Evening star., 1932-01-30
ANCIENT STATUARy
SPECIMEN FOUND IN
MAYA C|TYS RUINS
Remarkable Discovery Re-
ported to Carnegie Institu-
tlon From Chichen liza.
WORKERS CONCENTRATE
THERE FOR CONFERENCE
Work in Yucatan to Cover MANY
Fields of Research During
1882 Season

Discovery Of a remarkable specimen
OF ancient statuary in the ruins of the
Maya city of Chichen TIA was an
nounced in telegram received yes
terday at the Carnegie Institution Of
Washington from DR.. Sylyanus G. Nor
ley, director of its archaeological staff in
Yucatan
This was described by DR.. Morley as
beautifully sculptured and painted
Maya platform with a design, sculp-
tured In high relief, representing IT
elaborately costumed prisoners. bound
with ropes, who are approaching an
armed ruler, standing upon two pros
trate human figures. The scene is
framed by four plumed serpents.
The discovery was made by Karl
Rupert, Carnegie archeOlogiSt, who IS
directing excavation of the group of
ruins at Chichen liza, of which the
Temple Of Warriors is a part. After
completing the excavation and restOra-
ton of the Temple of Warriors work
has been resumed on other units of
Mexican government and with special
poration of New York.
Workers Meet There.
The discovery was almost simultane-
Gus with the arrival at Chichen liza of
DR.. John c. Merriam, president Of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington,
and a concentration there of workers
in various fields to discuss plans for
the 1892 field season. which is just
starting. Besides DR.. Merriam there
are now at the ancient Maya city:
Frederic A. Delano of Washington,
trustee of the Carnegie Institution, DR..
A. " Kidder. chairman of the InStl-
tution's Division of Historical Re
search, and a considerable force Of
archeologistS and ethnOlogists.
Following the conference at Chichen
liza, DR.. Kidder will proceed to Guate-
mala, where he will confer with DR..
Wallace w. Atwood, noted American
geographer. who has undertaken a
study of the geography of the region
as it relates to the occupancy, many
population and the development of one
of the highest civilizations in history.
The whole project. as it is outlined
in a report by DR.. Kidder, comprises a
comprehensive study of the birth,
progress and death of a highly de-
veloped human society. and this in
wolves medical, anthropOlOgiCal lin
guistic and chronological research on a
large scale
Intensive studies are being made of
the health of the present Maya pOpu-
lation and, under the direction OF DR..
George c. Shattuck. on the phySiologi-
cal mechanism of adaptation to life IN
the tropics. This. it is hoped will
10 h n
stroke and heat exhaustion. The sun
is regarded with dread in India and
Africa, while in tropical America and
the Philippines cases Of sunstroke are
very rare.
Centers at Chan KOm.
The sociological investigation now is
centering on the little Maya village of
Chan KOm. about II miles south of
Chichen Itza Expeditions are going
out. however. to remote Indian villages,
where the way of life. it is supposed,
varies little from that which obtained
before the white conquest. 1t is be-
lieved that some Of the present inhabi-
tantS of Yucatan are from 90 to 100
per cent pure descendants Of the an
cient Mayas
Linguistic research is being conducted
by Dr.. Manuel J. Andrade of the Uni
verSity of Chicago. Efforts are being
made to get back as closely as possible
to the ancient Maya through an lnten-
sive study of all the present dialects.
Another line of research is into the
biology of the region. A point of par
ticular interest is the relationship Of
the various forms of environment. such
as jungle and temperate forest, to the
life processes of the region. One of
the important objeCtives Of the biologi-
cal work will be to determine the re-
lationship which primitive man had
with the native plants and animals.
This may lead to the identification Of
many of the animals used by the an
cient Maya Sculptors.