Evening star., 1955-02-16
Scientist Relates Story
OfSocking Of Moyopun
Burborion Invaders Come
To PiIIuee 500 Years Ago
By Thomas R. Henry

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Like the sacking of ancient Rome by
the Vandals was the sacking Of o New
World Rome by barbarian invaders.
They robbed the temples and burned
the houses. Probably they slaughtered
many people. This took place about so
years before the FIRST voyage Of Colum.
bus.
Fragments Of the tragedy, hitherto .
matter Of legend only. are being re.
vealed in Carnegie Institution excaya-
tions on the site of Mayapan, probably
the largest city of Yucatan up to the
middle of the 18th century. although
not necessarily the center Of its culture.
This is reported by DR.. H. E. D. Pol
lock, Carnegie Institution archeologist.
4.140 Buildings.
Mayapan, the excavations reveal,
must have been not only city with o
large population, but Of considerable
wealth. Remains Of 4.140 buildings have
been recorded to date, most Of the re-
mains being stone platforms within the
limits of the old walled city. At least
1000 of these can almost surely be
classified as private homes. DR.. Pollock
says. Most were middle -class homes,
probably Of quite cheap wooden con-
struction. A few presumably were
abodes of "millionaires." Many others
were public buildings and temples. It
still is too early, the Carnegie archeolo-
gist believes. to venture any estimate Of
the population. The size Of the Maya
family is unknown, and some of the
buildings may have housed several
families.
The rich-possibly also some of the
poor-lived in houses some of whose
walls were elaborately painted with
symbolic scenes and landscapes. One
large section of interior plaster has
been obtained from which it has been
possible to reproduce part of the badly
deteriorated mural. The scene depicts
f1ve buildings, possibly temples, resting
on a low platform.
Toward the end, the excavations In
dicate. there was considerable decline
in Mayan culture. There is a clear
falling off in craftsmanship and the
people seem to have given themselves
over to idleness and luxury.
Temples Looted.
Considerable looting OF altar deposits,
presumably at the time Of the city's
sacking. has been revealed This loot
ing appears to have been done before
the collapse Of the houses themselves.
"The findings suggest insurrection
or invasion and pillage," says DR.. Pol
lock. But that Interpretation is by no
means certain. The gradual abandon
ment of the city from causes other than
strife, and the breakdown Of old social
and religious forms might in time leave
the empty temples as open to acts of
vandalism as the more cataclysmic
effects of war.
But We have noted three instances
OF charred timbers beneath the debris
covering the floors of the structures.
THESE were unqueStionably the remains
OF the roof beams. As 1t would be rela.
lively difficult to set fire to the wooden
supports in beam and mortar roof.
there is good evidence that the build
1ngS were purposely burned. There is
also evidence from the pottery on the
floors that this occurred late in the
occupation OF the city and that, in
at least one instance, the building was
In use at the time OF the destruction.
These findings clearly suggest that the !.
sack and destruction Of the city by
hostile forces did in fact take place"
Destruction Of Mayapan, it is be-
lieved. was followed by q. period af
foreign occupation which may have
continued almost to the coming Of the
first white men. The invaders were ap-
parently more vigorous people but.
like the invaders Of Rome, on a lower
cultural level.
The identity of these New World
vandals remains unknown. But more
and more the similarity of Mayapan's
culture to that Of Rome-except that
1t probably never was the center OF an
extensive empire - becomes apparent
from the Carnegie excavations.