The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-09-08
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square. These, because Of their close connec-
tion with the larger monuments have been
called affairs, and II Is not unlikely that they
may have served such purpose They
are elaboratey sculptured with grotesque fig
ures and in some cases with hieroglyphics also.
Leaving the Great Plaza and It's interesting
monuments behind. and proceeding southwark
about 100 yards enter a narrow court 290
feet in length by 1876 feet in width. This in
closure has been named THE Court of the
Hieroglyphic Stairway" because OF its most re-
markable feature-an Imposing flight of stairs
ascending the pyramid at its southern end. This
stairway, including the elaborately scuptured
balustrades on each side measures 33 feet in
width It's steps, which average foot in height,
have their vertical faces covered with hero
gyphcs.
This monumental stairway rising steeply for
90 feet it's steps and balustrades elaborately
sculptured, and 'full-size human figures occupy
ing its center at regular intervals clear to the
summit, must have presented In former times a
striking appearance and offered an effect but
little short of stupendous.
Ascending the steep slope which forms the
southeastern side of the court of the Hero
glyphic Stairway. we find ourselves on the sum
nit of a broad terrace overlooking the Eastern
Court. This inclosure, though somewhat small
(about 1875 feet square) originally must have
been one of the most beautiful parts of the city
Judging from the elaborate sculptures now
strewing 1t in great profusion. On it's south side
rises the highest pyramid at Copan the summit
112 feet above the level of the river. Across the
greater part Of the western side extends a broad,
rather low stairway, fanked by two lfesized
rampant jaguars sculptured In high relief. This
flight Of steps leads to broad terrace overlook
ing another court The remaining sides of the
Eastern Court occupied by high terraces,
which support number Of ruined structures.
he
waited by Mr. Maudslay, who found there beau
tiful interior doorway nine feet wide,
which there is an elaborate frieze supported at
its ends by crouching human figures of heroic
size. the whole being carved in high relief al
most amounting to sculpture in the round
The structures on the eastern and remaining
terrace have for the most part disappeared, their
destruction having been due TO a change in
the course of the Copan river, which
washes the exterior base of this terrace This
cutting away of the great substructure of the
main group of Buildings by the river is one
of the most interesting and at the same time
deplorable features at Copan, since ultimately, If
not checked, II can mean nothing more nor less
than the total destruction of the city.
But this Wholesale demolition is not being
ccmplished without its accompanying lesson IN
archaeology. This great vertical wall cut by
the river all along the eastern side OF the main
group, is the largest crosssection of arch
geological site in the world Here like an open
book, one may read the successive periods OF
the city's growth. At different levels from the
hollows upward throughout the rubble hearting
OF the substructure there are horizontal strata
OF cut paving stones. These are the pavements
OF different plazas dating from successive
epochs Of the citys history, and they clearly
demonstrate that the growth of Copan has been
gradual AS time passed and the population In
creased, newer and larger structures and plazas
were built to meet the needs of the growing
city. These constructions, as we see from the
of the substrueture, were built di.
rectly above the older ones. when 1t became
to build a new plaza its rubble foun-
dations were laid on the paving of the old plaza
which It was TO replace, and thus the highest Of
the substructure slowly increased. careful
study Of the floors Of these successive plazas
would doubtless teach much as TO the different
epochs Of the citys occupancy, and might even
reveal important facts relative to it's history
Before closing this description, It may not be
out of place to explain here our reasons for hav.
ing called Copan "The Mother City of the
Mayas." Briefly stated, It is because of the
greater antiquity Of its heroglyphic inscriptions
as compared with those OF every other Maya
city now known. This greater age OF Copan is
indicated, not only by the actuM dates recorded
in its earliest inscriptions, but also by cruder
in their execution. Later in the best
period OF the southern Maya civilization. sculp
ture is found TO be in very high relief or even in
the round and is characterized by great pro
fusion and elaboration OF detail Nothing Of
this however. appears in the earliest monu.
ments at Copan, where the relief is so low that
II amounts TO little more than incised lines the
sculptor apparently not feeling sure enough Of
his technique TO attempt anything more ambi.
tious.
Aside from this question OF technique. how.
ever the dates themselves recorded on these
more crudely sculptured monuments are much
earlier than those on the more elaborate ones.
The earliest historic date at Copan preceded the
earlieet historic dates OF all the other great
Maya cities by intervals ranging from 20 TO 800
years, or, expressed in terms Of Maya chronol-
ogy, from one to fifteen katuns. the Maya "ka-
tun' being approximately equal to 20 OF our own
years.
For these two reasons then. the more print
tive character of its earliest monuments and
the actual priority OF its earliest dates. We have
called Copan The Mother City Of the Mayas.