The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-09-16
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of them, usually Just In front. there Is 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
may have served some such q purpose They
are deliberately sculptred 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 2SO
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 fight Of stairs
ascending the pyramid at its southern end. This
stairway. including the deliberately sculptured
balustrades on each side. measures S3 feet In
width. Its steps, which average foot In height,
have their vertical faces covered with hero
glyphics.
This monumental stairway, rising steeply for
80 feet. its 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, we find ourselves on the sum-
NIT Of broad terrace overlooking the Eastern
Court This inclosure. though somewhat small
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been one Of the most beautiful parts of the city,
Judging from the elaborate sculptures now
strewing It in great profusion. On its 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 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-
waited by Mr.. Maudslay, who found there beau
tiful interior doorway nine feet wide. over
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 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 IL one
Of the most interesting and at the same time
deplorable features at Copan. since ultimately. II
not checked, It can mean nothing moro nor les
than the total destruction of the city.
But this Wholesale demolition IL not being &C
coniplished 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 an arch
geological site In the world. Here. Ike 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 cot paving stones. These are the pavemsnts
Of different plasas dating from successive
epochs Of the city's history, and they clearly
demonstrate that the growth Of Copan has been
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creased. newer and larger structures and plaxas
were built to meet the needs Of the growing
city. These constructions. as we see from the
cross-section Of the substructure. were built d.
rectly above the older ones. When It became
necessary to build new plaza its rubble foun-
dations were laid on the paving Of the old plaza
which 1t 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 cfty'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, II Is because Of the
greater antiquity of its hieroglyphic inscriptions
as compared with those Of every other Maya
cts 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 u found to be IN very high relief or even In
the round. and 10 characterized by q great bro
fusion and elaboration Of detail Nothing Of
this. however. appears In the earliest monu-
ments at Copan where the relief II 30 low that
It amounts to little more than incised Inca the
sculptor apparently not feeling sure enough Of
his technique to attempt anything more ambi-
tious. M y. s - q nv
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