Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-09-07
JxAZZD f1oZlRE (94RZlqLLY RE0oRZD)
IN cEyZER or JZ4,lRUHY rs

usually covered with hieroglyphics though this
latter Is not a constant feature. Near each one
OF them usually just In front, there Is a smaller
block OF stone. sometimes round and sometimes
square These. because OF their close connec'
ton with the larger monuments have been
called affairs and 1t is not unlikely that they
NAV have served some such a purpose They
are deliberately sculptured with grotesque fig
ures and in some cases with hierogyphics also
Leaving the Great Plaza and its interesting
monuments behind and proceeding southwark
about 100 yards we enter narrow court 290
feet In length by 1856 feet In width This In
closure has been named The Court of the
Hierogyphic Stairway" because of its most re-
markable feature-an imposing fight Of stairs
ascending the pyramid at its southern end. This
stairway including the deliberately sculptured
balustrades on each side. measures SO feet In
width Its steps. which average foot in height,
have their vertical faces covered with hero
glyphcs
This monumental stairway, rising steeply tor
90 feet It's steps and balustrades deliberately
sculptured, and full-size human figures occupy.
ing its center at regular intervals clear to the
summit must have presented in former times
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. find ourselves on the sum.
nit of a broad terrace overlooking the Eastern
Court This incosure. though somewhat small
Cabout I25 feet squared, 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 its south side
rises the highest pyramid at Copan. the summit
I12 feet above the level of the river. Across the
greater part OF the western side extends broad.
rather low stairway. fanked by two life-sized
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 are occupied by high terraces.
which support number OF ruined structures
One of these on the northern terrace was exca,
voted nv Mr. Maudslay who found there beau.
tiful interior doorway nine feet wide over
which there is an elaborate frieze supported at
i,s ends by crouching human figures of heroic
s,ze 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 change In
the course Of the Copan river. which now
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
dep!orabe features at Copan, since ultimately. II
not checked IL can mean nothing more nor less
than the total destruction OF the city,
But this wholesale demolition is not being &C
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 cross-section OF an arch
geological site In the world Here. like an open
book, one may read the successive periods OF
the ctys growth At different levels from the
hollows upward throughout the rubble heartng
of the substructure there are horizontal strata
of cut paving stones These 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.
creased newer and larger structures and plazas
were built to meet the needs of the growing
city These constructions. as we see from the
cross-section of the substructure. were built di
rectly above the older ones When 1t became
necessary to build a new plaza its rubble foun.
dations were laid on the paving of the old plaza
which II was to replace and thus the highest OF
the substructure slowly increased careful
study of the floors Of these successive pazas
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, IL 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 its 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 a great pro
fusion and elaboration of detail. Nothing OF
this however. appears in the earliest monu-
ments at Copan. where the relief Is low that
1t amounts to little more than incised lines. the
sculptor apparently not feeling enough OF
his technique 20 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 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 20 to 300
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 prmi-
tive character Of its earliest monuments and
the actual priority Of its earliest dates. We have
called Conan 1.-THE Mother City of the MayaS."