. Just to the west of the Southern Acropolis 
 upon a terrace and facing a large plaza to the west are seven temples (Struc¬ 
 tures 52-58), all of the Tikal type and varying very little in size. The central 
 
The two first (Structures 59, 60) are very well preserved, and their plans 
 (Figs. 38, 39) can be exactly determined (Maler’s “ First and Middle Palace 
 on the Southern Side of the Square of the Seven Temples ”). Fig. 40 shows 
 the cross-section of Structure 60 with the stepped arrangement of the 
 vaulting. 
 
 The north side of the square is enclosed by two parallel mounds running 
 
 
 
 31^31 
 
 o 16 ft 
 
 Fig. 39. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 60. 
 
 north and south. The western side has a row of three temples (Structures 
 62-64) which do not face the east or the court just mentioned, but the west, 
 on a second and larger plaza. Each of these is a typical three-room building 
 standing on its own foundation pyramid. To the north in line with this 
 row of three temples is a mound (Structure 61) of varying width showing the 
 remains of walls. To the south and still in the same line is a long mound, a 
 part of which also shows traces of buildings. At right angles to this and 
 forming the southern side of the plaza is a long mound stretching to the west, 
 
 MEM. PEABODY MUSEUM V. — 29 
 
126 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 of varying height, broken by a gateway near its western extremity. The 
 mound turns and continues northward, thus forming the western side of the 
 same plaza. 
 
 Near the centre of the court is a large mound which Maler calls a 
 “ sepulchral pyramid ” (Structure 66). He notes (No. 1, p. 55) that it is 
 the largest of its kind in the ruins. It is about 170 feet at the base on its 
 southern side. To the north and west there is a small and unimportant- 
 mound and also a pyramid temple (Structure 67) with three chambers, 
 not two as noted by Maler (p. 55). Near this 
 to the north and east is a building (Struc¬ 
 ture 68) running east and west with wings on 
 the northern side. Remains of rooms can 
 easily be made out. A little to the east is still 
 another temple (Structure 65). 
 
 8. Northwestern Section. By going di¬ 
 rectly north from the part of the city just de¬ 
 scribed and crossing a shallow ravine one 
 Fig. 40. — Tikal : Cross-section of arr j veg at t ^ e Northwestern Section of the site, 
 
 or by continuing to the east and following the 
 rim of the southern ravine one reaches Temple II and the Central Acropolis. 
 
 The southernmost ruin in the Northwestern Section is Structure 69 
 (Maler’s “ Palace of the Two Stories and twenty-one Chambers in the Rear 
 of Great Temple III,” Fig. 6). This excellently preserved edifice is well 
 worthy of extended study, as it shows the best example of a building of the 
 residential type at Tikal. Unfortunately the second story, as is almost 
 always the case, is badly ruined. 
 
 The court to the east of this building is bounded on the north and 
 south by mounds, evidently once the foundation of buildings at least two 
 rooms in width. To the north stretches a terrace as far as Structure 73 
 (Maler’s “Sacerdotal Palace Belonging to Great Temple IV”). This faces 
 the west and Temple IV. 
 
 To the east of the line made by Structures 69 and 73 lies Temple III 
 (Figs. 41, 42). It has two chambers in place of the usual three. The roof- 
 comb is represented as solid, but by analogy it might be assumed that there 
 are interior chambers, as in Temple V. 
 
 The middle palace of the line of three palaces mentioned by Maler 
 (No. 1, p. 40) could not be located. He may refer to the low mounds just 
 to the east of Temple IV. 
 
 Continuing to the west from the point of departure (Structure 69) 
 Structures 70 and 71 are soon reached. Both face the west, and are con¬ 
 nected by a low mound forming a court on the south. The six large stelae 
 in front of the first of these temples are by no means symmetrically placed 
 in reference to the central stairway. To the north of the western of the two 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 127 
 
 temples lies the secluded court, 26' X 32' (Structure 72, Fig. 43) in which 
 Maler made his remarkable find, the beautifully sculptured Altar V buried 
 in front of an equally finely carved stela (No. 16). The interesting series of 
 
 *5 ^-v AJ 
 
 Fig. 41. — Tikal: Plan of Temple III. 
 
 dates on the inscription around the top of this altar have already been 
 discussed (p. 104). 
 
 Still continuing to the north and west Temple IV (Figs. 44, 45) is 
 reached with its single unsculptured stela and altar. The foundation 
 mound of this temple is the largest of the five. 
 
128 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 f \ 
 
 M 
 
 
 “L 
 
 Fia. 43. — Tikal: Court 72 showing the position of Stela 16 and Altar V 
 discovered by Maler. 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 129 
 
 9. Northern City. Mention has already been made of the northern 
 ravine running behind the Northern Acropolis and the mounds to the east¬ 
 ward. By crossing this depression to the north and west of Structure 42 one 
 comes upon the westernmost building of the Northern City, clearly a suburb 
 
 Fig. 44.— Tikal: 
 
 Plan of Temple IV. 
 
 of the main settlement. This section is built upon a ridge running east and 
 west, terraced down to the ravine on the south and with the land also falling 
 away again to the north. 
 
 The court still remains the principal element in the plan. The western 
 building in this part of Tikal is Structure 89, the plan of which may be made 
 out (Fig. 46). It is a residential building, and faces east upon a court bounded 
 on the north by a low mound, on the east by Structure 88, also domiciliary 
 
130 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 and probably containing five rooms with an addition on the southwest corner, 
 and on the south by the line of the terrace. To the east and slightly to the 
 south of this group is another square, on the west side of which is a temple 
 (Structure 87) facing east. Opposite this and turned toward the same plaza 
 is a second temple (Structure 85), before which are four stelae and altars 
 
 Fia. 45. — Tikal: Cross-section of Temple IV. 
 
 placed to the north of the stairway. The square is closed on the north by a 
 secluded mound enclosure (Structure 86) similar to the one containing Stela 
 16 and Altar IV. As in the latter an altar and stela were found, this time 
 however unsculptured. The southern side of the larger court has a low 
 mound bordering the terrace. 
 
 Behind Structure 85 to the east and at a lower level stand the remains 
 of several domiciliary buildings (Structures 83 and 84) the plans of which 
 may be made out by the varying heights of the heaps of debris. Still at a 
 slightly lower level there stretches to the east a line of four “ sepulchral 
 pyramids ” (Structures 82, 80, 79, and 78). To the north of the space between 
 the first and second there is the third of the little secluded courts (Structure 
 81) this time surrounded by a well-preserved wall. A sculptured altar (VI) 
 but no stela was found within. 
 
 The second sepulchral pyramid (Structure 80) has before it on the west 
 four plain stelae with their altars, and a fifth altar with no stela. These 
 
EDINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 131 
 
 are not mentioned by Maler. The third pyramid (Structure 79) is very near 
 the second. Further to the east lies the fourth (Structure 78), on the west¬ 
 ern face of which are eight stelae and altars in a row, with a ninth stela and 
 altar slightly in advance of the others. 
 
 From the eastern part of the Northern City it is possible by going in a 
 southeasterly direction to reach a more or less independent quadrangle of 
 some importance. All four buildings are of the residential type. The 
 
 Fig. 46. — Tikal: Plan of Structure 89. 
 
 northern building (Structure 77, Maler’s “ Palace of the Twenty Chambers,” 
 Fig. 7) and southern building (Structure 74, Fig. 47) are well preserved, and 
 plans may be made of both. There remains finally to be mentioned the eastern 
 and western edifices (Structures 75 and 76) of this quadrangle, each of which 
 contains a single row of apartments. 
 
 RELATIVE AGE OF TIKAL. 
 
 The. supreme importance of the ruins of Tikal has already been made 
 clear, it is hoped, from the description of the site. It is quite certain that 
 the city was far more than a mere stopping-place in the northern migration 
 of the Maya people from their southern habitat to the later settlements in 
 northern Yucatan. 
 
 The hundreds of small mounds and chultunes stretching in lines from 
 Tikal eastward and the large number of important sites in the vicinity show 
 that this city was the centre of a large population. That this was very early 
 in the history of the Maya civilization seems evident from a study of the few 
 dates available from this place. The two distinct dates of Stelae 3 and 17 
 respectively 9.2.13.0.0 and 9.6.3.9.15, places Tikal among the very oldest 
 of the Maya cities. 
 
132 
 
 RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 It is best to dispose of certain single dates occurring in sites where the 
 great mass of the inscriptions from each city in question shows a consistent 
 chronology beginning far later. These exceptionally early dates have usu¬ 
 ally been considered as in some way traditional. Yaxchilan has the date 
 9.0.19.2.4 (Lintel 22), but this is the only early one found in all those 
 from the site. The others begin at 9.10.5.9.14 (Lintel 27) and run consist¬ 
 ently onward to 9.18.9.12.1 (Stela 10). Quirigua has the date 9.1.0.0.0 
 (Stela C, east). This again is unique, and all the other dates from this site 
 come far later, running from 9.14.13.4.17 (Stela E, west) to 9.19.13.0.12. 
 
 Fig. 47. Tikal: Plan of Structure 74. 
 
 Tikal, unlike the two sites just considered, has more than one early date, 
 and they outnumber the later ones. With the exception of the single dates 
 from Yaxchilan and Quirigua and the dates of the Temple of the Cross, the 
 Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross at Palenque, 1 the 
 9.2.13.0.0 of Stela 3 and the 9.3.6 (or 11) .2.0 of Stela 10 of Tikal are earlier 
 than any other recognized dates on the stelae from the Maya ruins. 2 The 
 Palenque date of 9.4.0.0.0 comes next, followed by the 9.6.3.9.15 of Stela 17 
 of Tikal, 9.6.10.0.0 of Stela 9 of Copan, and 9.7.14.10.8 of Naranjo (Slab 8), 
 the date reached by reckoning backward the distance number 2.5.7.12 from 
 1 Ahau 8 Kayab ®, the beginning of Katun 10, all of which are expressed. 
 Later would be placed the 9.8.10.6.16 of Stela 25 of Piedras Negras and the 
 9.10.5.9.14 of Lintel 27, the first of the regular dates from Yaxchilan. 
 
 It is of course dangerous to attempt a chronological disposition of the 
 various ruins from the comparatively few dates which we have from certain 
 sites. There is little doubt that inscriptions will be brought to light in later 
 investigations, and these may serve to fill in gaps in our chronology, or they 
 may, on the other hand, push the earliest date of a site backward and the 
 latest date forward, thus demolishing the relative chronology of the various 
 centres. 
 
 From a study of the early dates now available it may be seen that 
 
 1 Bowditch (1906 and 1910) has described these and similar dates. 
 
 2 It is interesting to note that the Leyden Plate with the very early date of 8.14.3.1.12, 1 Eb 
 (0 Yaxkin) was presumably found in the same general region as Tikal “ on the Rio Gracioza (?) in 
 the vicinity of San Filippo (?) on the border of British Honduras and Guatemala.” (Seler, 1900.) 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 133 
 
 Tikal occupies the first position in point of time of all the ruins of the Maya 
 area. We are not now prepared to show that the Tikal territory was the 
 centre from which spread the influence responsible for the culture of Copan 
 and Palenque, but that the city was as early as these two other Maya sites 
 seems evident from a study not only of the dates but also the types of sculp¬ 
 ture on the stelae. Naranjo, also in the same general region, was only 
 about one hundred years after Tikal. 
 
 From the evidently later character of certain of the stelae of Tikal, to¬ 
 gether with the single date of Stela 5, west, of 9.15.13.0.0, and from the fact 
 that the greater part of the dates from Naranjo are in Katuns 17 and 18, it 
 may he reasoned not only that the region of which Tikal was the centre was 
 one beginning very early in the life of the Maya civilization, but also that it 
 continued to hold its important position until well toward the end of the time 
 when the southern Maya culture resigned its position of preeminence to that 
 part of the Maya people living far to the northward. 
 
RUINS OF TIKAL. 
 
 135 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 Bancroft, Hubert Howe 
 
 1882. The native races of the Pacific States, Vol. IV, Antiquities. San Francisco. 
 Bowditch, Charles P. 
 
 1906. The temples of the Cross, of the Foliated Cross, and of the Sun at Palenque. 
 8°, pamp. Cambridge. 
 
 1910. The numeration, calendar systems, and astronomical knowledge of the Mayas. 
 8°, pp. xviii -f- 341, 19 plates. Cambridge. 
 
 Buschmann, J. C. E. 
 
 1853. Ueber die aztekischen Ortsnamen. Berlin. 
 
 Charnay, Desir6 
 
 1887. The ancient cities of the new world. London. (A translation of the French 
 edition of 1885.) 
 
 Hesse, 
 
 1853. See Ritters, 1853. 
 
 Maler, Teobert 
 
 1908. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala, and adjacent region. In 
 Memoirs of the Peabody Museum , Vol. IV, No. 2. Cambridge. 
 
 1911. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala. In Memoirs of the Pea¬ 
 body Museum , Vol. V, No. 1. Cambridge. 
 
 Maudslay, Alfred P. 
 
 1883. Explorations in Guatemala and examination of the newly-discovered Indian ruins 
 of Quirigu^, likal, and the Usumacinta. In Proceedings of the Royal Geographic Society 
 (n. s.), Vol. V, pp. 185-204. 
 
 1889-1902. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Archaeology. Plates, Vol. Ill, pis. 67-82 ; 
 Text, Vol. Ill, pp. 44-50. 
 
 Muller, J. G. 
 
 1867. Geschichte der amerikanischen Urreligionen. Basel. 
 
 Perigny, Maurice de 
 
 1908. Yucatan inconnu. In Journal de la Societe des Americanistes de Paris (n. s.), 
 Vol. V, No. 1. Paris. 
 
 Ritters, Karl 
 
 1853. Ueber neue Entdeckungen und Beobachtungen in Guatemala und Yucatan, in 
 Zeitsckrift fur allgemeine Erdkunde, Vol. I, pp. 161-193. 
 
 Sapper, Karl 
 
 1895. Altindianische Siedelungen und Bauten im nordlichen Mittel-Amerika, in Globus , 
 Vol. LXVIII, pp. 165-169, 183-189. English translation in Smithsonian Report , 
 1895, pp. 537-555. 
 
 Seler, Eduard 
 
 1900. Einiges mehr fiber die Monumente von Copan und Quirigua, in Zeitschrift fur 
 Ethnologic, Vol. XXXII, pp. (188)-(227), also in his collected works, Vol. I, pp. 
 792-836. 
 
 Si vers, Jegor von 
 
 1861. Ueber Madeira und die Antillen nach Mittel-Amerika. Leipzig. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Memoirs Peabody Musel.m, Vol. V. 
 
 Tikal : View from Tea 
 
 I. looking West, showing Temples II, III, and IV. 
 
 I.. BOSTON. 
 
 OMiBi 
 
Memoirs Peabody Muselm, Vol. V. 
 
 Tikal : Temple I, looking Soi tiieast. 
 
 MEllOTVPE 
 
 .. BOSTON 
 
Memoirs Peabody MusBlu, Vol. V. 
 
 Plate 
 
 Tikal : Temple II. looking Soi tiivvest. 
 
 CO.. BOSTON 
 
 
.. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Musel'.m, Vol. \'. 
 
 Plate 4, 
 
 
 
 
 
 ‘‘!»*§ar' ■ >■ - “ 
 
 
 fc T vrafek tetter , 
 
 Tikal: Temple III, looking Northwest. 
 
 
 ).. BOSTON. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V 
 
 *Kv 
 
 •K'r*' 
 
 I'ikal : Temple IV, looking Northwest. 
 
 HEUOTVPE CO 
 
 >.. BOSTON. 
 
Plate 
 
 Five Stokies: Third Story, West Extension, \ iew of Frieze. 2, Tikal: Structure of Three Stories with Three Chambers in Upper Story, Rear Side. 
 


 I V. .f , 
 
 I 
 
3AV7J 
 

 
 Memoirs Peabody Musei .m, Vol. V. 
 
 Plate i 
 
 Tikal: Stela i, North Side. 
 
Mk.moir 
 
 Stela i. West Side. j. Stela i, South Side- 
 
Memoirs Peabody Mi-selv 
 
:>RT!i Side. 
 
t'TH Side. 3, Stela 
 

 ♦ 
 
 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. 
 
 i. Tikal : Stela 7, South Side. 2. Tikal : Fragments of Carved Beams from Lintel 
 
 of Doorway leading to Second Chamber of Temple II. 
 
J.-V ... ... .... .. .. 
 
Memoirs Peaboijv Mu« 
 

 
West Side. 2, Stela 9, South Side. 3, Stel 
 

_ 
 

Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. 
 
 i. Tikal : Stela 12, South Side. 
 
 Tikal : Stei.a : 
 
 Plate 24. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Muskuiv 
 
 TIKAL. 
 


Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. 
 
 Plate 30 
 
PEABODY MUSEUM 
 
 OF 
 
 AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY 
 
 HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 VOLUME V 
 
 CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 No. 1. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala. By Teobekt Maler. 
 
 — Tikal. 
 
 Editorial Note Page 
 
 Tikal, meaning of name. 3 
 
 journey to. 3 
 
 The Palace of the Facades with Vertical Grooves. 11 
 
 The East Structure. 11 
 
 The North Structure. 12 
 
 The South Structure. 12 
 
 The West Structure. 13 
 
 The Palace of the Rear Chambers and Great Stone Benches. 13 
 
 The Palace of Five Stories . 15 
 
 First Story. 15 
 
 Second Story. 16 
 
 Third Story. 16 
 
 Fourth Story. 19 
 
 Fifth Story. 19 
 
 The Palace of Two Stories. 20 
 
 The Three-Storied Structure with Three Chambers in the Top Story. 25 
 
 The Great Terrace to the East of Great Temple I . 26 
 
 The Principal Square of Tikal with its Architectural Boundaries on the East, 
 
 West, and North. 26 
 
 Great Temple I. 27 
 
 Great Temple II. 29 
 
 The Palace of Two Galleries. 36 
 
 Great Temple III. 36 
 
 The Palace of Two Stories with 14+ 7 Chambers, in the Rear of Great Temple III 38 
 
 The Sacerdotal Palace Belonging to Great Temple IV. 40 
 
 Great Temple IV . 41 
 
 The Northern Part of the City, Beyond the Long Line of the North Ravine . . 45 
 
 The Palace of the Twenty Chambers. 47 
 
 Great Temple V. 49 
 
 The Lesser Acropolis West of Great Temple V. 51 
 
 The Central Temple of the Row of Seven. 52 
 
 The First of the Three Palaces on South Side of the Square of the Seven 
 
 Temples. 53 
 
 The Middle Palace on the South Side of the Square of the Seven Temples . 53 
 
 The Incised Drawings in the Temples and Palaces of Tikal. 56 
 
 The Stelie and Circular Altars of Tikal. 61 
 
 Stela 1 62 
 
 Stela 2 67 
 
 Stela 3 69 
 
 Stela 4 70 
 
 Stela 5 72 
 
 Circular Altar 3. 74 
 
IV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Circular Altar 4. 74 
 
 Stela 6 74 
 
 Stela 7 75 
 
 Stela 8 76 
 
 Stela 9 77 
 
 Stela 10 78 
 
 Stela 11 79 
 
 Stela 12 82 
 
 Stela 13 83 
 
 Stela 14 84 
 
 Stela 15 84 
 
 Stela 16 85 
 
 Circular Altar V. 87 
 
 Stela 17. (By error as 11 iu text). 90 
 
 Circular Altar VI. 91 
 
 No. 2. A Preliminary Study of the Prehistoric Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala. A 
 Report of the Peabody Museum Expedition 1909-1910. By Alfred 
 
 M. Tozzer . 93 
 
 For Contents of this Memoir see page following title-page. 
 
 No. 3. A Preliminary Study of the Prehistoric Ruins of Nakum, Guatemala. A 
 Report of the Peabody Museum Expedition 1909-1910. By Alfred 
 
 M. Tozzer .137 
 
 For Contents of this Memoir see .143 
 
 Index 
 
 199 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT 
 
 Figure 
 
 1. Tikal: 
 
 2 . 
 
 3. 
 
 4. “ 
 
 5. “ 
 
 6 . 
 
 7. “ 
 
 8 . “ 
 
 9. “ 
 
 10 . 
 
 11 . “ 
 
 12 . 
 
