White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-09-23
TREASURE is FOUND
BY INDIANS DREAM
Ancient Pagan Temple In
Mexican Wilds Revealed.

mexican w liQS NCVCoASus
Mexico City. A dream-guided
search for treasure by the descendants
of an ancient chieftain who fought
against Cortez has ended most amaz-
ingly in the discovery of one of the
most splendid temples yet, known of
the pagan gods of pre-Hispanic Mex
leo, dedicated to Camaxtli, the chief
god of the Tlaxcala nation before
the conquest.
DR.. Eduardo Noguera, inspector Of
the department of archelogy Of the
ministry of education, investigated
the discovery at Tizatlan for the Mex
lean government and conducted sys-
tematic excavations there. He states
that the Indians of the town claim
that one of their number, Panfilo San
chez, is a descendant of Xicotencatl,
former lord of Tizatlan and one of
the rulers of the Tlaxcala nation and
bitter adversary of Cortez. This
Sanchez declared that Xicotencatl
himself appeared to him in dream
and revealed the whereabouts of his
hidden treasure.
Other Indians, believing in the
vision, went with Panfilo to the des-
ignated spot to dig. They came upon
prehistoric ruins and in their thirst
for treasure cleared away large
amount of earth in two weeks. Walls
Of temple and beautiful polychrome
frescoes appeared, and the fame of
the, discovery spread throughout the
state Of Tlaxcala and into Mexico
City. Government authorities were
sent to investigate and the amateur
excavation was stopped.
Temple on Crest Of Hill.
The temple remains are on the
crest of hill overlooking the Indian
village of Tizatlan and are under the
ruins Of an old Christian church be-
lieved to have been built by Cortez
after the destruction Of the heather
temple more than 400 years ago.
The ruins belong to the Aztec cul-
ture. DR.. Reygadas Vertiz, director Of
the department of archaeology under
the ministry of education, says that
the find is one of the most important
of recent times because the building
contains polychrome fresco paintings
considered to be real codices, or his
torical records in symbolic picture
form. The picture writings may form
an important link in piecing together
the story Of Mexico before the dis
covery Of America.
True codices are found on very
few Aztec ruins, Doctor Reygadas sayr.
Most Of the codices now in existence
are on maguey paper, made from the
fiber Of common Mexican plant, and
are in European museums. Even Of
these but few are left, because the
conquerors and the missionaries who
followed them destroyed all the tenn
pies, idols and written records Of the
native races in their zeal to convert
them to Christianity. Here and there
strip Of picture writing was secretly
saved as q souvenir or sent to Europe
as curiosity. After several centuries
had passed their historical value was
recognized and those few remnants
found their way into collections and
museums.
colored Symbols Unearthed.
A floor about eighteen feet wide
and thirty-seven feet long has now
been excavated, and the rectangular
space was found to be perfectly orr
entated with the cardinal points. On
this space stand two raised stone plat
forms, both beautifully ornamented
with brilliantly colored symbols.
Among tt figures are some that are
easily recognized, such as the water
sign and the death sign.
On the short vertical ends of the
platforms are canals that divide the
walls into two equal parts. Because
Of the constant repetition of the death
sign and the water sign, which in this
case could also be interpreted as the,
blood sign, it is believed that these
slabs were sacrificial affairs and that
the canals served to lead away the
blood. The most beautiful figure on
the frescoes Is that of the god Camax-
til, and for that reason it is believed
that the temple was built in his
honor.