The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-05-18

ten people are slowly coming to light. Year by
year expeditions sent out by American scientific In
stltutions are penetrating deeper and deeper into
these virgin Businesses and are discovering new
ruined cities"
Doctor Merely has just completed an examina-
ton of the Maya ruins Of Chichen-ItZa, in Yucatan.
The religious and civic centers Of the ruins cover
an area two miles long and one mile wide. Extend
ing from this center in all directions for three 10
five miles are the remains OF stone buildings.
These include pyramids, platforms, terraces, plazas
and paved roads, all now buried In a thick troplcai
foliage.
"The ruins Of Chlchen- liza are those of the
largest city Of the new Maya empire, which was
probably founded about the middle OF the Firth
century after Christ by colonists from the old en-
pire cities Of northern Guatemala" Doctor Morely
said.
During this first period 1t was occupied for
about two centuries and abandoned for unknown
reasons. In the middle Of the Seventh century the
inhabitants moved toward the coast, where they
stayed three centuries, returning to Chichen-Itza
and re-establishing themselves there about 800
A. u.
ut was then one Of a league Of three cities, the
others being Uzmal and Mayapan, which ruled Yu-
catan from the beginning Of the Eleventh to the
Thirteenth century. 1t was a period OF prosper
ity, with q renaissance OF ART architecture IL
sculpture.
New types Of buildings were then erected, the
temples showing columns cut with feathered ser
pents. dedicated to their patron deity, called ku-
kulcan, or feathered serpent. The great ball COURT
as large as a modern football field, was built ana
inclosed by massive walls 30 feet high and 20 feet
thick. In this Enclosure games were played not
unlike modern basketball, the object being to drive
q ball through rings fastened in the side walls.
"A new religious cult developed under which
most of the beautiful young women were hurled 10
death into a great natural well $50 feet In diam
eter and 20 feet deep, as sacrifices to the oftended
rain deities during the d%rOughts. The fame or this
sacred we'll spread far and wide, so that pilgrims
came from a great distance to make precious oHer-
inps OF carved jade, copper, bells, pottery and In
cense which were deposited in this well as sacri-
fees 10 the rain god.
"Recause Of the extraordinarily spectacular char
acter of her religious rites and ceremonies Chichen-
liza became the mecca Of the whole Magyar world.
at is difficult to make an estimate OF the poruia-
ton of Chichen-Itza during the period of her great
est glory, but personally / think the whole liza
nation could not have numbered less than q quar-
ter of q million, and possibly half a Million"
DIR. Marshall III. Saville, American archeologist,
told the American Archaeological society at wash
ington recently that under ages OF American dust
IN the ruined temples of the lost Maya civilization
In Yucatan, delivers into antiquity may make dis
coveries, In the near future, which will surpass
in interest the recent revelations at Luxor.
He said the lost history Of the Mayas never may
be found, but there is every hope that Its numerous
volumes will be discovered In the tombs or me
ancient priests who spent their lives writing them.
Part Of their chronology the Mayas left engraved
on monuments and on the walls and rooms OF their
temples, palaces and homes.
The more intimate details Of the era were re-
corded in book form, on a material that closely re-
sembles paper, but Is stronger and more ddrapie.
Some few leaves Of such volumes already have been
discovered. The tombs of the Magyar priests, VINO
also were the intellectual leaders of the race, are
known to be under the floors of the temples.
The Peabody museum Will shortly puDhsh a
work on the Magyar civilization by Prof. HerDert
J. Spinden and Prof. A. NJ. Tozzer. Ii Is pased
largely on archaeological treasures secaverec from
the sacred s~acrifcial we'll referred 10 by Doctor
Merely. Not much is known publicly about these
treasures. They were privately removed through
the efforts of Edward "A. Thompson. CORNER United
States consul at Merida. and have been jealousv
guarded.