 13. 
 
 14. 
 
 15. 
 
 16. 
 
 17. 
 
 Plan and Sections of the Faqades with Vertical Grooves. 
 
 Plan and Section of the Palace with Rear Chambers and Great Stone 
 
 Benches . 
 
 Plans and Section of Palace with Two Stories opposite Temple V . . . 
 
 Section of Temple II. 
 
 Plan of Temple II. 
 
 Plans and Sections of Palace of Two Stories and Twenty-one Chambers 
 
 in Rear of Temple III. 
 
 Plan and Section of Palace with Twenty Chambers. 
 
 Incised drawings on walls of Temple II. 
 
 « « “ “ “ “ and of Palace of Two Stories 
 
 opposite Temple V. 
 
 Incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V 
 
 and on wall of Palace in rear of Temple III . 
 
 Incised drawings on walls of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V 
 
 and on walls of Temple II. 
 
 Incised drawings on wall of Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V 
 and on walls of Middle Palace. 
 
 18-47. For list of Illustrations in Text of No. 2 see page following contents of that 
 
 Page 
 
 12 
 
 14 
 
 21 
 
 30 
 
 31 
 
 39 
 
 48 
 
 56 
 
 57 
 
 57 
 
 58 
 
 59 
 
 59 
 
 60 
 61 
 
 62 
 
 63 
 
 Memoir. 
 
 48-101. For list of Illustrations in Text of No. 3 see page 
 
 147 
 
PLATES 
 
 Plate. 
 
 Figure 
 
 
 1. 
 
 Tikal 
 
 View from Temple I looking West, showing Temples II, III, IV. 
 
 2. 
 
 “ 
 
 Temple I, looking Southeast. 
 
 3. 
 
 “ 
 
 Temple II, “ Southwest. 
 
 4. 
 
 “ 
 
 Temple III, “ Northwest. 
 
 5. 
 
 “ 
 
 Temple IV, “ “ 
 
 6. 
 
 “ 
 
 Temple V, “ Southeast. 
 
 7. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 Palace of Five Stories ; Third Story, West Extension, View of Frieze. 
 
 7. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 Structure of Three Stories with Three Chambers in Upper Story, Rear Side. 
 
 8. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 Palace of Five Stories; North Side of Third, Fourth and Fifth Stories. 
 
 8. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 Central Temple of a Row of Seven Temples, East (rear) Side. 
 
 9. 
 
 1. 
 
 Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V; North Facade and Entrance to 
 Middle Chamber. 
 
 9. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 Diagonal View of One of Four Small Temples at Northern Side of Principal .Square. 
 
 10. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 Palace of Two Stories opposite Temple V; Middle North Chamber of First Story. 
 
 10. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 Palace of Five Stories; Rear Gallery of Fourth Story looking East. 
 
 11. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 Palace of Two Stories and Twenty-one Chambers; Southern Chamber of Rear 
 Row of Chambers. 
 
 11. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 Interior of Middle Palace formerly of One Apartment and later divided into 
 Three Rooms- 
 
 12. 
 
 “ 
 
 Stela 1, North Side. 
 
 13. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 1, West “ 
 
 13. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 1, South “ 
 
 13. 
 
 3. “ 
 
 “ 1, East “ 
 
 14. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 2, West “ 
 
 14. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 2, South “ 
 
 14. 
 
 3. “ 
 
 “ 2, East “ 
 
 15. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 3, West “ 
 
 15. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 3, South “ 
 
 15. 
 
 3. “ 
 
 “ 3, East “ 
 
 16. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 4, North “ 
 
 16. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 4, South “ 
 
 17. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 5, West “ 
 
 17. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 5, South “ 
 
 17. 
 
 3. 
 
 “ 5, East “ 
 
 18. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 7, South “ 
 
 18. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 Fragments of Carved Beams from Lintel of Doorway leading to Second Chamber, 
 of Temple II. 
 
 19. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 Stela 8, West Side. 
 
 19. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 8, South “ 
 
 19. 
 
 3. “ 
 
 “ 8, East “ 
 
 20. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 9, West “ 
 
 20. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 9, South “ 
 
 20. 
 
 3. “ 
 
 “ 9, East “ 
 
 21. 
 
 1. “ 
 
 “ 10, West “ 
 
 21. 
 
 2. “ 
 
 “ 10, South “ 
 
PLATES. 
 
 vm 
 
 Plate. Figure 
 
 21. 
 
 3. 
 
 Tikal: 
 
 Stela 
 
 10, East Side 
 
 22. 
 
 
 
 “ 
 
 11, South “ 
 
 23. 
 
 1 . 
 
 
 “ 
 
 12, West “ 
 
 23. 
 
 2. 
 
 
 “ 
 
 12, North “ 
 
 24. 
 
 1 . 
 
 
 
 12, South “ 
 
 24. 
 
 2. 
 
 
 
 12, East “ 
 
 25. 
 
 1 . 
 
 
 “ 
 
 13, West “ 
 
 25. 
 
 2. 
 
 u 
 
 (t 
 
 13, South “ 
 
 25. 
 
 3. 
 
 u 
 
 
 13, East “ 
 
 26. 
 
 
 u 
 
 u 
 
 16, South “ 
 
 27. 
 
 
 (1 
 
 “ 
 
 17, “ “ 
 
 28. 
 
 
 u 
 
 Altar 5. 
 
 29. “ A Sketch Map by A. M. Tozzer and R. E. Merwin. 
 
 30. “ Section at A-B of Map. 
 
 31 to 54. Nakum. For list see page 145. 
 

 MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND 
 ETHNOLOGY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
 
 Vol. V —No. 3 
 
 A PRELIMINARY STUDY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM 
 GUATEMALA 
 
 A REPORT OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM EXPEDITION 
 1909-1910 
 
 BY 
 
 ALFRED M. TOZZER 
 
 WITH FIFTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT 
 AND TWENTY-THREE PLATES 
 
 CAMBRIDGE 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM 
 1913 
 

 Copyright, 1913, 
 
 By the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and 
 Ethnology, Harvard University 
 
 
 
 University Press: 
 
 John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S. A. 
 
EDITORIAL NOTE 
 
 In accordance with the plan of the Peabody Museum Expeditions to Central 
 America, Dr. Tozzer has in the present Memoir made the second report on the 
 expedition under his charge during the season of 1909-10. 
 
 It has been the object of the Museum Expeditions, since their inception in 
 1888, to explore the whole Maya area of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and 
 British Honduras in search of monuments and buildings bearing sculptures and 
 hieroglyphic inscriptions with the hope of securing photographs and moulds 
 before they are destroyed by natural disintegration, by fires when the natives 
 clear the land for cultivation, and by pure vandalism. An instance of the latter 
 occurred as recently as January, 1912, when two of the sculptured stelae of the 
 prehistoric city of Copan were broken into small pieces for the purpose of mak¬ 
 ing a foundation for an adobe wall about the cemetery of the modern village of 
 Copan. Fortunately these stelae had been photographed and one of them had 
 been moulded by a Peabody Museum Expedition. 
 
 Excavations, except where there is hope of finding fallen monuments, lintels 
 and sculptured stones, have been slight, and the time of the explorers has been 
 given to the search for ruins and the description of such as have been found 
 preparatory to further examination and exploration in the future. During these 
 expeditions several sites of ruined cities, not before known, have been discovered, 
 and are being described in the Museum Memoirs, of which this number is the 
 seventeenth. 
 
 Other reports are in progress, and further expeditions are planned with the 
 hope of yet finding new sites and additional inscriptions which will throw more 
 light upon the history of this highest and most remarkable stage of culture on 
 the American Continent. 
 
 F. W. Putnam. 
 
 Peabody Museum of Harvard University, 
 Cambridge, Mass., October 10, 1913. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The Peabody Museum Expedition of 1909-1910, 1 like so many other 
 expeditions to Central America of this Museum, is due to the generosity 
 and to the interest of that friend of the Museum who has made possible more 
 than all others combined the accumulation of knowledge of Central America and 
 the Maya civilization. 
 
 The personal thanks and gratitude of the author of this report are due 
 especially to Mr. Raymond E. Merwin, who accompanied him on this expedi¬ 
 tion. Mr. Merwin made all the surveys on which the map of Nakum is based 
 and also took the photographs which accompany this report. 
 
 The expedition owes much to the interest expressed and the abundant and 
 kindly hospitality of three Jesuit priests, Fathers Bennett and Versavel and 
 the late Father Stanton. Father Stanton enriched the collections of the Uni¬ 
 versity Museum by a gift of zoological specimens of no little value. Father 
 Stanton s life and work among the people of British Honduras will always be 
 an inspiration to all who knew him. 
 
 To the genial Jefe Politico of the District of Peten, Guatemala, Senor 
 Don Clodoveo Bcrges, and to Senor Don Manuel Otero of La Libertad, a friend 
 of long standing, no little of the success of the expedition is due. Owing to the 
 interest and generosity of the latter, opportunities were given to make a most 
 interesting trip to the headwaters of the Salinas River. 
 
 There should be mentioned here as well as in the body of the report the 
 obligations of the expedition to Count Maurice de P6rigny, the discoverer of 
 the ruins of Nakum. That which we were able to accomplish at the ruins was 
 due in great part to the fact that Count Perigny had been there before us and 
 had laboriously cleared the site of vegetation. 
 
 A. M. T. 
 
 Peabody Museum, 
 
 July 1, 1913. 
 
 1 For a general report on the Expedition of 1909-1910, see Bibliography, Tozzer, 1912. For a study 
 of the Ruins of Tikal, also a report of this expedition, see Tozzer, 1911. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Editorial Note. 139 
 
 Preface .141 
 
 List of Plates. 145 
 
 List of Text Figures. 147 
 
 Peten Area . 149 
 
 General Considerations. 151 
 
 Situation of Nakura . 151 
 
 Topography and Water Supply. 151 
 
 Name. 151 
 
 History of the Site.151 
 
 Approach to the Ruins. 153 
 
 Labor. 154 
 
 Size.154 
 
 Assemblage.154 
 
 Orientation.155 
 
 Construction. 155 
 
 Substructures. 156 
 
 Stairways. 156 
 
 Superstructures .156 
 
 Types of Buildings. 156 
 
 Roof-combs. 157 
 
 Vaults . 158 
 
 Doorways. 158 
 
 Wall Openings.158 
 
 Floors.159 
 
 Benches.159 
 
 Decoration of Buildings. 159 
 
 Facades. 159 
 
 Mask Panel. 160 
 
 Incised and Painted Designs on Walls and Floors. 160 
 
 Stelae and Altars. 162 
 
 Detailed Description. 164 
 
 Great Plaza.164 
 
 Temple A, Mounds 1-5. 164 
 
 Mound B, Mound 6 169 
 
 Temple C, Mounds 7-12 169 
 
 Structure D. 170 
 
 Court I. 170 
 
 Temple E. 170 
 
 Structure F 172 
 
 Structure G, Mounds 13-15. 172 
 
 Court II . 173 
 
 Structure H. 173 
 
 Structure I .173 
 
 Court III. 174 
 
 Structure J . 174 
 
 Structure K, Mounds 16, 17. 174 
 
144 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Court IV.174 
 
 Structure L.174 
 
 Structure M.175 
 
 Court V.175 
 
 Temple N.175 
 
 Structure 0.173 
 
 Group VI.179 
 
 Mounds 18-23, Chultun 1.179 
 
 The Acropolis.179 
 
 Court VII.180 
 
 Structure P.180 
 
 Structure Q, Mounds 24-27 . 180 
 
 Group VIII.i8i 
 
 Mounds 28-33, Chultun 2.181 
 
 Court IX.132 
 
 Structure R.182 
 
 Structure S.183 
 
 Court X.184 
 
 Structure T.134 
 
 Court XI.184 
 
 Temple U, Mounds 34, 35 . 184 
 
 Group XII .185 
 
 Mounds 36-44 . 185 
 
 Court XIII. 186 
 
 Temple V, Mounds 45, 46 . 186 
 
 Group XIV.137 
 
 Mounds 47, 48, Chultun 3.187 
 
 Northern Extension.187 
 
 Structure W.187 
 
 Minor Antiquities.189 
 
 Chultunes.190 
 
 Ruins of El Encanto. 194 
 
 Time Considerations. 194 
 
 Bibliography. 197 
 
LIST OF PLATES 
 
 Plate 31. 
 Plate 32. 
 Plate 33. 
 Plate 34. 
 Plate 35. 
 
 Plate 36. 
 Plate 37. 
 
 Plate 38. 
 
 Plate 39. 
 
 Plate 40. 
 Plate 41. 
 
 Plate 42. 
 Plate 43. 
 Plate 44. 
 Plate 45. 
 Plate 46. 
 Plate 47. 
 Plate 48. 
 Plate 49. 
 Plate 50. 
 Plate 51. 
 
 Plate 52. 
 Plate 53. 
 
 Sketch map of the Peten Area. 
 
 Nakum. Plan of the Main Group of Ruins. 
 
 Nakum. Sketch map of the Northern Extension. 
 
 Nakum. Cross-sections of Main Group. 
 
 1. Looking south from Mound B, including the Great Plaza and the Acropolis. 
 
 2. Looking west and northwest from Temple U, including the Acropolis, Court I, the Great 
 
 Plaza, and Court XIII. 
 
 Looking east from Temple E, including Temples A, V and U, and Structure R. 
 
 Looking north from the western end of Structure D, showing the northwestern corner of the 
 Great Plaza, Mound B, and Temple C. 
 
 1. Structure O, portion of southern wall. 
 
 2. Structure P, portion of southern wall. 
 
 3. Structure 0, portion of southern wall. 
 
 4. Structure Q, portion of eastern wall. 
 
 1. Temple V, northern end of chamber. 
 
 2. Structure R, northern end of middle room of western range. 
 
 3. Temple N, entrance to southwestern room (4). 
 
 4. Temple A, center doorway, showing width of inner room. 
 
 1. Temple A, front or western fagade and lateral mounds. 
 
 2. Temple A, back or eastern fagade. 
 
 1. Structure B, portions of t^o of the stelae and one of the altars. 
 
 2. Temple C, front or eastern fagade, showing portions of the stairway still in place, and 
 
 Stela C. 
 
 1. Fragments of Stela D 2 , in front of Structure D. 
 
 2. Fragments of Stela D 2 , in front of Structure D. 
 
 1. Fragments of Stela D 2 , in front of Structure D. 
 
 2. Temple E, from the south, and southern wall of Structure I. 
 
 1. Temple E, front or eastern fagade. 
 
 2. Temple U, front or western fagade, showing Stela U. 
 
 1. Temple N from the Acropolis, showing the Main Building and the two Annexes. 
 
 2. Temple N from the south, with corner of the Acropolis and southern wall of Structure 0. 
 
 1. Temple N, southwestern corner, showing Main Building and Southern Annex. 
 
 2. Temple N, northern fagade of Main Building. 
 
 1. Acropolis from the north and Structure G. 
 
 2. Acropolis from the east, showing the two tiers of rooms on the face of the mound. 
 
 1. Structure P and southeastern corner of terrace. 
 
 2. Structure R, northern room in western range. 
 
 1. Temple U from the northeast, and Mound 35. 
 
 2. Temple V, front or western fagade, and Mounds 45 and 46. 
 
 1. Temple U, back or eastern fagade. 
 
 2. Temple V, back or eastern fagade. 
 
 1. Structure G, portion of mask on southern wall. 
 
 2. Structure L, mask on eastern end of building. 
 
 3. Temple N, Southern Annex, upper chamber, tie-hole. 
 
 4. Temple E, bench in chamber. 
 
 5. Temple N, Southern Annex, upper chamber, cupboard depression. 
 
 1. Stela C. 
 
 2. Stela U. 
 
 El Encanto, Stela, northern side. 
 
LIST OF TEXT FIGURES 
 
 Page 
 
 Fig. 48. a, Figure of man in black paint, western wall, Temple E; b, Figure of man in black paint, 
 eastern wall, Temple E; c, Incised figure of man with speech-scroll, northern room, 
 Structure R; d, Incised figure of man in structure on Acropolis; e, Incised face, back wall, 
 middle room, Temple A; /, Swastika-like figure in red paint on wall in front of door, Tem¬ 
 ple E; g, Painted design, eastern wall, Temple E; h, Incised figure of thatched hut, back 
 wall, middle room, Temple A; i, Glyph-like face, lower chamber, Northern Annex, 
 Temple N; j, Bars and dot in red paint, lower chamber, Northern Annex, Temple N 161 
 Fig. 49. «, Incised geometric figure in frame, western wall, Temple E; b, Incised geometric figures, 
 room in Structure D; c, Incised cross design, western wall, lower chamber, Northern 
 Annex, Temple N; d, Geometric design in black paint, western wall, Temple E; e, 
 Incised design on floor, Temple A; /, Incised design on floor, upper chamber, South¬ 
 ern Annex, Temple N; g, Design on p. 19, “Tonalamatl Aubin”.162 
 
 Fig. 50. Temple A, plan and elevation of structure with Mounds 1-4 and stelae and altars . . . 164 
 
 Fig. 51. Temple A, elevation of main building . 165 
 
 Fig. 52. Temple A, cross-section of main building . 166 
 
 Fig. 53. Temple A, mask design on front of middle tower. 167 
 
 Fig. 54. Temple C, plan . 168 
 
 Fig. 55. Structure D, plan with stelae and altars . 169 
 
 Fig. 56. Structure D, vault in one of the rooms.170 
 
 Fig. 57. Temple E and Structure F, plan. 171 
 
 Fig. 58. Temple E and Structure F, section. 172 
 
 Fig. 59. Structure F, northern fagade, mask design . 172 
 
 Fig. 60. Structure G, plan . 173 
 
 Fig. 61. Structure H, plan . 173 
 
 Fig. 62. Structure I, plan . 174 
 
 Fig. 63. Structure I, elevation of a portion of southern fagade. 174 
 
 Fig. 64. Structure M, plan . 174 
 
 Fig. 65. Temple N, plan . 175 
 
 Fig. 66. Temple N, suggested elevation . 176 
 
 Fig. 67. Temple N, Southern Annex, upper chamber, plan.177 
 
 Fig. 68. a, Temple N, Southern Annex, upper chamber, southern wall; b, Temple N, Southern 
 
 Annex, upper chamber, eastern wall. 177 
 
 Fig. 69. a, Temple N, Southern Annex, upper chamber, tie-hole in southern wall, front view; b, 
 
 Temple N, Southern Annex, upper chamber, tie-hole in southern wall, section . . . 178 
 
 Fig. 70. Structure 0, plan . 178 
 
 Fig. 71. Acropolis, plan of top showing the main structure and the outlines of the low mounds . 179 
 
 Fig. 72. Structure P, plan .181 
 
 Fig. 73. Structure Q, plan .181 
 
 Fig. 74. Structure R, plan .182 
 
 Fig. 75. Structure R, cross-section showing northern rooms. 183 
 
 Fig. 76. Structure R, portion of design on northern fagade.183 
 
 Fig. 77. a, Structure R, northern room, western range, plan; b, Structure R, northern room, west¬ 
 ern range, western wall; c, Structure R, northern room, western range, northern end; 
 
 d, Structure R, northern room, western range, eastern wall. 184 
 
 Fig. 78. Structure 8, plan. 185 
 

 148 LIST OF TEXT FIGURES. 
 
 Page 
 
 Fig. 79. Structure S, portion of mask design on northern facade.185 
 
 Fig. 80. Temple U, plan showing single stela . 186 
 
 Fig. 81. Temple V, plan . 187 
 
 Fig. 82. Northern Extension, structure W, plan.188 
 
 Fig. 83. Pottery fragment overlaid with black plaster, Chultun 2. 188 
 
 Fig. 84. Fragment of pottery vessel, Chultun 2.188 
 
 Fig. 85. Pottery vessel, Chultun 2 188 
 
 Fig. 86. Fragment of pottery vessel, Chultun 2.189 
 
 Fig. 87. Fragment of modelled ware, Chultun 2 189 
 
 Fig. 88. Fragment of modelled ware, Chultun 2 .189 
 
 Fig. 89. Figurine of seated female, Chultun 2 190 
 
 Fig. 90. Figurine of seated female, Chultun 2 190 
 
 Fig. 91. Portion of female figurine, Chultun 2 . 190 
 
 Fig. 92. Pottery whistle of human figure, Chultun 2 . 190 
 
 Fig. 93. Owl whistle, Chultun 2 191 
 
 Fig. 94. Head of an old woman, Chultun 2 191 
 
 Fig. 95. Portion of head of an old woman, Chultun 2 .191 
 
 Fig. 96. Pottery figure with round opening near bottom, Chultun 2 .192 
 
 Fig. 97. Section of Chultun, Labna, Yucatan, Type 2 . 192 
 
 Fig. 98. Plan and cross-sections of Chultun 1, Yaloch, British Honduras .193 
 
 Fig. 99. Section of Chultun 2, cistern type, Nakum . 194 
 
 Fig. 100. Plan and section of Chultun 3, lateral chambered type, Nakum.194 
 
 Fig. 101. Ruins of El Encanto, plan . 195 
 
PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA 
 
 PETEN AREA. 
 
