The Washington herald., 1914-04-13
AN ANCIENT CITY OF AMERICA.
BY HEnBsRr J. spINpAN.
OF the American Museum Of Natural History


of, American Museum Of History
The wreck of human handicraft touches the heart
and none of can fail to invest ruined city with
the purple haze of romance. At least it is safe 10
say that traveller in Yucatsn and Central Amer
lea but has been deeply stirred by the vestiges OF
ancient empire that lie scattered through the jungle.
The ruins of Chichen liza, in Northern Yucatan
not far from Nalladolid. long famous account OF
their size, accessibility and heathfu situation. have
been explained by fancifu tales or wrapped in i'm
penetrable mystery according to the mood stock
OF information of the person describing them.
The Chichen liza means the mouth OF the
wells of the liza" The liza were tribe clan po-
litical division OF the Maya nation who have been
named the Greeks of the world.
When Grijalva and Cortes sailed their caravels
to the low-lying, palm-fringed coast of Yucatan in
1917 and 1913 they found the Maya Indians in a
state of advancement that excited wonder and ad-
mration. Yet not single OF the great stone
built cities really occupied at this time.
Several OF the chronicles relate that Chchen liza
was discovered during residence OF the liza AT
Bacalar on the east coast of Yucatan By the term
discovered" is probably that the cenotes which
made habitation possible were discovered
The settlement was made about 4so A. D. at a
time when the southern cities. such as Copan and
Tika, were entering upon their most brilliant epoch
1t certain, however that Chchen liza was only
mediocre provincial town at this time. Only one
dated stone has been found and this is poorly carved
The date upon it corresponds TO 6o3 A. D.
Shortly after this date Chichen liza was abandon
cd and the liza the land OF Chanputun near
Campeche. where they stayed according the chron-
cles. for 200 years. Somewhere near the middle of
tie tenth century they made their way back to the
north and re-established Chichen liza. At about the
same time Uxmal and Mayapan likewise found
ed, and league between the three was instituted.
This League of Mayapan. it is commonly called,
endured for 200 years and controlled the des-
tnies OF Northern Yucatan. Trouble between the
allies broke out with the plot of Hunac Ceel the chief
of Mayapan, and as a result the hereditary ruler of
Chichen liza, whose name Chac Xb Chac. was
driven out in II76.
A disastrous lasting thirtyfour years took
place, and the ruler OF Mayapan seems to have en-
listed seven warriors from the highlands of Mexico
under his standard These men have Nahua names.
In all probability the conquered city was given
to them the spoils of the end of the long
contest. After this. however. there seems to have
been little in the way of peace
Civil wars rent the land and while we cannot put
an exact date on the final fall and abandonment of
Chichen liza and Uxnal it is probable that these
events occurred somewhere in the fourteenth century
Msyapan, the last city survive, fell in I442 almost
exactly 100 years before the Spaniards made their
first permanent settlement at Merida.
When we try to arrange the buildings OF Chichen
liza in their proper order of erection is remarkable
that many of the finest structures clearly belong to
this last short period when the city in the hands
of foreign rulers from the distant Mexican highlands
There are, however, number Of structures that
probably date from the second occupation when Chi
chen liza was a purely Maya center. The Akatcib
and the Casa Colorado Maya structures without
trace of foreign influence Most OF the Monas group
is also MAYA without modification The Castillo the
Temple OF the High Priests Grave the entire group
OF the ball and the group of the columns date
in all probability from the foreign regime and
sequeny. cannot have been erected before the last
quarter of the twelfth century.
The architecture OF these buildings. we'll as
the sculptures, show strong resembances to work in
Tula Teotihuacan and other sites in the valley of
Mexico The native religion to have suffered
from the foreign infusion also
New forms appear in the religious art, and it is
unlikely that the human sacrifice at the Sacred
Cenote inaugurated by the ntruders The game
played in the ball court not to have been known
by the Maya in earlier times. and, indeed the only
examples of ball courts in Hucatan are seen at Chi
chen liza and Uxmal
This in brief. is the story OF Chichcn liza Found
ed when the Huns under Attla battling with
the failing armies OF Rome, it abandoned for
the first time when Mohamned was laying the leaven
Of Arab conquest. Re-estabished in the era of the
Saxon kings, it fourished during the crusades and
lost its freedom to foreign power when our fathers
were struggling for the Magma Charta and sank into
oblivion while the English and French fought out
the hundred years Surely city with such
history can hardly be dismissed void of interest
and inspiration.