The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-09-30
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block of stone, sometimes round and sometimes
SQUARE These because of their close connec-
ton with the larger monuments, have been
called aItars and 1t Is not unlikely tnatz Lney
may have served some such purpose They
are deliberately scuptured with grotesque hg-
ures and in some cases with hieroglyphics also.
Leaving the Great Plaza and its interesting
monuments behind and proceeding southwark
about 100 yards, we enter narrow court zso
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 ms
stairway including the deliberately sculptured
balustrades on each side, measures 80 feet IN
width It's steps, which average foot in height
have their vertical faces covered with Nero
glyphics.
This monumental stairway, rising steeply for
80 feet, it's steps and balustrades elaboratey
sculptured, and full-size human figures occupy
ing its center at regular intervals clear TO tne
summit, must have presented in former times
striking appearance and offered an erect put
little short of stupendous.
Ascending the steep slope which forms the
southeastern side of the court of the Hero
slyphfc Stairway, we find ourselves on the sum-
nit of a broad terrace overlooking the Eastern
Court This Enclosure, though somewhat sman
(about 1875 feet square), originally must nave
been one of the most beautiful parts OF the city.
iudging from the elaborate sculptures now
strewing 1t in great profusion On It's south SIZE
rises the highest pyramid at Copan, the summit
10 feet above the level of the river. Across the
Greater mart of the western side extends broad,
rather low stairway, fanked by two hfeslzeo
RAMPANT iaguars sculptured IN nigh reieI. ms
flight of steps leads to broad terrace overlook
ing another court The remaining sides OF the
Eastern Court are occupied by high terraces,
11rnhS nf structures.
ono Of these on the northern terrace was exca-
Voted by Mr.. Maudslay, who found there Deau-
+tful interior doorway nine feet wide, over
. ,phict there is an elaborate frieze supported az
IL ends by crouching human figures OF heroic
size the whole being carved in high reI1ef a.
most amounting to sculpture IN the iounu.
The structures on the eastern and remaining
terrace have for the most part disappeared, their
destruction having been due to change N
rho course OF the Copan river, winch now
washes the exterior base OF this terrace. iisas
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 tlhe
deplorable features at Copan, since ultlmateiy'
not checked, it can mean nothing more nor less
than the total destruction of the city
Rut this wholesale demolition is not being ae-
complished without its accompanying lesson IN
archaeology. This great vertical wall, cut Dy
the river all along the eastern side OF the main
group, is the largest cross-section OF an arcn-
geological site in the world. Here, like an open
book, one may read the successive per1ous "
the city's growth At different levels from the
hollows upward throughout the rubble heart1ng
Of the substructure there are horizontal strata
of cut paving stones These are the pavements
of different plazas dating from successive
epochs Of the city's history, and they clearly
demonstrate that the growth of Copan has been
gradual AS time passed and the population IN
Ior SIR f1vrn
were built to meet the needs of the growing
city These constructions, as we see from the
cross-section of the substructure were built Oh
rectly above the older ones When 1t became
necessary to build 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 A careful
study Of the floors OF these successive plazas
would doubtless teach much as to the different
epochs Of the city's occupancy, and might even
reveal important facts relative to its 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 hieroglyphic inscriptions
as compared with those of every other Maya
city now known. This greater age of Copan is
indicated not only by the actual dates recorded
in It's earliest inscriptions, but also by cruder
technique 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
it amounts to little 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, now
ever the dates themselves recorded on THESE
more crudely gculptured monuments are mucn
earlier than those on the more elaborate ones
The earliest historic date at Copan preceded the
earliest historic dates Of all the other great
Maya cities by intervals ranging from 10 70 ooo
years. Or expressed in terms of Maya chronot
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 ana
the actual priority of its earliest dates, we nav
called Copan 1.-THE Mothe-' City Of the Mayas