 From a study of the Maya remains as a whole several distinct areas can be 
 distinguished, in each of which there is a certain kind of unity as regards as¬ 
 semblage, construction, and method of decoration. Northern Yucatan is 
 clearly marked off from southern Yucatan. Mr. Merwin’s and Mr. Hay’s work 
 in the latter region in 1911-1912 has shown that this, in turn, should be sepa¬ 
 rated from the Peten district of northern Guatemala. The Usumacinta Valley 
 ruins are, again, practically distinct from those of the Peten area. Finally, we 
 should add the region of the highlands of the Pacific slope of Guatemala and 
 that of southern Guatemala and of northern Honduras. 
 
 The Department of Peten in northern Guatemala together with the adjoin¬ 
 ing western part of British Honduras constitutes the most important centre of 
 the Maya culture (Plate 31). With the exception of northern Yucatan no part 
 of the Maya area contains a greater number of important ruined cities. From 
 a study of the few dates on the hieroglyphic inscriptions from this region it 
 seems more than probable that we have here the earliest remains of the Maya 
 civilization, and it also seems clear that the culture remained at its height until 
 well toward the time when northern Yucatan gained the supremacy in the Maya 
 world. The arts of architecture, of stone-carving, and of pottery-making show 
 as high a development as that reached in any other part of the Maya area and 
 in many cases far exceed in interest corresponding features in the other regions. 
 This is especially true in the field of ceramics, as will be shown by Mr. Merwin 
 in his forthcoming report on Holmul. 
 
 Tikal is the most important of the sites in the Peten district. 1 Nakum un¬ 
 doubtedly comes second in point of size and from the point of view of archi¬ 
 tectural remains. Naranjo, 2 discovered by Maler in 1905, is most important on 
 account of its sculptured stelae, although the buildings are entirely in ruins. 
 La Honradez, Holmul, and Seibal 2d, all discovered by the Museum Expedition 
 of 1909-1910, 3 should also be classed as ruins of major importance. Mr. 
 Merwin’s exploration at Holmul in 1910-1911 shows that we have here the most 
 important development of pottery yet found in the New World. Porvenir, 
 Azucar, and Tsotskitam should be mentioned as ruins only slightly behind La 
 Honradez, Holmul, and Seibal 2d in importance. 
 
 Many smaller sites appear on the sketch map (Plate 31). It may be 
 noted that the ruins shown on the map are simply those met with along the 
 trails connecting the larger sites. No doubt many more sites will be found 
 
 1 SeeMaudslay, 1889-1902; Maler, 1911; and Tozzer, 1911. ! Maler, 1908. * Tozzer, 1912. 
 
150 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 along the same paths on further investigation, to say nothing of the mounds in 
 the intervening territory. These rough trails through the country follow in 
 general the ridges, and there is little doubt that the ancient roads from city to 
 city coincide in many cases with these modern trails of the chichleros. 
 
 The mounds noted on the map vary from low single structures to groups of 
 four or five arranged around a court with others more or less detached. The 
 large number of underground chambers or chultunes in the Peten area should 
 also be noted. 
 
 The archaeological remains of the Peten area present various character¬ 
 istics which mark this region off from all the other centres of the Maya culture. 
 As already pointed out, it seems to be distinct from the region to the north 
 embracing the southern part of the Territory of Quintana Roo and the eastern 
 portion of the State of Campeche, Mexico. 
 
 The centre of interest in the general plan of most of the sites is a large plaza 
 around which most of the stelae are placed. Adjoining this court on two or 
 more sides is a system of connected quadrangles, the same building forming 
 one side of each of two adjoining courts. Tikal, Nakum, Naranjo, and La 
 Honradez thus present many points of similarity of plan. 
 
 The presence of stelae carved on two sides is a feature which links this area 
 with the Usumacinta district but marks it off from that to the north. The large 
 number of unsculptured stelae, however, is a feature uncommon in the south. 
 The carved stone lintel of the Usumacinta is not met with here. Carved wooden 
 lintels at Tikal seem to have taken their place at this site alone. 
 
 The roof-comb and its development may be studied to great advantage in 
 the Peten district. The use of massive walls out of all proportion to room 
 space is another characteristic of this area. 
 
 The general lack of extensive mural decoration is in contrast to some of the 
 new ruins to the north discovered by the Museum Expedition of 1910-1911. 
 The mask panel at Nakum and La Honradez links the area with that far to the 
 north in Yucatan. 
 
 There is reason to suppose, as will be pointed out later, that this centre be¬ 
 gan very early in the history of the Maya civilization and continued to occupy 
 an important place in Maya life for many years. 
 
 The Peabody Museum has tried to adopt a consistent policy in the plans 
 for its annual expedition to Central America. It has been thought better to 
 explore thoroughly the tierra incognita of the Maya area before undertaking a 
 careful and detailed excavation of any one site. The expeditions of Mr. Maler 
 in the Usumacinta region, of Mr. Maler, the author, and Mr. Merwin in the 
 Peten district, and of Mr. Merwin and Mr. Hay in southern Yucatan have made 
 us acquainted with the most important sites in a region hitherto practically 
 unknown. After all the various regions have thus been investigated the time 
 will then come for detailed study of those regions and sites which appear to 
 offer the most important points needed to solve the various problems of the 
 Maya civilization. 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 Situation. Nakum is almost directly north of Lake Yaxha (Plate 31) and 
 about half-way in an air line between Benque Viejo and Tikal. It is situated 
 in 17° 3' 40" north latitude and, roughly, 89° 30' west longitude. 
 
 Topography and Water Supply. The greater part of the Department of 
 Peten is a rolling plain with few high elevations. The region occupied by 
 Nakum is generally level. The ground to the south and west of the ruins falls 
 off rapidly to the bed of a stream which flows in an easterly direction around 
 the southwestern and southern sides of the city. There are partially artificial 
 terraces on the southern and western side. The southeastern corner of this 
 terrace is seen in Plate 48, 1. 
 
 The region is exceedingly healthful in the dry season, and water is abundant 
 for the greater part of the year owing to the damming up of the stream just 
 below the ruins. On account of the unfailing supply of good water work can be 
 undertaken here much more easily than at Tikal, Naranjo, or La Honradez, 
 where the water supply is from aguadas which are likely to dry up toward the 
 end of the dry season. 
 
 Name. It will be noted that I have taken the liberty of changing the spelling 
 of the name of the ruins, given finally by Perigny as Nakcun, to Nakum. This 
 explorer in his first mention of the site (1906 and 1908) called it Nacun. This 
 seems to me a more correct form than Nakcun, which he employs in his later 
 descriptions of the ruins (1910, 1910 a, 1911 and 1911a). At the present time 
 the Maya language is practically not spoken at all in the vicinity of the ruins, 
 and it is impossible to determine therefore from those who speak Maya the real 
 name of the region occupied by this ruined city. Nakum seemed quite as correct 
 a form as Nakun in the opinion of the present population of the country. Nakum 
 has in its favor the fact that it is a purer form of Maya. Na, the word for 
 house, is a very natural component of a name given to a ruined city, and hum, 
 written also cum, meaning olla or vessel, is also associated with the ruins. The 
 word “ Nakum ” would therefore mean the “ house or place of the ollas.” As 
 Mr. Thompson writes in a personal letter, “ He or they who first came upon the 
 ruins, probably as hunters or milperos, may have found in some of the ruined 
 chambers incense-burners and votive vessels or the fragments of these vessels 
 scattered around in profusion and so called it, the house or the place of the pots 
 or vessels.” The custom of the Lacandones (Tozzer, 1907) in placing incense- 
 burners of their own manufacture in the ruins at the present time should be 
 noted in this connection. 
 
 It must be confessed that the more proper form of the term would be Kumna 
 as Labna, old houses, the name of a group of ruins in northern Yucatan. 
 
 History of the Site. Nakum has had a short history as compared with that 
 of Tikal. Gatherers of chicle visited the ruins over fifteen years ago, but Count 
 
152 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 Maurice de Perigny was the first one to make known to the scientific world the 
 presence of the ruins. He visited the site on his expedition of 1905-1906. The 
 situation of the ruins first appears on his map (1908), but he makes no reference 
 to the site except in the first paragraph of his paper, where he groups it with 
 Tikal, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza in importance and states that he discovered 
 the ruins in 1905. 
 
 Maler has Nakum, written Nakcum, on his sketch map (1908, p. 56), but 
 it is incorrectly situated to the northeast of Holmul. He did not visit the 
 site. 
 
 Perigny returned to Nakum on his expedition of 1909-1910 under the aus¬ 
 pices of the Ministere de l’lnstruction publique and the Societe de Geographic. 
 He spent about six weeks at the ruins, clearing the site of vegetation, cutting 
 down trees, and thus making possible the photographing of the ruins as a whole. 
 So great was the labor expended in the work of clearing the site that little time 
 was left for excavation. 
 
 The Peabody Museum Expedition of 1909-1910, on hearing reports of the 
 ruins of Nakum from several sources, planned to visit the site. Word was 
 received that Perigny was already on his way there from Coban. Plans were 
 therefore changed so that Perigny, the real discoverer of the ruins, might not 
 be anticipated in his work. I had the pleasure of renewing my friendship with 
 Count Perigny at El Cayo as he was on his way to the ruins, and I told him of 
 our intention to visit Nakum on his departure. I further assured him that my 
 publication on Nakum would be delayed until his report had appeared. As his 
 papers on this ruin have been published (1910, 1910 a, 1911, 1911 a) I feel it no 
 longer necessary to withhold this report. 
 
 Too much credit cannot be given to Count Perigny for his discovery of the 
 ruins, his perseverance in reaching Nakum from Coban, and the labor expended 
 in clearing the site. Our thanks are due him for the latter, as it made our work 
 comparatively easy. As he expresses it (1911, p. 15), “ Apres mon depart, des 
 archeologues am&icains se sont rendus a ces ruines de Nakcun. Quelque soit 
 le resultat de leurs propres travaux, nous ne pouvons que nous ffliciter, pour le 
 bon renom de la science franqaise, des recherches ulterieures entreprises S, 
 Nakcun puisque, grace a 1’interet que le Ministere de l’lnstruction publique et 
 la Societe de Geographie ont bien voulu porter a ces etudes, c’est a elle que 
 revient l’honneur de la dfcouverte et du premier deblaiement de ces ruines.” 
 
 The Peabody Museum Expedition of 1909-1910 spent from February 27 
 to March 21, 1910, at the ruins. The Museum Expedition of 1910-1911, 
 under the charge of Mr. Merwin, revisited the site on its way to photograph 
 a stela reported north of Nakum (Plate 53) at a site called El Encanto (Fig. 
 101). No work was done at the ruins at this time. 
 
 The expedition of 1909-1910 attempted a partial survey of the site. The 
 principal structures were located by means of a transit. This part of the work 
 and that of photographing were in charge of Mr. Merwin, to whom my acknowl¬ 
 edgment has already been made. The smaller structures were located with far 
 less accuracy. The major buildings, lettered on the map (Plate 32), are accu¬ 
 rately placed, but the position of the ruins which are numbered on the map 
 should be regarded as only approximate. The survey did not include the long 
 Northern Extension. A small amount of excavation was undertaken, consist- 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 153 
 
 ing mainly of clearing three chultunes and rooms in Structures E, N, and R, and 
 the southern tower of Temple A. 
 
 The present paper should be considered in every sense “ preliminary,” as a 
 thorough exploration of the site could be completed only after several years of 
 careful work. This could be most profitably undertaken, as the site is most 
 important and presents many most interesting problems of Maya archaeology. 
 
 Care has been taken in the plans of the various buildings to indicate by 
 solid black only those parts of the structures where the walls were actually seen 
 in place. All other parts are shown by dotted lines. There is no doubt that 
 further excavations will show that many changes are necessary in the detailed 
 plan of many of the buildings. 
 
 Approach to the Ruins. The easiest way of reaching Nakum is by boat from 
 Belize, British Honduras, to El Cayo at the head of navigation of the Belize 
 River. During the greater part of the year motor boats run up this river at 
 frequent intervals. Toward the end of the dry season pilpans are used. From 
 El Cayo a good wagon road has just been completed to Benque Viejo, the 
 frontier town, three leagues away. El Cayo and Benque Viejo are the head¬ 
 quarters of many of the chicle companies which operate through northern 
 Guatemala and western British Honduras. 
 
 Count P6rigny reached Benque Viejo and El Cayo by travelling overland 
 from Coban. This is a long and difficult trip and is not to be recommended. 
 The approach from the west by way of the Usumacinta River is also far more 
 difficult than that by way of Belize. 
 
 Owing to the extensive trade in chicle, trails run in every direction through¬ 
 out this region. It is seldom necessary to cut paths for any great distance 
 in order to reach the ruined sites. This is a great saving of labor, and the 
 information gained from the chicle gatherers is most useful in locating ruins. 
 In addition, food supplies are comparatively easy to obtain owing to the fact 
 that the mule trains of the chicleros can often be depended upon for bring¬ 
 ing in supplies. They go out loaded with the gum and are usually glad of a 
 return cargo. 
 
 From El Cayo the trail runs directly west to Buena Vista. Here the Belize 
 River is crossed and a general northwesterly direction is taken. It may be 
 helpful to future travellers to note some of the various camps for mule trains 
 along the way. Four leagues from Buena Vista is Chunvis. Just before reach¬ 
 ing this camping site it is possible to turn almost directly west to the camp of 
 Invierno belonging to Don Beningo Silva, thence to the ruins of Naranjo (Maler, 
 1908). By continuing west from Naranjo a short distance and then turning 
 north a trail may be taken which eventually reaches Nakum. This route is 
 not recommended. 
 
 A more direct way is to take the trail running northward from Chunvis over 
 a steep and high hill where the path divides. It is possible to reach Nakum by 
 either of the two trails. By taking the one running west, after passing several 
 abandoned chicle camps (Jato de Juan Cruz, etc.), you reach the trail from 
 Naranjo to Nakum coming in from the south. By continuing straight on in a 
 northwesterly direction, passing the Jato de Solomon, also called Invierno, the 
 ruins are finally reached. This is the shortest way to Nakum, but there are many 
 turns and many side trails which are perplexing. By keeping on directly north 
 
154 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 from Chunvis some distance beyond the trail to the west, just described, you 
 make a long turn to the west and south, passing El Rio and Laguna Colorada, 
 and finally run into the same trail already mentioned. The ruins are about one- 
 half a league to the west of the main road, which continues northward. 
 
 The relative distances may be approximately determined by consulting the 
 map (Plate 31). It is quite possible to make the trip from El Cayo to Nakum 
 in two days but with a loaded mule train three or four days are usually necessary. 
 
 Labor. There are several possibilities in regard to the question of workmen. 
 Perigny employed Indians whom he brought overland from Coban. The trip 
 is a long and difficult one, as there is no direct trail. The Cobaneros are usually 
 willing to bind themselves only for a short time and then insist on returning to 
 their homes. Pdrigny also obtained Indians from San Andres, a pueblo on the 
 shore of Lake Peten, near Flores. These men are good workers, but are usually 
 willing to hire themselves out only after a request from the Presidente of the 
 pueblo and that of the Jefe Politico of the district. 
 
 A few men may generally be picked up at El Cayo and Benque Viejo. These 
 are usually either Indian or “ creole.” During the chicle season labor is very 
 scarce in these towns, and one cannot depend upon any large number of men for 
 any length of time. The Peabody Museum Expedition of 1910—1911 used 
 “ creoles ” from Belize with success. These men will sign contracts and are, 
 on the whole, more to be depended upon than any other class of workmen 
 available in this country. 
 
 In taking workmen from British Honduras to Guatemala it is necessary to 
 furnish a bond of $4,000 to the British authorities at Belize to cover wages and 
 other costs. This amount does not depend in any way upon the number of men 
 engaged. 
 
 Size. The main group at Nakum is about 1,350 feet from north to south, 
 and 1,000 feet from east to west; 2,000 feet should be added to the length of 
 the city from north to south if the Northern Extension is included in the measure¬ 
 ment. The city proper covers only about a third of the ground occupied by 
 the ruins of Tikal. 
 
 Assemblage. The unit in the grouping of the buildings at Nakum, as in 
 all the other ruins of the Peten area, is the court or plaza. There is a system 
 of connected courts, and the plan presents a compact whole with a comparatively 
 few mounds which seem to stand disassociated from any surrounding structures. 
 The Northern Extension (Plate 33) is unique, being a broken line of low 
 mounds connecting the northern outpost of the city with the main group. 
 
 The plan of a site like Tikal or Nakum presents an entirely different ap¬ 
 pearance from that of one of the northern Yucatan cities. The latter has little 
 unity, and the buildings appear to have little relation to each other. There is 
 nothing in the topography of the country to the north to prevent a compact 
 and well-oriented plan. The Usumacinta Valley sites are, again, quite differ¬ 
 ent from those of the Peten area. In the latter the topography does undoubtedly 
 prevent any unity in the plan of the whole city. 
 
 The plan of Nakum (Plate 32) in several ways suggests that of Tikal (Toz- 
 zer, 1911) and La Honradez. In each of the three cities there is one plaza which 
 seems to be more important than any of the others. At Tikal and at Nakum 
 the most important buildings are grouped around this court. At all three 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 155 
 
 cities the greater number of stelae are found in this court, and are closely cor¬ 
 related with the structures forming the sides of the plaza. At Nakum there 
 is found one considerable elevation and at Tikal three crowned with buildings 
 which we have called acropoleis. The long Northern Extension at Nakum may 
 be pointed out as equivalent to the northern suburb at Tikal. 
 
 The three cross-sections through the ruins (Plate 34) give a good idea of the 
 different levels of the various courts and the relative heights of the buildings. 
 Court XIII, on the northeastern corner of the site, is the lowest, the level of 
 the Great Plaza being slightly above this. The courts surrounding the Acropo¬ 
 lis are higher still. These sections make clear how the whole site presents a 
 well-knit-together appearance, a unity in plan not found in any other of the 
 Maya areas. 
 
 Orientation. The buildings all face roughly one of the cardinal points. 
 Unfortunately it was impossible to find the front wall of a single building in a 
 position so that a careful orientation could be determined. The only wall 
 which was available for a careful survey was the back wall of the inner room of 
 Temple A. Mr. Merwin found that this was 3° 42' 20" east of north, referred 
 to the true meridian. It is worthy of note that the four temples of Tikal which 
 were orientated (Tozzer, 1911, p. 106) were also all east of north. The smallest 
 amount of variation from true north of the back inside walls of the Tikal temples 
 was 8° 57' 45". It will thus be seen that the back wall of Temple A of Nakum 
 is much nearer the true meridian. 
 
 Professor Robert Willson, who has been much interested in the question of 
 the orientation of pre-historic buildings, has suggested to me the possibility that 
 the true line of sight was neither the front walls of the buildings nor the inside 
 wall at the back, but rather a line running at right angles from the inner back 
 wall of the building to the front of the structure directly in the middle of the 
 main doorway. This is an important subject of investigation and one which 
 should not be neglected by future explorers in Central America. 
 
