The Washington times., 1914-01-04
REBUILDS ANCIENT
JAGUARS' TEMPLE
Museum of Natural History to
Have Facsimile of Historic
Shrine of Yucatan.

NEW YORK, Jan. Anew York is
10 have a reproduction of the prehistoric
Temple of the Jaguars, the ancient
shrine of the Maya race in 1ucatan.
which archaeologists discovered i'll ruins
q few years ago. The temple VIII be
rebuilt here according to the original
design and Dimensions, and will be
made the Columbus avenue entrance to
the new extension of the American Mu-
scum of Natural History when COM
IiIeted.
The museum commissioned Edward H.
Thompson, an 8rcnaeologist, Of Cam
bridge, Mass. to so TO YuCa;an and
make molds for fuil-sized model Of
the ancient shrine. In addition to the
molds. he took photographs and made
drawings. Mr.. Thompson owns the
ground in Yucatan On which the temple
stands.
The temple OF the JaguaIs is in the
ruined city OF Chichen liza, one of the
largest and most important Of the pre-
historic settlements on the peninsula or
Yucatan. OF the hundreds Of buildings
which composed the city eight still
stand. and conspicuous among them is
the Temple of the Jaguars, so called
from the remarkable friezs of well
carved ,aguars, which, alternating with
shields. cnce extended around the tenn
pie walls. Much of this frieze has fallen
eff. bit enough remains to give the pat
tern and indicate to the aTchaeologtst
the dimensions and decoration of the
building. The building measured ga feet
long by &C feet high and 20 feet thick.
Part of Wall Falls.
Below the temple proper, which is
two-chambered," says Mr.. Thompson in
the Museum Journal. the remains of
what was once a third chamber are
stiIl visible, facing the east and resting
directly upon the level surface of the
great ground terrace. A large portion
of its walls has fallen, but upon the
portions of wall surface still standing
can be seen carvings in low relief OF in
tense interest
The inner chamber of the structure
above, that of the temple proper, has
its walls as yet almost intact. They
were once completely covered with
mural paintings depicting domestic
scenes, early migrations and war forays.
Nature, however, has passed her eras-
ing hands over large portions OF the
smooth wall surfaces, and vandal man
has proved more pitiless than nature
in defacing the works of the ancient
artists; yet, even so, enough remains
TO make this chamber the repository
of what is probably the finest eX-
ample of this class of mural paintings
Vet left to us for study and COM
parison.
Front Is Artistic.
THE entire front of this beautiful
structure as chaste and artistic in
its own way as the temples of Greece
land Rome, has fallen. Fractured and
wrenched apart by the growing tree
roots at the apex of the roof, the
weakest point in the structure, the
overweight Of the heavily ornamented
facade caused the whole mass to fall,
outward, and. turning upon the two
serpent columns as upon gigantic piv-
OTIS, to be tossed nearly clear of the
temple platform, crashing down to
the hard and level space of the cere-
monial court full thirty feet beneath.
This facade, with its beautiful frieze
of carved stone figures. graceful
Tueanders and noble proportions, it is
hoped 10 reproduce in as nearly as
possible its pristine state.
THE highest line of carved stones is
above the level of the general ter
race. From the temple base on the
level of the platform large and heavy
poles were bound together. while
strong ropes held them upright and
fast, and so permitted the framework
of the scaffolding, of smaller poles, to
be erected. On this moving. shaking,
Vel perfectly S2lG SCdIOlOlnB OF pores,
with not nail or spike in the whole
structure. we worked and made the
mouIds.
"The element of real danger was
furnished by the disintegrating wall
material and the loose stones of the
grouting. The softer mortar, wearing
away with the erosion of the CEN
turies, has left the stones outcropping,
at times falling of their own weight
aud always a constant factor of dan
ger to those working beneath them.
The high winds and transforms that
prevailed at this season increased the
difficulties of the undertaking.
Long Sections Marked.
Once We had the work on the
northern facade all done, and we'll
done it was too. The long sections
were duly marked and noted; nothing
remained but the hot sun to do its
part in drying and hardening the
plastic paper surface Even while we
were looking at it, with tired backs
hut satisfied hearts. black cloud heads
appeared in the east. rose rapidly and
paulins over the moulded surfaces.
liking them in place by the iron force
hooks, spreading clips and screws
especially made for that purpose. No
usei For when the strong wind came
It whipped the taTpaulins aloft, torn
and split like so many handkerChiefs,
while the drying paper mOulds, once
living so smoothly and trim on the
carved stone surfaces were scattered
far and wide as bits of paper over the
After the mouIds were made they
were packed in skusac grass, Grated
in blanks made Of .cNpacas tree trunks,
carted over the rough country TO the
port OF. Prosreso, and from there
brought to New York. In. twenty
seven large cases they now lie IN the
Of