Evening star., 1952-02-27
Buried City Of Homes
In Yueoton Surveyed
Arehecloolsts Seek Light
On Family Life OF Mcyus
By Themes R, Henry


A great buried city Of homes In the
Yucatan forests Ia being surveyed and
eventually will he partly excavated hy
archeoiogists OF the Carnegie Institution
Of Washington,
Thus, II Ia expected, for the first time
light will be thrown on the daily family
life Of tho ancient Mayas who built up
the greatest Of Columbian New
World civilizations and one Of the most
advanced primitive civilizations the
world has known.
The people are known best for the
great stone temples they built In the
jungles The so.called ''cities". excaVated
IN the past have been cities Of churches
and, II Ia probable, government ad.
fillnistrative buildings. The actual
human beings who built these temples
In honor OF their GODS became shadowy
figures In the advancing iunale nlRh(,
There was little information on how
they actually lived and, u was supposed,
most OF their homes were mere huts
which quickly disappeared after they
were abandoned,
A netable exception. the Carnegie
survey shows, was the great city OF
Mayapah, 10 contained approximately
$500 structures. the majority Of which
appear 20 have been dwelling houses,
practically no attention has been paid
70 these In the past
Erected on 6t0Re Platforms.
The MayapaR houses, the survey has
showed, were for the most part erected
on low stone platforms which served aB
HaAfa ThAu Uaniaa nnaatIu In aalah IA
tails Rs RFPangement and number OF
rooms, walls ana passageWays, uRdaubts
edly due 10 the circumstances Of the
family and the personal whims Of the
builder, There IA considerable evidence
that original structures were added TO,
possibly because Of increases In the
family,
In spite Of the numerous variations
this type Of structure usually consists
Of one room with one or more stone
benches. or O front and back room. In
the latter case the front room has at
least one bench, probably, the only fur
niture, with O passageway leading into
the back room. Back rooms were con.
sistently narrower than front rooms.
There Is little indication that the fronts
Of the houses were closed. The back
room often had O doorway ct one end.
Small altars are found occasionally In
the back room, built against the center
OF the back wall. In general such
structures were low platforms lined with
stones.
Since there ID no debris showing where
roofs have fallen In, II Ia assumed that
the houses were covered with perishablo
thatch. The walls are seldom more than
three feet high. n 10 assumed that
above this height they were made Of
wood, thatch or some other perishable
material.
Another type Of house may have been
used by weather. residents. II ID slIni.
lar In plan 10 the others. but the stones
OF the walls have been nicely cut. Affairs
frequently are found In front OF these
larger structures. They are small, fee-
taheular masonry platforms about eight
inches high. In some cases they sup
port O low wall or O single upright stone.
Land Ownership Indicated.
An interesting feature 10 the low walls
around individual houses or small groups
OF houses, These walls, made Of large
stones GOT end on end and O few inches
AkAAG RASA&bAH AAAteRbA0 tttkAA VWHgES
ship, or house lots. In some cases lanes
are formed BY the parallel walls Of
neighbofing properties, They preSum-
ably coTTesponded to the alleys Of Q
modern city.
The portion Of the city wall examined
was. for the most part. in o very poor
state Of preservation. Made Of large,
rough stones. 1t does not rise over
seven feet at any point. In some places
there remain traces Of parapets.
Apparently few people lived outside
the city walls, intended for defense. Re.
mains Of few houses have been found,
similar In structure to those inside.
Mayapan evidently was city Of Maya
workingmen, rather than O holy city.
The Carnegie explorers found the ruins
covered with dense underbrush.
Apparently the ancient city, which
disappeared about q century before the
arrival Of white men, was oval in shape.
Its water supply was from wells within
the wall. As yet no traces Of Q GENE.
terry have been found.