 Construction. It is no longer a novelty in discussing the Maya system of 
 construction to point out the similarity between the form of masonry in some of 
 the Maya sites and the modern system of concrete walls. Nakum furnishes 
 many excellent examples of the non-struetural character of the outer facing 
 of stone. This serves simply as a veneer, covering an interior of concrete, a 
 mixture of stone, sand, and lime. The weight of the building rests on this in¬ 
 terior mass, and the fall of the outer covering of stone in no way impairs the 
 strength of the building. In fact, the outer covering has in most cases fallen 
 off, as can be seen in Plate 38. No. 3 of this plate shows the lines made by the 
 stone formerly veiling the interior mass. It was difficult to find a single front 
 wall still intact. The same screen-like covering of stone over the mass of con¬ 
 crete is seen in the interior walls. Plate 39, 1, shows this wall facing fallen 
 away slightly from the interior. 
 
 Several of the structural weaknesses of Maya architecture appear at Nakum. 
 The use of the wooden lintel is responsible for the fact of the fall of almost all 
 the outer doorways. These are generally wide and the stone lintel is there¬ 
 fore not used to span the openings. When the entrances are narrow, as at 
 Yaxchilan, and the stone lintel is employed, the buildings usually present a well- 
 preserved faqade. 
 
156 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 Another element of weakness is the failure to use binding stones between 
 the interior mass of concrete and the outer stone covering of the walls. The 
 backs of the facing stones are fiat and do not bite into the concrete behind. 
 When the outer facing is composed of carved stones to form some design, it is 
 much more common to find these blocks set into the mass behind with tenons. 
 Some of the northern Yucatan buildings show fine preservation owing in part, 
 no doubt, to this fact. 
 
 The firm character of the concrete is to be noted in Plate 39, 3, where only a 
 portion has fallen in spite of the fact that the wooden lintel has disappeared. 
 
 Substructures. The Acropolis mound (Plate 47, 1), which stands near the 
 southern end of the city, is probably entirely artificial. The wide space on top 
 places it in a class by itself, differing from the usual pyramid temple. 
 
 The temple mounds show less uniformity here than at Tikal. Some of them 
 were undoubtedly terraced, while others have almost vertical sides and are more 
 in the nature of high platforms than pyramidal substructures. In general the 
 supporting mounds are not so high as those at Tikal. 
 
 The substructure of Temple A (Plate 40, 1) differs from that of any of the 
 other buildings. A long mound is divided at the top into three sections, on the 
 central one of which the building is placed. Temple V (Plate 49, 2) shows two 
 low mounds at either side of the main structure. Temple E (Plate 44, 1) and 
 Temple N (Plate 45, 1) also have variations from the single square-topped 
 pyramid. 
 
 Stairways. The stairways in front of the pyramidal temples are similar to 
 those at Tikal. They rise at a lesser angle than the foundation mounds and 
 therefore project from the base of the substructure. In one case (Temple C, 
 Plate 41,2) several steps are still in place. The width of these is 10 inches and the 
 height, 14 inches. The side retaining wall is still preserved in Temple U. There 
 are no interior stairways as far as can be made out. 
 
 Superstructures. Types of Buildings. In most cases it is possible to 
 distinguish the two types of structures usually pointed out in Maya buildings, 
 the pyramid temple and the residential type. The two are not as closely dif¬ 
 ferentiated here at Nakum as at Tikal, where all the temples have the project¬ 
 ing portion at the back and the indentations at the sides together with the same 
 arrangement of rooms, one behind the other. The pyramid temples at Nakum 
 are usually more complicated as regards their plan and are not by any means 
 uniform. 
 
 A development of the lateral chambered temple is to be noted at Nakum. 
 Temple A might be classed with Structure 27 at Tikal. Both are built on high 
 mounds and each has three entrances and two ranges of rooms. There is a 
 decided tendency at Nakum to have single chambered buildings on the top of 
 the mound at either side of the main structure. In Temple E (Fig. 57) these 
 lateral chambers are wing-like projections from the main building. In Temple 
 N (Fig. 65) the side chambers are in detached buildings at right angles to the 
 main structure. The mounds at either side of Temple V (Fig. 81) may show 
 another variation of the same idea. 
 
 The temples at this site with one exception do not show the huge masses of 
 masonry in proportion to room space as at Tikal. 
 
 The residential type of structure is, in general, similar to the corresponding 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 157 
 
 type at Tikal, two series of rooms running lengthwise of the building with a 
 single transverse room at either end. Successive additions to the general plan 
 are often to be noted here. 
 
 In the restorations which have been attempted in the cross-sections of the 
 site (Plate 34) the buildings have been shown as having flat roofs. There is 
 little doubt that the sloping roof as well as the sloping upper zone of the fagade 
 are uncommon features here. It must be admitted that the question of the 
 roof-form of the buildings and the finish of the upper part of the facade is 
 only one of many which can be answered only by further investigation. 
 
 Roof-combs. Roof-combs are not an important feature at Nakum. There 
 is the greatest contrast between the massive roof structures on the Tikal temples 
 and those at Nakum. In most cases the roofs of the temples here have fallen, 
 but there is little evidence that the heavy roof-combs of Tikal are to be found 
 at Nakum. The towers of Temple A (Plate 40 and Figs. 51, 52) are an interesting 
 modification of the roof-comb. Here we find massive walls of the buildings 
 proper, several times wider than the rooms themselves, and heavy enough to 
 support great weight. The roof-comb has been split up into three tower-like 
 divisions. In the interior of each there is a small room. Long narrow perfora¬ 
 tions of the comb from front to back are also to be noted. These have no con¬ 
 nection with the inner room. 
 
 The purpose of the roof-comb and the so-called flying facade seems to be 
 identical throughout the Maya area, a place for decoration and for nothing 
 else. The first attempt at a high superstructure is probably seen at Tikal. As 
 a result of the desire for a high roof-comb, it was thought necessary to have a 
 very massive pile of masonry on top of the building. In order to support this 
 excessive weight the walls have to be made of great thickness with a consequent 
 sacrificing of room space. Dr. Spinden (1912, p. 170) suggests a chronological 
 arrangement of the five great pyramid temples at Tikal from a study of the 
 relative amount of room space to wall space. There is no doubt that experi¬ 
 ments were made by the builders at Tikal to lighten the mass of the roof struc¬ 
 ture. The discovery of the interior spaces in the roof-comb of Temple V at 
 Tikal (Tozzer, 1910, p. 100) seems to show the beginning of this attempt to 
 lessen the weight on the walls of the building. A similar advance is to be noted 
 here in the towers of Temple A. The interior space in each of the three towers 
 corresponds exactly to the similar phenomenon at Tikal. These interior spaces 
 cannot be called rooms, as there are no traces of entrances. A further step is 
 also to be mentioned here on Temple A. The perforation of the mass of the 
 roof-comb from front to back by long narrow rectangular openings, having no 
 connection with the closed-in interior spaces, is another attempt evidently to 
 lessen the weight on the walls. 
 
 There seems to be little doubt that this type of roof-comb on Temple A 
 marks the turning-point in the history of this superstructure in the central 
 Maya area. The perforations from front to back show the beginnings of a 
 movement which led to the light lattice-work type of roof-comb seen on many 
 of the sites in the Usumacinta area (Yaxchilan, Piedras Negras, and Palenque). 
 The interior spaces, at the same time, suggested that the roof-comb could be 
 built with a corridor-like room running lengthwise of the superstructure. The 
 roof-comb of the Tzendales ruin shows this stage of the process. 
 
158 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 The Tower at La Honradez presents another line of development where the 
 roof structure, like those of Temple A, is massive, but the interior room of the 
 building itself runs up into the interior of the comb, thus combining in one 
 high vaulted room the ordinary chamber of the structure and the interior space 
 of the roof-comb proper. 
 
 Vaults. The typical Maya over-stepping vault is commonly employed in 
 the interior of the buildings. The narrow room and the high vaulting of the 
 interior rooms of Temple A recall the vaulting of the Tikal temples. 
 
 There are two examples which seem to show the nearest approach to a true 
 concrete arch yet found in the Maya area, the two lateral doorways in Temple A 
 (Plate 40, 1 and Fig. 51). By a close examination of the masonry it seems im¬ 
 possible to believe that these could have been constructed without some tem¬ 
 porary wooden form. The unevenness of the spring of the arch is to be noted. 
 P&rigny (1911, Plate XI, Fig. 2) shows one of these doorways in detail. Neither 
 of these arches shows the usual shoulder at the spring of the vault. This might 
 invalidate the theory of Spinden that the shoulder is necessary in order to re¬ 
 move the wooden form. Mr. Merwin has found several vaults in the ruins in 
 southern Yucatan which do not have this shoulder. With the exception of the 
 two doorways in Temple A all the other vaults at Nakum show the offset at the 
 spring of the arch. 
 
 The Maya vault has been much discussed. It is in no sense a true arch, but 
 a corbelled or false arch with a cap stone in place of the key stone. In many 
 cases the sloping sides of the vault meet at the top and the cap stone is not 
 visible from the floor of the room. Dr. Spinden (1912, p. 109) has suggested 
 that an interior form of wood was necessary in the erection of these vaults. 
 This is possibly true in a few cases where the stones of the vault do not rest 
 squarely upon each other but touch only at the outer edges. Dr. Spinden (1912, 
 Plate 4, Fig. 2) shows an example of such a vault from the ruins of Labna. The 
 northern end of the room in Temple V (Plate 39,1) at Nakum shows a vault where 
 the stones rest squarely on one another. No temporary wooden form would be 
 necessary in the erection of this vault. Numerous examples of wooden beams 
 crossing from one side of the vault to the other are noted especially at Tikal. 
 These support the thrust of the vault, and were evidently placed in position at 
 the time of erection. Fig. 77, d, shows these beam holes. Temporary forms would 
 be impossible in such a case. It is therefore better not to lay too much emphasis 
 upon a single method of construction of the Maya vault. 
 
 An interesting arrangement of the stones at the top of the vaulting is seen 
 in one of the rooms in Structure D (Fig. 56). 
 
 Doorways. The doorways are similar to those at Tikal. In the temples 
 there is usually a single entrance formed by several wooden beams placed side 
 by side. Stone lintels are employed usually only over the narrow interior door¬ 
 ways. No carving is seen either on the wooden lintels, as at Tikal, or on the stone 
 lintels, as at Yaxchilan. The most interesting doorways are in Temple A. Men¬ 
 tion has already been made of the concrete arches of the two side entrances to 
 the inner chamber of this building. The middle one (Plate 39, 4) shows the flat 
 wooden lintel. 
 
 Wall Openings. There are few openings in the walls at Nakum as compared 
 with those at Tikal. There is none that may be called a window. The nearest 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 159 
 
 approach to a window is the circular opening in the northwestern room of 
 Temple N (Plate 46, 2). 
 
 Often the wall is pierced by a large number of small holes a few inches in 
 diameter. Cupboard-like depressions were found in a few cases. One of these 
 in the Southern Annex of Temple N had an opening at the back running 
 completely through the wall (Plate 51, 5). 
 
 The tie-hole (Plate 51, 3, and Fig. 69), a depression in the wall with a stick 
 running across it embedded in the masonry on each side, vras found in the 
 upper chamber of the Southern Annex of Temple N. A similar feature was 
 found at either side of the outside doorway of Temple I at Tikal, and there is 
 little doubt that they were used to suspend curtains before the doors. 
 
 Floors. The floor of the rooms is in all cases finished with a layer of 
 smooth plaster. Game-like designs (Fig. 49, e and/) in some cases are scratched 
 upon the floor. 
 
 Double floors were found in the upper chamber of the Southern Annex of 
 Temple N and in the southern tower of Temple A (Fig. 52). This is by no 
 means an uncommon feature in Maya construction. The lower floor in the 
 Annex of Temple N is 2' 6" below the upper one. In the tower of Temple A 
 the floors are a little over 2' apart. In each case the lower floor shows a finer 
 finish. No satisfactory explanation can be suggested to account for these double 
 floors. 
 
 In the top of the bench in Temple E there is a bowl-like depression (Plate 51,4) 
 beautifully lined with plaster. It had clearly not been used as a fireplace, but 
 perhaps as a receptacle for a liquid offering, assuming that the bench is an 
 altar. 
 
 The northern room of Structure R shows a depression in the floor which 
 appears as if it had been used as a fireplace (Fig. 77, c). 
 
 Benches. The use of stone or rubble benches was noted at Tikal. They are 
 sometimes in the nature of platforms running along the inside wall of the room. 
 At Nakum several of these are found. Temple E has a bench running almost 
 completely across the back half of the room, and around the northern end of the 
 room (Plate 51, 4). A small bench is noted in the northwestern room (6) in 
 Temple N, before a circular opening in the wall. One in the northern room of 
 Structure R (Fig. 77, d) has arm-like masses of masonry at each end, against the 
 wall. It is difficult to determine the use of these platform-like elevations. The 
 first idea which presents itself is that they were used as altars. 
 
 Decoration of the Buildings. Facades. Tikal is singularly barren in archi¬ 
 tectural decoration. At Nakum the desire for severity is carried to an extreme. 
 At this site there is little to show the Maya love of decorative display. The 
 fagades are almost entirely plain, broken by a simple medial moulding. The 
 cornices are usually quite as undecorative as the mouldings, often no more than 
 the simplest of string courses. The northern side of the main building of Temple 
 N (Plate 46, 2) gives a good idea of the usual arrangement of the fagade at Nakum. 
 The lower zone is plain with a slight projection of the wall at the corners of the 
 building. This wall in all cases is covered with a fine layer of plaster. The 
 medial moulding is usually very plain, composed of a string course projecting 
 from the wall a few inches. Above this the stones of the upper zone appear at 
 the present time very uneven and uncovered by plaster. It is usually impos- 
 
160 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 sible to determine the former character of this part of the wall. There is little 
 doubt that some simple form of stucco decoration covered the rough stones. 
 
 Mask Panel. The mask panel is almost the only form of design now to be 
 found on the Nakum structures. It is far less uniform than those in the ruins 
 of northern Yucatan, and many of the elements usually associated with the mask 
 panel, as given by Spinden (1912, pp. 118-124), are lacking. The masks are 
 usually built up of stone with many of the details added in stucco. 
 
 The mask (Fig. 53) which forms the central part of the design on the front 
 of the middle of the three towers of Temple A shows simply the face ‘with the 
 nose plugs forming the most prominent feature. It is quite unlike the usual 
 form of mask panel. 
 
 Masks were noted on Structures F (Fig. 59), G (Plate 51, 1), L (Plate 51, 2), 
 and S (Fig. 79). The spiral design was common in many of these masks, forming 
 a lateral decoration on that of G, the superior eye ornament on the design of L, 
 and the eye itself on the mask of F. The eye, composed of a small round stone 
 set into a large square opening, is characteristic of the masks of Structures G 
 and L. The ear plug is to be made out on the design of L. Feathers as a lateral 
 decoration are plainly visible on the masks of F and possibly that of S. 
 
 A stucco design on the northern fagade of Structure R (Fig. 76) is worthy 
 of mention in connection with the mask decoration. It seems to form a part 
 of the lateral design of a mask. The ear element is almost exactly similar to that 
 of the mask of Structure S (Fig. 79), and the serpent or feathers design forming 
 the lateral ear ornament encloses a seated figure. 
 
 In considering the decoration of the buildings mention should be made here 
 of the two stelae, N 2 and U, which show the usual type of Maya design, the 
 elaborately decorated human figure with feather headdress. These two monu¬ 
 ments form the only exception to the statement that little design other than 
 mask forms is to be found at Nakum. It is probable, however, that further 
 exploration will reveal other forms. 
 
 Incised and Painted Designs on Walls and Floors. The incised and 
 painted designs found on the walls and in a few cases on the floors of the build¬ 
 ings at Nakum are not as elaborate as those noted at Tikal. These crude figures 
 have never been satisfactorily explained. There is some probability that they 
 were made by early pre-Columbian visitors to the ruins who were not necessarily 
 contemporaneous with the occupation of the city. A very few of those found 
 are reproduced here, and these require little notice. 
 
 There seems to be no intentional grouping of the figures, and no significance 
 need be placed on the relation of the various pictures found in the same room to 
 each other. There is no great difference noted between those painted and those 
 incised. Temple E has the greatest number of figures, the walls being literally 
 covered with designs, some of which cover several feet. The serpent appears in 
 various ways here. 
 
 The human form is common in the Nakum figures. Fig. 48, a , shows a man in 
 profile with a face with ape-like characteristics. Fig. 48, b, is a figure in front view 
 possibly, with a feather decoration on the head and also hanging from the elbows 
 and the side of the body. Fig. 48, c, probably represents a person speaking, al¬ 
 though the speech signs so common in some of the ruins in northern Yucatan are 
 not usually found in this area. Fig. 48, d, seems as if it might be post-Columbian 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 161 
 
 with buttons indicated on the body. The feather element rises from the top 
 of the head. A single face (Fig. 48, e) appears as one of the designs in Temple A. 
 
 One of the best executed figures, a swastika-like design in red paint, is on the 
 back wall directly in front of the door of Temple E (Fig. 48, /). Another painted 
 design (Fig. 48, g), in the same room, is difficult to explain. The elaborate 
 stepped pyramidal temples incised on the walls at Tikal (Maler, 1911, Figs. 9 
 
 Fig. 48. — a, Temple E: western wall, figure in black paint; b, Temple E: eastern wall, figure in black paint; 
 c, Structure R: northern room, incised design; d, Acropolis: incised design on building; e, Temple A: incised 
 design; /, Temple E: design in red paint; g, Temple E: painted design; h, Temple A: incised design; i, 
 Temple N: Northern Annex, lower chamber, incised design; j, Temple N: Northern Annex, lower chamber, 
 painted number. 
 
 and 13) do not appear here. A sirgle design (Fig. 48, h ) may show a thatched 
 house. 
 
 Several glyph-like forms are found on the lower chamber of the Northern Annex 
 of Temple N. Here alone there may be some connection between the different 
 figures. Varieties of Fig. 48, i, appear four times, and Fig. 48, j , in red paint, 
 may indicate the number 11, two bars and one dot, the lower bar being partially 
 erased. Geometrical forms are most numerous in the incised designs. Fig. 49, a, 
 from Temple E, and Fig. 49, b, from Structure D, are somewhat similar. A cross 
 form (Fig. 49, c) appears in Temple N, and a more elaborate and more carefully 
 drawn geometrical figure in black paint in Temple B (Fig. 49, d). 
 
 Two of the designs found incised on the floors of the buildings are similar, 
 Fig. 49, e, in Temple A and Fig. 49, /, in the upper chamber of the Southern Annex 
 of Temple N. These may have been used in connection with some game. A 
 
162 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 figure strikingly similar appears on p. 19 of the “Tonalamatl Aubin’' (Fig. 49, g) 
 in connection with the god Xochiquetzal and a ball-court. 
 
 Stelae and Altars. Fifteen stelae are noted at Nakum and eleven altars. 1 
 There is no doubt that several more will be found when a more thorough investi¬ 
 gation of the ruins is undertaken. These are all closely correlated with the 
 buildings in front of which they are found. No isolated stelae and altars dis- 
 
 Fig. 49. — a, Temple E: western wall, incised design; b, Structure D: incised designs; c, Temple N: Northern 
 Annex, lower chamber, western wall, incised design; d, Temple E: western wall, design in black paint; 
 e, Temple A: southeastern room, incised design on floor; /, Temple N: Southern Annex, upper chamber, 
 incised design on floor; g, design on p. 19, “ Tonalamatl Aubin.” 
 
 associated with structures are noted, as at Tikal. Only two of the stelae are 
 found outside the Great Plaza. Carving is noted on only three stelae. 
 
 It was naturally a great disappointment to find so few of the stelae carved. 
 Most of those around the great plaza had fallen, and jacks were included in our 
 
 1 List of stelae and altars at Tikal: 
 
 Temple A, 6 stelae, 6 altars, all plain. 
 
 “ B, 3 
 “ C, 1 
 Structure D, 3 
 Temple U, 1 
 Northern Extension, 1 
 
 2 it u 
 
 carved. 
 
 2 “ 1 stela carved, 
 
 carved. 
 
 1 “ both plain. 
 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 163 
 
 outfit to be used in raising or turning these stones. By a slight excavation 
 under the face of each stela it was easy to ascertain whether or not it was deco¬ 
 rated with carved designs. One after another proved to be plain. The only 
 stela which shows any large number of glyphs is that still standing before 
 Temple C. 1 
 
 Stela C (Plate 52, 1) has an inscription consisting of nine double glyphs ar¬ 
 ranged in a single vertical line. Unfortunately the inscription is badly weathered. 
 The glyphs have a curiously squarish appearance. The number nine is made out 
 on the second glyph and on the fifth there is a Tun symbol with two bars above it. 
 None of the other characters were made out. 
 
