El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-10

Ruined Cruclform Palaces Al
MItIa.-American q searches
Reveal the Arr Forms and Con
struciive Resources OF hindos
tan China Korea, and Egypt In
the Sunken Ruins.
Tourists in Mexico ale .:nder obli-
cations to the American Museum of
Natural History and to Prof. Saville.
who is in charge of the anthrnpological
department. Tor having furnished a
new attraction. When he was prose-
cutting his researches at Militia. in the
state of Oxaca. Mexico. in March of
the present year, he heard of 4 cruel
form subterranean chamber winch the
Indians of Militia supposed to be tomb
of the ancient people.
He took counsel with Leopo;do Bat
res the guardian of Mexican monu-
ments who Jocks after Mexico, share
of all discoveries made by parties hold
ing concessions for archaeological in
vestigations. and learned rom him
the exact location of this chamber
which was between five and six miles
from the palaces of Militia OF the top
most plateau of a range of hills called
Guironi. This name is Maya, not
Nahuatl for there is no ''r" in the lat
ter language.
Prof Saville. as soon as he had fin
ished at Militia went with $50 men TO
this hill. whose shoulder or lower plat
eau was about 1900 feet above the level
of the plain. Toward the ieit the
hill rose in another slope about 300
feet higher. and upon the toD of this
he found the sunken cross. He in
stantly recognized the structure des-
cribed by the Frenchman. Capt. Du-
paix in his work. Antiquities Mexi-
Gaines" published in 1906. and remem-
bered that Capt. Dupaix had pronounc-
ed il one of the greatest monuments of
ancient Mexico.
With characteristic energy he de-
termined to do what Dupai. had never
thought of doing. to make sI:ci clear
ings as to give the public access to it.
He improved the wagon road mat leads
from the village of Militia u 4 neigh
boring village and passes along the
base of the hill. This hill was COW
cred with a very heavy growth of diff
ferent forms of cactus. shrubs, rank
grass and many flowers. He made
good walking or riding trail to the
top of the shoulder where there are
number of terraced mounds curiously
arranged and then carried the trail
up the second slope &c the summit.
Then he completely cleaned out the
cross which had been Intentionally
filled with earth and co5ble stones. and
found that the whole interior of the
stone work was covered with the Nit
la fret decoration.
This cross is twenty-eigh; feet in
total length of the decorated part. but
the western limb has an undScorated
which was probably con-
Dected with Iong, sloped entrance.
III the decorated part alone is consider
ed the cross is of the Greek -orm but
If the undecorated extension Is judged |
10 be an essential par;. then IL is La
IN in form. The width OF tns arms |
s five feet and the ,.epth seven and |
! half feet. The walls ale covered with |
.hree tiers of course O. huge stones. |
he two upper being three ieet deep |
and the lowest course a foot and a |
half
Each course has :is peculiar fret |
decoration. based upor the ZigZag |
which some scholars call the Greek |
ret and others the Egyptian meander |
tut which was always known to the |
Chinese. Japanese and Koreans in
Asia 1t seems to have been equally |
we'll known to the inhabitants OF Mex
co and all Central America.
In Militia what may be styled the Of
icial Zigzag does not appear but there
ire number of variations based upon
he redan formation. This was a form
If battlement rather rare in Europe,
which Cortez. however knew. and was
to find in Mexico City
The three kinds of Zigzag fret in the
unken cross at Guiron; are not in
Mosaic. as at Militia. but are carved in
ntaglio in the stones. Prof. Saville
S of the opinion that the incIsed part
vas left the natural color of the stone
tut that the rest was covered with q |
inc coat of white cement. OYER which
vas spread an equally thin coat of red
aint.
The flooring of the cross is of that
me. hard. white cement which has ex-
tied so much admiration in the pal
ces of Militia. This seems TO be like
he chunam flooring used today IN Hin
ostan. and is certainly Oriental. Ii is
ound frequently in Mexico. notably
n the small but interesting ruins of
ula, which ambitious American rail-
Dad men have identified with the
reat city of QuetZalcomuati. without
luch reason for it except the really
fact of it's two bridges.
Prof. Saville found that TIE cross oc-
upied the northeastern end OF
reat cement-paved plaza, upon which
re various mounds. one of them five
;rraces. From his plan of a.. ground ;
would appear that the ancient peo-
lie OF the sunken cross of Gu;roni pos !
assed strong sense Of the value of ,
readth to produce striking effects ,
ct in spite of the dignity OF tue plaza {
Guironi it could only have oeen a
de show to Militia itself. vhi,n must
ave been of vastly greater import
nee.
Guironi is not the only sunllen cross '
the neighborhood for there is an
her at place called XaaGa. very