Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-11-16
ANCIENT CITY IN GUATEMALA.
Overwhelmed by Mud and Water Cen.
tnniaa Arm


Resides the interesting archaeological
collection of the first capital Of Guate.
mala, Santiago de Los Cubulleros, now
known as ''Ciudad Viejar Told city,,
buried city has recently been discov
cred on the slopes of the Volcano de
Aqua, about league east of the for
mer. 1t lies on the land of Manuel J.
Alvarado, called the Pompeii planta-
ton. Not the slightest tradition re-
mains to connect it with the present
age.
Two years ago the owner OF the
lands, finding few ancient Indian
relics, resolved to make an excavation
at different points, In one place, at a
depth of twelve feet. he has taken out
a great many rare and interesting
objects, such as flower pots, earthen
vessels for domestic use, ancient
glazed ware, large vessels of ex-
ceedingly fine manufacture, COW
cred with engravings and with pictures
in brilliant colors painted upon them,
domestic utensils for the kitchen, such
as the Indians use to this day; axes,
hammers, tomahawlxs and war clubs
of stone, knives and daggers of obsidi-
an, with sharp points and edges; lances
and lancets of the same material; idols
of stone and clay; well wrought jew
elry of Turquoise and other precious
stones. of all ordinary sizes and figures.
Among the jewels was found rare
kind Of precious stone of deep green
color, known among the aborigincs
as the chal-chi-villc stone, capable Of
the highest polish. This stone In
dian royalty of long ago wore MS waist
and breast ornaments on state occa-
sions.
On some of the finest vases were ar.
tistically traced symbols and charac-
tcrs, the colors as fresh and brilliant
as though they had just left the artists
hands.
Most of the clay idols are we'll form
ed. Some of the carved faces wear the
tragic mask, but in one particular evil
IDENTIFY of later date, is a fat, pot
bellicd, round-faced, plump-cheeked
little chap the incarnation of good
living. The people of that remote
time must have had certain sense Of
humor, and did reverence to this idol
as the god of fun.
| Among the stone idols are two wor-
thy of special note, chiseled from a
hard brown stone and representing a
person in reclining Nat front posi-
ton, with the head erect and the chin
on line with the body The head,
face and neck are sculptured to per-
feet finish, but the rest of the body is
in an unfinished state. The contour
and expression of the well-cut feat
urcs of the larger one is most stril1-
| ing likeness of the features of the
Roman race, while the smaller
one represents the highest type
of our Indian race. On the
head of each is remark.
ably we'll executed warriors helmet,
mounted with clcar-cut tuft or crest
of feathers hanging over rimless
front. Encircling it is wide band
well up on the forehead ornamented
|
closely one within another from the
outer lines to the center, all arranged
with perfect mathematical precision
In its makeup the helmet closely re
sembles that worn by the Pr@toriar
guards of Rome. Another idol Of
natural size, wrought from the same
material, attracts attention as being G
perfect resemblance of the Mongoliar
race, with slanting moon eyes, fla
nose and high cheek bones.
At the foundation level of the house.
were found many human skeleton,
scattered about on the floors as though
they had fallen there by some sudder
casualty, some in sitting posture ant
others lying prone. Some of the skee
tons measure from six to seven feet il
length.
Also within these buried dwelling.
were found many human skulls placed
each in a glazed clay vase ornamentet
with crude figures in gaudy colors. Ii
some of these vases the heads were
placed in an erect position, the CHR
on level with the rim of the vase, ant
some were face upward, each one hold
ing in his mouth of chal-chi-villi ston,
wrought in the shape of the human
tongue, and also another class of well
wrought precious stone with hol'
through it placed Immediately under
the nose. Evidently the latter haC
served as nose jewels. The forehead
of most of the skulls are broad ant
; high, the check bones prominent ant
the chin projecting. 1t seems probable
head as the noblest part of the body
and at death had it severed from tn,
, trunk, and kept it as sacred relic o
the dead.
The number of ruined dwellings nov
uncovered there, the many skeletons
, and the relative positions they bear t,
the household objects indicate that thi
. place was once undoubtedly an Indial
city, thiclSly populated, and that tn,
inhabitants persisted in some cataclysn
. like to that which destroyed the frs
capital of the Spanish colony owe
three centuries ago, probably by al
eruptive flow of mud and water east VI
by the Volcan de Aqua. Suddenl,
pouring down from the crater, thi
avalanche must have struck the city
completely overwhelming it AM
, drowning great number of its inhah
itants, burying the place some thirt
: feet deep.
, Only the shallowest excavations hav
/ been made so far; and no arch@ologis
has examined the ruins of therelics
so the story of this forgotten city an,
: people is all to be told. The perfee
: state of preservation and the undoubt
cd age of the relics, the chronological
: suggestions of the carvings and the dc
, gree of culture indicated by the char
t acter OF the paintings and engraving
make it especially attractive to invest