 Stela D, thirty feet in front of the north side of Structure D, has fallen and 
 is badly broken. A fine design once covered the face of this monument (Plates 
 42 and 43, 1). Plumes of a headdress appear on one of the stones, and a line of 
 crude glyphs probably formed the top of the design. 
 
 Stela U (Plates 44, 2 and 52, 2) is still standing directly in front of the 
 stairway of Temple U. The design has almost entirely disappeared. Only a 
 few feathers of a headdress can be made out. Mention should be made of the 
 groove cut around three sides of this stone near the bottom. 
 
 This completes the description of the carved stelae at Nakum. The failure 
 to find decoration on the faces of the monuments at Nakum, coupled with a 
 corresponding lack of design on many of the Tikal stelae, strengthens the idea 
 which I advanced in my report on the latter city, that there was probably at 
 one time some form of painted design adorning the smooth faces of these 
 monuments. 
 
 Mention should be made at this place of the stela found by Mr. Merwin at 
 the ruins of El Encanto, about sixteen miles northwest of Nakum. This small 
 stone formerly had a design on its face and a hieroglyphic inscription on either 
 side (Plate 53 and p. 194). It is surprising to find a sculptured stela at so un¬ 
 important and so small a group as El Encanto when the whole site of Nakum 
 has only three worked monuments. It is evident that the size of the group in 
 which the stela is found is no criterion for the sculpturing of its stelae. The 
 two most beautiful worked stones at Tikal, Stela 16 and Altar 5, were found 
 tucked away in the centre of an insignificant group of low mounds in the western 
 part of the city and not connected in any way with a building. 
 
 1 The stela at the neighboring ruins of El Encanto (Plate 53 and p. 194) has an inscription on either 
 
 side. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 In order to make as clear as possible the detailed description of the site I 
 have numbered the courts with Roman numerals with the exception of the 
 largest court on the north, which I have called the “ Great Plaza.” Several 
 of the smaller outlying buildings I have called “ Groups ” rather than “ Courts.” 
 The Acropolis will be considered a unit by itself as well as the Northern Extension. 
 
 THE GREAT PLAZA. 
 
 This, as has been pointed out, is the most important feature in the plan of 
 Nakum. A good idea of this court is given in Panorama 1 (Plate 35, 1) showing 
 
 □ P 
 
 5 4 
 
 it-,- O O °- & 
 
 Fig. 50. — Temple A: elevation and plan of structure with Mounds 1-4, and stelae and altars. 
 
 Temple A on the east, Temple C on the west, and Structure D occupying the 
 entire southern side. Twelve of the fifteen stelae are found around this plaza. 
 Temple A. In several respects Temple A (Plate 40 and Figs. 50-52), which 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 165 
 
 forms with its mounds the eastern end of the Great Plaza, is the most interesting 
 building at this site. The whole edifice consists of a high central mound flanked 
 on both sides by connecting lower structures (Mounds 1 and 2). These lateral 
 structures are flat on top with no traces of buildings. They probably had 
 stairways on the western side. 
 
 On the level of the Plaza and in front of each of the three sections of Temple 
 A are two unsculptured stelae (Fig. 50) with rounded tops and their accompanying 
 altars, also plain. The stelae 1 are symmetrically placed in reference to the 
 
 three parts of the structures, whereas the altars are not in every case in front 
 of the stelae. 
 
 The building proper is on the high central mound. It faces the west toward 
 the Great Plaza and is approached by a stairway on this side. It might be 
 called of a modified temple type and presents several unique features. The ele¬ 
 vation (Fig. 50) shows the relative heights of the main building and the lateral 
 mounds (1 and 2) as well as the low mounds (3 and 4) at the ends. 
 
 The three tower-like roof-combs of the main structure (Plate 40 and Fig. 51) 
 serve to give the building a distinction not shared by others at Nakum. These 
 
 1 Dimensions of stelae and altars of Temple A: 
 
 Stela A 1 11' 6" X 3' 10" X 2' 4". 
 
 Altar A 1 7' 3" in diameter, T 6" thick. 
 Stela A 2 12' 9" X 3' 8" X 2' 6". 
 
 Altar A 2 5' 9" in diameter, 2' 9" thick. 
 Stela A 3 badly broken. 
 
 Altar A 3 “ “ 
 
 Stela A 4 9' 7"x4' 4"x2' 7". 
 
 Altar A 4 6' 5" in diameter, 1' 9" thick. 
 Stela A 5 badly broken 
 Altar A 5 “ “ 
 
 Stela A 6 7'(3" X 4' 5" X 2' 6". 
 
 Altar A 6 7' ft 7" in diameter, 1' 10" thick. 
 
166 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 superstructures were built over the thick wall between the rooms below. The 
 tops of the towers are in ruins, but there is reason to suppose that they were 
 all of the same height. A small portion of the stucco design of the middle tower 
 can be made out. Fig. 53 shows a simplified drawing of the mask portion of the 
 figure. At either side of the decoration in the centre are three tall and narrow 
 
 Fig. 52. — Temple A: cross-section showing room in tower and width of rooms. 
 
 openings passing completely through the roof-comb from front to back. One 
 which was measured was 9J^" wide and 4' 1" high. Below these tall narrow 
 openings and the mask decoration is a line of small square holes also running 
 through the comb from front to back. 
 
 The lateral towers are of the same general plan as the middle one. The 
 decoration upon these has completely disappeared. We found that these towers 
 in addition to the openings from front to back contain interior chambers (Fig. 
 52) in the centre between the openings before described and behind the mask 
 decoration. The tall and narrow openings in no way connect with the cham- 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 167 
 
 bers. Owing to the caving-in of the roof of the chamber of the southern tower, 
 we were able to enter it. 
 
 On removing the debris we found a room with a flat stone roof (height 6' 
 334", length [N. to S.] 5' 534", width [E. to W.] 3' 2"). There was no doorway 
 of any kind. On the level with the floor were four small holes (4" x4"),.two on 
 each side leading to the outside. These may have been for 
 drainage. Two feet, four inches below the first floor was a 
 second floor which showed a better plaster finish than the one 
 above. Below the second floor rubble was found. An ex¬ 
 cavation in this revealed nothing and showed that there was 
 no chance for a second chamber below the first. The walls 
 of the room were unfinished. Fl0, 53.— Temple A: 
 
 ... . mask design on front 
 
 1 he northern tower is m ruins, but the remains ol the 0 f middle tower, 
 interior room were noted. The room in the centre super¬ 
 structure is still intact. These interior rooms immediately suggest similar ones 
 which we found in the massive roof-comb of Temple V at Tikal (Tozzer, 1910). 
 The unfinished walls and the absence of an entrance in both cases suggest at 
 once that they were built simply to economize weight and masonry. 
 
 It is interesting to note that the perforations at the sides of the tower at 
 Nakum may be the first attempt at lightening the superstructure which leads 
 later to the perforated roof-comb seen at the Usumacinta River sites and in 
 Yucatan. The interior rooms may also have been a similar attempt which later 
 developed into the low and narrow corridor-like opening seen between the two 
 sloping and perforated walls of the roof-combs in other sites. 
 
 With the exception of the design on the front of the three towers, the 
 walls of the building show no decoration other than the usual medial moulding 
 and the cornice. 
 
 The interior plan (Fig. 50) shows two extremely narrow corridors, 50' 6" 
 in length and ranging from 1' 5" to 1' 9" in width. They are connected by three 
 doorways which probably correspond to the three entrances to the building. 
 The front wall of the structure together with the outer spring of the vault has 
 fallen. The picture of the building (Plate 40, 1) shows the back spring of the 
 vaulting of the first room and the three doorways between the two corridors. 
 Plate 39, 4 gives an idea of the width of the inner chamber. It is only with 
 difficulty that a man can stand with his shoulders across the narrow room. 
 Many small square openings appear in the back spring of the vaulting of the 
 outer room (Fig. 51). Some of these were, no doubt, for cross-beams. 
 
 The massive character of the two piers between the three doorways is to be 
 noted. They average about 9' 6" in width and 4' 1" in thickness. The weight 
 of the three superstructures is probably responsible for this mass of masonry 
 and the corresponding diminution of room space. Nowhere else except in the 
 Tikal temples is the proportion of room space to wall space so small. It is 
 difficult to suggest a use for the narrow inner corridor. 
 
 The method of bridging the three doorways is interesting. The middle door 
 (6' 8)4" in width) is spanned by five massive sapote beams. The two lateral 
 doorways (10' 6" in width) have what may be truthfully called concrete arches. 
 They are the first and only examples of the true arch which I have met with in 
 Maya buildings. They are by no means uniform in their curve. The slope is 
 
168 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 rather uneven, especially in the northern opening, as may be seen in the photo¬ 
 graph (Plate 40, 1). As already pointed out, it does not seem possible to have 
 built these without some form of temporary wooden support. 
 
 Running from either end of the massive piers between the doors to the back 
 wall of the inner room are low and narrow walls of stone (1' 1" high and only 4" 
 
 □ 
 
 Fig. 54. — Temple C: plan. 
 
 thick). Between each pair of walls is debris. The plaster of the back wall of 
 the room runs down below the top of these low walls. This might prevent 
 the logical explanation, that these were the ends of benches built behind each 
 of the two piers in the inner room. 
 
 On the floor of the outer corridor and in the southern doorway are remains 
 of incised figures. One of these (Fig. 49, e) may have been used in connection 
 with some game. 
 
 Mounds 3 and 4 are low structures attached in each case to the ends of the 
 tall lateral mounds of Temple A. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 169 
 
 Mound S is at right angles to Mound 4, filling in the northeastern corner of 
 the Great Plaza. 
 
 Mound B (Plate 37) occupies the centre of the long side of the Great Plaza. 
 Panorama 1 (Plate 35, 1) was taken from the top of this elevation. It is one of 
 the few high mounds which have no structure now standing upon them. The 
 stairway was clearly on the southern side, and the building faced this direction. 
 From the debris it evidently contained a single room. In front of the mound 
 are the remains of three plain stelae with rounded tops and two altars also 
 undecorated (Plate 41, 1). The stelae are all fallen, and parts of each are broken 
 off. One of the altars is in fine preservation. Behind B is Mound 6, closely 
 correlated with the main structure. 
 
 Temple C (Perigny’s “ Temple des Hidroglyphes ”) (Plates 35,1, 37, and 41, 2, 
 and Fig. 54) forms a part of the western end of the Great Plaza. Owing to the 
 mass of debris around the base of the mound it is impossible without excavation 
 
 o o 
 
 Fig. 55. — Structure D: plan and position of the three stelae and two altars. 
 
 to determine the character of the foundation structure. Remains of two ter¬ 
 races are noted on the southern side. The upper part of the foundation mound 
 is almost perpendicular. The temple faces the east, and remains of eleven steps 
 appear on this side. The building contains a single room. The relation of this 
 temple to Structure B is shown in Panorama 4 (Plate 37). 
 
 In front of the stairway is the most interesting stela 1 at Nakum. There is 
 no accompanying altar. The stone is still standing, although the upper left- 
 hand corner is badly cracked. On the eastern side of the stela is practically the 
 only inscription found, up to the present time, at this site (see p. 163). Remains 
 of red paint appear on the carving. The stone leans to one side, but the line 
 of glyphs is almost vertical, showing possibly that they were carved after the 
 stone was in place and after it had assumed a leaning position. 
 
 The northwestern corner of the terrace of the Great Plaza is plainly marked 
 to the north of Temple C. At this point the Northern Extension (p. 187) be¬ 
 gins. Below the level of the terrace, which is about 5 feet high at this point, are 
 several mounds. Mounds 7 and 8 are parallel to each other, running north 
 and south. Each probably contained three rooms. Pdrigny dug a trench 
 through the first of these mounds. Structure 9 runs east and west. It con¬ 
 sisted of a single range of rooms with entrances on the north. These three mounds 
 should probably be considered as correlated with Temple C, as Mound 6 is to 
 Structure B. Mound 10 is a small square structure to the southeast of 9. 
 
 The western side of the Great Plaza is completed with Mound 11. There 
 
 1 Its dimensions are 10' 1" X 4' 2" X 2' 10". 
 
170 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 is little remaining to show the arrangement and the number of rooms. To the 
 southwest of 11 at the western end of D is a small elevation which has been called 
 
 Mound 12. 
 
 Structure D. This remarkably long building forms the entire southern side 
 of the Great Plaza. Panorama 1 (Plate 35, 1) from B shows clearly the range of 
 this edifice. The plan (Fig. 55) gives a continuous structure. P5rigny (1911, 
 Fig. 2) divides it into four sections. Further investigation alone will show 
 whether there are any breaks in the fajade of this building. It stands on a 
 terrace the corner of which is clearly made out at the western end. 
 
 This building was undoubtedly for residence. It is over 412 feet long, the 
 eastern end being a little uncertain as regards the interior plan. It is two rooms 
 in width and contains about 44 rooms. With few exceptions 
 there is no connection between the two ranges of rooms, so 
 that the building may be said to face both north and south. 
 The stelae on the north and the Great Plaza on this side 
 show that the principal fajade faced in this direction. 
 Several of the rooms in each range are not symmetrically 
 placed in reference to those on the opposite side. The rooms 
 vary in width from 4' 5" to 6'. Further excavation will 
 undoubtedly require changes in the placing of the doorways. 
 One connecting passage (marked X on Fig. 55) between the 
 north and south sides is roofed with sapote beams. Several 
 of the partitions between the rooms seem more in the 
 nature of screen walls and were clearly built after the vaulting' was completed. 
 Incised drawings appear on the walls in several cases. The tenth room from 
 the eastern end of the northern range shows an interesting form of cap stones 
 in the vault (Fig. 56). 
 
 Fig. 56. — Structure D: 
 vault in one of the 
 rooms. 
 
 Three stelae and two altars 1 are found on the north of the building. Their 
 position is shown in Fig. 55. Stelae D 1 and D 3 are plain. D 2 , which has fallen 
 over on its altar, is badly broken. It once had a fine design with two lines of 
 small hieroglyphics at the top. These have almost entirely disappeared. Plates 
 42 and 43, 1, give photographs of some of the broken pieces of this stela. Stela 
 D 1 seems to have lacked an altar. Stelae D 2 and D 3 had plain altars before them. 
 
 COURT i. 
 
 This is bounded on the west by Temple E and Structure H, on the north 
 by a portion of Structure D, on the east by Mounds 14 and 15, and on the 
 south by Structure G. 
 
 Temple E (P6rigny’s “Castillo”) (Plates 43, 2, and 44, 1, and Figs. 57 and 58) 
 is the most important Structure facing Court I. It is a pyramid temple, and 
 from the size of the foundation mound it may have been terraced, although this 
 is not indicated either on the plan or section. The back and side walls of the 
 building are very well preserved, as can be seen in Plate 43, 2. The two wing 
 
 1 Stela D*, 10'X 5' 8"x2'. 
 
 D I , unmeasurable. 
 
 D s , 7' 4" in height. 
 
 Altar D 2 , 5' 4' in diameter. 
 
 D J , 3' 6" “ “ 1' 3" thick. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 171 
 
 sections suggest the lateral extensions of Temple N. These probably each con¬ 
 tained a single room, although there is no trace of the inner walls of the room 
 
 ix~ 
 
 Fig. 57. — Structure F and Temple E: plan. 
 
 at the present time. These chambers are joined to the main structure and are 
 not distinct buildings as in Temple N. The main edifice contains a single room 
 (39' 2" x 5' 9") which is in a good stage of preservation. A fine example of a 
 
172 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 bench, built of rubble, is found in this room (Plate 51, 4). It is 2' 4’ in height 
 and occupies the greater part of the back of the room and runs around the 
 northern end. A basin-like depression (1' 5" in diameter and 7" deep), lined 
 
 Fig. 58. — Structure F and Temple E: section. 
 
 with stucco, occurs in this bench. No remains of fire were found in this de¬ 
 pression. Many interesting figures (Figs. 48 and 49), both incised and painted, 
 were found on the walls of the room. 
 
 Structure F (Figs. 57 and 58), from the disposition of the debris, evidently 
 contained four rooms arranged in two rows. It is a low building, evidently for 
 residence, and runs almost up to the base of the foundation mound of Temple 
 E. These two may, in fact, be correlated, the latter serving as a residence for the 
 
 priests who presided over the adjoining 
 temple. Fig. 58 shows this correlation. 
 A portion of the northern facade is still 
 intact, showing a plain wall with a 
 single string-course above which appear 
 the remains of mask figures. The one 
 
 in the centre (Fig. 59) is fairly complete. 
 
 residential type, facing evidently both 
 
 north and south, with two longitudinal rooms and a transverse room at either 
 
 end. Plate 47, 1, shows its relation to the Acropolis. The northeastern corner 
 is still in position, and the southern wall still shows the remains of a mask (Plate 
 51, 1) as a decoration of the upper zone of the building. 
 
 The southeastern corner of Court I is occupied by Mound 13, which runs 
 up to the base of the Acropolis. It is clearly only one range of rooms in 
 width. 
 
 Mounds 14 and 15 form the eastern side of Court I. The latter is a small 
 pyramid, but no remains of a building were noted. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 173 
 
 COURT II. 
 
 Structure H (Fig. 61), forming the eastern side of this small plaza to the 
 south of Structure E, is a curious mound, evidently two rooms in width on the 
 
 Fig. 60.—Structure G: plan. 
 
 north and a single room in width on the southern end, with entrances to the west 
 on Court II. 
 
 Structure I (Fig. 62) occupies the southern and western sides of the same 
 plaza. This residential building is curiously unsymmetrical, clearly showing 
 additions and alterations. A definitive plan 
 is impossible without extensive excavation. 
 
 The one offered should be regarded purely as 
 tentative. The southern wing, the southern 
 wall of which is shown in Plate 43, 2, con¬ 
 sists of two parts, one of three rooms and 
 another to the west, of a single apartment. 
 
 These all open upon the court to the north, 
 and the eastern room also has a doorway in 
 the end. The longer part is lower than the 
 single-room addition, as may be seen in the 
 drawing of a portion of the southern side of 
 the building (Fig. 63). The outer walls have 
 a rough batter and are plain up to the string-course. Above this there may, 
 at one time, have been some form of decoration. 
 
 The western wing joins the part just described. The southern part of this 
 range probably consisted of two rooms opening to the east. North of this two- 
 room section the plan is most difficult to make out. A single room to the east 
 is one unit, and a second is of three rooms. 
 
 — °——T 
 
 Fig. 61.—Structure H: plan. 
 
174 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 Court III 
 The unbroken 
 
 is directly to the south of Court II and is about the same size, 
 fajade of Structure I forms the northern side. 
 
 Structure J, evidently a building containing a 
 row of three rooms, faces the eastern end of the court. 
 
 Structure K, forming the southern side of the 
 court, is a building similar in plan to J. It is difficult 
 to make out the relation of these two buildings to 
 the slope of the Acropolis. Their position therefore 
 in relation to the mound of the Acropolis, as shown 
 on the large map of the ruins (Plate 32), should be 
 regarded as tentative. 
 
 Mound 16 forms the western side of Court III. 
 It is nothing more than a mound of earth at the 
 present time, with no indication of the number of 
 rooms it formerly contained. Mound 17 is to the 
 west of 16 and at a much lower level. 
 
 Court IV is the third of the small plazas to the 
 west of the Acropolis. The mound of the Acropolis 
 itself forms the eastern side of the court. 
 
 Fig. 62. — Structure I: plan. 
 
 Structure L is the building on the south. This is badly in ruins, but the re¬ 
 mains of two ranges of four rooms each are made out. It is difficult to de- 
 
 > J. , 
 
 
 
 -L_ i — 
 
 /' 
 
 
 ii, 'll" 
 
 
 
 hrV:: 
 
 
 Fig. 63. — Structure I: elevation of a 
 portion of southern fagade. 
 
 Fig. 64. — Structure M: plan. 
 
 termine which way the building faced. A well-preserved mask (Plate 51, 2) 
 is found on the eastern end of the building. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 175 
 
 Structure M (Fig. 64), on the western side of this court, is a small building 
 with two rooms, one of which is in a good state of preservation. The ground to 
 the west of M falls away rapidly to the river. 
 
 court v. 
 
