The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-25

Lt mas retained us O1Or perLecLy curing
the four centuries 1t has been buried.
+ Some pieces Of the copal are rudely
/ carved IN the form Of human faces.
Several censers in which it was burned
have been taken out These are Of pot
+ terry, somewhat similar in shape TO a
frying pan. The bowl in which the in
I cense was burned IS about . centimetres
tia diameter, perforated at the bottom to
allow a draft for the charcoal which
was used to keep the incense burning.
+ The handles are one-half 20 three-quar-
/ ters of metre in length. in the form Of
hollow cylinders. At the ends are various
! figures One of the handles represents
/ a serpent, with thu head az the end.
In the serpent's mouth is whistle.
which emits q dismal note when blown
Another has at its end a hollow claw.
in which IS a tiny rattle. The censers are
covered with the most elaborate designs
in color. The colors are az. brilliant and
beautiful as when they were new. C0pal
is stiIl used In some parts Of Mexico as
incense, and IS burned in similar cen
sers, but Of ruder workmanship
Several skulls have been found in a fair
state Of preservation, perforated at the
top with small holes. These were prob
ably suspended from the great structure
from which one OF Cortez's soldiers
counted 10000 human skulls suspended
There was. according to Prescott "a
pyramidal mound or tumulus. having a
complicated framework Of timber on It's
broad summit. On this was strung an i'm
mense number Of human skulls. which
belonged to the victims. mostly prisoners
of war. who had persisted on the ac-
cursed stone Of sacrifice. One Of the SOL
diers had the patience to count these
CHASTITY tropics, and reported the number
To have been 10000"
Firmly embedded in the Jaw q one
OF these skulls is a tooth. which is un-
doubtedly lions tooth This may has
been accidental, but it suggests that the
Aztecs may have practced dentistry IN
an expert manner.
A great quantity Of long stone spear
heads and smaller knives, probably sac
ridcial knives. have been found. The
spearheads are OF flint The knives.
which are thought to have been sacri-
fetal. are Of dark obsidian. Several
white flint knives have been found. with
small knobs Of copal at one end. The
use OF these knives is uncertain. though
they must have been used in some relig-
ious rite.
White flint was highly priced by the
Aztecs. as it is by the North American
Indians. and the copaI is of great value,
so the knives were probably used for
some special purpose. Of which the rec
ords contain no account
Besides the two large figures Of Fheca-
IT, many small idols have been found.
One is a miniature figure Of Tlaloc the
god Of rains. and one of the most ven
Grated gods in all the Indian theology. +
Another is a figure Of Macuilxochitl. F
probably the god Of fire, whose au-
thority was considered in the houses Of
men Of higher rank. and these he was
supposed to have the right to chastise /
when they were disobedient
Another figure Of that Of TecpaG, the +
son Of Omecituatl Tecpau IS supposed (
to have come down from the heavens f
to produce the first family of gods. All
of these idols are about Is centmetres .
in height. Besides them IS about a
busheI Of Of small idols Of very rude .
nship.
A figure of the Indio Triste, or Sad IN
dian. similar to one already in the MI
suem here was found not far from
where the figures of Fhecatl were dis
covered. The image is A cendmetres in .
height It has been named the Indio .
Triste from its sad and meditativs ex-
preston.
Quantities Of shells Of various sizes
have been found. some with carvings on .
them. Some small shells with faces
carved on them were evidently used for
personal ornaments Large conch shells
were also found, which probably served
for trumpets. A curious object is a
wooden warp OF a loom. exactly similar
To those used by the natives Of Mexico
today. A circular piece OF onyx, about
20 cenumetres in diameter, with a piece
broken out. Is carved with hieroglyphios,
q small date stone.
Burial urns with perforated tops and
stone and pottery urns Of various sizes,
shapes and conditions have been dug up
Small stone beads, fra gments Of we'll
glazed esrthenware, many human bones,
axes Of sick. masks and pieces Of pyrite
Of iron. masks Of diorite. vases q pottery,
beautifully colored and many other OBJ
iects have been found at different times.
Three large date stones have been un-
covered Two are broken. the third IS in
fairly good condition. They are large
fat slabs Of stone, rudely carved with
animals, which were used by the Azrecs
20 represent dates The one In the best
condition IS IS centmetres in height by
90 centimetr5s in width.
A fat figure of nude woman. very
-udely modelled. about 90 cenumetres in
height and To a recumbent position, was
dus up. a piece ~ head coral and an
irregular piece Of reef coral. each about
Is centmeres fn diameter were found
near two Of the date stones
The two chanels found arc those Of
Fnecau The sod IF air. and Of Teoymi-
cue. goddess of death. A tower OF one
Of the chapels was found at a depth Of
seven metres. II was surrounted by
turret one metre 81 centimetres in height
and six metres 80 centmetres IN circgm-
frence at the base. The tUrret IS vauIted.
and ar the top is a circular orlfce. Il
has been removed.
The tower below extends 70 a 5enth ~
7neen metres. IT Is filed with water.
and untn 1t IS pumped out NOT much can
be- told shout it, 1t Is seemingly built Of
stone with walls about = certiue- res in
thickness About twenty-five metres west
this tower has been found a section
- fl-De Mlt- looNE twenty metres long-
7niv the TOP ~ this wall hiss thus far
been disclosed and nothing definite can
b. told about IT,
The wrlymen are evidently working
7ov alonr The northern limit of the great
Aztec tem0Ia ~ Hetzlopochtu. the sod
'f war. Holes have bean sunk m other
places near she present excavation. with
he result ~ some objects and q alEht
~ stone steps being discovered. The
verk VIII ba pushed rani51v