Evening star., 1924-06-29

facing the gateway, with its foreraw
extended and tongue loIling from Ms
mouth. Flowers and scrolls surround
the figure. The opposite, or right ssde,
has a macaw with extended talons,
flowers and scrolls again forming part
Of the decorative scheme.
THE southern end Of the gateway
has tho same treatment, except that
at this end the Jaguar tanks the right
side and the macaw the left. 1t re-
suits from this arrangement Of the
four figures that the two jaguxxs face
west and the two macaws east Di-
rectly above the end OF the gateway
there was a large round shield or disc
divided into eight sections
The association of jaguar and a
shield recalls another edifice in ths CITY
the famous Temple of the Jaeuar-
SO named because of frieze on It
which represents a series of stalking
jaSuars alternating with round shields
ON Monday, June 2, excavations
were begun upon the norfheast colon
made OF the group of the thousand
columns. This fine example of late
new empire construction lies lust
without the court OF the thousand
columns proper, being a later addi-
ton, bunt onto the northeast Of the
temples and colonnades comprising
this great architectural complex. 1t
is ninety-one feet long, hfty-one feet
wide, and Is composed of forty-threc
square columns arranged in five row.
Of nine columns each.
Excavations were begun at the
eastern end, and we soon uncovered
a smaller coionnade Of round columns.
built at some later period, agains.
the eastern end of the larger building.
We may suppose that when this
smaller coionnade was built the de-
cline Of the city had already set in.
since the building blocks are much
smaller and more poorly made than
those of the larger construction 1t il
the work of a people nearing their
end, feeble attempt to duplicate tn"
architectural achievements of their
ancestors-and unsuccessfully.
when the terrace before the north
east colonnade itself was cleared o'
debris, fallen building stone, masonry.
etc, a great quantity of sculptured
fragments, which had fallen from the
front wall. came to light The upper
part OF the front wan had been occu-
pied by a great stone mosaic, the in
dividual pieces OF which are some
times two or three feet in size, weigh
ing upward Of one hundred and fifty
pounds, giant picture puzzle in
stone, lying scattered about in inde-
scribable confusion
Imagine a jig-saw puzzle composed
of several thousand pieces, instead
of several scores. Imagine a jig-saw
puzzle ninety feet long and eighty
feet wide with pieces several feet
long, instead OF the usual kind. per
haps a foot or two square, with
pieces not more than an inch or two
long Imagine these great pieces to
be blocks OF Stone instead Of bits
Of wood and cardboard. and raise
this vast mosaic to the top of the
front row Of square columns. and
then you have a picture OF what the
front of this colonnade formerly
looked like. One OF the most inter
esting tasks ahead of the excavators
of the Carnegie Institution staff is
fitting together in their proper places
the different pieces of this giant jie
saw puzzle.
Tho central element of this great
mosaic seems to have been an elao-
orately dressed ruler, warrior or
priest, which probably occupied the
| snace over the central doorway. In
his right hand is a spear, held up
right, ornamented with tassels and
streamers of feathers; from his lett
hand hangs a bag embroloereo Win
a face He wears sandals, loih-
cloth, Jade anklets, wristlets ana
necklace, and above his head rises a
| gorgeous headdress of sweeping
feathers, falling down behind his
back. Almost all the pieces of this
figure have been recovered except
| unfortunately, the head. This coulo
have been only about foot high
and. il is feared, could have easily
been carried off by some curio-
/ hunter.
| "other elements of this great pic
| ture-puzzle are taguars, oiros'
feathers and the so-called masked
panels. These last are large stone
faces with long, curling noses, deep
| eve sockets. filed front teeth and Jaoe
earrings. representations of Kukulcan'
the patron deity of Chichen Itza.
The floor of the colonnade is OF
a fine, hard, Iime-plaster, painted
deep red. Across the eastern END IN
side runs a stone platform two feet
high and twice as deep. Surface IN
dications before digging had begun
| showed that whereas all of the otner
columns of this colonnade are plain
that is to say, the stones had been
dressed but not sculptured-the two
central ones in both of the back rows
four in all, had been sculptured. Tne
excavations have now reacneo the
| oufer pair of these sculptured columns
and it is possible to announce that 81
four sides of each one are eiaoorateis
carved. traces of the original pain'
with which they were all covered
formerly still adhering in man!
places"
X
@R MORLEY has avoided. 1t may bt
- noticed, any attempt to explain tht
meaning and uses of the temples men
toned in his report, or what they near
to ancient history. This question il
such an overwhelming one, and one OF
which so many scientists disagree
the present time, that no public inter
pretation Of present or future disoov
a,ies at Chichen liza will be attemptet