 Court V is formed by Structure L on the north, Temple N on the west, a portion 
 of Structure O on the south, and the corner of the Acropolis mound on the east. 
 
 Fig. 65. — Temple N: plan. 
 
 Temple N (Pdrigny’s “ Edifice angle S. O.”) (Plates 45 and 46 and Figs. 65 
 and 66) is the most important structure on Court V. Next to Temple A, it is 
 the most interesting building at Nakum. It faces the east upon the great"plat¬ 
 form or terrace to the south of the Acropolis. The high mound on which it 
 stands has almost perpendicular sides. Plate 46, 1, shows the appearance of the 
 southwestern corner of this substructure. 
 
 The whole structure consists of a main temple of a single story, built on the 
 top of the mound, and two lateral Annexes distinct from the central building 
 
176 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 and each of two stories. The whole makes the most complicated edifice at 
 Nakum. Fig. 66 gives a possible suggestion of the former elevation of the 
 whole structure. 
 
 The main temple is the best preserved of any of the buildings at this site. 
 The northern (Plate 46, 2), western, and southern walls are still intact, together 
 with the greater portion of the roof of the building. The doorway alone has 
 fallen owing to the decay of the wooden lintel. The arrangement of the facjade is 
 seen in Plate 46. The walls of the temple project slightly at the corners, as is 
 shown in Fig. 65. 
 
 The building consists of six rooms. In addition to the main entrance in 
 the middle of the eastern fagade there is also a second doorway in the front of 
 the building opening on rooms 3 and 6 to the north. This lateral entrance is 
 rather an unusual feature in the Maya temples. There is no communication 
 
 between rooms 1 and 4 and 5 and 6. The wooden lintel in the doorway of the 
 partition between rooms 2 and 3 is still in place. That between rooms 4 and 5 
 has disappeared (Plate 39, 3), but the concrete formation above has only 
 partially fallen. The same is true of the wide lintel formerly spanning the 
 doorway between rooms 2 and 5. Room 6 (10' 2" x 6' 6") has a circular window 
 in the northern wall (Plate 46, 2), 2' 7" in diameter. Below the opening in 
 the northwestern corner of the room is a bench with a sloping front. 
 
 The main temple is flanked on either side by an Annex, each of two stories 
 in height, one room on each level. The lower chamber in each of these small 
 buildings has an entrance from the front or eastern side of the mound (Fig. 66), 
 which is reached by a short stairway. The upper chamber of each Annex is 
 entered by a doorway opening upon the top of the mound on which the main 
 building stands (Fig. 65). Plate 45, 1, shows the caved-in roof of the top story 
 of the Southern Annex and the partially blocked-up entrances to the lower 
 chambers in the front of the mound on either side. The outside wall of the top 
 story of the lateral building on the south, together with its relation to the main 
 temple, is shown in Plate 46, 1. These Annexes present several most interesting 
 features. 
 
 The Upper Chamber (10' 6" x 6' 2") of the Southern Annex (Fig. 67) was 
 fully excavated. The greater part of the vaulting on the four sides of the room, 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 177 
 
 together with the roof, has fallen in, but several details came to light in regard 
 to the walls of the room (Fig. 68). The doorway is on the northern side, 
 opening, as has been pointed out, on the top of the main mound. Two floors 
 
 Fig. 67. — Temple N: Southern Annex, upper chamber, plan. 
 
 were observed in this room, one 2' 6" below the other. The plaster of the walls 
 is solid and unbroken down to the lower floor. In the southern wall (Fig. 68, a) 
 is a cupboard-like depression near the spring of the vault (Plate 51, 5). In the 
 
 a 
 
 b 
 
 Fig. 68. — Temple N: Southern Annex, upper chamber, a, southern wall; b, eastern wall. 
 
 centre of this indentation is a small opening which communicates with the out¬ 
 side of the building. Below the left-hand corner of the cupboard there is a 
 row of twelve small holes extending down to the upper of the two floors. In 
 
178 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 the same wall is a fine example of the tie-hole (Plate 51, 3, and Fig. 69) through 
 which runs a stick probably used for tying hangings. A game design (Fig. 49,/) 
 appears on the upper of the two floors. 
 
 „ „ Southern Annex, Lower Chamber. The door- 
 
 I way of this room is in the eastern wall and is well 
 
 preserved. The vaulting runs north and south, 
 
 while that in the chamber above runs east and 
 west. There is little to add in regard to this 
 chamber (10' 3" x 5' 11") other than to mention 
 several painted designs noted on the walls (Fig. 49) 
 which have already been discussed. 
 
 Northern Annex, Upper Chamber. The door- 
 
 Fia. 69. —Temple N: Southern Annex, Way is in the SOUth, Opening on the top of the 
 
 ZT s7a7x' - r""“”““™ main mound. The room is entirely in ruins. 
 
 
 
 Northern Annex, Lower Chamber. This room 
 (11' 8" x 6' 4") faces east and has numerous incised drawings on the walls 
 
 (Figs. 48, 49). It will be noted that the room is slightly larger than the cor¬ 
 responding lower chamber on the other side. It is difficult to determine the 
 relation of the stairway to the top of the mound to those leading to the lower 
 chambers of the two annexes. 
 
 In looking at the upper chambers of the two Annexes (Plate 45, 1) from the 
 Acropolis mound a portion of smooth plaster flooring is noted on each side about 
 two feet above the opening to the lower chambers. This appears owing to the 
 fall of the outer facing of stone. This flooring is about on the level of the top of 
 the main mound, and may show that the lower chambers were built first and the 
 top of their roofs formed the top of the main mound. This point can be cleared 
 up only with further excavation. 
 
 Structure O (Fig. 70) faces in part, at least, Court V. From a study of the 
 debris and its relative height it appears to have had a small room at either end, 
 
 fc' _ 
 
 Fig. 70.— Structure 0: plan. 
 
 o 
 
 entered from the end, with a single range of three long rooms between facing 
 north. Plate 38, 1 and 3, shows portions of the southern wall of the building and 
 gives a good idea of the veneer-like stone covering with the concrete beneath. 
 The eastern third of the building widens out to the south. It is impossible to 
 determine the interior plan of this extension. The line of the terrace on which 
 the Acropolis stands begins to the east of O. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 179 
 
 GROUP VI. 
 
 To the south of Structure 0 are several mounds which I have grouped to¬ 
 gether. Few of them show any trace of stone buildings. 
 
 Mounds 18 and 19 are parallel and run east and west. To the south of 19 
 
 0 16 ft M 
 
 Fig. 71. — Acropolis: plan of top, showing the main structure and outlines of 
 
 the low mounds on the western, northern, and eastern sides. i| 
 
 is Chultun No. 1. Mounds 20, 21, and 22 form a court. It was here that both 
 Pdrigny and the Peabody Museum Expedition built their camp. The river is 
 only a short distance to the south of Mound 21. Mound 23 is to the northeast 
 of 22. 
 
 THE ACROPOLIS. 
 
 The Acropolis (Perigny’s “ Edifice principal ”) is the most conspicuous feature 
 of the ruins (Plate 47 and Fig. 71). The trees on top were almost the only 
 ones left uncut by Perigny. 
 
180 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 This immense mound appears symmetrical and as if it were entirely artificial 
 Owing to the enormous mass of felled trees at the bottom of the slope, fallen 
 there from the sides of the mound, it was practically impossible to get measure¬ 
 ments of the base and also most difficult to make out the exact position of 
 several of the buildings at the foot of the slopes. The plan of the Acropolis in 
 reference to these buildings is not accurate. 
 
 The mound was probably terraced, portions of the facings alone appearing 
 on the eastern side. The stairway to the top has entirely disappeared, although 
 excavation would no doubt reveal its presence. It has been indicated on 
 the northern side of the mound, but it is difficult to understand its relation to 
 Structure G. 
 
 On the eastern side, built against the face of this great artificial hill, are two 
 tiers of rooms. Seven were counted in the lower range. These may be made out 
 on Plate 47, 2, but their position in relation to the slope of the mound is so un¬ 
 certain that they are not shown either on the plan of the mound or on that of the 
 site (Plate 32). 
 
 The top of the Acropolis is roughly 135 feet from east to west and 156 feet 
 from north to south. There seem to be projections of the northern side of the top 
 at the corners, and the stairs may have been built between. Much remains of 
 a structure on the southern side of the top (Plate 47, 1, and Fig. 71). It probably 
 had a roof-comb. The plan shows a typical residential type of Maya building, 
 two ranges of longitudinal rooms with a single transverse one on either end. It 
 was possible to obtain accurate measurements of the six rooms of the sides and 
 the two at the ends owing to the uncovered end walls of the rooms. 
 
 The top of the mound, with the exception of the building just described, is 
 now practically level. Structures, however, formerly occupied the other three 
 sides of the top, as traces of very low walls and slight depressions between are 
 noted. These buildings were probably not of stone owing to the small mass of 
 debris found in connection with them. It is suggested that the low walls show 
 foundations for structures of wood. A single-room building is clearly notice¬ 
 able on the eastern side. Owing to the very vague character of these walls it 
 has been thought best to leave them out of the plan of the top and indicate only 
 their outlines. 
 
 COURT VII. 
 
 Structure P (Fig. 72), forming the southern end of this court, is a building 
 of two rooms, one behind the other. The greater part of the back and side 
 walls is standing (Plates 38, 2, and 48,1). It faces west on the terrace which 
 runs to the south of the Acropolis. The southeastern corner of this terrace 
 is shown in Plate 48, 1. 
 
 Structure Q (Fig. 73) is built on the eastern edge of the terrace, facing Court 
 VII on the west. It is a building about 150 feet in length and probably con¬ 
 sisted of a single range of six rooms. The exact size of four of these could be 
 made out owing to the fact that the end walls of the rooms are uncovered. The 
 lintels were, as in many other cases, of wood, and consequently the front of 
 the building is in almost complete ruin while the back wall is well preserved 
 (Plate 38, 4). 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 181 
 
 Mound 24, just to the west of the northern end of Q, was evidently a building 
 of one room. Mound 25, forming part of the northern side of Court VII, still has 
 a portion of the southern wall in place. From the size of the mound it is evident 
 that it had two ranges of rooms, possi¬ 
 bly three rooms in each line. From the 
 wall on the southern side it is evident 
 that the building faced Court IX to the 
 north. It is difficult to determine the 
 relation of this mound to the slope of 
 the Acropolis. The western wall is still 
 in place, and it seems to come inside the 
 line made by the base of the Acropolis 
 mound. This does not appear on the 
 map. Further investigation may serve 
 to show that the rooms on the eastern 
 face of the Acropolis are built out from the main mass of the mound and thus 
 project to the east further than the line made by the western end of Mound 25. 
 
 Mounds 26 and 27 lie to the east of that just described. Both are 
 single-roomed structures. The first evidently faces north and the second 
 south. It is impossible to ascribe a reason for the occurrence of these one-roomed 
 buildings. 
 
 The Acropolis forms the western side of Court VII. 
 
 GROUP VIII. 
 
 There is an interesting group of mounds to the east of Structure Q which I 
 have classed together as Group VIII. 
 
 Mounds 28 and 29 are the southern members of the group. They are low 
 and evidently the foundations of buildings of wood. 
 
 Mounds 30, 31, and 32 form three sides of a slight elevation which shows 
 the remains of the terrace on the eastern side. The court made by these mounds 
 
 shelters Chultun No. 2 (Fig. 99 and p. 192). These mounds are also low and are 
 evidently not the remains of stone structures. 
 
 Mound 33 is much higher than those just mentioned and probably contained 
 two ranges of about five rooms each. This building seems to have faced the 
 north. It is not difficult to distinguish the mounds, such as 30, 31, and 32, which 
 are clearly the foundations only of buildings and those, like 33, which are clearly 
 the remains of the fallen buildings themselves. It is worthy of note that all 
 the low mounds are on the outskirts of the city, usually behind much larger 
 structures. The question of wooden buildings has never been satisfactorily 
 
182 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 answered. Extensive excavation is needed throughout the Maya area in regard 
 to this point. There seems to be little doubt that wooden buildings were not 
 at all uncommon in the vicinity of the large stone structures. Many of the 
 stairways were undoubtedly of wood, especially those belonging to the resi¬ 
 dential type of buildings. It is always difficult in archaeological work to 
 
 Fig. 74.—Structure R: plan. 
 
 estimate properly the place taken and the part played by buildings and objects 
 of a perishable nature. 
 
 COURT IX. 
 
 Structure R (Figs. 74 and 75) is by far the most important edifice on 
 Court IX, standing on the eastern side. It is evidently a building of the second 
 type and really consists of two parts, a single range of three rooms facing west on 
 Court IX and a later and lower addition, probably of four rooms, facing east at 
 the southwestern corner of Court XI. The main part of the building is in a 
 fairly good state of preservation as regards the walls of the rooms. 
 
 The northern end of the western range shows a plain wall, a string-course, 
 and an upper decorated zone, a part of which can still be made out (Plate 48, 2). 
 A seated figure is offering something in his hands. The end portion of a mask 
 is suggested at the back of the figure (Fig. 76). The northern room of the main 
 range was excavated. A fine example of a five-stepped vault is seen here (Plates 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 183 
 
 39, 2, and 48, 2, and Fig. 77), and, in fact, the same method of vaulting is noted in 
 all the rooms of this line. Several pairs of transverse post-holes appear in this 
 vaulting. It is to be observed that the door is not in the centre of the side of this 
 northern room. Across the eastern side there is a bench (2' in height) with 
 
 armpieces at either end (Fig. 77, o, c, and d). A step is found before this bench. 
 In the northern end of the room is a circular depression (5" deep, 10" in diame¬ 
 ter) in which remains of charcoal were found. The wall above the hole in the 
 floor shows signs of smoke. Stretching across this wall is a horizontal line of 
 small shallow holes similar to those in the upper chamber of the Southern Annex 
 of Temple N. Remains of burnt wood and a few sherds were found in the 
 southern end of this room. 
 
 This main range on the east is clearly the original part of the building. 
 An addition was made, as has been noted, to the 
 east, shorter and lower than the first construction. 
 
 The difference in the level of Courts IX and XI is 
 clearly shown in Fig. 75. The southern wall of this 
 addition is still in place, but it is difficult to make 
 out the exact plan of the rooms. Part of the end 
 walls of two rooms appear, but the easternmost 
 rooms are in complete ruin. There is no communi¬ 
 cation between the two parts of the building. Fl “- 76. — structure R: portion o< 
 
 . ° design on northern facade. 
 
 Structure S occupies a part of the northern 
 side of Court IX. The plan (Fig. 78) is most difficult to make out. There is 
 clearly only one range of rooms, either two or three in number. A small portion 
 of a mask design (Fig. 79) is still to be noted on the northern fagade. 
 
 Mound 13 forms the western side of this court. This has already been de¬ 
 scribed (p. 172), as have Mounds 25, 26, and 27, which form the southern side. 
 
184 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 COURT X. 
 
 Directly to the north of Court IX is Court X, Structure S forming the south¬ 
 ern 3ide, with Mounds 14 and 15 on the west. The eastern end of Structure D 
 is on the north. 
 
 Structure T is the only building remaining to be described. This is clearly 
 two ranges in width with possibly three rooms in each range. The northern 
 
 4 
 
 Fia. 77. — Structure R: details of northern room of western range, a, plan; b, western wall; 
 c, northern end; d, eastern wall. 
 
 wall alone remains standing. It is difficult to determine whether this edifice 
 faced Court X on the west or Court XI on the east. 
 
 COURT XI. 
 
 The large plaza to the east of Courts IX and X has been called Court XI. 
 As will be noted in the cross-section (Plate 34), it is on a lower level than the 
 two preceding courts. 
 
 Temple U (P^rigny’s “ Temple du Roi ”) (Plates 49,1, and 50, 1, and Fig. 80), 
 on the east, is by far the most important building on this plaza. It is a temple 
 on a high mound, the supporting structure being more like the usual Maya sub¬ 
 structure than the foundation mounds of Temples C and V. Remains of ter¬ 
 racing are clearly to be made out on the northern side. The building faces the 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 185 
 
 west. The front has fallen, but the back spring of the vault is still in place (Plate 
 49, 1). Part of the northern retaining wall of the stairway is well preserved. 
 
 The plan of the 
 temple (Fig. SO) is 
 exactly similar to 
 that of C and V, con¬ 
 taining a single room. 
 
 The wall at the back 
 has a slight projec¬ 
 tion, suggesting a 
 similar feature in all 
 the Tikal temples. There are no niches at the sides of the building, however, 
 as at Tikal. 
 
 The stela 1 in front of the stairway is the only one in the main group which 
 is found outside the Great Plaza. The face of this monument was at one 
 time finely carved (Plate 52, 2) with a single standing figure wearing a feather 
 headdress. An interesting feature of this stela is the curious groove, averag¬ 
 ing 4' 9" from the bottom, running unevenly around the three plain sides of 
 the stone. This groove reduces the thickness of the stone to 1 11". 
 
 Mound 33 forms the southern side of Court XI and, as I have already 
 noted, probably faced this court. Structures R, S, and T are on the western side. 
 Two of the ranges of rooms in R (Fig. 75) undoubtedly face this court, and the 
 rooms in T may also open to the east. 
 
 Mounds 34 and 35 (Plate 49, 1) form the northern side of Court XI. The 
 first probably contained three rooms in line. The plan of the second can be made 
 out only by excavation. 
 
 GROUP XII. 
 
 East of Temple U are a large number of mounds which have been called 
 Group XII. They may clearly be correlated with the neighboring structure, 
 indicating the residences of the priests who worship in this temple. These 
 structures cannot all be considered in the same class, as their heights differ. 
 
 Fig. 79. — Structure S: portion of mask design 
 on northern fagade. 
 
 about the same height as 36. Mound 42 i 
 with 37. Mounds 43 and 44 are hardly 
 from the general level of the ground. 
 
 1 Dimensions: 13' 9">< 
 
 Mound 36 is to the southeast of 
 Temple U. It is very low and prob¬ 
 ably never had a stone building on 
 top. Mound 37 joins the substruc¬ 
 ture of the temple and is much higher 
 than 36 and may show the remains 
 of a stone building. 
 
 Mounds 38, 39, 40, and 41 are 
 3 much higher and should be classed 
 perceptible, rising only about 1' 6" 
 
 : 4' 9' x 2' 9'. 
 
186 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 COURT XIII. 
 
 Directly to the north of Court XII and slightly larger is Court XIII. These 
 two quadrangles rank next to the Great Plaza in point of size. Panorama 2 
 (Plate 35, 2) shows the limits of Court XIII. 
 
 □ 
 
 
 Fig. SO. — Temple U: plan, showing single stela. 
 
 Temple V (Perigny’s “ Petit Temple ”) (Plates 49, 2, and 50, 2, and Fig. 81), 
 on the eastern side, is the most important structure facing this court. It is 
 clearly of the temple type and is typical of several of the Nakum buildings in 
 that the mound on which the structure stands has almost vertical sides rather 
 than the sloping pyramid form so usually associated with the Maya temples. 
 The back view of this building (Plate 50, 2) shows the perpendicular mound. 
 The temple also has only a single room and is in no way remarkable. It is 
 almost exactly similar in plan to Temples C and U. The front is entirely gone, 
 and the back wall is cracked from top to bottom, possibly by an earthquake. 
 Numerous small holes were observed through this back wall. 
 
 At either corner of the western side of the foundation mound is a lower mound 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 187 
 
 symmetrically placed in reference to the main structure. No remains were noted 
 on these lateral mounds. These have been called Mounds 45 and 46. They 
 may have served as foundations for buildings similar in purpose to the lateral 
 chambers in Temple E and the Annexes of Temple N. 
 
 Mounds 34 and 35 occupy the southern side of Court XIII. The back of 
 Temple A (Plate 40, 2) forms the entire western side of the court. The northern 
 side of this court has no buildings. It is the only one of the large plazas which 
 
 Fig. 81. — Temple V: plan. 
 
 is not bounded on all four sides by buildings. Panorama 3 (Plate 36), looking 
 west from E, gives a good idea of the heights of Temples U and V. 
 
 GROUP XIV. 
 
