The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-12-21

northern Yucatan.
AS Is characteristic of most Maya
cities, the plan of Tikal embodes a
large court or main plaza, together
with system of oriental courts, all
connected with one another and with
n few detached buildings. The unit in
! the groupings seems TO be the quadri-
lateral court, around each side of
which there are one or more build
lngs. Isolated buildings having no re-
lation to n court are comparatively
rare. The courts vary In size from the
main plaza, with breadth of over 300
feet. to small Enclosures surrounded
by low mounds.
Buildings Fairly Well Preserved.
The buildings at Tikal are in bet
ter state of preservation than are
those of any other Maya site, with the
exception of the ruins In northern
Yucatan. which are admittedly of later
date. This is especially noteworthy
when II is recalled that Tikal is prob
ably the oldest of the Maya cities. its
architecture exceedingly poDderous,
and that the builders developed better
constructions rs time went ON. The
buildings. especially the pyramid tenn
pies. are solid and with very thick
walls. The numerous structures of the
residential type are also in excellent
state of preservatiC n as regards their
lower story. The crumbling of the
second tier of rooms has tended to
cover and protect the lower part of
the building so that the lower stories |
nre as firm and solid as the day they |
were built.
Practically all the buildings are built |
upon some form of artificial mound. |
In the case of the temples. the mound
takes the form of a truncated pyramid.
1t is a notable fact that the pyramids
at any other Maya center. The sides
Of the pyramids are made in great
steps or terraces, faced with stone, and
often inset at the corners and paneled
at the sides. Access TO the temple is
gained by Il single stairway only in
stead of by four stairways, one ON
each side of the mound. as is noted
At Chichen-Itza.
In no other Maya area is there such
and similarity in the plans
II the great temples. As general
'ule. they contain three chambers, one
behind the other. The door of the
wo back rooms is raised slightly above
he level of that in the front room.
n the residential buildings there APP
'ears TO be great diversity Of plans.
10 two being exactly alike. They
ange from two TO five stories in height ,
nd some OF these buildings contain up ,
o 40 chambers. These We're probably
he homes of the priests. In these {
esidences the rooms run longitudinal !
Y in two rows along the length of the q
uilding. with one or two transverse
ooms at either end. They sometimes I
orm court by themselves or per- :
APPS form one or more sides of a court, Y
ne other sides of which are occupied a
y temples. Frequently there is
lose connection between building
pr dwelling purposes and that for
orship. y
Earliest Maya Roofs. b
The temples show a greater thick Il
ess OF wall than the residential build "
Igs. and the room space in Tikal Is Il
mailer In proportion to wall space s.
ian has been noted anywhere else. Il
he fact that the principal temples 81
owning steep and high pyramids &
ere themselves topped by lofty IL
'of structure necessitated this heavy o.
all for support. From their cumber- Ii
me nature 1t may be reasonably sup IN
,sed that the Tikal roof structures IL