Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-12-31
make and carved them directly out of

Professor Putnam, of Harvard Uni
ve1sity. author of the prehistoric
Ruins of Copan, Is the only scientist
who has explained how these old sculp-
tors worked. He thinks that they did
not use the mallet and chisel, but cut
away the stone by drawing sharp IN
strument over it. Thus they made
more delicate and sharply defined
lines, but lost accuracy of proportion.
They made good heads, arms and legs,
but the bodies were not always Of prop
er size. Their technique, however,
was always perfect. Their work al
ways expressed just what the sculptor
intended. This, with accurate pro-
portion which they sometimes attained,
made theirs the highest art. The
strength of their figures Is remarkable.
The terra-cotta vase in the Peabody
Museum of Harvard University, rep
resenhng a VOLTS head, is Of great ac-
curacv and has an extraordinary ar
tistic merit. And its power at once
suggests the famous wounded lion
in bas-relief from old Assyria.
Like every other people, these an
Gent Central Americans had a passion
for ornaments, and, like all the rest,
they used for this purpose the things
they had at hand. From shells and
stones they made beads from jadeite
they cut all sorts of ornaments, simply
! polished or deliberately carved. They
also used this handsome stone for teeth
settings, just as some people today use
diamonds. Dentistry must have been
a profitable profession among them.
1t was "quite the style to have ones
teeth set with highly polished disks Of
green jadeite or with dark red cement.
Nor We're they content with this, but
filed their teeth into various shapes,
according to the prevailing fashion.
And not very long AGO, only about
thirty years, ladies here wore enor-
nous earrings that reached to their
shoulders and pulled the lObes of their
ears out Of shape
Collectors OF rare dishes would find
treasures in the pottery of ancient Co
pan, for it is sklllfully made and Is ar
tistic both in form and decoration. In
shape some Of the unglazed red vessels
suggest rare old japanese jars. There
is one gray jar from Copan in the Pea
body Museum that is exquisite in form.
Many Of the objects that have been
found at Copan may be seen in this
museum. The exploration Of Copan
has been done by the Peabody Muse
um by means of money contributed for
that purpose.
The writing Of this people has not
yet been deciphcred Some, however,
of the great number of signs that COW
er the stones and monuments have
been understood; the signs Of the days
are known, and the numerals, and from
these latter it is seen that they were
written by people of mathematical
ability their numbers reach to mil
lions. Copan may be compared to an,
Gent Egypt, for in architecture and
sculpture it suggests the land of the
Sphinx, Its great buildings prove
that strong and well-organized gov.
eminent existed. The evidence of the
age Of this nation takes it back no.
centuries before the discovery of Amer
lea by Europeans, but thousands o
wears before. Nor is that all. Be
meath the great monolithic monument
Of Copan have been found two sculp
lures in relief, which were buried Their,
as foundations when the monument
were erected. They were entirely diff
ferent from any sculptures previousl!
found, and they were used merely a
foundations because their original pur
pose was no longer known or appreci
ated. These two sculptured stones
crumbling now with age, point bacI
into the centuries, into a time Of whicI
the ancient city Of Copan itself did no
know.