 There finally remains of the city proper to be mentioned a small group of 
 mounds some distance to the northeast of Temple V. Mounds 47 and 48 are 
 low and unimportant. Chultun No. 3 (Fig. 100) is to the southeast of 48. 
 
 NORTHERN EXTENSION. 
 
 It is possible to draw an analogy between the Northern Suburb at Tikal and 
 the Northern Extension at Nakum. In the former site there is no physical 
 connection between the main group and the northern outpost, whereas at Nakum 
 the buildings and mounds at the north of the city are connected with the main 
 group by two parallel lines of low mounds. 
 
 The plan given of this Extension (Plate 33) should be regarded as in every 
 way tentative. There are several points which will need clearing up, and many 
 details will doubtless have to be changed on further investigation. 
 
 The beginning of the Extension stretching to the north is at the corner of 
 
188 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 the terrace to the north of Temple C, at the northwestern corner of the Great 
 Plaza. From the northern side of this temple to the northern side of the mound 
 on which Structure W stands it is about 2,000 feet. For the first 950 feet the 
 
 Fig. 82. — Northern Extension, Structure W: plan. 
 
 distance between the wall mounds is about 75 feet. This Extension may be 
 considered in the nature of a raised road, as the ground falls away on both sides. 
 
 About 800 feet from the southern end of the eastern line of mounds a large 
 platform is reached which supports several low mounds, probably the founda¬ 
 tion of wooden structures. To the north of this are 
 two mounds at right angles, in the corner of which is a 
 chultun. The line continues about 160 feet to the re¬ 
 mains of a pyramidal temple structure which is entirely 
 in ruins. In front of the stairway on the west of the 
 pyramid is a single undecorated stela with its altar, also 
 plain. The only unusual feature is the fact of the stela 
 standing beside rather than behind the altar. The line 
 continues about 325 feet beyond, almost reaching the 
 large platform to the north. These mounds are higher 
 than those to the south of the pyramid temple and are 
 evidently the remains of stone buildings. 
 
 The western line of mounds is more broken and uneven than that to the 
 east. Both continue parallel for about 1,050 feet, where the western line ends 
 after widening out into a platform. To the west a group of low mounds arranged 
 
 Fig. 83 .—•Chultun 2: Pottery 
 fragment overlaid with black 
 plaster. 
 
 Fig. 84. — Chultun 2 : Fragment of pottery Fig. 85. — Chultun 2: Pottery vessel. £. 
 
 vessel. 
 
 in a court is made out, and a long and a short mound connect this with the 
 northern platform. This northern elevation which closes the end of the Exten¬ 
 sion is roughly 250 feet square. Near the northern edge is a low mound run¬ 
 ning north and south. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 189 
 
 Structure W (Fig. 82) is located on the southern side of this elevation. This 
 building contains fourteen rooms arranged in two rows of seven each. Several 
 of the back walls of the northern range 
 can still be made out. With the excep- ■' 
 tion of Structure D it is the largest 
 building of the residential type found 
 at this site. 
 
 It is impossible to determine the 
 purpose of this long Northern Exten¬ 
 sion. It is easy to say it was for 
 guarding the city. Several early writers 
 have laid stress upon the idea of defence 
 in the construction of the Maya cities. 
 
 With the exception of a few sites in 
 southern Guatemala there is little 
 evidence to show that any means were 
 taken by the Maya architects to ward 
 off the attack of hostile forces. 
 
 MINOR ANTIQUITIES. 
 
 In pursuance of the policy of the 
 Museum which I have mentioned, it 
 was deemed better to confine our 
 operations to a general investigation of the ruins as they now appear rather 
 than to undertake any excavation. 
 
 The northern room in Structure R was cleared, and a few sherds were found 
 near the level of the floor. Sherds were also found in clearing the single room 
 in Temple E. 
 
 Chultun 2 in Group VIII was dug out down to the smooth plaster of the 
 floor, and it yielded a small but interesting collection of objects. Potsherds 
 
 Fig. 86. — Chultun 2: Portion of pottery vessel with 
 suggested restoration. 
 
 Fig. 87. — Chultun 2: Fragment of modelled ware. -J. 
 
 Fig. 88. — Chultun 2: Frag¬ 
 ment of modelled ware. 
 
 illustrating practically all the forms of pottery decoration met with in the Maya 
 area were found, including plain, incised, painted, and modelled ware. 
 
 A single small sherd (Fig. 83) shows a thick layer of black plaster with in¬ 
 cised design overlaying the pottery base. 
 
190 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 Fig. 89. — Chullun 2: Figurine 
 of seated female. 
 
 Fig. 90. — Chullun 2: 
 Figurine of seated 
 female, f. 
 
 Figs. 84 and 85 show a common shape of bowls found in Chultun 2. Fig. 85 
 gives an idea of a form of decoration noted on several sherds. The restoration 
 of the jar shown in Fig. 86 is justified by the fact that 
 sherds were found with this terrace-like form. 
 
 Two pieces of pottery should be especially men¬ 
 tioned, both fine examples of modelled ware. Fig. 87 
 shows an elaborate feather design and the head of a 
 figure suggesting the Long Nose 
 God. Fig. 88 is a human face in 
 profile with feather headdress and a 
 necklace. Maler found a few sherds 
 of a similar ware at Yaxchilan. 
 
 Several figurines representing a 
 seated female figure with one arm 
 lying in the lap and the other across 
 the breasts (Figs. 89-91) suggest 
 similar forms from some mounds at 
 Kamela, high up on the Salinas River. A standing figure 
 (Fig. 92) with curiously thick lips and hands clasped in front 
 of the body is also similar to a form found at Kamela. This 
 is in the form of a whistle. Another whistle (Fig. 93) represents an owl. 
 
 The head of a delightful old woman with her hair parted in the middle, with 
 wrinkled brows and cheeks and sunken jaws, is shown in Fig. 94. A portion of a 
 second head (Fig. 95) exactly similar to the first 
 and evidently from the same mould was also found 
 in the same chultun. This has a perforation at 
 the top which was evidently broken off on the first 
 head. 
 
 Fig. 96 cannot be explained. It formerly con¬ 
 sisted of two standing figures. A circular opening 
 with a finished rim is at the side 
 near the bottom. 
 
 In addition to these objects 
 which have been mentioned, 
 
 Chultun 2 yielded several spear 
 points and a crude mould for a figurine. 
 
 A few pieces of pottery were found near the base of 
 Stelae C and N. 2 
 
 CHULTUNES. 
 
 The word chultun was used by Mr. Edward H. Thompson 
 in his paper, “ The Chultunes of Labna ” (1897). It is a 
 Maya word, meaning an excavation or a cistern in stone, 
 from tsul, to clean, and tun, stone. Perhaps the best defini- p ™' 92 T 2: Pot ' 
 
 . ' c tery whistle of human 
 
 tion of a chultun is a more or less circular subterranean figure, i. 
 cistern-like reservoir.” 
 
 The chultun is a direct result of the stony character of the country, where a 
 comparatively slight deposit of soil overlies a continuous bed of limestone. 
 
 Fig.%91. —- Chultun 2: Portion of 
 female figurine. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 191 
 
 Fig. 93. — Chullun 2: Owl whistle. }. 
 
 Practically anywhere in the northern and central part of the Maya area the 
 stone may be reached at no great depth. It is not difficult to excavate these 
 cisterns out of the comparatively soft limestone. 
 
 Few have been previously reported outside the 
 northern part of Yucatan, and, as far as I know, 
 none has been described. In Yucatan they seem to 
 have a close connection with the water supply. 
 
 Chultunes are very common in the Peten area. 
 
 Thirty-nine of these underground chambers are 
 shown on the map (Plate 31) exclusive of those 
 found in connection with the large groups of ruins. 
 
 The distribution of mounds and chultunes is unequal 
 in the various sections of the region. Yaloch, near 
 the site of Holmul and Seibal 2d, seems to be a 
 centre. La Honradez, with the large number of 
 small mounds stretching along the trail to the north, is another centre. A third 
 is near Nakum, and a fourth near Tikal. There seems therefore to be some 
 correlation between the ruins of major importance in this area and the distribu¬ 
 tion of chultunes and mounds of minor importance. 
 
 The correlation of chultun and single mound along the 
 trails is to be noted. It might be supposed that here we 
 have the remains of a structure and the source of its 
 water supply in the subterranean chamber. This correla¬ 
 tion exists, however, quite as often near the natural water- 
 holes or small streams as at some distance from a natural 
 water supply. 
 
 In addition to the chultunes stretching in long lines 
 from city to city, one or more were noted in close 
 proximity to most of the important sites, — eight at 
 Holmul, four at Nakum, three at Tikal, and one at La 
 Honradez. There seems to be no distinction in construction or in function 
 between those found at some distance from the large ruined groups and those 
 occurring within the confines of a large site. 
 
 There is evidently no close connection, as in Yucatan, between the water 
 supply and these underground rooms. In fact, they are frequently found near 
 sites where there is an abundant supply of water throughout 
 the year. In almost no case do we find any drainage into 
 them. They are usually found on ground slightly higher 
 than that of the surrounding country. In this respect they 
 differ from those in Yucatan. 
 
 Another point against their use as storage for water is 
 shown in the fact that in several the rock from which they are 
 excavated is porous and the walls do not seem in all cases 
 to have been covered with an impervious layer of plaster. 
 
 That they were used in some cases for the storage of maize 
 and other foods is possible, as they are generally dry and would be suitable for 
 such a purpose. That some were used for burial places is very probable. 
 
 The chultunes of this area fall naturally into two types. The first is the 
 
 Fig. 94. — Chullun 2: Head 
 of old woman. £. 
 
 Fig. 95 .—Chultun 2: 
 Portion of head of 
 old woman, j. 
 
♦ •’V..' . 
 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 - Chullun 2: Pottery figure with round 
 opening near bottom. 
 
 cistern-like reservoir similar to the second type in Yucatan (Fig. 97), a chamber 
 or well dug out of the limestone with wall and roof of the natural stone but with 
 
 no trace of walls or vault of worked 
 stone. Good examples of this class are 
 Chultunes 1 and 2 at Nakum. The 
 second type is far more common in 
 the Peten area, the lateral-chambered 
 chultun. Here, in addition to the 
 shaft-like well, is a chamber opening 
 from the bottom of the shaft (Fig. 98). 
 This may be said to be the typical 
 northern Guatemalan type. 
 
 It is not intended at this time to 
 treat exhaustively the chultunes of the 
 Peten district, but mention should be 
 made of one of the three reservoirs 
 examined at Yaloch (Fig. 98), a few 
 miles from the ruins of Holmul. A 
 remarkable collection of pottery was 
 taken from this chambered chultun by 
 Dr. Davis of Belize and presented by 
 him to the Museum at Bristol, England. The Peabody Museum Expedition 
 went to the bottom of this chamber and unearthed a number of most inter¬ 
 esting pieces of pottery. Two tall jars were found with no bottoms, the edges 
 at the base showing that they were made purposely in this way. There were 
 evidences that the chamber had been used as a burial place. An altar-like 
 niche opening from the northern side of the chamber may have been used for 
 offerings. The three chultunes excavated at Nakum are all made in the solid 
 limestone with no trace of artificial walls. 
 
 Chultun 1 is found in Group VI. It is a cistern type with no lateral chamber. 
 The entrance is 1' 4" in diameter, its greatest width 4' 11", and its depth 7' 3". 
 Very few pottery fragments were noted in the earth dug 
 from this well. 
 
 Chultun 2 (Fig. 99) is located in Group VIII. A large 
 flat stone, evidently a piece of the cover, was found in 
 excavating this subterranean chamber. This chultun has 
 a circular opening 1' 6" in diameter and widens out as 
 you go down. At the bottom the diameter is 5' 11". It 
 is 6' 6" deep from the top of the stratum of limestone to 
 the floor of the well. Excavation in this chamber brought 
 to light an interesting collection of objects. These have 
 already been described (p. 189). Crude pottery fragments 
 
 were found throughout the mass of earth which filled the chultun. Practically 
 all the objects of interest were encountered in the last eight inches of 
 earth. 
 
 Chultun 3 (Fig. 100), in Group XIV, is the only one noted at Nakum with 
 any trace of lateral chambers. The subterranean room seems to have been only 
 partially artificial. A cave-like opening in the limestone was probably enlarged. 
 
 Fig. 97. — Labna, Yucatan: 
 Section of Chultun. Type 2. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 193 
 
 The two side chambers in this chultun are irregular in outline. Nothing of im¬ 
 portance was found here. 
 
 From the fact that Chultun 2 was relatively so rich in specimens and Nos. 1 
 and 3 yielded nothing, it seems clear that we cannot say that the burial of objects 
 
 Fig. 98. — Yaloch, British Honduras: Chultun 1, lateral chambered type. 
 
 was common in these underground chambers. Chultun 1 of Yaloch, which con¬ 
 tained so rich a collection of pottery, seems to be another exception to the rule 
 that the chultunes should be regarded primarily as storage places and not as 
 places of burial. 
 
 A single chultun was noted in the Northern Extension, and Mr. Merwin 
 found a group of three chultunes at El Encanto. None of these was 
 explored. 
 
194 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 RUINS OF EL ENCANTO. 
 
 The description of the ruins of El Encanto, about sixteen miles northwest 
 of Nakum, may well appear in the report on the larger group. I am indebted 
 for the following details to Mr. Merwin, who visited 
 this site in 1910-1911. The principal group of 
 structures consists of the truncated pyramidal mound 
 (Fig. 101) upon which are the remains of a small 
 building with two rooms. Built against the western 
 slope of the pyramid is a second, formerly, no doubt, 
 the substructure of the building. 
 
 The principal feature of interest of this site is a 
 stela (4' 4" x 1'8" x 9J^",) already mentioned (p. 163), 
 standing about 12 feet in front of the pyramid. It 
 has been badly injured probably by chicleros in addi¬ 
 tion to weathering. The front once had a sculptured 
 design. The legs of a human figure together with the 
 mask panel on which he stands can with difficulty 
 be made out. There are the remains of a hieroglyphic 
 That on the south consisted of 14 double glyphs 
 which are almost entirely obliterated. The inscription on the northern side 
 (Plate 53) is a little clearer, but a study of the glyphs is disappointing. It is 
 clearly not an initial series. 
 
 The stela stands on a terrace (200' x 95') which runs along the western side 
 of the main mound. It is covered with a flooring of plaster. Near the north¬ 
 western and southwestern corners of 
 this terrace is a small mound, probably 
 the foundation for a wooden building. 
 
 To the north of the large pyramid is a 
 second structure with no remains at the 
 present time of a building on top. 
 
 To the east of the main pyramid is 
 a group of three chultunes. 
 
 TIME CONSIDERATIONS. 
 
 The only secure basis for a con¬ 
 sideration of Maya chronology is the 
 study of the dates appearing upon the 
 hieroglyphic inscriptions. As these are 
 absent at Nakum, it is difficult to treat 
 properly the relative age of these ruins 
 compared, first, with those of the same 
 area and, secondly, with those in other 
 parts of the Maya region. It is dan¬ 
 gerous to lay too much stress upon chronology based mainly upon a study of 
 the art and architecture. Dr. Spinden (1912) has been very successful in this 
 
 Fig. 100. — Nakum: Chultun 3, lateral chambered type. 
 
 Fig. 99. — Nakum: Chultun 2, 
 section, cistern type. 
 
 inscription on either side. 
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION. 
 
 195 
 
 respect in his study of the chronological development of the Copan stelae. It 
 is a far more difficult problem when the same method is applied to the develop¬ 
 ment of various details of plan and of decoration in the Maya area as a whole. 
 As it is often impossible to determine whether the trend in decoration is from 
 realism to conventionalism or from conventionalism to realism, so it is often 
 
 ' o CHULT.UN 
 
 O CHULTUN O CHULTUN 
 
 1*’ig. 101. — Ruins of El Encanto: plan. 
 
 impossible to determine whether an advance in ideas of construction from our 
 point of view corresponds to a similar advance in point of time. I have used 
 this questionable method in my discussion of the development of the roof-comb 
 (p. 157). Here we have some help from the study of the dates of the inscriptions. 
 Chichen Itza with its light lattice-like roof-comb we know to be later than 
 Palenque with its double-walled comb, and Palenque in turn later than Tikal 
 with its massive superstructure. 
 
 From a study of the dates alone, Tikal is given the first place in point of 
 
196 
 
 PREHISTORIC RUINS OF NAKUM, GUATEMALA. 
 
 time in the Maya cities, and I have already expressed an opinion that the Peten 
 area in which both Tikal and Nakum are located is the oldest seat of the Maya 
 culture yet found. But various considerations, perhaps I should say feelings, 
 in the mind of the explorer who has visited both Tikal and Nakum tend to place 
 Nakum later than Tikal. The student of Classical Archaeology, with his system 
 of interlocking dates and his literature, scoffs at the vagueness as regards the 
 dating in American Archaeology. There is good reason to hope, however, that 
 with the further elucidation of the Maya hieroglyphic writing and the study 
 of successive strata like that now being undertaken in the Valley of Mexico, 
 together with careful and extensive excavation of the ruined cities, the time will 
 come when we can avail ourselves of something definite as regards the period 
 of the beginnings and of the various epochs in the rise and fall of the Maya 
 culture. 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 Maudslay, Alfred P. 
 
 1889-1902. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Archaeology. Vol. Ill, pis. 67-82, pp. 44-50. 
 
 Maler, Teobert 
 
 1908. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala, and adjacent regions:—Topoxte, 
 Yaxha, Benque Viejo, Naranjo. In Memoirs of the Peabody Museum, Vol. IV, No. 2. Cambridge. 
 
 1911. Explorations in the Department of Peten, Guatemala: — Tikal. In Memoirs of the Peabody 
 Museum, Vol. V, No. 1. Cambridge. 
 
 PIsrigny, Maurice de 
 
 1906. (Note on Nacun). In Bulletin de la Socittt de Gtographie, Stance du 18 mai, 474-475. 
 
 1908. Yucatan Inconnu. In Journal de la Sociitt des Amtricanistes de Paris (n. s.), Vol. V, No. 1, 
 67-84, pis. ii-iv. 
 
 1910. Villes Mortes de l’Ameriquc Centrale. In Le Tour du Monde, Parts 39 and 40. 
 
 1910a. Les ruines de Nakcun. In Acad, des Insc. et Belles Lettres. Comptes rendus des seances. Bull., 
 pp. 486-489. 
 
 1911. Mission dans l’Am6rique Centrale, 1909-1910. In Nouvelles Archives des Mission scientifiques 
 (n. s.), Part 4, pp. 16, 11 plates, 5 figs. 
 
 1911a. Les Ruines de Nakcun. In Journal de la Socitlt des Amtricanistes de Paris (n. s.), Vol. VIII, 
 Nos. 1 and 2, pp. 1-22, pis. i-iii, 3 figs. 
 
 Spinden, Herbert J. 
 
 1913. Maya Art. In Memoirs of the Peabody Museum, Vol. VI. Cambridge. 
 
 Thompson, Edward H. 
 
 1897. The Chultunes of Labna. In Memoirs of the Peabody Museum, Vol. I, No. 3. Cambridge. 
 
 Tozzer, Alfred M. 
 
 1907. A comparative study of the Mayas and the Lacandones. Publication of the Archeological 
 Institute of America. New York. 
 
 1911. A preliminary study of the prehistoric ruins of Tikal, Guatemala. In Memoirs of the Peabody 
 Museum, Vol. V, No. 2. Cambridge. 
 
 1912. The ruins of northeastern Guatemala. In Reseha de la Segunda Sesion del XVII Congreso 
 International de Americanistas, Mexico, pp. 400-405. 
 
