Evening star., 1921-08-07
By DEy McKELwAY.

1
| IMPORTANT discoveries of cities
and other relics Of an ancient civil
lization which thrived in Central
America during the first fifteen cen
turtles Of the Christian era are report
ed by DIR. Sylvanus G. Morley. asso-
ciafe in American archaeology of the
Carnegie Institution. who returned to
Washington a few weeks ago. after
| trip into the unexplored regions Of
Guatemala which began last January.
DR.. Morley was accompanied by DR..
c. e. Guthe and William Gates, both
associates of the Carnegie Institu-
tion, and o. G. Ricketson. jr., and
A. X. Rutherford.
Little is known of the people who
| once inhabited what is now a waste of
| forest and jungle. but the ruins and
| inscriptions unearthed point to the
greatest native civilization which
America produced, the ancient Maya Of
| southern Mexico and northern Central
| IAmerica. And Mr.. Gates, by coming
| in direct contact with the descendants
ago. has opened lines Of communica-
| tion which may pave the way for
eventual recovery of what is left of
| their ancient learning.
The peninsula Of Yucatan. juts up
| along the Gulf of Mexico. $50 miles
| wide and 400 miles long. In this little
known and forgotten region great
| cities grew up centuries ago. dlled
with temples, pyramids. palaces and
monasteries. built Of finely carved
limestone and grouped around paved
squares and courts.
In these plazas monuments were
erected. their sides inscribed with elab-
crate hieregiyphic writings setting forth
facts. The region was densely populated.
highly organized under centralized
governments and hourished as the van
| guard Of new world civilization.
| During centuries which followed the
height Of Maya civilization. pestilence.
came and weakened the tribe. and when
the Spaniards. under Francisco de
| Montejo, landed on the east coast Of
Yucatan in 1541, the remnant OF this
| once brilliant people fell and was
speedily reduced to slavery and de
pendencc. Their cities were abandoned.
the jungle again crept over the region
and today these former centers Of hu-
man activity lie buried in dense for
est.
| Dr. Morley's party discovered several
new cities in northern Peten. maps were
l iAou0 dau puOlO6I0VAuC ICSOIuS SOIl-
piled. while important dates. found in
inscriptions, were deciphered and other
Information obtained for the publication
of an extensive report on archaeological
remains Of the region. DR.. Guthe un-
earthed the principal plaza of one Of the
larger cities and discovered a number
| Of valuable relics. including pottery and
the tomb Of some important individual.
| The Investigations were carried on
| under great difficulties, DR.. Morley re-
ports The climate is extremely hot
and humid. the water impure and in
sanitary and the insect plaques are an
noying and dangerous. DR.. Morley's
party had great difficulty in obtaining
suitable transportation, the most prac-
tical being the primitive mule trains
which averaged fifteen or SO miles a
day through the jungle: Labor was
found to be hard to obtain and in
efficient. and altogether the adverse
| conditions combined to discourage
scientific investigation OF the region.
Other trips are planned, but it will
lbe some time before the region yields
Its archaeological secrets which will tel
1.-THE story Of one Of the earliest and mos
interesting civilizations that existed ir
the western world.
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| Tho situation in the Dominican Re-
lpublic at present sheds an interest
ing light on conditions with which the
lAmerican naval government has to
jcontend- It might forecast what is
to be shown by the Senate investiga-