Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-18
by EMMA REH STEVENSON.


In Mexico, where archaeology Is not
at all a dead thing. the scientist must
often cope with the passions OF the Nv
| ing as we'll as with the ruins and relics
of the dead.
In the Zapotec village OF Zaachila in
the valley of Oaxaca, where religious
feeling runs high, a number OF inn
portant prehistoric stone carvings have
been found incorporated in four-cen-
, tury-old Christian church. The position
they occupy suggests that they must
have been Of great Importance to the
Indians In Colonial times, and the
director of archaeology OF the Mexican
Department OF Public Education is plan
1 ming to remove them to the city OF
Oaxaca where their significance may
be studied.
The ten-foot doorstep OF the church
of Santa Maria of Zaachila, is a single
| monolith which still shows the signs of
| ancient carvings in spite of the wear
and tear Of four centuries Of footsteps.
But smaller slab, apparently OF much
| harder stone, has resisted the years
; much better and shows beautiful carV-
ings of q style that indicate strong
Maya influence. This slab Is the first
stone OF the floor just inside the door
step.
Maya God Depicted.
1t is divided into three segments,
framed by grooved lines. The first seq
ment represents a god similar to the
famous Maya Diving God" so called
because he is always found In the act
| of descending from heaven in a jack
knife dive. In the case Of the Zaachila
stone. the god appears to be dropping
from sort OF vault which looks
like symbolized upper jaw with all
its teeth. The god wears plumes in
his hair and the Language sign" comes
from his mouth. He has with him
( his "penache," the label by which one
who is skilled In reading the Maya
sign language could tell his name. A
| necklace hangs from his hands, and
Is probably meant to represent the
| we'll known collars Of jadeite pebbles
so popular with ancient Zapotecs and
/ MiXtecs, and for which Oaxaca Is fam
Gus
Receiving the god on the ground be-
low. seated croSs-legged on either side
and facing the center, are two other
human figures, probably beating drums,
and wearing curious crown-like head
gear. They are not dressed alike, In
spite of their symmetrical position, and
they may represent different sexes. The
language sign also comes from their
mouths
The second and third segments of the
slabs are similar to the first, except that
the figure of the Diving God is found
only in the latter. The figures are
likewise seated cross-legged, the soles OF
their feet turned out, and they are
| occupied with drum-shaped objects The
spaces are filled with scrolls whose
meaning has not been studied.
The faces Of some of the seated fig
ures are completely obliterated. while
| others are only partly destroyed so that
faces are concavitieS. At first appear
| ance 1t might seem that the position of
the slab at the first step down from
the Threshold explains the destruction
but on reconsideration it Is evident that
II 1t were only the natural wear Of feet
the destruction would be uniform and
not just in spots.
Attempt at Conversion.
| The fact that the slab Is laid down on
the most stepped-on place on the floor
makes 1t appear deliberate, and it was
| probably done to demonstrate to the
early Indian converts the impotency OF