INDEX TO VOLUME V 
 
 Acropolis, Nakum, 155, 156, 179-180 
 Acropolis, Tikal (Maler) Great, 15-20; Lesser, 35; Lesser, 
 west of Great Temple, V, 51 
 
 Acropolis, Tikal (Tozzer) Central (Maler’s “Great”), 109- 
 n6; Northern (Maler’s “Lesser”), 120-122; 
 Southern (Maler’s “Lesser, west of Great Temple 
 V”), 122-124 
 
 Age, relative, Tikal, 131-133 
 Ahua sign, 104, 132 
 Aldana, R6mulo, 8 
 Alligator’s head, 78 
 Altars and stelae (see Stelae) 
 
 Animal and human figures combined, 60, 105 
 Animal figures in sculpture (see Monkey, Panther, Pec¬ 
 cary, Tiger); incised on stucco, 57, 58, 61 
 Animals, native, 6, 10 
 Antiquities, minor, 189-190 
 Approach to Nakum, 153 
 Arch, Maya, 158, 167 (see also Vault) 
 
 Arch, true, 167, 168 
 
 Archaeological provinces in Maya area, 93 
 Architectural description of Tikal, 11-55; Nakum, 164- 
 
 [187 
 
 Armas, Isaias, 3 
 
 Artes, Federico, 74 
 
 Assemblage, Tikal, 95; Nakum, 154 
 
 Azoteas, 14, 16, 29, 101 
 
 Azucar, 93, 149 
 
 Bancroft, 94 
 
 Basle Museum, 42, 43, 94 
 Bats, native, 33, 34 
 Belize, 95, 153, 154 
 
 Benches, Tikal, n, 13, 14, 16, 19, 22, 38; Nakum, 99, 172 
 
 Bennett, Father, 141 
 
 Benque Viejo, 95, 151, 153, 154 
 
 Berges, Clodoveo, 7, 93 {note), 141 
 
 Berges, Pedro, 7 
 
 Bernoulli, Gustave, 42, 43, 44, 94 
 Bibliography, Nakum, 197 
 Bibliography, Tikal, 135 
 Bird, incised, 60; sculptured, 78 
 Birds, native, 4, 10 
 Black paint, 161-162 
 Black plaster on pottery, 188, 189 
 Bowditch, C. P., 104, 132 {note) 
 
 Bristol Museum, 192 
 
 British Honduras, 93, 95, 141, 149, 153 
 
 Buena Vista, 153 
 
 Burial places (chultunes), 191-193 
 
 Buschmann, 94 
 
 Campeche, 150 
 Cano, Lazaro, 8 
 Cario, Herr, 42 
 
 Carved wooden beams (see Lintels) 
 
 Casts, in Peabody Museum, 94 
 
 Cauac sign, 88 
 
 Cement, 29, 32, 64, 71 
 
 Centre of Maya culture, 149, 150 
 
 Ceramics, highest development of, 149 (see Pottery) 
 
 Ceremonial bar, 65, 66, 68 
 
 Ceremonial staff, 37, 60, 66, 75, 76, 78, 80, 83, 87 
 Chamay, D6sir6, 95 
 
 Chata, Jos6 Maria, 3, 7 
 Chen sign, 104 
 Chichen Itza, 98, 152 
 Chronological glyphs, 88 
 Chronological position of Tikal, 132-133 
 Chronological relationship between designs and dates on 
 stelae and altars, 104 
 Chronology, Maya, 194-196 
 
 Chultunes, 5, 36, 150, 179, 181, 187-189; studied and 
 described, 190-194 
 Chunvis, 153.154 
 Cimi sign, 104 
 Coban,152,153,154 
 Cocoa (in sculpture), 17 
 Codex, Dresden, 60; Nuttall, 60 
 Concrete, in building, 99, 100, 155, 156, 158, 167, 178 
 Construction, Tikal, 11-55, 96-100; Nakum, 155-156 
 Conventionalism, 48, 52, 64-66, 68, 74 
 Copan,102-104, 132, 133, 195 
 Cormorants, native, 4 
 
 Courts, Nakum, I, 170-172; II, 173; III, 174; IV, 174; 
 V, 175; IX, 182-183; X, 184; XI, 184-185 (see 
 also Groups) 
 
 Cross bones, 52,85, 88 
 Cross-design, 161 
 Cross-section of Tikal (Plate 30) 
 
 Cross, St. Andrews, 65, 80 
 Cruz, Juan, 153 
 
 Dates on stelae and altars, decipherment of, 104 
 Davis, Dr., 192 
 Day signs, 104 
 
 Decoration of buildings and stelae, Tikal, 65-91, 103-105; 
 
 Nakum, 159-163, 182, 183 
 Deities, 65, 85-90 
 
 Designs, incised, 19, 22, 28,52,56-63,81,105,160-162,168, 
 170, 172, 178, 189 
 
 Detailed description, Nakum, 164-196 
 Doorways, 27, 29, 30, 31, 36, 37, 41, 42, 98-99, 158 
 Drawings (see Designs) 
 
 Dresden Codex, 60 
 
 Dress and ornament in sculpture, 65-91 
 Ducks (in sculpture), 17 
 
 Eagle (in sculpture), 78 
 
 Earliest remains of Maya civilization, 149, 150 
 Ear ornaments, 32, 52, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 73, 75, 78, 82, 83, 
 85, 86, 88, 89 
 
 Eastern section of Tikal, 116-118 
 Editorial notes, 1, 139 
 El Cayo, 95, 152-154 
 
 El Encanto, 152,163; description of ruins, 194 
 El Remate, 4-8 
 El Rio, 154 
 
 Excavation, 81, 189-190, 192 
 Execution, 57, 60 
 
 Eye, conventionalized, 64; as ornament, 160 
 
 Facades, Tikal, 11-55, 104-105; Nakum, 159 
 
 Feather mantle, 65, 68, 78 
 
 Feathers in design, 160, 185, 190 
 
 Fish (in sculpture), 17 
 
 Flint knife, 88 
 
 Floors, Nakum, 159 
 
200 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Flores, 95, 154 
 Flying facade, 157 
 Frieze, 11-50 
 
 Game design, 161, 162, 178 
 
 Geometrical design, 161, 162 
 
 Great Plaza, Tikal, 118-120; Nakum, 164-165 
 
 Grotesque face, 48, 52, 66, 68, 69, 80, 86, 87 
 
 Groups, Nakum, VI, 179; VII, 180; VIII, 181; XII, 185; 
 
 XIII, 186-187; XIV, 187 (see also Courts) 
 Guatemala, Explorations in, 3-135, 139-196 
 
 Hands, painted red and white, 27, 28 
 Hay, C. L., 149, 150 
 Hesse, Prussian envoy, 94 
 
 Hieroglyphic inscriptions, decipherment of, at Tikal, 104; 
 
 absence of, at Nakum, 194; further study of, 196 
 Hieroglyphs, 26, 67, 69, 71, 73, 78, 79, 81-84, 87-91, 104, 
 169,170,194,196 (see also Initial glyphs) 
 
 History of site, Tikal, 94; Nakum, 151 
 Hmen, 75 
 
 Holmul, 93, 149, 152, 191,192 
 Honduras, northern, 149 
 Human and animal figures combined, 60, 105 
 Human face and figure in design, 32, 37, 56-63, 160-162, 
 182, 183, 185,189-191, 194 
 Human figurines, pottery, 190-192 
 
 Incense, 105 
 Incense burner, 151 
 Incised designs (see Design) 
 
 Initial glyphs, 71, 79, 91 
 Ixpita, 4, 8 
 Ixtinta, 4 
 
 Jesuit priests, 141 
 
 Kamela, 190 
 Kankin sign, 104 
 Katun sign, 132 
 Kayab sign, 104, 132 (note) 
 
 Ketsal bird (see Quetzal) 
 
 Ketsalkoatl (see Quetzalcoatl) 
 
 Kin sign, 104 
 
 Kin sign on buskin, 85 
 
 Knife, sacrificial, 88 
 
 Labna, 158, 192 
 
 Labor at Nakum, question of, 154 
 Lacandones, 151 
 Laguna Colorado, 154 
 
 La Honradez, 93, 95, 100, 149, 150, 151, 154, 158, 191 
 
 Lake Yaxha, 151 
 
 La Libertad, 141 
 
 Lemon trees, native, 24 
 
 Leyden Plate, 132 (note) 
 
 Limestone, 62 
 
 Lintels, carved, wooden, Tikal, 16, 17, 28-30, 37, 43, 94, 
 98; plain, Nakum, 155, 158, 167 
 Lion (in sculpture), 82 
 
 List of names of Tikal structures, as used in No. 1 and No. 
 
 2 (see Reference List, preceding text of No. 2) 
 Long-Nose God, 190 
 Lopez, Gorgonio, 74 
 
 Mac sign, 104 
 Maize (in sculpture), 17 
 
 Maler, Teobert, Explorations in Tikal, 3-91, 93, 95, 99, 
 100, 101, 103, 108-131, 149, 150, 152, 153, 161, 190 
 Maler’s photographs, 95 
 Manik sign, 104 
 Manikin, 66, 67, 74 
 Map of Nakum (Plate 32) 
 
 Map of Tikal (Plate 29) 
 
 Mask design, 160, 166, 167,172, 174, 182, 185, 194 
 
 Masonry, xi, 18, 27, 29, 30, 38, 41, 49, 52, 53, 54, 100, 155 
 Maudslay, Alfred P., 94 
 
 Maya arch, example of true arch, 167, 168 (see also Vault) 
 Maya chronology, 194-196 
 
 Maya culture, centre of, remains of, 149, 150; oldest seat 
 of, 195-196 
 Mendez, Modesto, 94 
 Men sign, 104 
 
 Merwin, R. E., 105, 141, 149, 150, 152, 155, 158, 163, 193 
 Mexico, 150 
 
 Ministere de l’instruction publique, 152 
 
 Modelled designs on pottery, 189-192 
 
 Mol sign, 104 
 
 Monkey, native, 10 
 
 Monkey-faced man, in sculpture, 67 
 
 Month signs, 104 
 
 Mortar, 71, 81 
 
 Motul, 4 
 
 Mould, for figurine, 190 
 
 Mounds, Nakum, 168-169, 174, 179, 181, 185, 187 
 
 Muan sign, 104 
 
 Muller, 94 
 
 Muluc sign, 104 
 
 Museum at Basel, 94 
 
 Museum at Bristol, 192 
 
 Nacun, Nakcun, Nakcum (see Nakum) 
 
 Nakum, 93, 95, 96, 99,100,101; Prehistoric Ruins of, 141- 
 197 
 
 Name, Nakum, meaning of, 151 
 
 Names of Tikal structures, used in Nos. 1 and 2 (see Refer¬ 
 ence List, preceding text of No. 2) 
 
 Naranjo, 93, 96, 103, 133, 149-151, i53 
 Nasua sociales, 44 
 Niches, 18, 22, 23, 100 
 Northern City, Tikal, 98, 103, 129-131 
 Northern extension, Nakum, 169, 187-189 
 Northwestern section of Tikal, 126-128 
 Nose ornaments, 72, 160 
 Nuttall Codex, 60 
 
 Obsidian knife, 56 
 
 Oldest seat of Maya culture, 195-196 
 Orange trees, native, 24 
 
 Orientation, Tikal, in architectural description, 11-55,108- 
 131; method of determining, 105-107; at Nakum, 
 155 
 
 Otero, Manuel, 93 (note), 141 
 Owl whistle, 191 
 
 Painting, on vaulting, 27, 28; on stelae, 73, 169; on walls 
 and floors, 160-162; on pottery, 189 
 Palenque, 95 (note), 99, 101, 105, 133, 157 
 Panel mask, Nakum, 160; El Encanto, 194 (see also 
 Mask design) 
 
 Panthers, native, 6; in sculpture, 85, 86 
 Peabody Museum casts, 94 
 
 Peabody Museum Expeditions, 93, 95, 141, 149, 150, 152, 
 154, i79. 192 
 Peccary, native, 10 
 Pelicans, native, 4 
 
 P6rigny, Maurice de, 93, 141, 151-153, 169, 170, 179, 184, 
 
 [186 
 
 Peten area, 149-150 
 Photography, 87 
 Picture writing, 58-63 
 Piedras Negras, 103, 132, 157 
 Plaster, black, on pottery, 188, 189 
 Plaster work, 56, 100, 105, 159, 167 
 Porvenir, 93, 149 
 
 Pottery, high development of, 149; plain, incised, painted, 
 covered with black plaster and modelled, 188-192; 
 figurines, 190; human figure, 190-191; whistles, 
 191; jars made without bottom, 192; Bristol 
 Museum collections, 192 
 
INDEX. 
 
 201 
 
 Primitive type of sculpture, 104 
 Profile mask, 65 
 
 Putnam, F. W., Editorial notes, 1, 139 
 Pyramid-construction, 27 
 Pyramids, sepulchral, 46-47, 55 
 
 Quetzal bird, 78, 86 
 Quetzalcoatl, 89 
 Quintana Roo, 150 
 Quirigua, 102, 103, 115, 132 
 
 Rain wells (see Chultunes) 
 
 Red paint, 27, 28, 73, 161, 169 
 
 Reference list of names of Tikal structures (preceding p. 93) 
 Relative age of Tikal, 131 
 Remat6, 95 
 
 Residential structures, type of, 98, 156 
 Ritters, Carl, 94 
 
 Roof-combs, in architectural description, 28, 32, 37, 38, 
 44,50,52,53,165,195; described,100-101,157-158 
 Route to Tikal, 95 
 Royal Geographical Society, 95 
 Ruins of Tikal, 3—13s; Nakum, 139-196 
 
 Sacrifice, 73 
 
 Sacrificial altar, Tikal, 87-90 
 Sacrificial gifts, 17 
 Sacrificial knife, 66, 67, 88, 89 
 Sacrificial pyramid, described, 98 
 Salinas river, 141, 190 
 San Andres, 3, 8, 154 
 San Jos6, 3, 7, 8 
 Sandals, 76, 77 
 
 Sapote wood, in construction, 15-171 I 9 > 22 i 2 7 “ 3 I i 37 . 4 G 
 42, 53, 100, 167,170 
 Sapper, Carl, 95 
 Scroll-work, 48, 66-74 
 Seibal 2d, 93, i49i 191 
 Seler, Eduard, 132 {note) 
 
 Sepulchral pyramids, 46 ~ 47 i 55 
 
 Serpent, 59, 64-67, 73, 78,80,160 
 
 Silva, Beningo, 153 
 
 Situation of Tikal, 94; of Nakum, 151 
 
 Size of Tikal, 95 
 
 Skull, human (in sculpture), 89 
 
 Snail shells, 72 
 
 Soci6t6 de G6ographie, 152 
 
 Solomon, Jato de, 153 
 
 Southern section of Tikal, 108-109, 124 
 
 Spear points, Nakum, 190 
 
 Spear-thrower, 57, 60 
 
 Speech signs, 160 
 
 Spinden, H. J., 99, 104, 157, 158, 160, 194 
 S-scroll, 68 
 
 S-shaped ornaments, 66 
 Staff, ceremonial, 60 
 
 Stairways, in architectural description, 14-97; described, 
 97 , 156 
 
 St. Andrew’s Cross, 65, 67, 68, 72, 80 
 Stanton, Father, 141 
 
 Stelae and altars, Nakum, list of, 162 {note), 163; dimen¬ 
 sions of, 165 {note), 169, 170, 185, 188 
 Stelae and altars, Tikal, 26, 32-35, 40, 61, 72-74, 87-91; 
 described, 101-104 
 
 Stucco work, n, 19, 22, 32, 46, 56-63, 105,160, 166 
 Substructures, described, 96, 156-157 
 Superstitions, 3, 33 
 Superstructures, described, 97, 156 
 Swastica, 66, 67, 161 
 
 Temples, Tikal, 27-45, 49, 52; Nakum, 156, 164-168, 
 
 [169-172 
 
 Terrace, Great, Tikal, 26 
 
 Tescatlipoca, 90 
 
 Thatched hut, in design, 161 
 
 Thompson, E. H., 151,190 
 
 Tie-hole in wall, 178 
 
 Tiger-head, 65, 71 
 
 Tiger-skin, 72, 85 
 
 Tikal, earliest of Maya ruins, 133 
 
 Tikal, Ruins of, 3-135; 149-163, 167, 187, 195, 196 
 
 Time considerations, 194-196 
 
 Tonalamatl, Aubin, 162 
 
 Topography of Nakum, 151 
 
 Totecutli, 90 
 
 Tozzer, Alfred M., Ruins of Tikal, 93-133; Ruins of 
 Nakum, 141-196 
 Trails, 150 
 
 Trees, native, 24,41,44, 53 
 Tsapotl wood (see Sapote) 
 
 Tsotskitam, 93,149 
 
 Tun sign, 104, 163 
 
 Turkey, native, 4; in sculpture, 17 
 
 Tut, Ambrosio, 94 
 
 Types of buildings, 97-98, 156-157 
 
 Tzendales, 157 
 
 Uinal sign, 104 
 
 Usumacinta River, 93, 94, 101, 153 
 Usumacinta valley, 149, 150,154, 157 
 Uxmal, 152 
 
 Vandalism, 33, 49, 50, 76, 80, 83, 139 
 Vasquez, Emiliano, 76 
 
 Vault, 11, 13, 14, 19. 36, 38, 53 - 55 ; described, 99-100, 
 158; five-stepped, 182 (see also Arch) 
 
 Veneer of stone, 96, 155-156,178 
 Versavel, Father, 141 
 
 Wall depressions (niches) described, 100 
 Wall opening, 99,158 
 
 Walls and floors incised and painted, 160-162 
 
 Wappaus, 94 
 
 Wasps, native, 34 
 
 Whistles, pottery, 190,191 
 
 Willson, Robert, 155 
 
 Windows, Tikal, 12, 47, 99; Nakum, 158-159 
 Wooden beams, carved (see Lintels) 
 
 Wood in construction, 14-20, 22, 27-31, 37, 39, 41, 42, 53, 
 98, 100, 158, 167,170,180,182,188,194 
 
 Xul sign, 104 
 
 Yaloch, 191, 192, 193 
 
 Yaxchilan, 103, 132, 155, 157, 158, 190 
 
 Yaxha, Lake, 95 
 
 Yucatan, 93, 94, 96, 99, 149, 158, 160 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. V 
 
 >3 KETCH MAP 
 
 -SHOWING THE ROUTE OF 
 
 THE PEAD°DY MUSEUM EXPEDITION - 
 
 1909-1910 
 
 AC ALL 0 ? * LEAGUES 
 
 (l LEA GZIE - Z-6 MILES) 
 
 A RUINS or MAJOR IMPORTANCE 
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 DENQ'UE VIEJO 
 
 
 
 Nakum : Sketch Map showing Route of the Peabody Museum Expedition ok 1909 - 1910. 
 
B 
 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. 
 
 Nakum: A Plan by A. M. Tozzkr and R. E. Mkrwin. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. V. 
 
 NAKUM 
 
 SKETCH MAP OF 
 
 NORTHERN EXTENSION 
 
 Nakum : Sketch Map 
 
 Northern Extension. 
 
routs Peabody Museum, Vol 
 
 Nahum: Sections A' - B\ C'-D', E'-l 
 

 

 Plate 35. 
 
 
 from Temple IT. 
 
 ©C 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. Pi .ate 36 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. Pi.ate 37. 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. V. 
 
i, Temple V; Northern End ok Chamber. 
 
 3, Temple N; Entrance to Southwestern Room. 
 
 Temple A; Central Doorway, showing Width of Inner Room. 
 
 Structure R; Western Range, Northern End ok 
 Middle Room. 
 
 - ■ 
 
Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. 
 
 Plate 40. 
 
 1, Nakum: Temple A; Front or Western Facade. 
 
 2, Nakum: Temple A; Back or Eastern Facade. 
 
 HEUOTYPE CO., BOSTON. 
 

 Plate 43. 
 
 
 i, Naki .m : Fragments of Stela D2. 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. V. 
 
 

Memoirs Peabody Museum, Vol. 
 
Nakum : Temple N from the Acropolis, showing the Main Building and the Two Annexes. 
 
ttfii'tiiU'hM'.LItHiiiiif 1 
 
 
 Naklm : Tempi.k N; Southwestern Corner, showing Main JJuiloing and Southern Annex. 
 
Nakum ; Tempi.e U from the Northeast, and Mound 3s. 
 
 Memoirs Peabody Museum. Vol. V. 
 
 Plate 49. 
 
 -- Nakum : Temple V; Front or Western Facade and Mounds 45 and 46. 
 
Prarody Museum, 
 
 , Nakum: Temple U: Back or Eastern Facade. 2, Nakum : Temple V; Back or Eastern Facade. 
 

Memoirs Pkai 
 
 Bench in Chamber, showing Depression. 5. Tempi.e N: Soi'thrrn Annex. Upper Chamber, Cu 
 



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