344 



CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



was one of the largest centers of the ancient Maya world, and is par- 

 ticularly rich in hieroglyphic texts, perhaps as high as 35 per cent of 

 all known Maya inscriptions being found here. The copying and 

 photographing of this material, much of which is new, consumed five 

 weeks and the expedition did not return to Puerto Barrios until the 

 last of April. 



The third and last trip was the most difficult. The route (see 

 plate 3) lay from Puerto Barrios to Livingston and thence up the 

 Golfo Dulce and Rio Polochic to Panzos, and thence by mule-train 

 to Cahabon, in the department of Alta Vera Paz, one of the richest 

 coffee-producing states in Guatemala. There are no mule-trails beyond 

 Cahabon, and from this point it was necessary to proceed on foot, the 

 baggage being borne by Indian carriers. 



+ Previously dated archaeological sites 



• Sites dated by Carnegie Institution expedition, 1915 



Fig. 3. — Map illustrating archeological investigations in Mexico and Central America. The 

 circle incloses the region occupied bj' the Maya civilization. 



After a week's journey through the bush in a northwesterly dii-ec- 

 tion, the ruins of Cancuen on the Rio de la Pasi6n were reached, and 

 here the Indian carriers turned back. After an examination of this 

 Uttle-known site and the discovery of a new altar there the journey out 

 was commenced on May 14. 



The expedition proceeded down the Rio de la Pasion in a mahogany 

 dugout to Sayaxche, the headquarters of The American and Guate- 

 malan Mahogany Export Company, and thence by mule-train to 

 Flores, the picturesque Uttle island-city on the Lake of Pet^n Itzd, 



