The Washington herald., 1914-04-14
Monuments Of Ancient America.
BY HERBERT ). sPINDEN,

10
/ OF the American Museum Of Natural History
AT Chichen Itza, capital of the ancient Maya EN-,
pire in Northern Yucatan seven eight structures
for miles about is filed with heaps of cut stone that
mark the sites of other buildings in utter ruin.
The most impressive structure is doubtless the Castillo
or Castle-the temple the pyramid seen We en-
tered the ruins
The pyramid rises steeply in nine terraces faced
with and decorated with sunken panels and
on each side is wide stairway with balustrades. The
base of the pyramid Io5 feet and its height is
IS feet.
The temple on the summit rises an additional
twentyfour feet, the structure whole is more
than 100 feet in height This temple has on side
an ample doorway with two serpent columns. that
leads into vauted portico. Directly behind this is
the sanctuary
On the other three sides of the temple door
ways giving access to vaulted passage that
leads neither into portico nor the sanctuary.
The decoration of the temple consists of sculp-
tured doorambs and ntels, all in bad repair; mask
panel highly conventionalized serpent head in front
view on the outer walls above each door; two COL
uns already mentioned that represent feathered
pents with the heads the base and the tails serving
as the capitol, and an open-work roof ornament re-
producing the Greek meander
splendid relic of ancient glory is the great build
ing known as the Monas or Nunnery. This rambling
structure richly decorated with grotesque faces and
geometrc designs, Of especial interest to the archae
oogist because it shows different periods of growth
In the first place the substructure of the principal
range of buildings has been enlarged several times as
made clear by excavations leading into the solid
The ground level wing on the east was added
,hetr, b,I
ment.
The small chamber at the top of the MonJas. which
may be called the third story, not contemporane-
GUS with the range of beneath it. first because
of these rooms had to be filled in with earth to
support the weight above and secondly because the
walls of this upper chamber are plainly made OF
used material There is good evidence that the
sculptured details of certain other parts of the Monjas
were taken from the wreckage of earlier buildings
In close connection with the Monjas are two small
temples without substructures, the interesting
being the sngleroomed building called the Iglesia
Church. This little temple is decorated with mask
panels and has the front wall elevated story above
the roof architectural device known the flying
facade. This flying facade bears three mask panels
which differ from each other and which obviously
made up of reused material.
West of the Monjas is the Akat'cib the House OF
the Dark Writing, called on account of some hi
erogyphc inscriptions. North of the Monjas is the
Caracol Snail curious circular tower with wind
ing stairway.
Still farther to the north is the Casa Colorado
Red House, an admirably preserved building with a
long outer chamber and three inner The flying
facade OF this building very pleasing with its mask
panels fanked by rets Over the center of the roof
rises another wall pierced by windows This archi-
tectuarl detail commonly called the roof comb roof
crest is found in this single instance Chichen liza
although often seen in other Maya cities.
Continuing in the northerly direction We en-
counter a temple upon pyramid very similar to the
Castillo, but smaller, which has been named the Tenn
pie of the High Priests Grave This rather fanciful
title comes from deep shaft on the floor leading
down to small burial chamber In conjunction with
this temple are some small platforms which are be-
lieved to have been used as stages for dramas
ligious ceremonies. Several of these Platforms having
sairways the four sides and sometimes sculptured
panels, found at Chchen liza.
Northwest of the Castillo lies the Ball Court Group
with the famous Temple of the Jaguars. The south
temple of the group plain building of little interest
but the north temple very interesting because its
tire inner surface including the soping surfaces of
scuptured detail in low relief
The carvings deal with professions of priests and
warriors similar to those the wall of the Lower
Chamber of the Temple of the Jaguars.
The Temple OF the Jaguars is situated at the
southern end of the parallel walls of the court
The inner chamber of this temple has excellent fres
in low relief while the other chamber the base
of the wall has painted sculptures.
The last group OF buildings which we have time
consider is the group OF the columns the western
part of the city In this extensive ruin there great
rows of columns platforms well as several in
teresting temples 1t has been suggested that this
part of the city was market but nothing that really
confirms such belief has come light. The temples
are mostly of the general type the Castillo
with sculpured doorjambs and serpent columns Sew
era of these temples have been only partly excavated
One of the most interesting is the Temple of the Ia
bles, which takes its from tabe-like altar sup
ported the upfted of small Atlantean figures
So much for the buildings of Chchen liza