Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1903-05-20
EXPLORER HAS DELVED III
AMONG ANCIENT CITIES
Many New Things Learned About the Strange Aztec
Civilization Destroyed by COrez-Remarkable Speci-
meas Of Sculpture Found

Especial Correspondence

Another chapter has been added TO
the exploration Of the ruined cities Of
Central America. once the seats of the
strange Aztec civilization destroyed by
Cortez nearly Ave centuries ago, in
the recently published report OF Teo.
bert Mailer who for several years has
been conducting researches among
these ancient ruins in the interests OF
the Peabody Museum Of Archaeology
and Ethnology at Harvard university.
Mr. Maler's explorations stretched
over three years and were carried on
mainly in the Usumatslntla valley, in
southern Mexico. Among the long.
forgotten cities which Mr.. Mailer visit.
ed were Yaxchllan, literally the City
81 the Green Stones" FL Cayo, the
Place Where the Banks Are Strewn
With Stones" "Budsilha," or "Smok.
ing Water" from the mist rising from
an adjacent waterfall; El Chile, so
called from the herb from which chile
sauce is made; Anaite, named for the
white lilies that flourish on the banks
of the river; and III Chicozapote,
named from tree which produces a
well'known Mexican chewing gum.
At La Mar there still remained SUN.
cient evidence of its ancient struc,
lures to reconstruct a very good pic.
ture OF one of the smaller cities of the
Aztec period The architectural cen.
ter OF the city, It was found, was
formed by two temples, now in ruins.
which crowned two pyramids. one
facing to the east and the other to
the west Between the pyramids was
wide plaza bordered on the north
and south by smaller buildings. The
plaza was originally ornamented with
stelae, one Of which, although serv.
Ing only to adorn so small a city as
La Mar, Is a splendid specimen of the
best contemporary Aztec sculpture.
It has been suggested that Yaxchi-
Ian, the most important Of the ancient
IS which Mr.. Mailer visited. may
70 been the town referred to by
Cortez in letter to his master, the
Emperor Charles V, although Mr.. Ma.
Ter himself rather doubts the identif.
cation
There must have been heavy rain.
tails In distant Guatemala and eastern
Chiapas," says Mr.. Mailer, in descrlb.
ing his approach to Yaxchilan. for
the Usumatsintla was excessively
high, having risen to the very edge Of
the high banks, which made progress
up the river exceedingly difficult. We
had to force our way through
branches Of trees projecting out OF the
water, and often we had to use our
machetes to remove the obstacles i'm
peding our way.
when we rested AT night" he con.
tinues, I'VE fastened our cayuco to the
branches of great chimon and pro.
tected ourselves and our baggage as
well as We could with oiled cloths
against the heavy Light rain. II was
not possible to 90 on shore. as every.
thing was flooded. At noon Of the sec.
ond day we finally arrived at the
ruined city.
The ancient city, Mr.. Mailer asserts
was not a city of streets, but of ter.
races rising from a water front that
is slowly and inevitably being eaten
away by the turbulence of the river
Many OF the structures were so over.
grown that they could not be excavat.
ed, and photographs of various parts
OF the ruins had to be taken at spe. |
cial moments when the sun forced its
way through the thick foliage. Here
and there were found circular stone
affairs, probably set up over the graves
Of persons Of rank. About the temples
were many beautiful stone stelae
carved on both sldes-the side facing
the temple almost invariably repre-.