Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-08-03
AMERICAN
MICHAEL AhCEL0S

reached us Climax. III OAHldl II
reached it's summit before William
the Conqueror came to England.
Mayan art possibly began before
Caesar landed on English shores.
Kindly nature set here stage for
great civilization. Thousands or
square miles of workable stone she
placed ready for the hand of the
artisan. Yucatan has shallow soil
underlaid with native coral lime
stone Neither spring nor river ap-
pears on it's surface, but under
ground streams are abundant. Here
and there, water is obtained from
lakes fed by these underground riv-
ers. Maya cities were built of ma
tive stone, soft when quarried, hard
when exposed. This proved a great
advantage, and made stone work
comparatively easy. Soil could be
stripped from the stone, the stone
removed, and the greedy jungle cov-
er it all over again. The vertical
and horizontal seams in this pure
lime rock gave endless opportunity
to cut the stone, and make lime
and mortar.
In time of peace labor was abun-
dant After sixty days the corn
was laid aside, and 800 days were
left for city building. Labor was
enforced The Maya worker was
practically enslaved. But they had
great, wise, scientific leaders to
form ambitious plans, and carry
them out over series of admins
trations.
Strong governments employed
their best engineers and mathema
ticians knowing the laws of archi-
lecture. Astronomers, practicing as
trology, held religious and super
stitious people in awe, and their Or
ders were strictly obeyed.
Let us draw the picture: For
miles deep quarry is opened after
the jungle and soil are removed. A
thousand men in various detach-
ments are at work. Brown men
make an odd contrast with the
cleaning white stone. A loin-cloth
or apron is all they can endure, in
the trOpic heat. Some loosen the
joints of fracture.
Some roll out with wooden levers
the loosened stone. Ashlars are
roughly trimmed by the masons.
Others move the squared stone over
the boles of trees, used for rollers,
toward the distant temple. How
far away it seems. At the temple
artists finish the delicate designs
from blue-prints. With ropes they
pull the carved stones up clay in-
clines to their positions. They are
carefully inspected and laid. Paint
ers skillfully cover the intricate de-
signs with harmonious tints. The
result is thing of beauty and hop
ed to be joy forever.
Everything is tense with action.
Men are exhorted, cheered, encour-
aged, blamed. Unlike Indians we
know, they are quick, alert, know
ing diligent. Some overseers are
we'll poised and gentle, others harsh
and rude. There is the brief ha-
rangue, the oath, the whip, the cut
ting lash. They could not live it
Through, except for the breeze from
the sea. The effort is like strug-
gle between life and death. Men
sweat and groan in the pitiless sun,
the weaker wall and complain and
at laSt-Succumb.
The fine artistic work is done un-
der cover of palm-leaf structures.
There are guilds of artists, sculp-
tors, painters and masons. The
sculptor has no metal tool, though
one was found of copper near the
temple. Chisels and hammers are
of flint and obsidian. Thousands
of these are found in the ruins.
Using these for 1000 years great
skill was developed With sisal
rope, water and sand they sawed
square the corners. With hollow
bones of birds they made drills Elk
inches deep. Some engraving was
done before, some after the stone
was fitted to it's place. Some isl
rudely craven, some with most ex-]
quisite skill
The craven picture was made to
guide the fresco artist. Mayans
loved color and employed it always.
Mineral, not vegetable dyes were
used because more enduring. Where
protected, the colors have stood the
test of a thousand years.
They used the column, colonnade,
balustrade, screen, cornice, with bal
ance and symmetry, and beautiful
geometric designs. From the forest
they brought lintels Of sapote, beau
tifully carved (from sapote we get
sapodilly and chewing gum).
% In the land of termites these sa-
pote lintels have lasted 1900 years,
becoming hard as iron. The oldest
date at Uxmal is A. d. 327. Stand
ing on high terraces, and free from
frost, the monuments are in good
repair, with little care given.
The temple at last is finished. The
Raingod, Itsamna, is honorei. Op-I
ening ceremonies follow. under the
binding sunlight, which falls on the
sparkling masonry and brilliant pic
lures. The surrounding and adoring