152 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 92 



structures of Copan and in the adjacent forest occur rudely carved 

 stone figures of Chorotegan style similar in type to those from Costa 

 Rica, Nicaragua, and the highlands of Guatemala.^ The structural 

 comparison here made holds for all the great Mayan cities, whereas 

 the smaller sites, especially those of British Honduras and northern 

 Spanish Honduras, in their comparative simplicity somewhat lessen 

 the gap. Natural shrines, similar to those in the Bay Islands, are ap- 

 parently rather widespread throughout the Maya territories, especially 

 in the later periods. Gann describes one of these just south of 

 Chetumal Bay where Caucasian artifacts, late Maya pottery, jade, 

 copper bells, and stone knives occurred. " The little island was not 

 a burial-place, for not a human bone was found upon it, but rather 

 one of those ' sacred places ' found throughout the Maya-Toltec area, 

 where it would appear that offerings were made to the gods, by being 

 simply laid on the surface of the ground within a space covered by 

 large stones. Most of these offerings, but not all ... . were ' killed ' 

 before being offered, by being broken into fragments." The custom 

 of making offerings at certain traditionally or scenically significant 

 places is not confined to Middle America, but the above correspondence 

 to Bay Island shrines is particularly close. The fact that far more 

 ceremonial sites than habitation sites are known in the Maya area, 

 as is true in the Bay Islands, may be more of a commentary on arche- 

 ologists than on native customs. 



At Copan, burials occurred in at least one mound and in numerous 

 stone-lined vaults or tombs. Maudslay found many redware dishes 

 and pots containing human bones and lime in one sepulchral vault. 

 The vaults, which were in the main structures, under courts, or in 

 small mounds, contained the richest offerings. In mound 36, both 

 individual and mixed burials with simple gifts were encountered. 

 Vaillant notes that this mound contained so many excellent potsherds 

 that ceremonial breakage is suggested. In caverns about 4 miles from 

 Copan masses of partially cremated human bones were found, and 

 calcined human infant and animal bones occurred in jars. The pottery 



^° Owing to the depth and complexity of this field the present comparison can 

 obviously have only suggestive value. The sources for specific statements made 

 herein follow in the order cited: Morley, 1920, pp. 421-422; Lothrop, 1921, 

 p. 316, 1926, p. XXVI, 1927 a, pp. 204, 197 ; Gann, 1927, p. 54, 1918, pp. 127, 

 75, 86, 61, 120-122, 1914-1916, p. 2,7', Maudslay, 1889-1902, vol. I Text, p. 31; 

 Gordon, 1896, pp. 26-32, 1898 b; Vaillant, 1927, pp. 228, 227-262; Ricketson, 

 1925, pp. 391-392; J. E. Thompson, 1931, pp. 326, 332; Mason, 1928; E. H. 

 Thompson, 1897 a, pi. 13, fig. 2, 1897 b, pi. 7, fig. i and pi. 8, fig. 2; Merwin and 

 Vaillant, 1932, pp. 62-83. 



