Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-08-17

ests. Let us think Of the way they
lived in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, in
A. D., 939.
They were a rather little folk,
these Mayans, ranging in height
from four and one-half feet to five-
They were a golden brown, birdlike
in action and of unusual intelli-
gence. The characteristic facial fea-
ture was an aquiline or Roman nose.
All pictures drawn on the stone
walls show this feature.
The Mayan home seen in these
1OO0-year-old pictures, was just the
ordinary one seen today, hut (call-
ed bohio) of bamboo or palm,
thatched with palm leaves.
It was rectangular or oblong,
about 25 feet long, 15 feet high and
15 feet wide. A partition was built
from end to end, pierced by a door
sides of the partition Often a porch
where the family might sleep. The
bed was a hammock swung from
the rafters and drawn up in day
time, among strings Of hanging
maize, bright red peppers and beans,
which with many fruits and veg
etables was their staple foods.
Meals have not changed much in
1000 years, for in the ruins are
found many stone grinders (me-
tates) for preparing corn. Flapjacks
(tortillas), and beans (frijoles).
were the daily menu. Venison was
sometimes added, for the wall-pic-
lures show men carrying deer, and
venison is quite common on the ta-
bles today They ate, slept, cooked
and washed in the same room.
Smoke rising from 10000 huts,
many temple services and jungle
clearings, were familiar part Of ev-
cry landscape. ~
Corn culture then was just the
same as now. The jungle, cleared,
! dried and burned, was planted with
a sharp stick, the only plow they
ever had. With this the maize was
| put around the stumps, and between
| the stones. May, the beginning Of
the rainy season, was chosen. In so
days the crop matured, the main
| work was over, and 500 days were
| left to erect the most elaborate
| structures the world knows.
! The corn-plot then laid fallow for
| five to seven years while it's jungle
| grew up to enrich it. No wheel for
/ transportation, no beast of burden,
they developed fine carriage by
| bearing everything on their heads
Merchants with wares, women with
! fruits, carpenters with lumber, you
| will see today following the ancient
| custom. Porters trot under heavy
loads. Burros came with the Span
iards.
The emperor, richly decorated
with the bright green quetzal bird
| feathers, was accompanied with SOL
diers, mobiles and priests, bedecked
in long feathers, as seen in the
paintings. Women wore the mod
, ern huipil (wee-peeD, richly en-
| broidered Mother Hubbard, with an
| underskirt called pic (peek). Chill
dren were carried on the hip, and on
this account developed bow legs.
The babe, three days old, was sub
jected to a head fattening process.
1t lasted a long time, finally bring
ing the forehead into a straight line
with the nose. Nose and ears were
pierced with ornaments. Squint
eyes were regarded beautiful, and
secured by hanging an object be-
tween them. Hot cloths applied to
youthful faces prevented beard.
The busy streets were crowded
with farmers going to the fields,
girls bringing water from reservoirs
(chultuneso, merchants selling corn,
cacao and cotton, mobiles going to-
ball-field to play, masons and paint
ers to the unfinished temples, and
professions of priests on their way
to sacrifice and worship.
Potters, weavers, jewellers and
drunks filled the vacant corners, as
the others passed by. Some are
barefoot, some wearing sandals,
workers have only a loincloth.
Some, as masons and painters have
an additional apron, as depicted on
the walls.
The Great White Way, IS feet
wide, stretches to the Sacred Lake.
A million people, no doubt, passed
over it to see the sacrifices. Solemn
and pathetic, maidens, many went
to the sacrifice to return no more.
Thousands of captives, taken in war,
were kept for sacrifice or slavery.
Yellow fever and malaria scourged
the populace. Medicine and sur
gerry there were none. No cows, no
milk, infant mortality was very
high. 1000 years have gone Sun
and stars still rise and set, but the
devouring jungle has crept over hut
and temple. Strangers come to the
deserted city, to learn what life was
like when Chichen Itza was young.
Howard H. Scott.